Two's company

PORTFOLIO

PORTFOLIO EDITED BY JON MINSTER

I

Two’s company

n Ann Toon’s words, it was a “rash and rather naïve decision”, reached after a couple of beers in a bush pub, that led her and her husband Steve to ditch their jobs as journalists and forge new careers as wildlife photo­ graphers. The couple lives in the UK, but they try to visit southern Africa’s game parks as often as possible.

Not that the decision turned out to be a bad one. Since their last portfolio in go! #24 they have been busy with their second photography book, Success with Wildlife Photography, and they’ve also been working on photo stories dealing with topical issues like rhino poaching and elephant overpopulation in the Kruger.

Ann and Steve work as a pair, so it’s fitting that this portfolio deals with twosomes. “Courtship displays, mating rituals, a mother and her young – there’s an awful lot of intimacy and close socialising going on out there,” says Ann. “Wildlife photography is all about capturing behaviour. A portrait of a lone animal

is just that – a portrait – but when you see animals interacting it strikes a primitive cord and you’re somehow reminded of your own humanity.”

According to the Toons, when it comes to shooting more than one animal in a frame, you need to think about depth of field. If you want both animals to be in focus you need to use a small aperture, or you can choose to have only one animal in focus and use a wide aperture for a more artistic result. Either way, make a deliberate decision and don’t sit on the fence.

Ann continues: “If the shot you’re going for isn’t working, zoom in, zoom out or look for a different angle. The main thing is to let your subjects be the stars. Keep your composition simple and don’t obsess over your equipment – it’s about what goes on behind the lens, not the lens itself.”

ANN & STEVE TOON On Ann’s bedside table: The Man from Beijing by Henning Mankell Steve’s iPod playlist: The Best of Jimi Hendrix

SQUIRREL TRYST

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park “It’s easy to overlook the photographic potential of hyperactive ground squirrels when the Kgalagadi is crawling with big cats, but spending time with these little guys can pay dividends. They’re confiding creatures and usually reward your patience with interesting behaviour. We came across these two squirrels feasting on devil’s thorn flowers last summer. They hardly noticed we were there.

“A background can make or break a photo, and composition is usually improved if you give your subjects some extra space in the frame.”

HOW? Canon EOS-5D Mark II, 500 mm lens with a 1.4x converter, shutter speed 1/1 000 second, aperture f7.1, ISO 200, aperture priority mode.

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PORTFOLIO SCRATCH MY BACK, I’LL SCRATCH YOURS

Kruger National Park

“If you’re looking to photograph animal interaction in the Kruger, you can’t go wrong with a troop of baboons or a herd of impala. Yes, a leopard is always first prize, but don’t leave the more humble creatures off your shooting list.

“With impala you’ll usually find some oxpeckers in tow – listen out for their telltale hissing calls. We pulled up next to a herd and watched the oxpeckers nibbling away, while the antelopes swished at the birds with their tails.

“It’s a fun challenge getting a good shot of a subject that moves around all the time. Try to focus on one buck and one bird and see what happens. We were lucky when this oxpecker looked straight at the camera.”

HOW? Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, 500 mm lens with 1.4x converter, shutter speed 1/200 second, aperture f7.1, ISO 250, aperture priority mode.

MOM AND ME

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park “We timed a visit to the Kgalagadi to coincide with the Cape fox denning season in spring. These animals are hard to photograph as they are solitary and nocturnal for most of the year. However, all that changes at the burrow when they have their young.

“The adults and cubs interact daily at dawn and dusk, sometimes for long periods. We’d been doing lots of action shots of the cubs play-fighting, when we noticed one of the cubs had become bored and was desperately seeking the attention of its mom. The moment was over in a split second, but it sums up the intimacy of the family bond.”

HOW? Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, 500 mm lens, shutter speed 1/640 second, aperture f9, ISO 400, aperture priority mode.

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PORTFOLIO FOALING AROUND

NECKING AT SUNSET

Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park

“In most game reserves you have to be back at camp before nightfall, so it’s not often you get the chance to make sunset silhouettes. However, there are some spots, like the Klein Namutoni waterhole in Etosha, which are close enough to the camp for an eleventh-hour attempt, although you still need to work fast!

“Giraffes make great silhouette subjects because of their iconic shape. They also stand tall above the horizon. To increase the saturation of the colours at sunset, it’s best to underexpose the shot by up to a stop.”

“If you’re looking for a species that is big on behaviour, hang out with a herd of zebra. Foals nuzzle their mothers for reassurance, other mares repose with their bar-code heads intertwined and testosterone-fuelled stallions spar for female attention.

“We came across this mother and foal on the flat plains near Okaukuejo in Etosha, where the open terrain allows for uncluttered compositions.

It’s great to photograph zebra in flat light as it enhances the inherent contrast of their markings.”

HOW? Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, 500 mm lens, shutter speed 1/500 second, aperture f10, ISO 200, aperture priority mode.

HOW? Canon EOS-5D Mark II, 500 mm lens, shutter speed 1/1 000 second, aperture f6.3, ISO 500, aperture priority mode.

ALL ABOARD

uMkhuze Game Reserve “On a recent trip to KwaZulu-Natal we paid a visit to the kuMasinga hide in uMkhuze to photograph the parade of animals coming down to the waterhole to drink. We were, however, constantly distracted by the amusing antics of some marsh terrapins that were clambering over each other to get the best basking spot.

“A lower, eye-level angle would have made for a better shot, but we were restricted by the confines of the hide. Sometimes, when you’re out in the field, you need to make the best of the situation at hand.”

HOW? Canon EOS-5D Mark II, 500 mm lens with a 1.4x converter, shutter speed 1/400 second, aperture f10, ISO 200, aperture priority mode.

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PORTFOLIO

PORTFOLIO

TRUNK CALL

Addo Elephant National Park

“It was a gloomy, overcast day the last time we visited the Harpoor waterhole in Addo. So, instead of trying to get wide-angle shots of the elephants, or any shots that would have included the dull, grey sky, we screwed on our zoom lenses and went for closely cropped shots instead.

“The flat light on an overcast day irons out harsh shadows and makes for good portraits. Ellies are extremely social animals and you can always rely on a breeding herd to deliver some action. Spend time watching them, make sure your camera settings are right and keep your finger on the shutter button.”

HOW? Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, 500 mm lens, shutter speed 1/640 second, aperture f6.3, ISO 400, aperture priority mode.

Visit www.toonphoto.com to see more of Ann and Steve’s work.

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