Using black-and-white photography as his medium, Isak Pretorius portrays unique intensity and powerful emotion in his wildlife images
Isak Pretorius, an engineer turned wildlife photographic guide is passionate about conserving our natural heritage. He believes one way to achieve this is by sharing images of its beauty, creating awareness and encouraging people to visit our wilderness areas.
However, it’s not just about capturing what he sees with his camera, but rather about creating art with his images. One way of doing this is through the medium of black-and-white photography, which not only highlights details and shapes, but transports his photos into the realm of art, evoking emotion in the viewer.
Isak’s objective of showcasing Africa’s beauty in unique ways in order to create awareness has earned him international recognition. In 2013, he won the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year award for the category Behaviour: Birds.
Another way he shares his passion is by guiding people to wildlife photography hot spots across Africa and teaching them to capture their own exquisite images.
This has led to the publication of his first book, How and Where to Photograph Birds in Southern Africa. For more info, visit www.theafricanphotographer.com.
‘The wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara is one of nature’s greatest shows. Approximately 1.5 million wildebeests follow each other over the plains, from the Serengeti to Kenya and back, each year.’
Masai Mara, Kenya
‘Wildlife photographers love to get up close to their subjects, which makes the Seychelles a popular destination; the birds here have little fear of people. I used a macro lens to capture the detail of this tropicbird.’
Seychelles
‘At Mashatu, there is a special hide next to a waterhole where you can almost become part of a herd of elephants. A sunken container gives you a view from ground level, leaving you so close you could reach out and touch them.’
Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana
‘Capturing the profile of animals on top of a ridge allows you to highlight their natural elegance. This mating pair of giraffes put on a remarkably artistic show.’
Masai Mara, Kenya
‘One reason that leopards are so popular is the way they carry themselves and move with stealth and grace. This leopard, however, embarrassed himself somewhat by getting into an awkward position while climbing out of a tree.’
Masai Mara, Kenya
‘Springboks are an iconic species of the Kalahari. I love the way they move as a unit when confronted by predators. Here, I emphasised this using a slow-motion panning technique.’
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa
‘Zooming in close on the elephant’s hindquarters resulted in an interesting, textured image.’
Okavango Delta, Botswana
‘The detail of this drinking elephant was made more prominent by the bland sky. But it’s the presence of the other elephant in the background, framed by the one in front, that completes the image.’
Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana
‘Flying ants come out after the rain, creating a feast for small raptors and other birds. I was fortunate to capture this lanner falcon in flight.’
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa
‘In early 2011, good rains raised the level of the Orange River, transforming the Augrabies Falls into a ferocious spectacle. I used a two-minute exposure, enabled by a 10-stop neutral-density filter, to highlight the motion of the water and clouds.’
Augrabies Falls, South Africa
(This article was first published in the autumn 2015 issue of AA traveller magazine)
