{"id":84741,"date":"2022-06-10T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-10T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=84741"},"modified":"2022-07-25T17:06:54","modified_gmt":"2022-07-25T21:06:54","slug":"context-wildlife-portraits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/context-wildlife-portraits\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Context in Wildlife Portraits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re thinking about visiting Africa to photograph wildlife portraits \u2014 or even if you just like cool pictures of animals \u2014 consider the following: There\u2019s more to wildlife photography than you might think<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the time, when we see beautiful portraits of animals on social media, we rarely wonder about the life of the individual animal. Where are they? What is their life like? We\u2019re captivated by their beauty, but also blinded by it. Maybe we notice they live on a nature reserve, or in some remote corner of Africa, as described by the location tag. But what is their struggle?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wild-born cheetah at Erindi Private Game Reserve Namibia \u2013 March 2022. Photo by Donal Boyd.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, as a conservation photographer, I\u2019ve seen first-hand the growing gap between the reality of our wildlife and what is portrayed on social media, traditional nature documentaries, and the news. We\u2019re constantly presented with beautiful images in abundance. They are pristine and manicured, seemingly far away from the bustle of modern society and uninhibited by human influence. But, in truth, the story of any wildlife portrait is usually much more complicated. This is especially true for cheetahs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking to learn more about wildlife portraits? Check out How I Capture Wildlife Portraits.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wild-born cheetah at Erindi Private Game ReserveNamibia \u2013 March 2022. Photo by Donal Boyd.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Reality for Cheetahs in Africa<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Namibia \u2014 one of the last strongholds for cheetahs across Africa \u2014 hosts almost half of the remaining wild population. Here, cheetahs are both easy to find and photograph if you know where to look. Although, at the same time, they continue to face numerous threats to their long-term survival. But you\u2019d never understand that from the image if you just scroll past it on Facebook, give it a like, and move on. So, what can be done?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Responsibility of Wildlife Photographers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Telephoto lenses<\/a> allow us to create up-close portraits of wildlife. Although, their narrow angle of view rarely provide the context we need to understand the subject and their reality. Thus, we as photographers must make an effort to provide that context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cheetah Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In March of 2022, I had the opportunity to follow and document the journey of five male cheetahs being released back into the wild at Erindi Private Game Reserve in Namibia. Their story begins when their mothers were killed due to persecution by farmers in remote regions of the country. As cubs, they were given to the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of cheetahs across Africa. From there, they were raised in captivity without mothers. In March, they were given the chance to return to the wild and live out their lives on a massive nature reserve, Erindi Private Game Reserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The collaboration between CCF and Erindi has been going on for more than two decades. I\u2019ve been documenting the rehabilitation program for the better part of six years. All of my cheetah portraits over the years depict the successes of their efforts \u2014 cheetahs rehabilitated, released back into the wild, and those then birthing future generations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While their portraits share [the cheetahs’] success, the captions share their reality. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

While their portraits share their success, the captions share their reality. And now, more recently, there is video too. As part of an ongoing series that I\u2019m producing in collaboration with Adorama \u201cIn the Field with Donal Boyd\u201d, I\u2019ve been given the opportunity to really expand upon the concept of context through film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 3<\/strong>r<\/sup>d<\/sup> episode of the series, \u201cReturn to the Wild \u2013 Cheetah Conservation” gives a rare behind-the-scenes look into cheetah conservation. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Cheetahs Returning to the Wild | In the Field with Donal Boyd<\/div><\/div>
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