I’m privileged to be an observer to you know spend time at these spectacular
know spend time at these spectacular
know spend time at these spectacular Birds and I feel I have a responsibility
Birds and I feel I have a responsibility
Birds and I feel I have a responsibility to share what I’ve come to understand
to share what I’ve come to understand
to share what I’ve come to understand and appreciate about these birds and
and appreciate about these birds and
and appreciate about these birds and take that knowledge back and use the
take that knowledge back and use the
take that knowledge back and use the images as windows into a world that most
images as windows into a world that most
images as windows into a world that most people will never see that means
people will never see that means
people will never see that means spending time with animals up close the
spending time with animals up close the
spending time with animals up close the more time I can spend or I understand
more time I can spend or I understand
more time I can spend or I understand about these animals lives and the more
about these animals lives and the more
about these animals lives and the more intimate that relationship becomes and
intimate that relationship becomes and
intimate that relationship becomes and it’s really no different from the way
it’s really no different from the way
it’s really no different from the way photographer who focuses his camera or
photographer who focuses his camera or
photographer who focuses his camera or people operates it’s all about building
people operates it’s all about building
people operates it’s all about building a relationship and having empathy for
a relationship and having empathy for
a relationship and having empathy for your subject and understanding your
your subject and understanding your
your subject and understanding your subject and ultimately you need to be
subject and ultimately you need to be
subject and ultimately you need to be able to be like a fly on the wall you
able to be like a fly on the wall you
able to be like a fly on the wall you need to be able to be transparent and I
need to be able to be transparent and I
need to be able to be transparent and I like to slowly ease my way into
like to slowly ease my way into
like to slowly ease my way into situations until the albatrosses don’t
situations until the albatrosses don’t
situations until the albatrosses don’t pay the attention to anymore they’re too
pay the attention to anymore they’re too
pay the attention to anymore they’re too busy with one another I try to put
busy with one another I try to put
busy with one another I try to put myself in the position of the animals
myself in the position of the animals
myself in the position of the animals that I’m working with and that means
that I’m working with and that means
that I’m working with and that means that yeah I adopt another perspective
that yeah I adopt another perspective
that yeah I adopt another perspective and then I’m an albatross sitting on a
and then I’m an albatross sitting on a
and then I’m an albatross sitting on a nest and I’m approached by a large
nest and I’m approached by a large
nest and I’m approached by a large mammal that stands 5 feet tall I would
mammal that stands 5 feet tall I would
mammal that stands 5 feet tall I would be concerned so instead I try to make
be concerned so instead I try to make
be concerned so instead I try to make myself small I crawl around him I move
myself small I crawl around him I move
myself small I crawl around him I move very slowly
very slowly
very slowly I don’t flail my arms and I give him
I don’t flail my arms and I give him
I don’t flail my arms and I give him time to get used to my presence and
time to get used to my presence and
time to get used to my presence and without speaking to that bird I can
without speaking to that bird I can
without speaking to that bird I can indicate that that bird shouldn’t have
indicate that that bird shouldn’t have
indicate that that bird shouldn’t have to worry about me because you know I’m
to worry about me because you know I’m
to worry about me because you know I’m respectful
respectful
respectful I’ve always been interested in
I’ve always been interested in
I’ve always been interested in photographs I’ve looked at pictures in
photographs I’ve looked at pictures in
photographs I’ve looked at pictures in the National Geographic since I was a
the National Geographic since I was a
the National Geographic since I was a boy growing up in Holland but the idea
boy growing up in Holland but the idea
boy growing up in Holland but the idea that I could become a photographer
that I could become a photographer
that I could become a photographer myself didn’t occur to me until I was in
myself didn’t occur to me until I was in
myself didn’t occur to me until I was in my 20s and at the time there were not so
my 20s and at the time there were not so
my 20s and at the time there were not so many role models so I taught myself
many role models so I taught myself
many role models so I taught myself photography I never went to school I
photography I never went to school I
photography I never went to school I also trained myself to become a
also trained myself to become a
also trained myself to become a naturalist I don’t have any background
naturalist I don’t have any background
naturalist I don’t have any background in biology so I’m self-taught but even
in biology so I’m self-taught but even
in biology so I’m self-taught but even today it is very hard to point to a to a
today it is very hard to point to a to a
today it is very hard to point to a to a course at a university or in any other
course at a university or in any other
course at a university or in any other school where you can go to study how to
