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My 10 Favorite Wildlife Photographers (today) & Why You Should Add Them to Your List

Trying to narrow down a list of photographers in nature and wildlife to just 10 is a nearly impossible task. For this reason I was careful to include the word "today" in the title of this post, because each and every day I am discovering artists on Instagram, Facebook, and online who inspire me. As cameras and technology have improved, so has access to remote and exotic wildlife destinations. The world is full of talented and passionate photographers producing amazing work every day. Honorable mentions like Nick Rabjohn, Corlette Wessels, Amanda Marais, Zhayynn James, David Plowchalk, the list goes on and on... are all worthy of following. It's my list though, and in the end I had to narrow it down to just 10. This exercise

was both fun and challenging, and the results are...

* note: all images in this feature are the copyright and intellectual property of the photographers they are attributed to

#1 Marlon du Toit

South African Marlon du Toit is one of the most truly inspiring people that I have ever met. My own personal tutor and mentor when I first entered wildlife photography, Marlon lives a principled life of adventure, family, and conservation. He is part the Wild Eye team that operates one of the best instructional photo safari businesses in the world. He grew up in the shadow of Kruger National Park and Africa is in his blood and soul. I've had the pleasure and opportunity to see up close and personal the passion he brings to his craft.

Despite being an absolute rock star and one of the hottest young talents in nature photography, he stays humble and accessible. My favorite part of Marlon's work is the undeniable emotion that he captures in his images. Whether it is a tender moment between a mother and cub, or the savage brutality of a kill, the photography of Marlon du Toit shares the essence of the raw, emotional honesty of wildlife to the eye. His background in guiding gives him an edge on understanding animal behavior, and his instincts for this mean he's always in position when the moment comes.

Follow Marlon

Instagram: @marlondutoit

Twitter: @MarlonDuToit

#2 Ashleigh Scully

According to her website Ashleigh has been involved in wildlife photography for eight years, which is saying something considering that she is only 15 years old right now. The 2017 Nature's Best Youth Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Scully has already compiled a list of national and international honors worthy of recognition as one of the top photographers in the world.

Aside from her awards and acclaim, there are two things about her that I find so very impressive. First of all, she is a conservationist through and through. A staunch advocate for the safety and rights of her subjects, she follows strict ethical guidelines that always put the subject ahead of the shot. Secondly, putting her age aside for moment, her work is simply breathtaking. She has a stunning eye for composition and takes images that tell the stories of the animals. I've been particularly enamored with her incredible images of owls and foxes. She works actively on a variety of conservation initiatives and her bright future will undoubtedly mean a brighter future for wildlife.

Follow Ashleigh

Instagram: @ascullyphoto

Twitter: @AshleighScully

#3 Paul Nicklen

On Paul Nicklen's web site it describes him as a biologist, conservationist, and photographer. The adjective they left out is legend. The Canadian and regular National Geographic contributor offers his incredible talent, unique perspective, and an awe inspiring vision of one of the oft neglected regions of the world, the arctic. Nicklen's face to face encounter with leopard seals in the arctic are some of the most remarkable images and one of the most amazing well-documented wildlife encounters I have ever seen.

He works in some of the most extreme conditions on earth, and produces a stunning portraiture of a vanishing kingdom under the threat of climate change. I think just about anyone who has a passion for wildlife or photography would name Paul Nicklen in their list of the most inspirational people, but while some names on this list I chose because they are somewhat less heralded, no amount of spotlight on Nicklen's work is too much. He is a champion of the ocean, and has co-founded a non-profit called SeaLegacy to keep fresh eyes and much needed attention on our oceans, the lifeblood of the planet.

Follow Paul

Instagram: @paulnicklen & @sea_legacy

Twitter: @PaulNicklen

#4 Suzi Eszterhas

Award-winning wildlife photographer and documentary film maker, Suzi Eszterhas is one of the most published wildlife photographers ever. A past winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Environmental Photographer of the Year, her list of accolades goes on far too long for me to do any justice to in this blog post.

She has also published several books, including one of my own personal favorites; A Future for Cheetahs. She is an inspiring public speaker, a fierce advocate for wildlife and conservation, and also a prominent (and much needed) voice for gender equity in an industry that has traditionally been dominated by men. Like all of the photographers on this list, she has a knack for displaying powerful emotion in her images. Her catalog of newborns and baby animals is second to none. My absolute favorite of all of her galleries is her bat eared foxes, an animal that has a special place in my own heart. Her website states that she is known for establishing a deep connection with her subjects and gaining their trust, and this shows in the incredible vulnerability that shines through in her subjects.

Follow Suzi

Instagram: @suzieszterhas

Twitter: @SuziEszterhas

#5 Andrew Beck

South African Andrew Beck is the second of four members of this list who are part of the Wild Eye photographic safari team. Obviously that company is close to my heart as they have introduced me to so many incredible locations in Africa.

I had the great pleasure of working right alongside Andrew in 2016 during a tour of Kenya that included Amboseli, Nakuru, Naivasha, and the Masai Mara. I could write an entire blog about his skills as a guide and photographic mentor, but in this instance I'll limit my comments to his incredible photography itself. Andrew is a master of atmosphere, and has an innate sense for capturing images of animals in their environment. This makes him an outstanding storyteller, and his images make you feel as if you are there yourself. His composition uses negative space to paint wild places in all the vivid, visceral detail that they deserve. It is also worth noting that he is one of the most creative and best photographers I have ever seen when it comes to working in monochrome. He also has a deep passion for wildlife conservation, and has even been instrumental in putting together conservation-themed safaris in South Africa and Zimbabwe. He is one of my favorite professionals that I've ever met and worked with, but even if I didn't get to know him personally, I would be a great admirer of his work.

