Meet The Pro: Trai Anfield

Meet The Pro Episode 6 with Trai Anfield. In this episode, Trai shares stories behind some of her most memorable photographs, including captivating images of jaguars, brown bears, and baby gorillas, while also discussing her journey from the BBC to leading ethical photography safaris around the globe.

Here is the link to the images chosen by Trai for the episode:
https://pangolin.smugmug.com/SmugMug-Website/Website-Pages/Trai-Anfield

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Chapters

• 4:32 1st Image: Juliet in Green
• 10:40 2nd Image: Bear in forest
• 18:49 3rd Image: Hope
• 26:57 4th Image: Dreaming of Lion
• 30:22 Inspirational Image: Fade by J Gregory Sherman

Transcript

Toby: Hello and welcome to episode six of the Pangolin Podcast. I am your host, Toby Jermyn. Thank you very much for joining me.

Toby: In each episode, I've invited a professional wildlife photographer to imagine themselves in a remote location, and along with their camera gear, they're allowed to bring five photographs to hang on the wall of their humble dwelling.
Four of these must be their own, and the final image is one they admire by another photographer. Now if you're watching this on YouTube, you can see the images as we talk. But for audio listeners on other platforms, there is a link in the description to a gallery.
On today's show. 
Trai: And he suddenly came down this path. And he just stood with his knuckles on the ground at my eye level and stared at me. . So I'm averting my eyes, trying to make myself small, and as my guide said, I'm trying to make myself not worth [00:01:00] fighting 

Toby: Today's guest is a renowned wildlife photographer, filmmaker, and conservationist who began her career as a countryside ranger. Her career has subsequently led to presenting for the BBC on various programs before founding her media company Enlightened media and leading ethical photography safaris across five continents.
Her work blends a passion for conservation with a distinctive, intimate photographic style, and her approach also inspires photographers of all levels, emphasizing responsible tourism and supporting a range of conservation projects, which I am sure we will discuss. So it gives me great pleasure to welcome today's guest and fellow Brit Trai Anfield.
Welcome the show Trai.
Trai: Thank you so much for inviting me on Toby. Uh, it's great to be here. I've looked forward to it.
Toby: From the BB, C to the Pangolin podcast. Never in your wildest dreams I would've thought,
Trai: I tell you, this is a highlight. It
Toby: oh, that's a great way to start this [00:02:00] conversation, isn't it? So Trai, where do we find you today? Where are you?
Trai: Uh, I'm at home, which doesn't happen very often these days, but it's lovely to be here. I'm on the northeast coast of England, uh, on the Northumberland coast. I can see the North Sea outside my window here. We were watching some dolphins early on. 
So it's one of my favorite places to be and it's where I come and rest up and recuperate in between the trips that take me away.
Toby: and, and how much time do you spend per year traveling then? Is it a majority?
Trai: Actually not as much as I used to. When I was building up the business, I was away for 7, 8, 8 and a half months a year. And, it's quite grueling actually. Uh, it is a dream job, but there are downsides
so what I do now is I split my time between working here for conservation, uh, organizations through the, production company that I have, and following my passion for leading photographic safaris around the world for the rest of the time. So I'm away for around about four, five months of the year this time.
Toby: And, uh, where, where were you [00:03:00] last? Where was your last trip?
Trai: I've just come back, from, first of all, Svalbard up in the Arctic, uh, which was an incredible trip. Always is. And uh, last week I was in Finland 
Toby: how was Svalbard? I mean, there's all sorts of new regulations that have come in as to how close you can get to polar bears. Did you manage to get any decent sightings? How was it?
Trai: Absolutely, probably the best sightings that I've ever had in Svalbard. In spite of the regulations, some would say, but I think because of the regulations, we'll probably keep on being able to have those sightings. So they are really, really important. They didn't get in the way of our sightings at all, and I think that's because we had a really, really good captain.
We had good guides so when we would see a, a, a polar bear, you can see them five or six kilometers away, or they can, they're fantastic spotters. And then what they do is they look at the direction they're going, we sail ahead, we park up in the ice, and we allow those polar bears to approach us.