school where you can go to study how to
school where you can go to study how to become a natural history photographer it
become a natural history photographer it
become a natural history photographer it is really all about doing it in the
is really all about doing it in the
is really all about doing it in the field sometimes I work alone but more
field sometimes I work alone but more
field sometimes I work alone but more often I do the fieldwork with my wife in
often I do the fieldwork with my wife in
often I do the fieldwork with my wife in partner Christi next to him was a former
partner Christi next to him was a former
partner Christi next to him was a former staff writer at National Geographic and
staff writer at National Geographic and
staff writer at National Geographic and now she mixes up her fieldwork between
now she mixes up her fieldwork between
now she mixes up her fieldwork between writing and capturing images with video
writing and capturing images with video
writing and capturing images with video cameras so we are an unusual team in the
cameras so we are an unusual team in the
cameras so we are an unusual team in the field but we also work with biologists
field but we also work with biologists
field but we also work with biologists quite often we work with people involved
quite often we work with people involved
quite often we work with people involved in conservation projects we work with
in conservation projects we work with
in conservation projects we work with people who know situations very well on
people who know situations very well on
people who know situations very well on the basis of living in a certain place
the basis of living in a certain place
the basis of living in a certain place for very long so it can
for very long so it can
for very long so it can be a very simple process of me sitting
be a very simple process of me sitting
be a very simple process of me sitting in front of one albatross or it can
in front of one albatross or it can
in front of one albatross or it can become a very complex situation you
become a very complex situation you
become a very complex situation you don’t find albatrosses near 5-star
don’t find albatrosses near 5-star
don’t find albatrosses near 5-star hotels and so the conditions in the
hotels and so the conditions in the
hotels and so the conditions in the field can be pretty rough but you know
field can be pretty rough but you know
field can be pretty rough but you know whatever it takes I do I spent a lot of
whatever it takes I do I spent a lot of
whatever it takes I do I spent a lot of time camping out in tents on windswept
time camping out in tents on windswept
time camping out in tents on windswept lonely islands and for this albatross
lonely islands and for this albatross
lonely islands and for this albatross project I even ended up spending time in
project I even ended up spending time in
project I even ended up spending time in a shipping container that this had the
a shipping container that this had the
a shipping container that this had the only shelter that existed on that island
only shelter that existed on that island
only shelter that existed on that island that enabled me to stay close to the
that enabled me to stay close to the
that enabled me to stay close to the elders office when I was in my early
elders office when I was in my early
elders office when I was in my early twenties I came to the United States and
twenties I came to the United States and
twenties I came to the United States and I hiked around and I discovered the
I hiked around and I discovered the
I hiked around and I discovered the phenomenal beauty and the wilderness of
phenomenal beauty and the wilderness of
phenomenal beauty and the wilderness of the western United States and that was a
the western United States and that was a
the western United States and that was a real eye-opener to me and I also
real eye-opener to me and I also
real eye-opener to me and I also discovered photography as it had become
discovered photography as it had become
discovered photography as it had become a tradition in the United States the
a tradition in the United States the
a tradition in the United States the great wilderness photographers Ansel
great wilderness photographers Ansel
great wilderness photographers Ansel Adams and Edward Weston and then Bullock
Adams and Edward Weston and then Bullock
Adams and Edward Weston and then Bullock and Philip Hyde in quite a number of
and Philip Hyde in quite a number of
and Philip Hyde in quite a number of others and in Europe we did not have
others and in Europe we did not have
others and in Europe we did not have such a tradition and that is when I
such a tradition and that is when I
such a tradition and that is when I realized that there was a artistic
realized that there was a artistic
realized that there was a artistic tradition that I could perhaps become
tradition that I could perhaps become
tradition that I could perhaps become part of
part of
part of I’m inspired by how artists in the
I’m inspired by how artists in the
I’m inspired by how artists in the deserts of Australia have come to
deserts of Australia have come to
deserts of Australia have come to portray landscapes and I’ve also been
portray landscapes and I’ve also been
portray landscapes and I’ve also been inspired over the years by how painters
inspired over the years by how painters
inspired over the years by how painters and poets in China and Japan have
and poets in China and Japan have
and poets in China and Japan have portrayed the world or now I look at the
portrayed the world or now I look at the
portrayed the world or now I look at the way European wilderness and wildlife
way European wilderness and wildlife
