The latest meeting of Keswick Photographic Society was a presentation by Ann and Steve Toon who have led photographic African safaris for over 25 years (toonphotosafaris.com). They focus on South Africa, Botswana and Kenya on wildlife reserves that they have come to know intimately. Being award-winning photographers enables the Toons to ensure that clients will benefit from their knowledge of the precise angles and environmental conditions to achieve spectacular photographic results. Their journalistic backgrounds also mean that they strive to tell stories with their photographs rather than simply recording animal portraits. This is also significant for their campaigns on important conservation issues, such as rhino poaching. Ann and Steve gave an informative and lively presentation with both of them coordinating as speakers to convey the narrative of the images which they were showing.
As they explained, they are not interested in merely reproducing photographic shots that have become clichéd representations of African animals. Instead, they strive to stretch the boundaries of photographic techniques to create unique interpretations of animal behaviour and to reveal aesthetic aspects of the wildlife using artistic approaches. For example, the use of a slow shutter speed creates the blurring of animals on the move to emphasise their motion. Such a photograph of meerkats on the move in the Kalahari Desert won Ann an award in a recent European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
The artistic approach engages the emotions of the viewer in a rhino portrait photographed using intentional camera movement and in a herd of elephants emerging out of the dust.
The creative use of in-camera multiple exposure shows an African spoonbill literally immersed in its environment.
Our members were impressed and appreciative of these approaches by the Toons to lift their images out of the ordinary and repetitive, which is so often seen in safari photographs.