So [00:04:00] it's a free encounter for them and they are quite inquisitive. So I, I was really happy with the arrangement.
Toby: I, I think they are, by all accounts, they were regulations that were well needed. actually those are the reports I've been getting from everybody else who's been to Svalbard is actually,
it hasn't hindered the experience and it's not just about the polar bears up there either. There's so much more to photograph.
Trai: Absolutely. We had wonderful encounters with walrus, with arctic fox, with various birds, and, you know, it's, it's just teaming with life both above and of course underneath the water as well. 
Image 1
Toby: I haven't been there yet, but it's certainly on my list. But, um, we're not here to talk about polar bears there are no polar bears in your images, but let's start with the first image, which could not be more polar opposite if you, excuse the pun from the locations of Svalbard.
Um, please tell us about the, the image and, and why you chose this particular image.
Trai: Oh, well for, for those of you who are just listening, this is a shot of a big, beautiful [00:05:00] cat. It's a Jaguar, it's set in the Pantanal in Brazil, and this Jaguar is giving me the look that many, many cats all through my life have given me. They just seem to pierce the soul. This particular cat, is called Juliet. And what I love about this is that eye contact, it's just thrilling. And I read , a lovely quote just recently that said, I contact is what makes souls ignite.
Toby: Oh.
Trai: I just couldn't agree more. When, when you get that eye lock with a major predator, it's just like electricity and lightning running through your body and your soul.
It's shocking, it's primal, and it's absolutely unforgettable. So Juliet epitomizes that and actually she is my screensaver, at the moment. And, she pretty much holds me to account as well when I'm tempted to shut down boring admin work and spend a few hours processing photos, instead I go to close down the program and there she [00:06:00] is.
She's staring at me, she's giving me that stern look and I can't dodge her. 
Toby: It is a stern,
stern, judgmental look.
Trai: She's like, Trai, come on now, shirk. So, she is my conscience. And I love the habitat of this shop because she's, exactly where she should be. She's in amongst, Riverside foliage. She's got a lovely vantage point on a log.
She's surveying the river for any unsuspecting Cayman or capari that comes past. So she's in her element really. And, , it's a poignant photograph for me because. Just a week after I took this, the entire area was in flames. It was ravaged by fire. Uh, The fires ran out of control all across the pantanal when we were there.
They're set, of course, by humans. , They're avoidable. But it turned this scene, this lush scene into flames, ashes. It decimated a lot of the wildlife. And of course it displaced these beautiful big [00:07:00] cats from their own territories. You know, paradise turned into hell by these fires.
Toby: Oh, certainly. And, I assume this was, taken from a boat, So to be able to get that sort of angle as well, for her to appear outta the foliage. What a moment.
Trai: Yeah, a real, a real moment and a real challenge of course, because trying to balance your big lens. As usual. Keep that steady. The boat is rocking. Everybody's excited. , We try and keep the numbers in the boats to a minimum so that the, the boat rocking isn't an issue, but you do need to keep a fairly fast, shutter speed just to compensate for that.
So I think the settings were about a thousandth of a second, to get that narrow depth of field. I went for, the minimum aperture at F four. And, I think the ISO was about 500, so not too noisy. I also, I used my absolute favorite lens, which is the 400 millimeter 2.8. It's got. Built-in converter though.
So I, I used that and it went to F four for this shot. And, of course when you're in those low boats, you have that [00:08:00] magical eye level and that was just exacerbated by her just being slightly raised on that log.
Toby: It's interesting what you say about the look as well, because we have people who've been on safari, and the first thing you are told is like, no, no, no, no. The lion doesn't see you. The lion just sees the vehicle and then all of a sudden the lion is staring straight at you with that gate in your case.
That's rubbish. This lion knows exactly who I am or where I am.
Trai: Absolutely. There is nothing like a big cat to make you feel like you are on the menu, really. It's just like,
Toby: Especially if you are on foot as well. I've, I've been on foot a couple of times with big cats nearby, and it's a primal experience and one that you never forget. But how long, when did you start doing your photo safari business? Obviously you've, you come from a media background. You worked for the BBC for 13 years. At what point did you go, okay, this is now going to be a significant part of my life?
