Photography News Issue 66

Photography News | Issue 66 | photographynews.co.uk

31 Interview

Thebeautyof thebeast Profile Wildlife photographer Graeme Purdy challenged himself to photograph wildlife in a different way. The result is a stunning collection of wildlife portraits captured from less than eight feet away…

Photography News: What sparked your interest in capturing pictures of wildlife and how did you come to be a professional wildlife photographer? Graeme Purdy: I’ve always been an outdoors person and enjoyed nature from an early age. It seemed logical to combine that with my love of photography. My first interests were quite broad – landscapes, cityscapes, sports and wildlife. Then I went to Kenya in 2003 and realised immediately that wildlife was simply spectacular. My love of wildlife photography grew from there and led to trips around the world in search of newwonders. While learningmy craft I sold over 150,000 images on stock libraries. This provided my first income, but it wasn’t until I started fine art photography that I really felt satisfied. Working with the Woolff Gallery, launching my book and running guided safaris has enabled me to build a business out of my passion. PN: Why black & white? Do you shoot in black &white or convert the images in post- processing? GP: Why black & white is a question I probably get asked more than any other and the answer is simple: I find it more creative. If you are trying to record an event as a journalist or reporter, then colour helps convey reality. Black & white, by definition, is not howwe see the world and is an immediate interpretation. It therefore provides more latitude to express what I want from an image. I always shoot Raw. This provides the greatest amount of information and quality. I then process the files into black & white using Lightroom. I often spend hours on an image, adjusting the colour channels and editing areas of contrast and luminance. PN: Where did the idea for EIGHT FEET come from? Did you specifically shoot all of these images for this project, or was it a collection of images that you’ve captured over the years? GP: The thought process for EIGHT FEET started with the desire to shoot something different – to challenge myself to shoot and record images of wildlife that are rarely seen (and for obvious reasons). The only images where you can be that close and be there in person are when photographing gorillas and, even then, this was only possible when they approached me inside the permitted five- metre viewing distance. So, in short, yes, all the images were taken specifically for the project.

Above Graeme’s passion for wildlife photography spans the globe, and this is reflected in the diversity of EIGHT FEET's subjects, which include red deer from the UK, and gorillas and big cats fromAfrica

PN: Your images have such direct eye contact with the subjects, can you talk us through the gear and techniques you used to capture these images? GP: I’m glad you mention the eye contact as Ibelieve this is crucial foranyportrait,whether a person or animal. If the person or animal looks just a few inches either side of the lens then you won’t find the same connection. My camera is placed on a remote-control car, which was custom-built and modified over time. I’d probably need an hour to tell you all about the remote shooting challenges and learnings. If I’d known the challenges before I started, it might have challenged my tenacity! If we start with the camera and car, you need to find a device that is as close to silent as possible, nimble, has a low centre of gravity and won’t fall over when a 1.2kg camera set- up is attached. The local camera shop would laugh if you gave them these requirements.

So, let’s say you get the camera and car working, with remote shutters and all of the initial challenges. You are now, and only now, ready to learn. For the fieldcraft, you won’t find books or YouTube videos, it’s just me, an odd-looking camera car and an animal. How quick to approach, from what angle, when to move, when to shoot, how to line the shot up – this is where it gets really exciting. You have migrated from observing an animal to interacting with it. Not all animals behave the same, and the same animal will behave differently depending on if they are hungry, mating or even how hot or cold they are. I started my learning with red deer – it took me three months to get a single shot I was even remotely pleased with. Once you get it right, then an animal will be looking right at this little odd contraption and more often than not be staring right into the lens. No distractions, just my camera.

I always shoot Raw. This provides the greatest amount of information and quality

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