Do you sometimes stop to browse through a publication on the coffee table  – not wishing to be interrupted and in awe at the brilliant images of nature captured by the photographer? We stopped at the Photo and Film Expo and took the time to introduce ourselves to one such kind photographer Heinrich van den Berg.

This world renowned wildlife and environmental, yet down to earth photographer, kindly accepted our invitation to share his thoughts and experiences with our readers on Phototalk.

How long have you been in the photography industry?

14 years full time.

Is there a specific moment you can recall when you decided “this is what I would like to do professionally?”

I studied Civil Engineering because I didn’t believe that I could ever make a living from wildlife photography. So the desire has always been there. It was just leap into the unknown that was the problem. I was fortunate in that the department I was working for privatized, and I had an opportunity to leave my profession. If it was not for that, I would still have been an Engineer. And a bad one at that.

Photo by Heinrich van den Berg

Can you describe/ provide your favourite photo?

I have not yet taken my favourite photograph. There are a few that are fine, but I still need to get that one image that I believe is really good. Some of the ones I like looking at more that others include a few hippo images, as well as leopard in trees, with tree as the main subject of the photograph.

Photo by Heinrich van den Berg

Is there a specific photo you feel “I wish I had taken that one?”

I see those images more and more, and curse that I did not take them. Some classic ones include the wolf images of Jim Brandenburg, as well as some of the camera trap images by Mike Nichols.

If in an emergency you are able to save only one piece of equipment, what would that be?

My flash card. I don’t mind if they take my camera equipment, because I can then get myself new equipment.

Which photo theme do you prefer capturing? Sport / portfolio/ wedding/ nature etc

Nature and travel.

Photo by Heinrich van den Berg

What would your best piece of advice be to young aspiring photographers?

Follow your heart and don’t worry about the rules. The only way to stand out from the crowd is to break the rules.

Photo by Heinrich van den Berg

Do you have a blog/ website where people can view images captured by you?

www.phototips.co.za, www.heinrichvandenberg.com and www.hphpublishing.co.za

What do you regard as the best magazines to read to sharpen your skills in photography?

Outdoor photographer, Pix and American Photo

What do you regards as the best websites to browse to sharpen your skills in photography?

www.dpreview.com and www.outdoorphoto.com

If money is no issue  – and you can go any place in the world to take as many photos as You wish to – what place would that be?

Galapagos Islands

Photo by Heinrich van den Berg

What is your favourite software for retouching?

Aperture

What times during the day do you think are best to take photos?

Any time of day during a cloudy day. Or just before the sun comes out on a clear day.

If you could buy any camera and lens, which would it be?

Any medium format camera and lens.

Some more photos from Heinrich van den Berg

Photo by Heinrich van den Berg

Photo by Heinrich van den Berg

Photo by Heinrich van den Berg