Sunday News

Wild things are

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‘ You get the odd bluff-charge, an elephant or rhino might decide they don't want you there.’ DAVID LLOYD

‘‘AND some of the places she travelled particular­ly Africa, I just remember her stories. I was really interested.’’

The death of his beloved Aunt Beth was instrument­al to Lloyd becoming a full-time wildlife photograph­er.

An overriding theme of his award-winning collection of work is a capturing of animals’ essential dignity and right to live in peace.

‘‘Lions, they’re often portrayed as vicious killers because that’s what people take pictures of. But, for the most part, they’re just affectiona­te big pussy cats, they show affection to each other, the whole pride.

‘‘And elephants’ greeting, it’s like having your family greeting another family, like they haven’t seen each other for years. They don’t shake hands, obviously, but they entwine trunks, and get excited.’’

One of Lloyd’s most emotional images – ‘‘Amboseli Crossing’’ – captures the moment the two animals’ paths crossed, at Amboseli National Park in Kenya.

A line of elephants, a baby in their midst, came across two lionesses on the road ahead. ‘‘The elephants formed a circle around the little one. And then they moved away, past the lions, and then when they got to a safe distance they went single file again.’’

One close encounter at Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve resulted in his ‘‘Sandman’’ image.

Lloyd got to within five metres of his male lion subject.

‘‘I think he had his brother nearby. We waited for him and he sort of stood up, and I think he was looking at me because he was looking at his own reflection in my lens. I think he was just dazzled by that, so he looked at me for a good bit of time.’’

Lloyd’s company has not always been appreciate­d by prospectiv­e animal subjects.

‘‘You get the odd bluff-charge, an elephant or rhino might decide they don’t want you there. He will let you know.’’

Lloyd doesn’t use camouflage to get close to his wildlife subjects, instead preferring to play the waiting game – for as long as a day at a time.

‘‘I don’t chase, I don’t go looking for (the animals), we know where they’re gonna be. If you wait, then nobody gets stressed. The animal comes to you, and everything is more natural.’’

Lloyd, who is based in London, makes sure he takes ‘‘two of everything’’ on his assignment­s, including his Nikon D800E cameras. He’s always loved black and white photograph­y, but ‘‘if the colour’s better, I’ll keep it in colour’’.

Asked to define his photograph­ic style, Lloyd says he takes pictures he likes. ‘‘I think the mistake is to take pictures and hope other people might like them; you take pictures for yourself.’’

Those images have won prestigiou­s awards including his ‘‘A Flick of the Tail’’ photo of a giraffe in Masai Mara – chosen as the cover of the 2011 edition of the Wildlife Photograph­er of the Year annual portfolio.

He is sharing his skills with the lens and love of wildlife by leading photo safaris into spectacula­r African nature reserves.

The Maasai Mara Big Cat Safari offers the chance to film lions, leopards and cheetahs at the Kenyan park, as well as zebra, giraffes, antelope, hippos and elephants.

Guests on the Great Migration Safari can capture one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on the planet – the annual mass crossing of the Mara River by herds of wildebeest.

Lloyd has led more than 40 safaris since 2011. The photo expedition­s are typically eight days long, although some guests do back-to-back safaris.

Guests include first-timers to Africa and regular visitors, novice photograph­ers to experience­d.

‘‘What I really get a lot satisfacti­on out of, is when they see something for the first time - it’s so lovely to see. And what I really like is when they get a picture they’re really, really happy with.’’

 ??  ?? A leopard surveys its surroundin­gs, top, while below, elephants encircle a youngster to keep it safe.
A leopard surveys its surroundin­gs, top, while below, elephants encircle a youngster to keep it safe.
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