Trai: I think while I was at the BBC I was, best known for being in front of the camera, but I was always deadly jealous of the guys with the, you know, the real big cameras and I wanted more and [00:09:00] more to be behind the camera. So I got trained up in filmmaking and there was a point where I just thought, I am enjoying being in front of the camera. Less and less. I'm enjoying being behind the camera more and more. I'm gonna follow my heart. It's, it's a dream.
And I just thought, you know, you talk the talk Anfield, but walk the walk. It's time. Just do it.
So, 15 years on, um, it was 2011 when I registered the company. Here I am still going,
Toby: That's, that's when we started Pangolin as well. There's lots of coincidence. We started, yeah, I met Guts. Oh, there we go. High five, indeed. 
You were a presenter, you presented all sorts of programs. Do you think that helped in the way that you are able to portray yourself with your clients? The ability to infer information and knowledge is you are presenting basically whilst you're on safari.
Trai: I guess. So in a way, um, but when you're presenting factual things, um, it's a little bit different to being entirely yourself. [00:10:00] Um, but, what you see is what you get with me, whether it's on telly or on safari, or in the kitchen here, having a chat, chat or with you. It is a very similar thing and I, I guess that did sta stand me in, in good stead?
Uh, One of the things that you learn. When you're broadcasting is how to, how to story tell. Even with factual, you know, you have to engage people, you have to keep their attention and yeah, those skills, sure. They, they come to bear both in photography and in just giving everybody a really good time and, and teaching and, and everything that goes into a good safari.
Toby: Well, yes, I couldn't agree more. Okay, perfect. Let's move on to your, your second image. Tell us a little bit about this image.
Trai: Well this one is, a great big bear, looking very small actually in an even bigger forest in Finland. It's black and white. It's high key and, it's a big wide shot of the bear in its natural habitat. I chose this one for lots of reasons. I love high key photography. I love [00:11:00] black and white photography. And I also, I love shots of wildlife. In their natural habitat, you know, a really big shot. I think that as photographers, we could perhaps be doing a little bit more to draw attention to habitat loss as well as specific species loss.
And it's so easy for us to do by including and promoting all the various habitats in which these animals live. Be it forests like this one, wetlands, ice fields, or underneath the ocean, because without those habitats, the animals that we photograph can't survive.
And really, I think with the exception perhaps, of poaching, usually it's the habitat that is threatened directly either through. The deepening climate crisis or resource extraction or urban or agricultural expansion, things like that. So, so the loss of the wildlife is a consequence of the loss of the habitat.
So, so for me, let's celebrate, uh, entire ecosystems in our, in our [00:12:00] work. And this particular, shot, it was actually a shot last week in Finland, and I thought, oh, that's pretty good, example of what I want to talk about. You know, it's also so easy, I think, with our big long lenses and the access that we have to be drawn into that trap of, of just going for the big closeup all the time with those long lenses.
And, and also, you know, we're, we're all on social media. So that's the temptation is to, to do that big kind of dramatic shot, but. Sometimes when I look at those, I think, oh, it's a really nice shot, but what, what was it actually like there? Some shots they could, they could even be zoo shots 'cause they're so tight. So yeah, I like, I like a big wide shot that really gives you, uh, an idea of the, of the full experience. , 
Toby: This is Finland, you say. So tell us about,
How you took, is that Now I don't really know. My bears a brown bear.
Trai: Yes, this, uh, European brown bear. And, the forest is very typical of those in Finland.
, But this was taken from a hide, from a low angle, basically lying [00:13:00] on the floor on a little bit of foam, and peering out of a slot. And that's what I like, you know, we talk a lot about getting down to eye level with our subjects, and it, it always works, it always adds a, a fantastic, uh, dimension to, to any shot.
And I, wanted to include this one with the trees because I do have , a very personal, connection , with trees. , I, I literally owe them my life. They saved, they saved my life when I was much younger. It was when I was working as a, a ranger, as you, as you mentioned in your intro.
