'One day we took a break and the monkeys became interested - grooming me and using my camera as a toy, and in fact stealing my camera causing my guide to quickly get it back.' It's all very well having a playful monkey toying with your camera, but how exactly did the budding primate David Bailey manage to get a crisp shot so nearly perfectly framed? Well, it turns out that a bit of preparation and intervention from Slater helped.
'I wanted to get a really close-up shot of their faces, so used a wide angle lens - the only way I could then do this was to put the camera down and stand back, otherwise they would grab me or maybe nip me with their teeth. I had all the eye-focus points active, a large aperture selected, flashgun ready, cable release attached and so on, prepared for the shot. They were soon admiring themselves in the reflection of the lens - they got interested in the cable release and bingo, they got the shots themselves!'
Despite having a uncanny ability to get the subject to take the shots themselves - which is incredibly useful as a nature Professional Photographer - Slater has made a name for himself as being one of the leading nature Professional Photo-graphers in the UK. Slater has a devotion to the wild world around him which in turn helps him capture some truly captivating images. Where did it all Professional Photographer begin?
'I joined a walking club when I was 14 and I used to observe the adults in the group taking photos of mountains and the general environment. They had a photo competition every year which I attended, and after a few years the chairman of the club began giving me his old cameras so I could participate. The first of these was his old Box Brownie, which was soon replaced by a Zenith.
'I had to learn the long and very expensive way how to get a properly exposed shot with the depth of field I wanted. It was tough to afford slide film and developing costs as a youngster, and then as a student at university.'
- just one look at his website will attest to the true depth and breadth of his back catalogue
- external demands are currently helping to focus on where exactly he'll be shooting.
'Times are still tough financially so I have to make a calculation weighing up the potential travel costs of any trip and then compare it to the sale ability of the image. A considered approach to planning his photographic trips is reflected when Slater talks about his workflow on and after a conventional shoot. 'I keep everything as simple as possible, from start to finish. I rarely machine gun the subject on continuous mode, and ruthlessly delete in camera when I get the chance. It is a rare day I will fill a 4GB card, and more often it will be half that. This helps in making the computer side manageable, as I know so many Professional Photographers who get behind with processing so that it becomes a chore.
With trips to Scandinavia and Spain planned in the near future, as well as a return to Sulawesi on the horizon, Slater was already keeping himself busy before the new-found fame of the monkey photograph was sprung upon him. But what advice does he have for anyone who might want to follow in his footsteps?
'The main thing is to be sure that you enjoy being outdoors and being prepared to go home without the shot. Buy the best equipment you can afford and keep saving - more so nowadays because it is getting expensive in terms of travel, so plan your trips well. .Learn to become truly surroundings for the joyful experience of it all, as this is far better than learning from books or talking to others. 'Remember there are no rules in nature and shouldn't rules photography - it's all about the senses and trying to record it.'
David runs regular one-to-one wildlife photography workshops. For more information visit here
DAVID SLATER
4/
5
Oleh
Unknown
