Mastering the art of conservation photography

What makes a good conservation photographer? It depends on how well you can connect with your subject. 

'Your photos are good only when you are close to your subject' – in conservation photography, this common mantra is the most befitting. 

Here, the subject is most often no human model, rather one with a fast reflex and perpetual camera shyness. 

So, to get connected with your subject, the first thing needed is to earn its trust. And, to earn trust, you have to have patience, a lot actually. 

This is also true when the task gets more Herculean, such as dealing with human perspective on wildlife - let it be of a tribesperson or policymaker. 

Eurasian curlew. To strengthen connection between human and wildlife, roles of conservation photography is pivotal. Photo Muntasir Akash

Patience, trust and connection: These are the three words, which can shape your passion for conservation photography. Master them and withstanding a leech-infested ground, knee-deep swamp, arduous mountain trek or any other barrier will sound easy. And for me, the result has always been rewarding. 

Once I had to wait for eight hours in front of a dumpster! In the evening golden light, my subject, an elusive blue-naped pitta bird, allowed me to take some of the best shots of my life and made me forget the eight hours of a stand-still, noxious situation. 

There was another occasion with a water rail bird - a wetland species, which also took a test of time. It was a winter morning and I was on a one-person dinghy, wading through wet grasses and narrow channels and photographing migrant birds. 

My teammates, who were in two other dinghies, got their shots. But I was still struggling to get mine. What happened was the bird was frightened and hid in the grasses from the channel edge where it was foraging. I arrived a little late but I was not ready to give up, rather I decided to wait. 

I moored my dinghy on the opposite bank within the overhanging grasses. About an hour passed. Slowly, all the birds on the far side started getting back to normalcy including the water rail. And in a fraction of a second, I got my shots. 

The photos may not be award-winners, but the joy of understanding and keeping faith in wildlife behaviour was priceless. I knew the bird would return, I just knew it.

The ever-evolving challenges of conservation photography 

Like any other 90s kid, I grew up during a transitional period when technology was bringing the unknown world into our living rooms.  

The advancement of photographic gears and accessories made it easier to film and photograph the otherwise extremely elusive wildlife. And with that, the progress of broadcasting systems had paved the way for a new genre of still photos, artworks and documentaries for wildlife conservation.

Red-headed trogon. To bring rare wildlife under spotlight, conservation photography can be a powerful medium. Photo Muntasir Akash

To me, these are the greatest upsides of technology, for it has bridged me to wildlife conservation along with my causes. But with only five years into a career in conservation, I understand the posing dilemma of the rapidly shifting gears and the ever-inadequate shortage of funds. 

In 2022, the photography world is seeing a leap from DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) to mirrorless cameras. The price tags, likewise, are following newer heights, hardly remaining affordable for any beginner. 

I currently use a Canon 7D Mark II and Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Super Telephoto Lens for photographing birds and mammals. The lens was released in 1992 and the camera body in 2014, the very same year I had my first camera. 

And I must admit that my current set-up falls a little short and old in many terms, but it is not only the equipment that makes us better photographers. The gears are the tools, which steer us to express our perspective. So, it is all about how well you can perceive the frame that can relay your message in the strongest possible manner. 

Mastering the mythical craft of communicating with wildlife 

Besides mastering the technical skills of framing and composition, we need to resort back to our craft of communication while taking wildlife photos or videos. 

The ability to decode the wildlife gives you the upper hand, pre-prepares you before the next move and helps you be in the right place at the right time for the perfect shot. 

I can recall my memories with the red-headed trogon, a bird I took photos of in Chattogram. It was a damp noon in a small patch of the Chattogram Hill Tracts. The surrounding area was heavily logged, making the patch a grove for the birds. 

We were on a small ridge, facing a slope.  But the day was exceptionally bland. Suddenly, there was a high pitched 'cuok-cuok-cuok' call, identical to that of the red-headed trogon, one of the secretive birds of tropical hills. 

We immediately responded to the call by playing a recorded tape. Trogon males, particularly known to be territorial, are always curious about these calls. So, the one we encountered decided to scrutinise us with a couple of sorties. 

Then I noticed a branch lying parallel to the ground and our eye level, connecting two big thickets. The sunlight, interrupted by the trees overhead, formed a beautifully broken light effect on the slope. And that small branch received an ambient spotlight. 

The stage was ready for a trogon photo. But our subject, the bird, was still missing. So what we did was, put our little soundbox aligned in a manner with the branch so that the trogon noticed the branch and sat on it.  And we were ready. On the third sortie, it did exactly what we had anticipated and we got the photo. 

Spiny lobster. Wildlife images taken under laboratory setup can be a strong science and conservation tool. Photo Muntasir Akash

So, in conservation photography, connectivity is everything. And if you can connect with your subjects, the satisfaction will be beyond your imagination.  Good equipment or not, your voices in the form of photography need to be heard. 

Before 2018, we did not know that dholes still roam in our forests. It took one camera-trap image to set the chain reactions. Now, dholes are featured in over 30 media and newspapers, and have become a species of importance and new conservation plans are underway. Such is the penetrating power of conservation photography.

Although there are countless barriers, conservation photography is worth the price, for photography is the most lucid medium that can speak on behalf of your cause, and it helps to pass on your message in the best way possible if you want to be a professional photographer. 

The possibilities of conservation photography in Bangladesh

Conservation photography or the use of media to bolster conservation is a relatively untapped sector in Bangladesh. As with many developing countries, the chances and the environment here to be a professional conservation photographer are still very slim. 

However, since 2013, when I started wildlife photography, Bangladesh has experienced exponential growth of the community that loves to see wildlife through the viewfinder. 

This is exactly what conservation photography is: It is for creating communities, making people aware, and gradually, engaging them in wildlife conservation. 

Now, this genre of photography has also become a core part of any conservation endeavour. So whenever you are planning a field-based project, keep room for photography. 

It can be any species of your interest, from the tiniest invertebrates to the largest land mammals. Do not overthink about the quality. The better the merrier, but being able to capture precious wildlife moments and sharing them with targeted stakeholders should be prioritised most.

Spotted deer in the Sundarbans. Conservation photography can showcase precious yet elusive wildlife moments. Photo Muntasir Akash

We research to get our cause established with science. We do want to make people aware about our species. The carefully-made plans under tight schedule and budget, early mornings, late nights, sweltering heat, pouring rain, skipped family times, stand-still moments, missed shots, great shots - all, inch by inch, take you closer to your reasonings. 

Remember your first moment with dinosaurs through the 1994 Jurassic Park movie; the moment you, for the first time, watched a documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough; or the countless moments you glanced upon the glossy photographs of a field guide. 

Who knows what flurry of emotions will be experienced by someone who will get introduced to a species for the first time through your work! Nurture the connection, shoot with your camera, and share!​​