Uh, I'm afraid that career came to an end when, uh, when I was involved in, in a big car mash, uh, at work. And we're basically, to cut a long story short, it was autumn in the uk. Lots of wet leaves on a muddy track. We're going round a corner, colleague driving a little too fast, hits the brakes. We don't stop and we go over, uh, a sea cliff.
Which fortunately for me, uh, after a couple of rolls, the trees. Our, our [00:14:00] Land Rover wedged in those trees, and they caught us, and they stopped us from, from hurtling to the bottom. So, so I literally owe my life to trees and I have a, a very strong affinity with them and a place in my heart for them.
Toby: What I really love about this image is the way that you position the bear. In the corner, you know, it's interesting 'cause the bear is a dominant feature, but it is also a very small part of the image, there's a bit of tension there, wouldn't you say?
Trai: Yeah, I guess, I guess there is and, and probably some tension in me as well while I was taking it, , I shot this directly into the light, so, I had to really whack up the ISO in order to, get some light on the bear, because otherwise he would just have been a completely dark silhouette But what the light did is fade those trees out to the background, give it a bit of depth. And then with the bear, yeah, I wanted to keep them small because those forests are so big and there are so few bears that they're not the dominant part of those forests at all. And I, I wanted to keep him that [00:15:00] way.
It was a challenging shot. I did try and shoot it. Three or four different ways actually. Going very, very dark, low key, trying to get some rim lighting round him, which kind of worked but didn't quite went for F 22 to try and get a sunburst through those trees. But this is the version that I went with in there.
This is what I liked the best,
Toby: And overexposed. Overexposed a little bit as well. Did you
Trai: very, very, I shoot him fully manual. So I just pushed the ISO, it was shot at one 320th of a second. I slowed the shutter down so that I could keep the ISO as low as possible it's a short lens, so I could use F five as an aperture. And, yeah, that ISO was 2000, so I really pushed it up if that makes sense. 
How long were you in the hide for? Was it one of those long, long days of waiting, waiting, waiting with very little, or did it
E Toby, we in a to in total, not in this particular hide, but in total we spend eight nights in hides in Finland. And [00:16:00] I, I call it my nocturnal, safari because we go in each evening at 4:00 PM we don't come out under any circumstances until around seven the following morning. Uh, these hides are not comfortable.
That one was about a meter wide and maybe two meters long and has a bucket in the corner, um, for
Toby: Yeah.
That's really roughing it. That's suffering for your art, isn't it? Were you with guests at this point?
Is this what you are selling as part of your photo safari experience? Come and sit in a hole with me for eight days.
Trai: I do warn my guests. I do use hides at other place, which, which is state of the art fabulous. That's not the case in Finland. It is what I would call an authentic experience I'm quite keen on an honest, uh, experience in photography and I do think that you can become somewhat removed from nature if you are always, you know, sitting in a plush vehicle or sitting in a very plush hide or, or [00:17:00] whatever.
most times I'm either in hides like this or, lying, filthy in the dirt, smelling of dung, getting stung, picking up ticks.
Toby: Well, thi this is what it is.
Trai: really
Toby: it's the BBC way, isn't it? You have to sit there in a hide in the, in the jungle being bitten by everything for, uh, for a month to get two minutes of footage. There you go. And how many people are in this high? Did this two meter by one meter high? Do you have one each? Are you, is it, is it like, right.
Trai: Yeah.
Yes. Some, some would call it isolation. Some would call it bliss. But, if I have, um, couples who come with me, they, they have a two person hide. And actually as a, as a big treat on our last night, we do all go into a very plush hide, all seven of us.
So my six guests and myself. And we have a, a really nice last night, which kind of sets us up for our long journey home, 
Toby: they're all
sitting there going, why couldn't we have been in this one for the last seven nights? I think. Sorry. Budget, budget restraints. Can't do it. [00:18:00] Sorry. I mean, actually I love hide photography. It, it's quite meditative and you can sit there and enjoy it and you really do start to tune in to what's going on, but there must be days and hours that go by and, and nothing.
