Find out what inspired photographer Richard Barrett to write his book Wild World and share his wildlife photography tips

Article on “Wild World – Photographing Iconic Wildlife” for N-Photo magazine

- Could you sum up what the book is about/includes/features?

The book looks takes the reader on a photographic journey to look at nine iconic animals – tiger, elephant, grizzlies, cheetah, orca, chimpanzee, jaguar, humpback whales and polar bear. Illustrated with loads of stunning images, there is lots of useful advice and ideas: What is it like to be there? Organisational tips. Photographic ideas. Detailed camera settings for each image. And at the end of each chapter are detailed recommendations of where to go, when to go and how to plan a trip to see and photograph the particular animal. It is a book that appeals to nature enthusiasts, wildlife photographers and intrepid travellers alike.

- What prompted you to start this particular project?

The photo galleries on my website (www.wildandwonderful.org) generate lots of enquiries: What are the best places to see a particular animal? When is the best time to visit? Where should we stay? I realised that there is a need for this sort of information from a non-commercial independent source, so the book is my attempt to answer those questions.

- Where were you shooting? How did you choose the locations?

The photos were taken all over the world, Africa, North and South America, India and the Arctic. I took loads of advice on where to go – some of it didn’t work out, but much of it did. Having distilled down what worked and what didn’t, I came up with my final selection for the advice in the book. I have visited and photographed at all the detailed recommendations in my book.

- Over what time period were the photographs taken?

The photos have mostly been taken over the last five years or so. Several locations were visited on multiple occasions over that time, in other cases, for example the chimpanzee chapter, one short visit did the trick.

- Did you have particular shots in mind or did the idea develop as you went along?

I had a list of animals in mind, and so planned my travels to photograph them. Locations, chosen as good places to find these creatures, but also with a mind to the backgrounds, such as sunrise/sunsets and interesting settings. Weather plays a role as well – interesting skies, for example, are more likely in the rainy season. After that, with wildlife, you often must go with events as they unfold. But persistence pays off – for example, I spent five consecutive days following the same cheetah before I got the hunting sequence in the book.

- What kit did you use (thinking particularly in terms of Nikon)? And why did you use this kit? How did it help you?

All the images were taken using Nikon cameras and lenses. Most of my work is with telephotos. I used to use the Nikon 200-500mm lens a lot, but then once I got the staggeringly sharp and versatile 180-400mm (with built-in teleconverter) that became my main go to lenses on most of my trips. The lens is an absolute wonder. I often work in low or poor light conditions, so Nikon’s flagship DSLRs with their state-of-the-art high ISO performance have been my main cameras – most of the shots in the book were taken with D4 and D5 cameras, and I now use the D6. These cameras are extremely robust, surviving in difficult conditions such as dusty tracks in Africa, freezing temperatures in the Arctic or salt spray photographing whales from small boats.

- What did you enjoy most about creating the series?

I love being out in the bush, or in a boat, or in a hide – wherever – watching and waiting for wildlife to appear, for the right light and the right situation. Wildlife photography is so spontaneous, you can be trundling along in a safari vehicle with nothing much happening, then you go round a corner and are suddenly launched into an amazing encounter where time is of the essence and knowing your camera gear inside out is essential to enable you to react at lightning speed to events as they occur. Usually there is no second chance. It’s quite an adrenaline-rush and the joy of getting it right, nailing the shot, is what drives me on.

Wild World is published by Merlin Unwin Books and makes an excellent gift for an aspiring photographer, or anyone with a love of wildlife who is looking to take better photos of animals when on holiday.