Category: Photography

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, award-winning photographer, Paul Goldstein, known for his photographs taken in the Arctic and Antarctic, shares his successful wildlife photography tips.

Most travelers today aim to capture stunning photos of their adventures, whether with a smartphone or a professional camera. To maximize your photographic potential, consider joining a specialized photo tour with experienced guides.

Secret Atlas, experts in micro-cruises, collaborates with a select group of seasoned photographers who have decades of experience in polar regions. One such photographer is award-winning Paul Goldstein, a conservationist with 40 years in the travel industry. When not exploring the poles, Paul dedicates his time to protecting Bengal tigers and managing safari camps in Kenya.

His high-energy approach and demanding schedule make his tours suitable for dedicated photographers. However, he emphasizes that these trips are not just for photography enthusiasts but for anyone seeking a unique and immersive travel experience.

I guide many who only bring binoculars, they just like the way we sensitively go about wildlife, they like the ‘long game.’

-Paul Goldstein

10 Wildlife Photography Tips

1. Do your Research

Investing time in research, whether it’s choosing a cruise ship or a camera, is always worthwhile. While it may be tempting to opt for the cheapest option, remember that quality often comes at a price. A budget cruise on a large ship with limited excursions and excessive entertainment might not be the ideal choice for those seeking a more authentic and immersive experience.

2. Choose the Right Gear

If you’re new to photography, investing in expensive equipment isn’t necessary. Renting cameras, tripods, and lenses is a great way to explore your interest without a significant financial commitment.

3. The Luxury of Time

The polar regions offer an extraordinary opportunity for photographers, with 24-hour daylight allowing for endless exploration. However, it’s important to consider your sleep needs. If you require a full night’s sleep, this may not be the ideal destination.

Traveling in a small group, like a 12-person micro-cruise with Secret Atlas, offers significant advantages. Smaller groups can quickly disembark onto smaller boats, maximizing your time in the field and capturing the best photographic opportunities.

4. Think about your photographs

Look at the work of other photographers, both in books and online, to inspire your own vision. While it’s beneficial to study their techniques and approaches, remember to develop your unique style and perspective. Copying someone else’s work without originality borders on plagiarism.

5. Survival of the fittest

Many successful photographers maintain a high level of physical fitness. Often, capturing the best shots requires venturing into challenging environments, demanding both mental and physical endurance.

6. Be Ambitious

When judging photography competitions, I prioritize two key factors: originality and technical difficulty. Originality can manifest as a completely novel perspective or a fresh interpretation of a familiar subject. Technical difficulty, on the other hand, can involve complex lighting techniques, challenging compositions, or physically demanding shoots. Ultimately, I seek images that demonstrate both ambition and a willingness to push creative boundaries.

7. Be your biggest critic

You must be your own harshest critic. There’s no such thing as a perfect wildlife photo, and that’s part of the beauty. While advanced cameras make capturing images easier, the elusive perfect shot remains unattainable. Embrace this challenge. Don’t be complacent with mediocre feedback. If someone offers lukewarm praise like “it’s nice” or “I see what you tried to do,” consider it a missed opportunity. Remember, it’s just a photograph. Keep striving for better.

8. Delete, delete and delete again

Don’t let your photos languish on hard drives. Regularly review and edit your images to avoid overwhelming your storage and streamline your workflow. While modern cameras can capture high-speed bursts, it’s important to be selective and avoid unnecessary clutter.

9. Think of your audience

Imagine you’re sharing your photos with a 13-year-old. Consider their attention span and avoid overwhelming them with too many similar images. Instead of showing ten penguin photos, focus on your two or even one best shot. Quality over quantity will keep their interest.

10. Video

Video can be a powerful tool for storytelling, but it’s essential to keep it concise and engaging. In most cases, a well-crafted video will captivate a 13-year-old’s attention more effectively than a lengthy written explanation.

Secret Atlas

Secret Atlas is running several photography expeditions to Svalbard in 2025. Choose from a 9-day Frozen Svalbard Photo Tour in April and May, a 9-day Natural Wonders of Svalbard Photo Tour also in May, or a 10-day Spitsbergen Explorer Wildlife Photo Tour led by Paul himself in June.

Find more from Secret Atlas now:

For more details, visit Svalbard Photo Tours & Expeditions With Only 12 Guests.

Discover more about Secret Atlas at www.secretatlas.com  

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best creativity magazine in the UK“, raising awareness for abandoned pets in the UK, Jessica McGovern’s photograph of a lurcher alone in the rain, Abandoned, won a top award.

