NatGeo Explorer Tessa Barlin, a judge in the iconic publication's #ExploreNaturalAreas 2022 photo competition, shares her insights and passion for wildlife photography.
If there's one place any wildlife photographer would love to be, it's in the bush.
"But it's not always possible," NatGeo Explorer Tessa Barlin tells me.
"So when I do get out there, I'm extremely grateful," she says.
Tessa is an explorer for one of the world's most respected publications in photojournalism and an award-winning environmental documentary filmmaker, photographer and scuba diver.
"Growing up, I had only one goal - to become a wildlife cinematographer like the ones I grew up watching on TV."
Like most talented individuals in a particular craft, her passion developed early during childhood.
Tessa Barlin has honed her award-winning skills through dedication and practice.
Changing the landscape of wildlife filmmaking and photography
"Growing up, my family has always been into wildlife, regularly visiting the Kruger Park and my love for it really just developed from there.
"I became interested in photography as a hobby at the age of 11.
"I picked up my mother's old DSLR camera and started photographing flowers around the garden and practicing."
For her 21st birthday, Tessa received her first camera, she then invested in a 50mm lens, and the rest as they say is history.
While practicing her photography skills involved dipping into portrait and wedding photography, Tessa says she knew she wanted her work to have a deeper purpose.
"I wanted to focus on conservation, and once I made that decision, I deleted my Instagram portraits account and just focused on wildlife."
For Tessa, it's about changing the landscape of wildlife filmmaking to make it more inclusive and accessible.
"Now, I strive to create films that combine science and art to inspire the public to feel connected to the natural world and to want to protect it."
In 2021, she was awarded a storytelling grant from National Geographic Society to produce and direct her latest film, The Star Project, which she adds is just a working title at this point.
It also involves one of her favourite forms of photography, astrophotography.
"The film encapsulates science and traditional knowledge systems to explore our human relationship with the stars. Working with a South African astrophysicist and the San community of the Kalahari, we will set out to depict how we, as humans, understand our place in the cosmos," explains Tessa.
Aside from her primary passion project, there is also the rather significant task of judging the South Africa National Geographic photo competition 2022.
Open to amateur and professional photographers across South Africa, this year's theme centres on the Planet Possible initiative.
"The aim is to inform and inspire consumers to live more lightly on the planet. This competition is an incredible opportunity for people to get their photos onto such a big platform," she adds.
And while practice does make perfect, what travel photography tips does she have for aspiring photographers?
Lens can be expensive but they make a huge impact
Tessa loves her 50mm lens, referring to it as "the nifty-fifty." But her favourite is her Canon 100mm macro lens.
"It's so sharp and allows you to get so close."
"As of this year, I've bought myself a Sony A7 IV, which is nice for video work. On the photography side of things, I still use my Canon 7D Mark II, the one I got when I was 21."
She explains the importance of lenses, acknowledging how expensive this part of the craft can be and how she has had to save up for her tools.
"I have the standard kit lens, which is the 18/135, a sigma 150-500mm. This is my longest one and what I use for wildlife mostly. I also have a wide-angle 10/20mm for landscape and astrophotography."
Storytelling creates a moving photo
For Tessa, it comes back to the art of storytelling as she says a striking photo needs to have one.
"I generally focus on faces and striking details, and what I like to do with my photography is to do portraits, even though they're animals."
"For landscapes, compositions are important too. If you just have a big mountain, that's nice. But you need something to anchor that photo to show scale; otherwise it doesn't mean much. For instance, if you have a person in the same photo, it really shows how extreme that mountain is because the person looks so tiny.
"It's important to find different ways to tell a story with your photo. Try to find an angle that people have never really thought about before. It's great if you can show something we've all seen before but from a completely new angle."
Capture destinations you love
Tessa says she is absolutely in love with desert landscapes. The Karoo and Namibia are among her favourites.
"There's a couple of places I'd still like to go. I'd love to go to Kenya's Masai Mara. A kayaking trip on the Zambezi and Mana Pools in Zimbabwe is also incredible for wildlife."
Cellphone photography is an amazing tool
Tessa says, "If all you have access to is a cellphone, you can do so much with it."
For her, the best feature of an excellent smartphone camera is making the most of close-up shots to improve your depth of field.
"If you want to photograph an insect, for example, you can get quite close to it. And you can make your shot look quite professional."
Tessa shares how she recently got a tattoo of a bee. "I love bees, and not many people have seen a bee up close.
"I was mostly happy with it but felt like the face wasn't very realistic, and all my friends were like, 'What are you talking about?'
"This is when one of them said, 'Tessa, you're the only one who has seen so many actual bees close-up that you can say that."
"I really love showing things we know are there, but we've never seen them up close before."
*To enter the competition upload your original photograph showcasing any recognized protected area or area that deserves protection to Instagram. Check into the area, tag @NatGeo_Africa and use the hashtag #ExploreNaturalAreas. Entries are open until 21 August 2022. The competition has a prize money pool of R100 000. Read the rules here.
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