The Lookout
For decades, she lived quite selfishly. Here, it was light, food, sleep, trails, Granite cataracts, orange sandstone, Protecting cubs from rogue males. Yes, protecting cubs from rogue males, Guarding cave’s mouth, alert lookout. The mother chirped and purred in her ear: Never unwind. Be pure and devout.
From Pantagruelian 2024
Get Tips: Nature Photography
Once a month a new segment will be sent to you on trying new techniques, using certain gear, stalking certain species or working in post-processing. Learn how to take stunning photographs of wildlife and landscapes by checking out the photo tips section.
Chile
For my Iowa Artist Fellowship, I photographed in Torres del Paine, Chile. The pumas there are accustomed to photographers and seem unbothered by our presence. What is remarkable is that I spent whole days with certain puma individuals and this helped me understand the rhythms of their lives.
Following them as they hunt is tricky as they move like water through the landscape. Effortless. By the end of the day, I was exhausted as I carried around my telephoto and tripod as well as other gear. But it was the most intimate connection to predators I have ever experienced. My guides, Javiera Vargas and Junior Mendes, were exceptional as they knew how to find the animals and understood how much space to give them.
There are moments of flow within wildlife photography and there were hours where I felt connected and awed by these pumas. We waited nearly 9 hours to photograph a lone male on a kill and he finally ate late in the day. It was a lesson in patience.
