Two's company

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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. 60 go! December 2011

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go! December 2011 61


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Two's company by Ann & Steve Toon - Issuu