18 Photographers Share Their Incredible Stories on Nature and Wildlife Photography

Photograph/Simone Sbaraglia

Simone Sbaraglia
Most of his work concentrates on endangered species and ecosystems. When he isn’t travelling to the ends of the earth, Simone teaches photography, and conducts workshops and photo tours.

“Gaining an animal’s trust is laborious, but it’s probably the most crucial part of wildlife imagemaking. That said, I did encounter some territorial males, who tried to scare me off when I got too close.”

Geladas are native to the Simien plateau in Ethiopia. They nest on steep cliffs to seek refuge from predators. I was tracking one such group for three weeks. One day, an hour before sunset, I set up at the edge of a cliff where I knew they’d return after the day’s foraging. They arrived on cue, and disappeared over the cliff to find a safe spot to sleep. High ISO, a gentle pulse of flash and I just had to lean over.

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 70–200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Exposure: 1/125sec at f/13, ISO 6400

Tip
Up Close and Personal
Robert Capa’s advice, “if your pictures are not good enough, you are not close enough,” stands true to wildlife photography as well. So instead of getting overtly dependent on a telephoto for reach, get on your feet and start walking!