CLEMENT KIRAGU
Kenya is famous for its abundant and vibrant wildlife, and few people know the animals better than Clement Kiragu. Keith Wilson speaks to the award-winning photographer about his journey from fine art student to photo safari tour leader…
TO MANY followers of his photo work, Clement Kiragu is better known as Clement Wild, one of Kenya’s bestknown wildlife photo safari operators. Based in Nairobi, Clement worked in advertising for ten years as an art director before choosing to devote his life to photographing the wildlife of his
beautiful homeland. In a normal year, Clement would be leading multiple tours of eager photographers from overseas across the open grasslands of the fabled Maasai Mara, where lions, leopards and cheetah prey on zebras, gazelle and wildebeest. Instead, COVID-19 means safaris have ground to a halt, but that’s not enough to stop Clement moving – in fact, he’s moving house! It might feel like this interview is being randomly scheduled somewhere between the practicalities of unpacking boxes marked ‘kitchen’, ‘living room’ and ‘study’, but the reality is that he answers
my questions with the same sense of care shown when handling the fastest tele lenses or the latest Canon cameras.
Clement has always loved the arts, and even before he took up photography, he saw a future in this field, especially while studying fine art at college in Nairobi. Photography may not have been on his creative horizon in his student days, but today Clement can reflect on an enviable education and hard experience that has provided many of the guiding principles for his rapid rise in the crowded world of wildlife photography…
What was the most important thing you learnt at college that has gone on to influence your photography?
I went to Buruburu Institute of Fine Arts in Nairobi, and the most important take from my course is that I learnt art, the principles, the elements, the storytelling, and coming up with concepts, before I ever knew photography. That helps me understand the responsibility I carry as an artist. Pressing the shutter button is only one of the final steps of storytelling.
It’s a big decision to step away from a successful career in advertising to become a wildlife photographer, so why did you make the jump?
You’re right, it was a big decision! It was majorly influenced by the love I had for wildlife, the passion of the stories I wanted to tell and seeing how much we lacked voices for the animals in Africa. So, I had to follow my heart. I am just trying to give my little contribution to this not-so-famous and unglamorous genre of photography that carries some of the heaviest conversations we should all be having as people who share this planet.
Okay then, what’s your favourite wildlife location in Kenya and why that one?
Hands down, it has to be the Maasai Mara. I have been to several parks elsewhere in the world but none that has such dramatically changing landscapes and an abundance of so many species in one park. It remains my favourite destination, yet!
Kenya is “blessed with beautiful landscapes and beautiful wildlife throughout the year” – your words – so give me a rundown of a year in the life of Clement Kiragu, wildlife photographer…
What I love most about Kenya is that every season has its own unique elements. A good year for me would start with big cats in the Maasai Mara from the month of January to April. I love this season, because without the abundance of prey the cats become quite active and more conspicuous. The months of July to August are great for bird watchers as millions of flamingos migrate. These months are also the start of the great wildebeest migration right through to October. In the month of October, down south in Amboseli, you get amazing landscapes and hundreds of elephants crossing the dry lakes. When you get to
“What I love most about Kenya is that every season has its own unique elements”
the months of December, the dry lake transforms into something amazing – you see these same giants crossing large bodies of water filled with our beautiful flamingos. Kenya is really beautiful across the year, and don’t even get me started on our beaches!
So, what kit do you always pack?
My bag has different bodies for different reasons. The Canon EOS 5DS R because of the detail I get from its 50.6-megapixel sensor, especially when shooting landscapes; the EOS-1D X Mk II for speed when photographing action images; and now I am extremely excited with where Canon are going with their mirrorless cameras, so very soon, hopefully, I will have an EOS R camera in my bag!
Which is your go-to lens, the one you always have ready by your side should the occasion come?
Right now, I am in love with the RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 telephoto zoom. It’s super compact to carry and travel with. Because of its focal length coverage and weight, it’s my go-to lens. However, I always make sure all focal lengths are covered, so I will have an EF 17-40mm wide-angle zoom for my landscapes, the EF 24-105mm for mid shots, and now the RF 800mm F11 for birds and other subjects that are further away.
Any essential accessories?
As a general rule, I always have at least two sets of memory cards for each body every day, and as many batteries as I can get per body to maximize my opportunities of the day. I always remember to have reliable hard drives to back up all the files every day. Soon I will want to upgrade this to a more efficient system, a larger number of memory cards and more reliable backup systems.
Do you use camera remotes and camera traps as well?
Not yet. I want to start doing some research of some species in Kenya, so I might be researching potential options very soon…
More professional photographers are shooting video now than ever before, so is this an area that you’re likely to devote more time to as well?
