Red-Crowned Cranes
Nikon D3 250mm F/10 1/800 ISO400
Herd of Oryx
Nikon D3 70mm F/5.6 1/3200 ISO800
Pelican Escort
Nikon D5 24mm F/16 1/30 ISO50
Q. You have recently been awarded ‘Wildlife Photogra-
pher of the Year’ for your photograph ‘The Golden
Couple’. Tell us the story behind the frame.
A. While doing research for a landscape photography
project in China, I learned about the golden snub-nosed
monkeys. The fact that they’re not only extremely unu-
sual-looking and photogenic, but also an endangered
species, really made me want to photograph them. This
species lives high up in the mountains of China’s Shaanxi
province where habitat loss is their main threat. When I
traveled to this location, I already had the perfect shot in
my head but I knew it was going to be difficult to get it.
It took me a couple of days to understand the behaviour
of the monkeys, which was important to be able to pre-
dict what they would do. For the shot I wanted, I needed
a male in the foreground, and I wanted to shoot it at an
angle from behind it to show the long guard hairs on the
back. This was challenging, because when you’re photo-
graphing an animal’s back, you typically don’t see the face.
After many failed attempts, I found these two monkeys on
a rock, and the habitat and the light were simply amazing.
When there was a fight between other members of the
troop, these two monkeys looked up in that direction - the
perfect moment for me to take the shot. I used a flash to
bring out the colours and textures.
Q. You also organize photo tours for nature and wild-
life enthusiasts. What are the major takeaways from
your photo tours?
A. Our photo tours are designed for small groups of inter-
national photo enthusiasts of all experience levels. On all
our tours, we have regular image reviews, during which I
analyze the images from our guests to teach them about
the right settings, composition, framing, and post-pro-
cessing. I try to focus on the creative part of photography,
which is generally considered to be the most difficult part.
Q. Would you consider yourself as a subject-driven
photographer or are you the type to make the best of
a situation?
A. I am a control freak. In general, I carefully choose my
subjects and the locations. The preparation of my trips is
the most important part of the creative process, because
that’s when I come up with my shooting ideas.This means
that when I arrive at a location, even if I’ve never been
there before, I already have a shooting plan and know
what images I want to get. I’m good at improvising, but
most of my most popular images are the result of pre-vis-
ualising.
Q. Your work has a distinctive style with impeccable
composition. What is the creative process behind such
amazing photographs?
74 FEATURE
Japanese Snow Monkey
Nikon D2X 70mm F/8 1/180 ISO320
A. I am very outspoken when it comes to my personal es-
thetic preferences. Most of my images are carefully framed
and the compositions have strong graphic qualities. I’m
very focused on powerful shapes and lines, and for my
wildlife photography, the location is often more important
than the subject itself. In that sense I’m really different
from most of my colleagues. If I don’t like the habitat, it’s
not very likely that I’ll want to photograph the species. This
explains why I have not yet photographed the mountain
gorillas for instance. I am allergic to clutter and I have a
minimalistic approach in my visual language. My style is
heavily influenced by my degree in graphic design and by
having worked as an art director in advertising for 15 years.
I try to stay true to myself and not follow the latest trends,
and my aim is to always create something different and not
to copy what’s already out there.
Mandeep Kaur
[email protected]
An attractive personality, Mandeep finds her refuge in good books, good
food and a good conversation. Open in recieving and giving new ideas,
she feels that the world will be a better place to live in if people are more
helpful and open towards others.