Trai: Yeah. Yeah, it can be. That's, that's for sure. But, but like you say, you kind of go into a zone, and you're not just looking for things. You are listening for warning calls that, you know, birds might make, or, or monkeys you are tuned in, I think, to all of your senses.
do fall asleep on occasion. It has to be said, but, most of the time I, I, I really, really enjoy it. It's, uh, its a whole different thing. Yeah.
Toby: Brilliant. Okay. Well, Before we move on to image number three, we are just going to take a quick break and when we return, we are going to move on to Trai Anfield's third image. So we'll see you in a minute.
 
Image 3
Toby: welcome back to part two of the Pangolin Podcast with me, Toby Jermyn and my guest today, Trai Anfield. And we are now up to image number three. So, Trai, will you please [00:19:00] describe this image for us and tell us why you chose it.
Trai: Well, this image, Toby is of a very young baby, mountain gorilla. It's quite a closeup shot. And it's just the cutest thing ever. And it's, my mom's all time favorite of all my shots, so I had to put it in and actually I think I've heard more rs at exhibitions over this shot than any other.
So people do seem to connect to it. 
Toby: Where was.
this one This one taken? 
Trai: It's taken in Rwanda. This one I do visit both Uganda and Rwanda for gorillas, but this one is taken in Rwanda. Her name is, GAA, which in Rwanda means to connect, to unite and to work together.
And I love that name that they gave her because it really, is designed to represent. The hope for and the success of all the three nations that have mountain gorillas left in them. So Rwanda, Uganda, and the [00:20:00] Democratic Republic of Congo. It represents them all coming together to ensure the future of the species, 
so it's a fabulously inspiring name for a little one. And, she's a, member of the Kuda family in the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda, and Kuda means humble one, which, is named for her dad, the silver back of the family, who I'm glad was humble because he came very, very close and checked me out before he let me, sit with his little one here. And, Kahua herself, I do know that she herself is now a mom. This was taken back in
Toby: Oh, cool.
Trai: She has a baby of her own and they're both doing really well, which I've, um, absolutely over the moon about. 
Toby: So this image obviously was taken in Rwanda, there are three different places you can go to, two which are accessible at the moment. So Uganda and Rwanda, we often get asked what's the difference? Do you have a preference as to where you go trekking these days?
Trai: I don't really, um, in terms of the actual encounters [00:21:00] and, the wildlife itself, I, I wouldn't have a preference. Uh, I did start off, uh, solely doing Rwanda. But in recent years, they have actually put their prices up, quite considerably. So these days, in the interest of my guests wallets, I normally go to Uganda, which I find an incredible in terms of trekking, but also in terms of all the other wildlife that you can see on a tour of Uganda.
So as well as gorillas, we see chimpanzees, we see shoebill in the swamps. We, um, we can go and see lions that climb trees. Um, so, and all the savanna animals, so it really is an incredibly diverse, um, country u Uganda and, um, of late, I've tended to do my, most of my treks over that side.
I would say they're possibly a little more arduous on average, but you can get very arduous ones and very easy ones in either Uganda or [00:22:00] Rwanda. 
Toby: So tell us about this shot. So was this one of the more arduous treks? Was it an easier trek?
Trai: This whole trek was probably the most memorable one I've ever done. It was, I would say medium arduous. We've probably trekked for two to three hours, up the mountain. But, the encounter itself, you know, you are only allowed one hour.
It's the most precious hour of, of your life, really. So when you get there, you just forget how tired you are, how hot and sweaty you are, and the adrenaline starts pumping. And when you see your first gorilla, a lot of my clients have, have actually been moved to tears by it. And I have to say, I'm always really, really emotional photographing, uh, gorillas.
But first thing that happened was her dad came. We were all standing by the path We hadn't even reached the main family yet. We were being briefed. 
And he suddenly came down this path. And he just stood with his knuckles on the [00:23:00] ground at my eye level and stared at me. And you're not allowed. It's not very, politic to, look back at a gorilla. So I'm averting my eyes, trying to make myself small, and as my guide said, I'm trying to make myself not worth fighting so that it's always comforting, 
Toby: i've done one Gorilla Trek in, in Rwanda, and I was, I was just sitting there like you, five or six meters away from this ginormous silverback, and I lent over sideways to sort of take a photograph. And he clocked me doing this, came zooming forward and tried to basically backhand me off the, off the, off the mountain.
