NIGEL DENNIS

Photography started as a means of getting reference material for my paintings of nature subjects.

Courage is clearly a readiness to risk self-humiliation.

I would never dream, for example, of going to The States to photograph your wildlife.

I hope to goodness I would not still be working in the corporate world - the money is OK but it is no life at all.

But then one is always excited by descriptions of money changing hands. It's much more fundamental than sex.

So about twenty years ago I gave up on painting - and got into terrible debt after buying a load of camera gear!

For sure, all over Poland, kids had my picture of a lemur on their bedroom wall - but the chances are they may never get to see a real lemur in Madagascar. I thought this was great and it really meant a lot to me.

I concentrate on the southern African subcontinent.

A large wildlife book, start to finish, could take one to two years, but then I would expect to get several good (nature) magazine features off the back of this, plus of course a lot of stock.

For sure, all over Poland, kids had my picture of a lemur on their bedroom wall - but the chances are they may never get to see a real lemur in Madagascar. I thought this was great and it really meant a lot to me.

My first serious project was photographing badgers - very, very difficult as they are shy and nocturnal.

Photography started as a means of getting reference material for my paintings of nature subjects.

All I really wanted to do was wildlife photography.

I also had a tremendous passion for art and read a lot.

Even for an area I know well, I prepare a shooting list of subjects I need.

I concentrate on the southern African subcontinent.

A large wildlife book, start to finish, could take one to two years, but then I would expect to get several good (nature) magazine features off the back of this, plus of course a lot of stock.

I carry a notebook full of sketches of pictures I want to take - they are really scruffy sketches, but at least I am going out there with a clear objective.

The Kalahari is brilliant - and easy to visit.

In The States I would have no edge, no advantage at all.

Big game photography in Africa is mainly done from a vehicle, so then I feel I might as well take the lot.

So about twenty years ago I gave up on painting - and got into terrible debt after buying a load of camera gear!

I would never dream, for example, of going to The States to photograph your wildlife.

For the first few years we lived in a tiny rented cottage at the bottom of a friend's garden. We often joked that there was plenty of film in the fridge, but not too much food!

I think few wives would have encouraged this kind of drastic and reckless career shift!

Currently I am working on another three books, doing a lot of magazine work, am shooting for fifteen stock agencies, plus my own photo library - all this keeps me quite busy!

I hope to goodness I would not still be working in the corporate world - the money is OK but it is no life at all.

I also like flyfishing - maybe I would have figured a way to make a living out of that?

But then one is always excited by descriptions of money changing hands. It's much more fundamental than sex.

Close encounters are bad. Bad for the animal, as it causes stress, and bad for me for exactly the same reason.

Courage is clearly a readiness to risk self-humiliation.

Most acts of assent require far more courage than most acts of protest, since courage is clearly a readiness to risk self-humiliation.