Abandoned by Jessica McGovern

UK photographer, Jessica McGovern, was awarded the prestigious title of Overall International Photographer of the Year 2024 at the Societies of Photographers 20×16 Print Competition, as well as securing the Open Category win.

The heartbreaking image, titled Abandoned, features a Lurcher left alone in the rain that moved judges to tears during the judging process. The compelling photograph not only showcases Jessica McGovern’s talent but also acts as a reminder of the startling record level of neglect and abandoned pets in the UK.

Winning this title is not just a personal milestone but also a platform to shed light on the fact the UK is at a three-year-high of dogs being neglected and abandoned in some way. Through ‘Abandoned,’ I aimed to convey the silent suffering and resilient spirit of these animals.

It’s an honour to have this message recognised on such a grand scale, and I hope that it makes others think about their ability to give these dogs a second chance when they consider adding four paws to their family.

-Jessica McGovern

At just 29 years old, Jessica McGovern’s achievement stands as an inspiration to photographers worldwide, showcasing the transformative power of images to evoke emotions and advocate for those without a voice. Her dedication to bringing attention to the issue of pet neglect and abandonment reflects the true impact photography can have on raising awareness and inspiring positive change.

Societies Of Photographers

The annual Societies of Photographers Convention celebrates photography talent across the world. Images are meticulously scored against stringent criteria by internationally renowned judges. “Abandoned” not only triumphed within its category, scoring 90+ to fall inside the “Oustanding” range, but also outshone all other category winners to be hailed as the ultimate winning image.

This year we have seen a fantastic range of images and the standard has been exceptional. The Photographer of the Year Awards represent some of the finest images entered into the competition and have competed against some of the world’s best photographers.

-Colin Jones, The Societies of Photographers’ CEO

Find more now:

https://thattogspot.com

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On The Table Read, “the best arts magazine in the UK“, new photography series by Prisca Munkeni Monnier examines and criticizes the devastating effects of mining corporations in the Democratic Republic Of Congo.

La Vie Est Belle

In collaboration with the photography organization Fellowship, photographer Prisca Munkeni Monnier has released a new body of work titled La Vie Est Belle. Fellowship presented the new collection as an online exhibition, and beginning on December 15th 2022, all of the works were made available as NFTs.

Article 15, a hustler’s code developed by late Congolese musician Papa Wemba, serves as the inspiration for the series La Vie Est Belle. The code promotes an attitude of “work with what you have” toward art, but most importantly, it depicts the hope of recovering mineral wealth that mining corporations have stolen from the Democratic Republic Of Congo (and continue to steal from): while the locals are largely left to deal with trash, copper, aluminum, and other materials.

“It’s a denunciation of the violence towards the mine workers but also towards artists, since they are both ignored,” explained Prisca. “They are both children of the country but forsaken by their nation… they work (create) with very little or no help at all, so it’s kind of a revolution and political statement. And a message of hope as well. Because creating something beautiful with recycled cell phones or cans and other objects, is a way of getting our land back.”

Prisca Munkeni Monnier

Prisca’s global upbringing and childhood have a significant impact on her photography practice: Zairean, she was born in Brussels, spent her childhood in Kinshasa, became Congolese, and then established her practice and life between Marseille and Kinshasa. Her images explore her identity as an African creator and woman whose memories are intertwined with the politics and history of the continent thanks to the intricate web of her memories, family, and heritage.

As shown in her Suki series, Prisca’s explorations of identity take many forms, including childhood memories of comparing her hair and appearance to those of Western magazines. She delves deeply into the Westernized notion of beauty and appearance, which she believes is ingrained in African culture and identity.

“The country that saw me born is not mine, the state that saw me grow up has disappeared, the nation of my passport barely exist,” said Prisca. “Remaining my culture, in memory weakened by the jolts of history, and whose survival is based only on a handful of people, an oral tradition whose breath is dwindling. Without doubt this is the breeding ground of my art, this propensity to make dialogue frozen moments, prolong their existence to infinity, force them to speak in an environment saturated with elements, lights.”

Fellowship

After their successful debut at Paris Photo as the first organization to present NFT photography at the prestigious fair with a selection of works by Guy Bourdin, Dmitri Cherniak x Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Cristina de Middel, and Eman Ali, among others, Fellowship is thrilled to collaborate with Prisca, a pioneering photographer.

