Every Friday, I'll review suggestions and ideas to help you improve your photography, especially if you're passionate about wildlife and travel photography.
Annie Gordon is a Sydney-based photographer who specialises in photographing waves.
You can see more of her work by visiting her Instagram page (wavesbyannie) or by going to her website.
Annie's Instagram page
Listen to the podcast here: Season 5 Episode 5
Cassie is a qualified Marine Biologist and, since COVID, has expanded into other areas. She is currently a skipper with Ocean Extreme in Sydney.
Working as a naturalist guide and host, she has had the opportunity to visit some amazing and remote places. She tells some of the stories in this podcast.
If you would like to see some of Cassie's images, you can visit her Instagram account here.
Listen to the podcast here: Series 5 Episode 21.
Colin is a mentor with "WeAreObservers" in Sydney and an Adobe trainer. Colin’s speciality is smartphone photography.
In this podcast, he talks about how he gets unique results using a smartphone and the role that editing plays in digital photography.
If you want to see Colin's work, the Instagram sites mentioned are:
@Very_Well_Adjusted: Photographs taken on smartphones and other devices such as ipads.
@Framed_Mono: Colin's black and white collection.
Hear the podcast in Season 6 Episode 42
Born in the small town of New Prague, Minnesota, and raised amidst the sun-soaked landscapes of Scottsdale, Arizona, Cory Mortensen embarked on a unique journey that shaped both his life and literary career.
Choosing an unconventional path, his journey began with dropping out of college to immerse himself with a job on Wake Island, gaining valuable experiences that would later infuse his writing with a distinctive perspective. Returning to the United States, he started a dynamic career as a project manager for several prestigious architecture firms, coupled with a venture into real estate by flipping houses.
Cory established and grew a business into a multimillion-dollar venture, eventually selling it to pursue a shared dream with his wife, Kate.
Hear more in Season 6 Episode 7
David is a successful wildlife photographer, based in the UK. David talks about how his photography and passion for wildlife have grown since playing with woodlice on his mother's table, and the impact of being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 39.
I was really pleased to be able to have a little time with David and I hope you'll enjoy the podcast.
If you'd like to see some of David's work, this is the link to his website:
https://davidplummer.co.uk/
Listen to the podcast: Season 5 Episode 9
Dean has a vast knowledge of the flora and fauna of his native Zimbabwe. I first met him in early 2020 and spent as much time as I could learning from him.
In this podcast, I talk to Dean about what sparked his interest in becoming a professional guide, how he approaches guiding clients, and what you can expect as a client of Dean's.
Dean is involved with several local groups, including the Southern Africa Field Conservation Project, where he applies his knowledge to support their conservation efforts.
Dean can also be hired directly, and you can contact him at: Deanmcgregorsafaris@gmail.com
Find out more in Season 7 Episode 28
Jeroen is an award-winning Belgian-Icelandic photographer based in Iceland. The past few years, he has dedicated his photography to the Central Highlands & volcanic eruptions. Most recently, he received international attention for his work at the Fagradalsfjall & Svartsengi volcanic eruptions in Iceland. He organises fully-licensed photo workshops & photo tours by himself & together with other established landscape & wildlife photographers – bringing you excellent photography experiences.
Hear more on Season 7 Episode 46
Older listeners may remember Chris Bonington, famous as a British mountaineer. Joe is his son and I first met him while training for my Kilimanjaro climb.
Joe ran a physical gym on Sydney's northern beaches. He would train and coach people who were planning major exhibitions (including attempts on Mount Everest). As well as the physical training, Joe would step back and coach the mental requirements needed to successfully participate in extreme events.
Joe has since made his expertise available to people around the world by putting his training on line. You can find out more by checking out his website: http://www.joesbasecamp.com.
Hear the conversation in Season 5 Episode 47
Kara Sheldon is the ecologist and one of the directors of the Southern Africa Field Conservation Project. SAFCP was formed following the participation of the directors in a local conservation project largely run by Dean and Justine McGregor. I joined it as a ‘guinea pig’ for the first run of a conservation programme that they hope will contribute significantly to local conservation efforts.
The project is located at the Woodlands Community Reserve, located just outside the town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
In this podcast, Kara discussed the aims of the project, the importance of conservation and what to expect if you want to get involved.
Find out more in season 7 episode 29
Karolina grew up in Sweden and took a volunteering assignment in South Africa to work with horses. She quickly fell in love with the South African wildlife and started taking photographs.
I've been following her on Instagram for a while, and love her photography. I had a great conversation with her and learnt more about her story and the work she now does in South Africa. This includes wildlife photography workshops with her fiancé.
