I have always found a calm demeanor to be invaluable when shooting animals. Mostly they get that something special is going on around them and usually will make it happen for you. Occasionally something may not work out but good planning and a capable handler will mean there are options.
Several years ago when I was doing a car shoot for Subaru with a hyena in the back seat, hanging out the window in a ‘Dogs on their way to work” scenario, we got the hyena in the car the day before so that she could acclimatise. I was in the front seat driving and “Trelli” was let into the back just behind my head. Hyenas are quite excitable and this was a sensory overload for her. The next second I heard this gnashing and Kevin the handler saying “Bad girl, bad girl! “ Within seconds she had shredded the seatbelt directly behind me with those super powerful jaws of hers. Apparently there was a smell she didn’t like.
Anyway early the next morning we were up and got our shot, no further incident.
Fast forward about 2 years and I was up in the Waterberg shooting some publicity shots with a TV Presenter for Discovery Channel. He wanted some shots with himself next to hyenas and had arranged for us to go into an enclosure with 3 ‘tame’ ones.
You know when you visit someone and their dog runs up to you and nudges you in the crotch a few times giving you a good sniff, you give it a knee in the chest and thats the end of it.
Well there I was standing in a wide stance completely focussed on framing the presenter with his hyena, trying to crack focus when I felt a presence between my legs. I was instantly transported back to the seat belt incident of a couple years back. Each nudge brought on a small wave of anxiety as I awaited the fate of future generations that may be hingeing on an untoward smell.
As it turns out a building thunderstorm made the hyenas too excitable and unpredictable so we came back the following day when things had calmed. I made sure I had the most hygienic of showers that night.
Stories aside, I am photographing animals more than ever before as marine wildlife and wildlife are important categories within my gallery.