Mart Engelen: When did you start taking pictures?

Griet Van Malderen: I first discovered Africa with my family in 2007, when we travelled to South Africa and visited the Kruger National Park. This is when I fell in love with African wildlife and started developing my interest for wildlife photography. I went from using a very basic compact camera to equipping myself with the highest quality professional cameras I could find. After a serious health problem in 2014, I decided to devote myself completely to wildlife photography. As time went by, I decided that I wanted to do this professionally. And here we are!

ME: How did your fascination with wildlife photography evolve?

GVM: I started off taking photos of all the animals that I could find in the African bush, including the Big Five (lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffalos). At first, I was fascinated by their beauty but, over time, also by their behaviour and personalities. By spending days following and observing these animals, you start to have a deeper understanding of how they live and survive in the wild, and this only increased my curiosity and interest. It also led me to take photos of animals in regions other than Africa, such as polar bears in Churchill, Canada, and whales off the Dominican Republic and Tonga. However, I would say that seeing the gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda was a real turning point for me. I have been following the same family of a dozen gorillas for seven years now, and I never get tired of them. They are truly fascinating creatures that give me the impression that they want to communicate with me, which is why I have dedicated a whole series of photos to them. Today I’m much more organised when I travel somewhere for the purpose of wildlife photography because I usually leave with a goal or photo in mind and this is what drives me. People always wonder why I go back to see the same animals, such as those gorillas, multiple times and I would say that it is because every trip is so different. I never come back with the same photos, and I always end up wanting more! I also had the chance to learn from famous wildlife photographers, Angie and Jonathan Scott (otherwise known as ‘The Big Cat People’). They have taught me a lot, not only from a technical perspective but also to think about the photos as a story and their passion. I am very grateful to them, and they have become dear friends.

ME: It looks like wildlife photography is really back on the map. I see it more and more these days at art fairs and wildlife photographs are sold for substantial amounts in auctions. I remember I saw the amazing photography of Peter Beard in exhibitions during the 1990s but we now also see work by people like Nick Brandt, David Yarrow and others. Why is that, do you think?

GVM: Yes, I completely agree. I think there are several reasons for the popularity of wildlife photography. There is first and foremost the natural beauty of these animals, many of which are real individuals. People have also become conscious that many of these animals are endangered or on the brink of extinction. For example, there are only slightly over 1,000 gorillas in Uganda and Congo. The fact that humans are in large part responsible for this (whether through climate change or hunting, etc.) makes us, I believe, more receptive to wildlife photography.

ME: Personally I don’t have a lot to do with the Photoshopped images by Yarrow and Brandt but I love the authentic approach and endresult of your images on paper. They look far more realistic and remind me much more of the African continent I used to visit a lot in earlier decades. Can you tell me more?

GVM: I love these animals and so it’s important to me that I tell the real story, which means I don’t Photoshop my work. I don’t like to manipulate the animals in the photos nor do I like to have animals pose for me. It obviously makes it more difficult and requires patience and dedication. My photos are maybe less spectacular than those of other artists but I enjoy the challenge! That is why I travel back regularly, to the same places, in order to find those few precious photos that… read more