The Glen Grant Masterclass Series is a four-part content series where we speak to some of the photographers involved in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition about how they capture the world, the wildlife that they chased for the perfect shot and how their tips and advice can help those starting out on their own photography journey.
Masterclass 1: Wed 28 Jun
Juergen Freund - Capturing Two Worlds
Discover the art of capturing two worlds in a single photograph with underwater photographer Juergen Freund in his masterclass on split-level/over-under photography. As the master of splits, Juergen will teach you the tricks of the trade and share his expertise on how to create stunning images that showcase both the underwater and above-water environments. With his guidance, you'll learn how to properly set up your camera and use different techniques to capture the beauty and contrast of these two worlds. Join Jürgen in this immersive masterclass and take your underwater photography skills to new depths.
Masterclass 2: Wed 12 Jul
Calumn Hockey - Up a gum tree
Calumn is a self-taught photojournalist and videographer who shoots in a documentary style covering matters surrounding environmental and social movements throughout Australia. In this masterclass Calumn will share how his WPY58 photojournalism awarded image - Up A Gum Tree was created and why documentary photography is so important in environmental photography. Calumn tells you the story behind capturing a couple more of his favourite and most powerful landscape photographs along with a Q&A.
Masterclass 3: Wed 26 July
Adam Oswell - Wildlife Photojournalism Inside the Battle to Save Earth’s Wildlife
In a world where nature is monetized, biodiversity is in crisis, with many animal and plant species driven closer to extinction every day. Our stories are crucial – the sum of who we are, and photography is a powerful medium to inform and create change. Humans have become the dominate force on earth fundamentally transforming life across the entire planet. In 2005 the global trade in wildlife was estimated to be worth over $6 billion a year, it is now worth up to $23 billion making it one of the largest illicit businesses after drugs and weapons. The rarer the animal, the higher the price and the bigger the profits for the wildlife cartels that control the smuggling networks. Trafficking routes extend from remote national parks and protected areas, where animals are extracted, to major urban centres where they are sold and consumed.
The scale is shocking but it is the long term impact of this destruction on the health of the planet that is becoming critical and the absolute need for action now urgent. Hundreds of millions of years of evolution means every species plays a vital role in the fragile balance of nature.
Masterclass 4: Wed 9 Aug
Travis De Vries - Colour, Light & working with Atmospheric Conditions
In this Masterclass Travis De Vries talks through his process of finding and preparing a composition and working with colour and light in camera to create his vision. Travis will take attendees through everything from prep work, his kit bag through to composing a shot, long exposure setting and releasing the shutter.
"The rapidly changing atmospheric conditions during sunrise and sunset as well as working with the weather (rather than against it) means preparation is key for achieving the look I want in my work, if I can walk away from a location with one image that I keep forever then I’m happy with what I’ve achieved.”
