WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER. DESERT DWELLER. CHRONIC WANDERER.
hey there, i'm
Emma
I grew up in a household where photos of lion cubs were just... on the fridge. My parents were both adventurous and deeply into wildlife photography, so it never occurred to me that this wasn't just something everyone did. Turns out that kind of thing sticks with you.
desert dweller
wildlife photographer. desert dweller. chronic wanderer.
I'm based in the Sonoran Desert, which means I have a legitimate excuse to be outside at 5am most days. I also spend a significant portion of the year somewhere in Africa — usually Namibia, usually with too much camera gear and not enough snacks.
how i work
PATIENCE IS
THE WHOLE JOB.
Wildlife photography is mostly waiting. Waiting for the light. Waiting for the animal to move. Waiting for the moment when everything — the behavior, the background, the golden hour glow — lines up into something worth keeping. I've gotten very good at waiting.
"I photograph what I want to
protect."
That's the whole philosophy. If an image can make someone feel the weight and the wonder of a place or a species, it's doing something beyond looking good on a wall. That's what I'm going for every time I'm in the field.
KENYA · BOTSWANA · NAMIBIA · TANZANIA
THERE'S MORE TO THE STORY...
THERE'S A BIT MORE TO THIS THAN
Here's something that doesn't come up in the Instagram bio: I'm an emergency veterinarian. Have been for the better part of a decade. The ER runs on chaos, sleep deprivation, and an unreasonable amount of *Diet Coke* — which, now that I think about it, describes most of my field trips too.
pretty pictures
UNDERSTANDING ANIMAL BEHAVIOR · READING BODY LANGUAGE · KNOWING WHEN TO STAY STILL AND WHEN TO MOVE — THAT KNOWLEDGE LIVES IN BOTH WORLDS.
The two careers have more in common than people expect. Patience, observation, knowing when to act and when to wait — the field and the ER run on the same instincts. The main difference is that in wildlife photography, nobody's looking to me to fix anything. Which is, honestly, a nice change of pace.
a few other things
since you asked...
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favorite cat
one piece status
camera situation
namibia essentials
sleep schedule
opinion on packing light
Anything orange or with spots
Episode 134 (send help)
Sony AND Canon — it's complicated
Willard's Sweet Vinegar chips Dry Lemon · Lunchbar
negotiable, determined by shifts and sunrise
theoretically in favor, practically incapable
a few other things
since you asked...
Anything orange or with spots
Episode 134 (send help)
one piece status
Sony AND Canon — it's complicated
namibia essentials
Willard's Sweet Vinegar chips Dry Lemon, Lunchbar
sleep schedule
negotiable, determined by shifts and sunrise
opinion on packing light
theoretically in favor, practically incapable
camera situation