I just, I
jumped backwards. The guy behind me went with me through the bush and I said, what happened there to the guide? And the guide says he thinks you are a rival male. So that's, uh, I'm not, again, I'm not doing that again, but yeah. I think it's one of the most extraordinary wildlife experiences you can have because in the flesh.
Gorillas are [00:24:00] just, they just, they exude power. It's extraordinary.
Trai: They do. They do. But I also think they exude a, a, an innate gentleness as well. I mean, I know you've already backhanded you, but you know, it's hardly surprising when, when you think of the persecution that they've been through. And I'm truly humbled every time that. They've overcome that you know, They trust us.
 what greater privilege on this earth than, than being a, a tolerated even by these magical creatures? And, and we talked about how arduous it was. Getting this shot was probably the most arduous bit because she is, she was literally this high when she was sitting.
And I shot this with a 70 to 200. And I looked at the focus distance to her eye, and it was just 2.6 meters. So she was incredibly close. I didn't have my widest lens and I was trying to get below her, not just at her eye line, but below her.
So I had my face [00:25:00] scrunched in the leaves. I was screwing my face into the ground trying desperately to get below her and still be able to get my eye to the camera and focus and get all the settings right. 'cause gorillas are really tricky. And I, you know, it was at that moment I think when I knew I'd got that shot that I felt it changed my, my whole ethos to the safari business and, and it became my ethos that it is the experience, not just the shot. That, that matters really. so that's, that's my ethos is the joy, inclusivity, sharing knowledge and friendship and experiencing that and, and getting the access to the wildlife.
It's, it's all part of that 
holistic
package 
Toby: mentioned at the beginning that part of your yearly life is dedicated to conservation and you work very closely with gorilla conservation as well. Do you wanna tell us a little bit about what you are doing with them?
Trai: Yeah. Ever since my very first, um, trek, I've been in touch with, an organization called Gorilla Doctors, and they are a [00:26:00] phenomenal outfit. They're, um, vets basically. , And they take care in the field of every single gorilla
they'll look after them individually, but more than that, they realize that. Everything around the gorillas is a massive threat to their health. So they take a really holistic approach. They look after the people in the area, their health, the people's livestock and also the other wildlife in the area because they know that unless the whole system is healthy, then the gorillas can't stay healthy. So I personally support them whenever I can with donations, with donating pictures and things. I would urge everybody who, visits gorillas or who's just watching this, if, even if you can't get to the gorillas, please do try and support their work. It, it's immense and it's really, really important. 
Toby: that
If you are, um, wanting to help them, it sounds like an amazing organization.
We will leave a link in the description.
Image 4
Toby: Okie dokie. Uh, we are going to move [00:27:00] onto your next image, and we are heading to another part of Africa with this image as well. So Trai, do you wanna tell us a little bit about this image what was your thought process when you decided to take the photograph like this?
Trai: Okay, well first of all, I should say, I don't think that my own safari guests would even recognize me on this podcast if I didn't show some kind of experimental shot. I'm always fiddling around with long exposures, intentional camera movement, panning double exposures, high, low key, you name it. I love it all, and I, I really firmly believe that there's no such thing as bad light.
Uh, there's just some that needs a little bit more imagination and, and maybe some different skill sets. So, having said that, this shot is an experiment. It is of a male lion who's just deed to raise his head from his slumber during the hottest part of the day. He was surrounded by kind of grass and leaves and things like that, so it wasn't a very promising shot, in [00:28:00] itself.
So. This shot is, I, I guess technically it's called something like a pull zoom or, or long exposure pull zoom. And, the thought process behind it was to keep him sharp and the focus of the picture, but to zoom the rest of his surroundings outta focus dynamically and create, an illusion of, almost like God-like rays around him.
I suppose I took some inspiration from, you know, those religious pictures where, where rays come out and it's epic and I, I, I love the idea of, of giving wildlife that sort of iconic treatment. And, it's quite a tricky process.