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On The Table Read, “the best arts magazine in the UK“, photographer Gim Liu talks about his business, Gimagery, specialising in long exposure photography, and what inspires him.

Written by JJ Barnes

www.jjbarnes.co.uk

I interviewed Gim Liu about his life and career, his work in his photography business Gimagery, and what inspires him.

Tell me a bit about who you are.

My name is Gim Liu, I am 33 and I am a photographer from the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. I am also a rapper, videographer and author of my book ‘A Beginner’s Guide to After Dark Photography with Gimagery’.  I have always been interested in exploring new countries and I am currently writing this in Romania which is my 45^th country. I took the interest of being a world explorer and combined it with my love for photography. They both go hand in hand and are an excellent combination because the possibilities to take photos are infinite.

I am an internationally known, multitalented professional photographer who is based in the UK. Although my extensive portfolio comprises of hospitality, commercial, travel, landscape and architectural photography, I am a long exposure specialist and have established myself as an expert in this field. As a renowned photographer I have been featured by some of the biggest entities in the photography industry such as Digital Photography Review, Light Stalking, Photographycourse.net, The Photo Argus, PhotoWhoa, Northlight Images and PictureCorrect.

Having attracted a considerable following, I became best known for my artistic creativity by using techniques that result in producing unique images that intrigue and captivate. My supporters have become accustomed to my trademark use of light sources to create the illusion/impression of movement in my photos and bringing static objects to life. I am the pioneer of two long exposure photo types I created which are outlining and trajectory.

In the photography world, my greatest desire and ambition is simply to inspire creativity. This aim is facilitated by enlightening readers of my articles and clientele of my one-to-one experience packages to the discipline of long exposure photography. They receive expert knowledge and are left fully equipped with the skills to create eye-catching images. Taught with the reputable and self-developed after dark photography formula, I ensure an in-depth theoretical and practical understanding of the process is acquired. Readers and clients appreciate my comprehensive systematic approach, easy-to-understand writing and teaching style along with the ability to give explanation on complex and often confusing aspects of photography.

You can see my work on Instagram @gimagery_ and I offer photography services along with fine prints on my website gimagery.net

What is the name of your photography business?

The name of my photography business is Gimagery.

How did you come up with that name?

The realisation of needing to put all of my work under a name resulted in the birth of ‘Gimagery’. I also decided that because I do more than just photography such as videography, rap and literature, it was not just a name but a term; ‘The creative use of imagination by innovative scholar Gim Liu to be visually descriptive in many different forms’. This term enables me to define the broad range of Gimagery.

So, why Gimagery? The name Gimagery was chosen simply because it uses creative and interesting wordplay. It incorporates my name Gim with the word imagery.

Why the snake as a logo? There are three different meaningful reasons for using the snake as the logo. The first reason is simply because the snake can form the shape of the letter G. The second reason is because I was born in the Chinese year of the snake. The third reason is because the idea of putting all of my work under one name and eventually making a website came about in the year of the snake in 2013.

The Gimagery slogan is: ‘Imagine. Explore. Create.’. These three words perfectly encapsulate and accurately describe the brand. Not only does this slogan represent imaginative, exploratory and creative actions of Gimagery, it is also the process of producing unique and interesting work.

• First you imagine – using one’s imagination to visualise an idea and paint a picture of it in the mind.
  
  
• Next you explore – setting out to search for and discover how to bring the idea to life while also considering the possibilities, options and fine details.
  
  
• Finally you then create – performing the course of action needed in order to cause the idea to come into being as it was imagined.

When did you first get into photography?

I have always been interested in photography but I properly got into it when I bought my first DSLR camera back in 2009. Ever since that moment, I haven’t stopped taking photos. I am always looking at taking the next photo and thinking what to do next. Starting from just a hobby, photography then turned into an obsession followed by a lifestyle.

What inspires your photographs?

This relates to my modus operandi.The way I think about what to shoot solely comes from the philosophy behind my work. My perception of photography is that it is like art and poetry. Along with capturing moments, it can and should be used to express yourself. Long exposure photography does exactly that, it gives you the ability to create and capture something unique in an artistic way. The beauty of it is that you are restricted only by your own imagination and creativity. It is also my favourite type of photography because I am forever fascinated by the vibrant colours and the different light streaks and trails produced by the camera.

With that being said, when I try to come up with an idea of what to shoot, it must have the potential to result in at least one of the following:   

• Create the illusion/impression of movement
• Bring a static object to life in some way
• Produce an image that is unique and unusual in appearance
• Will have qualities that intrigue and captivate

These points are the underlying fundamentals which my ideas are based on and in my opinion are what make a great photo.