way European wilderness and wildlife painters deal with their subjects on
painters deal with their subjects on
painters deal with their subjects on canvas all of those different points of
canvas all of those different points of
canvas all of those different points of view have inspired me over the years and
view have inspired me over the years and
view have inspired me over the years and sometimes they’re implicitly my images
sometimes they’re implicitly my images
sometimes they’re implicitly my images and other times they are actually
and other times they are actually
and other times they are actually resulting in images that have a very
resulting in images that have a very
resulting in images that have a very clear affinity with a particular
clear affinity with a particular
clear affinity with a particular artistic or cultural tradition I try to
artistic or cultural tradition I try to
artistic or cultural tradition I try to tell stories about the natural world
tell stories about the natural world
tell stories about the natural world using sequences of images and a National
using sequences of images and a National
using sequences of images and a National Geographic we know how to do that you
Geographic we know how to do that you
Geographic we know how to do that you know there’s a tradition that spans more
know there’s a tradition that spans more
know there’s a tradition that spans more than a century and the editors at the
than a century and the editors at the
than a century and the editors at the National Geographic have worked at it so
National Geographic have worked at it so
National Geographic have worked at it so many photographers in so many subjects
many photographers in so many subjects
many photographers in so many subjects over the years that a unique tradition
over the years that a unique tradition
over the years that a unique tradition of working with photographs for the sake
of working with photographs for the sake
of working with photographs for the sake of telling stories about the world has
of telling stories about the world has
of telling stories about the world has been nurtured here and I’ve become part
been nurtured here and I’ve become part
been nurtured here and I’ve become part of that tradition and you know after all
of that tradition and you know after all
of that tradition and you know after all these assignments that I’ve done for the
these assignments that I’ve done for the
these assignments that I’ve done for the magazine I’ve internalized that process
magazine I’ve internalized that process
magazine I’ve internalized that process and now when I go out I don’t have to
and now when I go out I don’t have to
and now when I go out I don’t have to think about it much anymore it’s just
think about it much anymore it’s just
think about it much anymore it’s just becoming second nature to me what many
becoming second nature to me what many
becoming second nature to me what many people don’t realize is how much work
people don’t realize is how much work
people don’t realize is how much work and expertise goes into producing these
and expertise goes into producing these
and expertise goes into producing these photo stories and covering a subject for
photo stories and covering a subject for
photo stories and covering a subject for the National Geographic they think you
the National Geographic they think you
the National Geographic they think you know I have the greatest job in the
know I have the greatest job in the
know I have the greatest job in the world
world
world which indeed I have but they think that
which indeed I have but they think that
which indeed I have but they think that all you have to do is show up at a
all you have to do is show up at a
all you have to do is show up at a camera of and the Sun is going down and
camera of and the Sun is going down and
camera of and the Sun is going down and you make some pictures and that’s it
you make some pictures and that’s it
you make some pictures and that’s it there’s a huge amount of work involved
there’s a huge amount of work involved
there’s a huge amount of work involved in researching a subject and then
in researching a subject and then
in researching a subject and then planning the expedition’s and then
planning the expedition’s and then
planning the expedition’s and then developing relationships with people on
developing relationships with people on
developing relationships with people on location and understanding that there’s
location and understanding that there’s
location and understanding that there’s a whole socio economic and cultural
a whole socio economic and cultural
a whole socio economic and cultural context that there are always
context that there are always
context that there are always environmental issues which cry out to be
environmental issues which cry out to be
environmental issues which cry out to be covered and made part of a coverage so
covered and made part of a coverage so
covered and made part of a coverage so it’s very complex and at the end of an
it’s very complex and at the end of an
it’s very complex and at the end of an assignment like this albatross project I
assignment like this albatross project I
assignment like this albatross project I know as much as anybody about it and so
know as much as anybody about it and so
know as much as anybody about it and so I’m not just a photographer I need to be
I’m not just a photographer I need to be
I’m not just a photographer I need to be able to converse about the subject I
able to converse about the subject I
able to converse about the subject I become the storyteller and I become an
become the storyteller and I become an
become the storyteller and I become an ambassador for albatrosses
”
Be First to Comment