If you’re thinking about visiting Africa to photograph wildlife portraits — or even if you just like cool pictures of animals — consider the following: There’s more to wildlife photography than you might think.
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’re 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?
Over the years, as a conservation photographer, I’ve 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’re 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.
Looking to learn more about wildlife portraits? Check out How I Capture Wildlife Portraits.
The Reality for Cheetahs in Africa
Namibia — one of the last strongholds for cheetahs across Africa — 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’d 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?
The Responsibility of Wildlife Photographers
Telephoto lenses 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.
The Cheetah Context
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.
The collaboration between CCF and Erindi has been going on for more than two decades. I’ve 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 — cheetahs rehabilitated, released back into the wild, and those then birthing future generations.
While their portraits share [the cheetahs’] success, the captions share their reality.
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’m producing in collaboration with Adorama “In the Field with Donal Boyd”, I’ve been given the opportunity to really expand upon the concept of context through film.
The 3rd episode of the series, “Return to the Wild – Cheetah Conservation” gives a rare behind-the-scenes look into cheetah conservation.
The short film gives the context to my portraits. It quickly jumps into the introduction of conservation biologist at CCF, Eli Walker. We then follow Eli, along with the conservation team at Erindi, on their mission to release the five male cheetahs into the reserve.
What Can You Do as a Photographer? Captions Are Key.
Now, I’m not saying you need to create an entire video to give the story behind every photograph, nor am I suggesting every single portrait needs a lengthy explanation. As a fellow wildlife photographer, I just want to encourage you to consider incorporating some context whenever you publish. Captions are a great place to start.
If you’re posting on Instagram, include an eye-catching opener. It can be strong single-title word, or 3-5 in a short phrase to create a bit of intrigue. Then, include a little backstory. Wherever you are out on safari, I’m sure the guide will have explained the backstory of each animal you encounter. Work it into the caption. Make it personal. I promise, it will not only improve the engagement with the viewers of your images, but you’ll also be helping the very species that you’re photographing.
Equip Your Creativity – What Gear?
If you’ve found this article while researching gear for wildlife photography, then look no further. I’ve also written an extensive article that covers what equipment I recommend for capturing portraits of animals. This starts with the most important factor when considering equipment: the goal shapes the gear.
Check out What’s in My Camera Bag for a Safari Trip.