Follow Andrew

Instagram: @andrewbecksa

Twitter: @AndrewBeckSA

#6 Melissa Groo

Melissa Groo is the voice in my head when I am out in the field, and I mean that quite literally. She has written or helped to write many of the North American Nature Photographer's Associations guidelines on field ethics in wildlife photography.

Whenever I find myself wondering if I've approached too close, positioned myself wrong, or in any way stressed out my subject I think "what would Melissa have to say about this situation?" She is an Associate Fellow at the International League of Conservation Photographers, an editor for the National Audubon Society, and my very favorite columnist for Outdoor Photographer Magazine. She is as accomplished and as well rounded as anyone on this list, but as is the case with all of the others, she makes my top ten on the strength of her images themselves. She proves that you don't have to push boundaries or make questionable ethical decisions to capture spectacular wildlife images. She has shattered the glass ceilings in nature photography and done so as a champion for wildlife conservation and being a positive force for change in the principles and practice in the field.

Follow Melissa

Instagram: @melissagroo

#7 Gerry van der Walt

One of the co-founders of Wild Eye, Gerry has become an international star in the world of wildlife photography and guided photographic safaris. I had the great pleasure of working with Gerry on my visit to Kenya last year, as he and Andrew Beck were the guides for the expedition.

He is a master technician with a camera and his instructional abilities are superb. No matter what system you are on, Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Sony, Gerry can get you sorted with your gear. His big personality and accessibility come across in his social media presence, conducting regular podcasts and speaking engagements where he interacts willingly and happily with enthusiasts and fans. His photography is ethereal and magnificent. Like Beck, he excels at capturing animals in their environment, transporting viewers to exotic locations from all across the wilds of Africa, to the Great Bear rain forest, all the way to the arctic and the Svalbard Archipelago. Prior to focusing on Wild Eye and the photographic side of the industry, Gerry was a field guide. His time on safari with guests has given him almost unparalleled instincts for animal behavior, and this allows him to be in the right place at the right time. He is an excellent guide, and outstanding teacher, a solid guy, and a world class photographer.

Follow Gerry

Instagram: @gerryvanderwalt

Twitter: @gerryvanderwalt

#8 Penny Robartes

Another photographic safari guide, Penny Robartes guides for Oryx Worldwide Photographic Tours. This is a company that features absolutely legendary photographers like Elliot Neep, Greg du Toit, and Marius Coetzee (all photographers you should also be following by the way!)

Out of this company of heroes I've chosen Penny because not only is she an up and coming talent, but her images stand apart to my eye because of the intense emotional connection she portrays in her work. I've never met Penny, but I can tell she loves what she does, and loves the animals she captures in images, and that may be the ultimate compliment I can give to a photographer. She is an honest documentarian, yet at the same time her composition features an artistic touch that elicits a powerful poignant response when I view her images. Penny is universally adored by the guests who have traveled with her, and that alone would make me want to join her on one of her expeditions, but I would also love to hear her talk through her process. Her ability to freeze magic and capture it for the rest of us warrants her place in my list of favorites.

Follow Penny

Instagram: @pennyrobartes

Twitter: @pennyrobartes

#9 Morkel Erasmus

Joining Marlon, Gerry, Andrew, and Penny in adding a distinctive South African flare to my list, Morkel Erasmus brings a unique perspective. Some of his best work is his landscape photography, you haven't really seen images of the Kalahari or the Namib Desert until you've seen them through Morkel's lens.

Though his landscapes take my breath away, you can't make this list without an incredible wildlife portfolio, and he brings just that to the table. There is one corner of his portfolio which speaks directly to my heart, and that is the work he has done in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe. While the community is now littered with photographers who claim to have rediscovered Africa's "Garden of Eden," it was Marlon du Toit and Morkel Erasmus who generated much of the buzz around this one of a kind destination. Morkel's images along the Zambezi floodplain, with the blue forest as a backdrop, are more like dreamscapes than they are photographs. It is real though, and in 2014 I had a chance to view it for myself, which is why I feel uniquely positioned to suggest nobody captures it in quite the same way that Morkel Erasmus does. He is high on my bucket list of photographers I would like to shoot alongside of someday.

Follow Morkel

Instagram: @morkelerasmus

Twitter: @Lekrom

#10 Jen Guyton

Finally, I round out my Top 10 List with a photographer that I only very recently discovered. Jen Guyton is a conservation biologist and ecologist with Princeton University. She is also a National Geographic Explorer.

Currently based in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, this once war-torn landscape has been reborn and reclaimed by the wild, and Jen is there doing exceptional work to make sure this jewel of Africa stays protected. Again, I could spend an entire blog post writing about her achievements, but it is her images that earned her spot on my favorite's list. She isn't just a scientist with a camera who is in opportune places in opportune times, she is a wonderful photographer who does absolutely beautiful work. The fact that so many of the animals she photographs are critically endangered only adds to the profundity of what she is doing. I also very much enjoy how she lends her spotlight, and her camera, to some of the lesser appreciated species; from reptiles, to birds, to bats, insects, and everything else. I look forward to following her work in both ecology and photography, and fully expect to see her name again and again for future accolades and recognition.

Follow Jen

Instagram: @jenguyton

Twitter: @jen_guyton


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