It took me a few misses to get it, but basically I settled on the settings. Oh, manual, settings one 15th of a second, f 22, because when you've got that long, an exposure in bright daylight, you either have to use a filter or you have to close [00:29:00] the aperture right down.
And of course, the lowest ISOI could muster as well, which was 64. And so that gave me the exposure that I needed. And then it's a case of mustering the technique. So you have to have your, um, subject crash, bang it in the middle of your focus point. So I'll put it in the center. You have to keep it there.
And when you press the shutter, you have to zoom back. Real quick to pull it all out. And the only thing that shouldn't zoom out and be messy is your subject. So, I think most people try it with a tripod. Uh, but I didn't have one to hand. So this is handheld in a safari vehicle. And I, you know, as I say, I love all sorts of experimental stuff. Uh, lots of epic fails though to go along the way,
Toby: Of course, of course. The world is littered. Hard drives are littered with the ones that didn't work. But when they do work like this, they're spectacular. And these are the ones that people should print and put on their wall because it [00:30:00] looks like it's being painted You know, it's not just about a pin sharp leopard in a tree. Those generally are the ones you don't hang on your wall. So yes, this is a lovely shot. Thank you very much for sharing this. Um, okay, Trai, we are gonna take another quick break now, and then when we come back, we are going to look at the image that you've chosen by another photographer who you admire.
Image 5
Toby: Welcome back to the final part of the Pangolin podcast with me, Toby Jermyn and my guest today, Trai Anfield.
And we have reached the stage of the podcast where we have invited Trai to share with us an image taken by another photographer that she really enjoys and perhaps wish she'd taken herself. So, Trai, please tell us about your guest image.
Trai: Well, first of all, wow, Toby. Wow. This is, an underwater, kind of underwater overwater half and half shot. This, it was, taken as Stingray City which is just off Grand Cayman. It has a parade of stingrays coming [00:31:00] through. In perfect calm, perfect clarity, perfect peace underneath the water.
And then the half that's above the surface is chaos. It, it is just wonderful. And the contrast of colors and palettes and, emotions, it just blew me away when I saw it. It came really, really close to winning underwater photographer of the year back in 2023. It did win the wide angle category and it always stayed with me.
And recently it sort of resurfaced in my mind, because I'm starting to do a lot of underwater, photography and filming myself because I'm working for a marine conservation project here in the North Sea. So, I have now an even bigger appreciation for the technical skills involved in underwater filming, which is to get a shot like this and, and also for, for just the immense beauty of the ocean.
It's just stunning. . 
Toby: We should say that. It's taken [00:32:00] by a photographer called Greg Sherman, who is now on my list of people that I'm gonna get onto the podcast because underwater photography is, as far as I'm concerned, near impossible 
So you say it, it was, it didn't win. Why didn't it win a competition? This is, this surely should be right out there. I mean, this is amazing.
Trai: Yeah. I mean, if I'd been judging, I think it would've won. I have a lot of respect, uh, for the shot that did win overall. It was a wonderful shot. But this just spoke to my heart. It won the wide angle category but yes, just think it's so clever turning our perceptions.
On their head. And yeah, it's, it's kind of, uh, the under and over for me. It's resonated with my present journey, uh, trying to master this underwater photography. And as you said, everything's different and you're dealing with all of the underwater breathing. Swimming kit as well as all the camera kit.
It's just phenomenal. I have the utmost respect, and I, I aspire to, to learn more. also where when I was watching, Jake Gregory's, little film about [00:33:00] his shot, it, it is also a massive lesson for me and everybody else.
'cause he actually nearly deleted this shot on the first pass. He didn't like it. And I think it's because he set out to get a very different shot, but the conditions didn't allow for that. and, And four months later he had another look at it and thought, oh yeah, yeah, it's all right.
And then it grew on him. So yeah, don't throw things away. You could be thrown away. Absolute gems.
Toby: , While we're on that note, we should also mention that Trai is also one of the judges in the Pangolin photo challenge this year, as she has done on on several years. We do have a water is element category on that. , If you haven't entered the Pangolin photo challenge yet, please do, because you're also raising money for our conservation efforts as well with Pangolin Africa.
