{"id":84181,"date":"2022-05-30T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-30T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=84181"},"modified":"2023-11-29T19:23:08","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T00:23:08","slug":"wildlife-portraits-donal-boyd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wildlife-portraits-donal-boyd\/","title":{"rendered":"How I Capture Wildlife Portraits, with Donal Boyd"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Portrait photography is an attempt to connect a viewer to the subject of the photograph\u2014to empathize with the subject, relate to it, and understand who the subject is on some level. Great portraits give context and the best provide connection. They allow you to feel close, to be a part of the moment. They give you the impression that you\u00a0know\u00a0<\/em>the subject somehow. But what do you need to incorporate into your methodology to achieve this in a wildlife portrait?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Donal Boyd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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I prefer to get on the same level as my subject\u2014literally. I need to see them “eye to eye.” Whether that is through direct eye contact, or the general feeling of being equal. This, however, isn\u2019t always easy since most of my subjects are wild animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capturing from Far Away<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Telephoto lenses<\/a> are incredible in that they can optically bring the subject closer. Most of the portraits in this article were taken from a location physically far away from the subject. Although, our brains are tricked into seeing the subject as closer because of the details the lens can resolve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Donal Boyd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s pretty easy to visually identify portraits that are not taken from close-up with shorter focal length lenses, or captured from a position with two feet on the ground. In the most common scenario, they\u2019re captured from a safari vehicle, which is ideally at the same level as the subject and at a distance that is respectful to the wildlife. The result is no doubt a superb depiction of the wildlife captured, but it has a specific look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As photographers, we can use large objectives like the 400mm<\/a> or 600mm<\/a> to capture the character of a subject. Although, for me, it\u2019s missing something fundamental to my goal of bringing people closer to wildlife through photography<\/a>. There\u2019s a lack of immersion, intimacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In my view, the best wildlife portraits\u00a0bring you\u00a0into<\/em>\u00a0the world of the subject<\/strong>. The only way to do that is with a wide-angle lens.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Solution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Photo by Donal Boyd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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A few years ago, I started to experiment. Obviously, I couldn\u2019t cozy up with a lion or kneel at the feet of an elephant herd. So, along with the team at\u00a0Erindi Private Game Reserve\u00a0in Namibia, I developed a custom device that would allow me to portrait animals up-close without risk to either party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, the \u201cWildlife Camera Box\u201d was born in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Donal Boyd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The box is designed to house a Sony<\/a> mirrorless camera, GoPro<\/a>, and variety of wide-angle lenses. It is made of steel and refined to ensure any interactions with wildlife are safe. It\u2019s triggered with a radio-controlled remote and manually put into place upon locating wildlife at the discretion of expert wildlife behavioral knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike traditional camera traps, I actually want wildlife to interact with the box\u2014to express their genuine curiosity. I want to showcase their character up-close and personal with the camera, which I trigger from a safe distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the box, any interaction is on the terms of the wildlife. Our approach is simple to ensure we don\u2019t significantly impede the animals. Once we locate an animal, we use our knowledge of its behavior to determine its direction of travel and guess the most likely path it will take. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the animal notices the box in its path, it might approach and interact. Sometimes, the animal sees it and avoids it. Other times, it’s especially interested. Either way, it\u2019s up to the animal to approach the box. This way, we get a natural reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To see the box in action, check out the AdoramaTV video below.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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An Elephant Stepped on My Camera! | In the Field with Donal Boyd<\/div><\/div>
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