Additionally, the source of my creative inspiration entirely comes from within. It primarily comes from trying to outdo myself and create better photos than I made previously. The satisfaction of your idea coming to life, it being a success and seeing what you have created on the camera screen is indescribable! This is exactly what spurs me on.

Are you working on a particular series or do you go where the mood strikes?

I am not working on a particular series at the moment and kind of go where the mood strikes. Typically when I do a shoot it is due to coming up with some creative ideas to experiment with and see if the photo/s turn out to be anything remotely like it was envisioned. 

What lessons have you taken to learn your craft or are you self-taught?

I haven’t actually taken any lessons to learn how to do my photography and I am completely self-taught. When I first started off in long exposure photography which was a while ago, I may have watched a tutorial or read an article about how to put together a device to create steel wool photos but that is about it.

How has your work changed or developed since you started?

It has changed and developed quite significantly. When I started in long exposure photography, I began by shooting more simple stuff like steel wool photos, the light trails of vehicles driving past and light painting words/patterns with a torch. As I gained more experience, I got more advanced and started manipulating the outcome of photos with different light sources. I ended up creating two different styles of photos which are my own. I named them outlining and trajectory. Here are descriptions of what they involve:

An outlining photo is where a line or set of lines are drawn to mark out and show the border or outer shape of an object. This is achieved by using a torch or sparkler to draw the outline of the object while taking a long exposure photo. A torch or sparkler is the light source used to create the effect and enables the outline to be displayed. There is something magical about displaying the outer shape of a static object, especially when creating the impression of its movement. Such photos leave the viewer in awe of its beauty and wondering how it was created.

A trajectory photo is where the path of a moving object (typically a ball) is displayed in an image. The line or curve resembling the path that the object took is made visible by a sparkler attached to the object. It is thrown/hit/struck/kicked/rolled while a long exposure photo is taken. The sparkler attached to the object coupled with the action made to move it enables the camera to capture the movement made by the object and show how it travelled. Undertaking a trajectory photo leads to producing an eye-catching image which has a wow factor about it. Such photos are very unusual to see which makes it interesting for any viewer to look at.

Do you work in a studio or do you prefer taking pictures outside?

I do both but I definitely prefer to take photos outdoors as I there are infinite locations to use when shooting outside.

What brand or equipment is an essential part of your photography work?

For my photography work, my Canon 7D Mark ii DSLR camera, my Hama branded tripod and Canon branded wireless remote are essential. In addition to this, light sources are also essential such as torches and sparklers.

Is your photography business your full-time job or a side hustle?

My photography business is more of a ‘side hustle’ but it is strange because I don’t really view it as work as it is my passion. In future, it could definitely become my full-time job and this year I have taken great strides towards that becoming an option.  

Are your family and friends supportive of your creative work?

Yes my family and friends are supportive of my creative work, they love it as do my supporters.

How do you sell your photographs?

I sell my photographs in the form of premium canvases on my website gimagery.net

How do you promote your photography business and find new customers?

I primarily promote my photography business on Facebook and Instagram to find new customers. It also happens when I meet people, so in person too.

Are you proud of your work and what you’ve achieved so far?

Yes I am definitely proud of my work and what I have achieved so far. I have built up an extensive portfolio comprising of hospitality, commercial, travel, landscape and architectural photograph over the years.

Do you have any goals for the future you can share with us?

Unfortunately not as I have just completed my two biggest goals this year which was to create my own photography website and also to get my book ‘A Beginner’s Guide to After Dark Photography with Gimagery’ published. I would say in general my goals are staying the same which is to carry on taking creative and the most interesting photos possible which is rather challenging itself to keep coming up with original ideas. Another one would be continue to inspire creativity in others from my own work.

Do you have any special career highlights you’d love to experience again?

Not specifically no. Winning some awards would be one but I have not managed to get any as of yet!

Share all your work and social links so readers can find more:

Link to my book on Amazon: mybook.to/ADPwithGimagery  

Website: www.gimagery.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gimagery_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gimagery

Book video trailer: https://youtu.be/juGVmvEjQ7k

Author profile: https://www.amazon.com/author/gimagery

Donate to support The Table Read
We strive to keep The Table Read free for both our readers and our contributors. If you have enjoyed our work, please consider donating to help keep The Table Read going!