Um, but when you are judging a competition, what is a, what do you look for?
Trai: Well that's a tough, tough question actually, Toby, I think the first thing that I go for is. I haven't seen anything quite like that before. You know, I like novel. I like something that wakes me up inside that really, [00:34:00] really gets me excited. So it could be a new technique, it could be a completely different take on a species that we see every day. It doesn't even have to be, you know, the best technical shot. But I like to feel that there's been a creative explosion in, in the photographer's mind and heart as he or she took the shot. You know? And, and I like to experience just a little tinge of envy along with that as well.
And or, you know, I think, Ooh, I wish I done that. You know, and that really does it for me. 
Toby: Plenty of guests on the podcast so far. We've also talked about the, the capability of cameras these days where it's more difficult to take a bad photograph now 'cause the camera does a lot of the heavy lifting. So to be able to stand out from the crowd is to have to employ better storytelling, better artistic interpretation, pushing the boundaries of what the camera can do.
As technology improves, it's more and more difficult to take a photograph that people go, wow, I haven't seen that [00:35:00] before.
Trai: Yeah, it is. And that's what brings, brings joy. You know? I think a, a good, really good photograph starts in here, not out here. So, yeah. Yeah. Think about it. Have imagination. Yeah. 
Toby: Gonna ask you to let your imagination run wild because, uh, as we wrap up the podcast, we like to ask our guests, at the beginning we asked you to imagine you're living in a humble dwelling and these are the five images that are going to adorn the walls. But where is your humble dwelling? where is that going to be?
Trai: Uh, I, I think for me, I just have to go with, with my heart. Toby. Um, Africa is where I started. Africa, where my photographic heart will probably always be. . Narrowing it down, probably be Kenya
and to narrow it down even further, I, I think. Probably my spiritual home would be Mara North Conservancy. That's where I spent my most formative moments, um, as photography and residence at Alex Walker's [00:36:00] Camps.
And, um, yeah, they just gave me so much freedom to experiment and, the luxury of time that, that is the biggest luxury that a photographer can have. And actually it's where I first met Sabine and Shaw and became aware of Pangolin. So, you know, we wouldn't be having this chat if, if we hadn't met there. So, um, so it's, it's, that's a really nice way to, to tie things up, I think.
Toby: It's a, it's a small world, but a big world. So re before we let you go, where can people find you, follow your work? 
Trai: Probably my website is the, uh, easiest port of call where you can find out about all the safaris. But like everybody, I am on social media these days on, uh, both Instagram and Facebook, I have to say, I'm not a huge social media, uh, person. A lot of people say to me, why aren't, why aren't you posting more?
And I think it's because. Uh, when I was broadcasting, working from the BBCI, when I left, I made a conscious decision to walk away from being a very public person, [00:37:00] being recognized where I went, uh, feeling that kind of intrusion and, and, you know, so I, I've become a little bit more private. But yeah, please follow me and, you know, we'll go on a journey together and I will try and post more, I promise.
Toby: Quality. Quality over quantity. That's what it's all about.
Trai: Thanks, Toby.
Toby: Trai. Um, I want to thank you very much for joining me on the podcast today. It's been lovely chatting. Congratulations on being the first Brit on the, on the show. Nobody can ever take that away from you.
Please go and join Trai when she goes on safari around the world. You will have a fabulous time. I am sure. So, Trai, thank you very much for joining me today.
See

Toby: Thank you for joining me on episode six of the Pangolin podcast. We hope you've enjoyed it. As always, we'd love to hear your comments and feedback, so please leave them in the comments below. And if you don't want to miss the next episode or any of the other wildlife photography videos, please make sure you have subscribed to [00:38:00] the channel.
Finally, don't forget to sign up to the Pangolin Photo Safaris Friday focus newsletter. You can do that by heading over to pangolin photo.com or scan the QR code on your screen now. I look forward to seeing you on the Pangolin photo safari soon, and all that's left for me to say is that the Pangolin podcast was hosted by me, Toby Jermyn, and produced and edited by Bella Falk.
Thank you.