Desert Island DSLR
Art Wolfe Nature photographer and conservationist
Art Wolfe, famous nature photographer, answers our questions
What’s your current mood? Pretty Scooby-Doo! Which photographers would you like to invite for dinner? Sebastião Salgado, Herb Ritts. What’s your favourite place on Earth? Currently, it’s a mezcal bar in Mexico City; really, though, it changes by the day or the last trip I took. What’s the shot you most regret not taking? Two dogs napping on two napping cows in a back alley in Varanasi, India. My guide had bolted on ahead of me; if I had stopped, I would have been lost forever in a maze of streets. Who would you most like to thank for getting you where you are today? My parents for being so nurturing – and my staff, of course. (They are shooting me glances at the moment.) What food do you take on a shoot? Tabasco sauce and coffee. Whose work do you think people should appreciate more? All the dedicated environmental photographers making very little money, to battle against moronic politicians and stupid decisions. What did you want to be when you were five years old? A forest ranger. What’s the most expensive piece of kit you’ve ever bought? A Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L USM lens with an internal x1.4 extender. To crop or not to crop? Crop! How do you relax after a shoot? When I get home, I work in my garden. What is top of your bucket list? Socotra Island, Yemen. Be honest – what kind of photography are you bad at? Formal, staged shoots (like weddings). If you hadn’t become a photographer, what would you have done instead? A painter, or an art educator... or a landscape designer. What A Brownie was Fiesta. your first camera? Could Not anymore. you live without Photoshop? Who My art has professors influenced at the you University the most? of Washington. What do you photo want gadget to see invented? or feature A built-in neutral density for ISO 1. What words of wisdom do you give to aspiring photographers? Keep your photography fun and exciting. Constantly challenge yourself to see new ways. If you could be invisible for one day with your camera...? I’d be in a room with Trump and Putin. Any regrets? Never. And finally - what is your Desert Island DSLR? I’m not tech driven, though DSLRs only keep getting better. My go-to camera in the field is the Canon 1D X.