My Wild Life: Adventures of a Wildlife Photographer
My Wild Life: Adventures of a Wildlife Photographer
Some animals are easy subjects. I can simply walk or drive alongside them and take their picture without scaring them. For other animals, the sight of me on foot or in a car can be very scary, so I must be careful how I approach them. Often, I can only photograph these animals by hiding.
Sometimes, I dress in camouflage from head to toe so that I blend in with the surroundings, and animals can’t see me. Other times, I spend hours or days inside a small structure called a blind. It can be a camouflage tent or a mud hut that looks exactly like the animal’s habitat.
I stay completely still and quiet inside a blind so that the animals don’t hear me. I spend hours at a time huddled up, not moving. If I have an itch, I can’t even scratch it!
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” For Suzi Eszterhas, the answer was simple: wildlife photography was her dream from childhood. With her first camera at age six, she began patiently observing nature. She had a fine role model—Jane Goodall—so doubt did not factor into working in a profession with few women. After 20 years in the field, her accomplishments include impressive awards and many published book and periodical credits. Her collection of children’s books focuses on the young of individual species. In this visually appealing book, she shares a broad palette of adventures featuring animals seen on global excursions in a variety of environments.
In 14, two-page chapters written in conversational style, the author describes her childhood inspiration, world destinations, preparing for shoots, getting close to her subjects in the field, skills and techniques for the best shots, the need to respect animals, and learning from local experts. The final pages offer a Q/A sampling to encourage young readers who might share her career interest. Finding ways to give back to animals through conservation has motivated her to support wildlife organizations and to found a nonprofit group, Girls Who Click, to inspire girls to enter this field. A portion of the royalties from this book will go to this organization.
Readers will appreciate the respect she shows when giving an animal time to adjust to her presence. The photo selected for the cover is a great example – trusting meerkats huddling close behind the photographer out of the wind (taken by another photographer, of course). They’ll be amazed, too, with the up-close and personal quality of the photos included here: the rare silverback gorilla, a sloth swimming in Panama, cheetahs and tigers with cubs. They’ll see the author in action with her camera equipment, her tent camp home for three years in Kenya, and they’ll hear about her feelings regarding touching wild animals: sometimes it’s necessary to treat injuries, but otherwise touching should be avoided to keep the wild, wild.
Among the challenges presented throughout the book, Eszterhas describes the extremes of weather conditions, accessing and living for months in remote or primitive locations, approaching wild animals that can be dangerous, and perhaps the most difficult, employing the patience needed for the perfect shot. More than mere patience, readers see her dedication and persistence as she describes flying in small planes, even though she gets airsick, if it’s the only way to get the photo she wants. It’s clear she loves what she does.
Eszterhas’ accomplishments show how passion, commitment and a strong work ethic can earn the rewards of personal satisfaction, a fine message for young readers as they contemplate their future endeavors. Nature-loving readers will enjoy this glimpse into a fascinating career that offers unlimited possibilities.
Gillian Richardson is a freelance writer living in British Columbia.