When I saw the signs for a photography exhibition in Basingstoke I was delighted to find an opportunity to explore photography on my own doorstep, but I have to admit to being slightly disappointed when I discovered that it was wildlife photography. Don't get me wrong, I love animals and nature as much next person, but it wouldn't be my genre of choice. I knew that the exhibition had excellent credentials, co-owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine and sponsored by Veolia Environnement. My visit to the Willis Museum reiterated what I already knew, do not make decisions based on assumptions, you could be missing out on something significant!
I have never attempted wildlife photography myself, not because I find the subject matter uninspiring, but for more practical reasons. I am a student of photography, not the finished article, but a work in progress. Therefore, the thought of photographing an ever moving object who cannot understand art direction, is rather daunting! The other reason is because these are animals that have been photographed hundreds of times by more proficient photographers. How could I find a new angle, a fresh contemporary perspective? If all I was achieving is another, less accomplished representation of the same subject, what would be the purpose?
Many of the images I found at the Willis Museum were what I would expect from such a prestigious competition, creative, magnificent examples of the splendour of nature. As I have neither opportunity nor finances to access many of these animals, they can only inspire me to a point. However, there were two aspects of the exhibition that were very much unexpected.
I imagine wildlife photography to be similar to wildlife documentary with respect to the mindset required to spend hours, even days, waiting for the perfect opportunity. It is a waiting game that would not appeal to all photographers, requiring more than an interest in your subject matter, but a life's pursuit. This was reiterated to me by the first "surprising aspect" of the exhibition, the youth entries. Pictured above is the winning entry from the 10 Years and Under category, "Alien" by Hui Yu Kim from Malaysia. When you see it in the flesh it is absolutely breathtaking, the macro lens revealing every minute detail, tone and texture. To think that this image was taken by a young child, using equipment such as extension tubes, tripod and reflectors, is remarkable. To me it shows that wildlife photographers are somehow born to it, it is not taught but inspired from within.
The other surprise for me was the images taken by Daniel Beltra, winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Wildlife Photojournalist of the Year. The photojournalist award is given for a memorable story told in six images. Beltra's images capture the leaking BP wellhead, Deepwater Horizon, as it leaked 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
I spent 12 years working in the Marine Reinsurance Market where such environmental disaster were considered only for their financial implications. To have spent years looking at the millions being settled for pollution claims seems somehow removed from the sight I saw before me. I knew that these claims represented a tragedy for the environment, knew that the money was going to counter the terrible effects of such spills, but had only seen it from a facts and figures viewpoint. To visually see the effects is an altogether different experience. The reaction of the chemical dispersants with the oil produced the most amazing colours, almost beautiful. The aerial photographs which show large sections of the ocean alight is truly powerful, illustrating how immense the task ahead will be. When presented with "Still Life In Oil" you are left in no doubt that this is an horrific event that Beltra is capturing, not simply a work of art.
I didn't expect to be able to personally relate to the exhibition, so to have my own perceptions of wildlife photography challenged was both refreshing and a reminder that photography is a journey that I have only just begun. If you have the opportunity to view this exhibition at The Natural History Museum before is finishes on the 11th of March, I would definitely recommend it.
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