You can see some of her photographs and find a link to her website on her Instagram account.
Learn more about her work and get some tips that might help you with your photography. She has also just announced some workshop dates for 2024, so you might want to join her in South Africa.
Hear the podcast in Season 5 Episode 30
I find it interesting (and sometimes inspiring) to hear from photographers working in a different genre than where I usually find myself.
Kees Terberg is a corporate lawyer based in Prague and he shoots nudes in and around the city. In this podcast, Kees shares his insights, his photography story, and a few tips if this is the kind of photography you would like to learn more about.
The book that Kees refers to is "PRAHA" by Jan Reich.
Listen to the podcast here: Season 5 Episode 1
Matt is a British-born Bali-based photographic artist with a passion for capturing narratives through photography. He offers his audiences valuable insights into untold stories, inviting them into unfamiliar lives through aesthetically beautiful and meaningful images. From his early days with a disposable camera to his current status as a master storyteller, Matt's journey is motivated by his deep-seated passion for visual storytelling.
After successfully fighting cancer, Matt reshaped his outlook on life. He infuses his artistic practice with a profound appreciation for the beauty and fragility of existence.
Beyond the confines of his studio, Matt is a modern-day explorer, traversing the globe as a pilot. His time in the cockpit allows him to fly around the world and to uncover cultures through his camera.
Learn more in Season 6 Episode 50
Rachel Harris is the Managing Director of EHRA Namibia.
EHRA is a project I’ve personally been involved with, and I recently returned from a fundraising event with them in Namibia. Rachel talks about the aims of EHRA, their beginnings and their current activities.
She has built up an award-winning eco-tourism volunteer programme (active since 2004) which helps to fund their conservation activities. EHRA also runs a community education programme to help the local people live with the elephants and minimise conflicts.
If you’d like to learn more about EHRA or get involved in their work, you can find out more on their website: https://www.ehranamibia.org/
And you can follow them on social media: #ehranamibia
Listen to the episode here: Season 6 Episode 45
Rebecca is currently completing university in the UK. I met her via Instagram back in 2020, near the start of her photography journey.
In this podcast, we talk about what photography means to her, how her photography is developing and how it has helped her mental health.
If you would like to see more of her photographs, you can do so via her Instagram account.
Listen to the podcast: Season 5 Episode 17
Rylan is a young photographer based in Kentucky, USA. He is still studying at the university and, in the space of less than four years, has already amassed an impressive portfolio.
In this podcast, Rylan talks about his interest in photography and how he is turning it into something that is self-sustaining. He also talks about his journey so far and how he wants to develop his interest in wildlife and travel photography.
If you're new to photography, I hope that Rylan's story will inspire you and give you ideas of your own.
If you would like to see his work (and his new book!), here's a link to his website:
Rylan's Amazing Photography (rylansamazingphotography.com)
Listen to the podcast here: Season 5 Episode 26
I believe that most people trying to progress a dream, whether as a job or to fulfil a passion, hit roadblocks from time to time. This has certainly been the case for Sandra Gray, who began her career as a nurse but decided she wanted to do animal research in Africa.
Getting qualified and getting out to Africa (and a genuine field placement) were big challenges, but she's had to keep the research going for a little-known species in an area where the odds were stacked against her.
Sandra shares her stories in these podcasts:
I met Sara a couple of times when I was mentoring with WeAreObservers in Sydney, and I've been following her on Instagram for a while. Sara takes great photographs and I was particularly interested in speaking with her after her trip to Antarctica.
In this podcast, Sara talks about her journey through illness, specialising in travel photography and then moving to wildlife photography.
Here's the link to Sara's Instagram account (including the owl video she talks about!): https://www.instagram.com/saracorlis/
Listen to the podcast: Season 5 Episode 13
Shane is a commercial photographer based in Sydney. In addition to his commercial work, he is also the founder of ‘WeAreObservers’. A project created to inspire passionate amateur photographers, including phone photographers, through community photo events: talks, photo tours and adventures. Visit WeAreObservers
Listen to this episode: Series 7 Episode 9
Suyash Keshari is an International TV Presenter, Filmmaker, and Wildlife Conservationist. He’s globally recognised for his innovative work in virtual safaris, documentaries, and specialises in high-end guided safaris across India and Africa.
He is also the founder of Ameliya Safaris - a brand that specialises in blending luxury wildlife experiences with conservation and social impact.
Our conversation covered conservation, eco-tourism and other subjects that we are both passionate about.
For more information about Ameliya Safaris, please take a look at their website.
To take a look at some of Suyash's work, please visit his Instagram page.