A very huge yes! I always knew I would get into wildlife film to help in my storytelling. I have already started on this journey and hopefully very soon I will be able to share more of Africa with the world through film.
What are you striving to create within the frame when you make an image?
I strive to document a special moment in nature, a moment that can tell the story
of the animal in my frame, or perhaps give insight into the complexities of the lives of my subjects. It’s always my hope that the frames I create can make someone somewhere pay attention to these issues, or for them to just absorb the serenity of a beautiful landscape after a hard day at work.
So, what are the essential components that you need?
My components here would be ethically capturing – and never altering – the reality of the scene.
The quality of light is always a vital element in any image, but is there an ideal lighting that you seek in your work?
Yes, light is everything and I rely on natural lighting. My best light to work with is then, obviously, the golden hour. I also take advantage of the soft light that comes after the golden sunrise and the soft light just before sunset.
You work both in colour and black & white, so how do you decide which to choose?
My choice of using colour or black and white is determined by two things. The first is intentional; I mostly use this technique when photographing during the day when the sun is high above my subjects and I purposely overexpose, because I know it will look great as a minimalist black and white shot. The second one happens in post-processing where you find there are too many distractions in the image, therefore taking away from the subject. In such cases, black and white and a little vignette helps your subject stand out.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected safaris in Kenya?
The pandemic has hugely affected the safari business in Kenya, and my photo safaris as well. All of my 2020-2021 bookings were postponed when the whole world locked down. I have started seeing small numbers of tourists coming back into the country, but the tourism industry is still really suffering.
Post pandemic, what is the future like for wildlife conservation in Kenya? What changes might we see in safaris to help wildlife prosper further?
Wildlife Conservation is evolving with the times. In Kenya, at first, we thought that if less tourists are coming into the country, then poaching would reduce, but as communities started losing their livelihoods due to the effects of COVID, people started smuggling bush meat. They had to survive somehow; this presented another angle to poaching because animals that were not in danger
were now on the poacher’s target list. We need to be thinking of long-term solutions, like finding an alternative for those people whom live near wildlife sanctuaries.
You say photography is more than a career, that it is ‘deeper than that,’ so what has photography taught you both personally and artistically over the years?
It’s a lot more than a career at this point. For so long I did not have a voice, but I found mine in photography, and I hope film will give me even more ways to express myself. So, this is not just a job for me, it’s my life now. This is how I will educate the world about the very critical issues that are facing wildlife in Africa and how we can break that pattern we’re currently seeing. For instance, do you know how much we can change simply by empowering the youth that live around the wildlife sanctuaries?
Following on from that question then, what is the biggest lesson you have learned as an artist and where is your creative journey taking you next?
As an artist in the wildlife sector, I have learned that the world is moving so fast, humans are facing so many challenges, that issues like climate change come very low in their priority list. I have already learnt that I have taken a very long and lonely path which most people don’t understand or pay attention to.
So, my next steps in my journey are to keep developing powerful partnerships, like the one I now have with Canon, to push my agenda forward, to keep telling my wild encounter stories and hopefully get the world to listen to how important it is to save the creatures we share this earth with.
What has been the biggest or proudest moment in your career so far?
I would say the day I walked into the offices of Rhino Africa in Cape Town to receive my award (Africa’s Photographer of the Year 2017), and I got my winning image shown on all their screens, with so many people waiting to see and hear my stories of Kenya. Just being there and telling people about my country’s beauty was a big win in every respect!
Where would you like to be 10 years from now? Do you have any specific goals and ambitions?
I would want to help other artists in Africa to have a smoother transition into the arts than I did in the beginning.
I want to put these storytelling tools in front of the kids who will make a difference tomorrow, as early in life as possible. I am 40 now, so can you imagine
“I am 40 now, so can you imagine if I had discovered my passion when I was 18?”
if I had discovered my passion when I was only 18? Empowering future storytellers is what will guarantee that fights like wildlife conservation don’t stop after we are gone.
I would want to address the darkness in the arts that is pulling so many talents down and killing dreams in Africa. I would want to see an increase and not a decrease of storytellers in Africa. I would want for artists to find systems that work and actually encourage them to pursue their dreams. This varies across the board in advertising, photography, film, production, music and other arts.
I would want to see my work contribute to the growth and well-being of my beloved big cats in Africa. I know, I have some very big dreams, but these are just some of them and I am very optimistic for the future.
Away from wildlife, what do you like to photograph in your own time for personal projects?
I have several projects in the works. Watch this space! It’s going to be in wildlife film, I hope to share more soon.
What is the single best piece of advice you would give to anyone wanting to become a wildlife photographer?
Only do it if you actually love the animals, and if you know for sure that you will always put their lives first, thereby making your beautiful photographs second.