MPB Meets: Animal Photographer Yana Wernicke

Yana Wernicke's journey into animal photography started from her time at a wildlife sanctuary in Cameroon to Ostkreuzschule, the photography school in Berlin, renowned for its documentary tradition. But Yana Wernicke's approach goes beyond classic documentary photography. Inspired by her love for living creatures, her work uses unusual perspectives to reflect a feeling of closeness between humans and animals.

MPB spoke with Yana Wernicke about her work, camera gear and approach. In this interview, you'll find valuable advice for getting started in animal photography.

Exploring the Relationship between Humans and Animals

Yana Wernicke often creates her photography in sanctuaries, where animals have found a new home after a life in industrial agriculture. Her work draws attention to farm animals, like cows and pigs. “What particularly fascinates me about so-called farm animals is the physicality—their weight and their mass,” explains Yana. “Most people only know these animals in pieces, and I just find their bodies, in real life, simply impressive.”

Another aspect that Yana finds exciting is the close relationship between the animals and the people who care for them. “I love animals, and I often dream of being surrounded by them and feeling their closeness. But since I travel a lot as a photographer, that just isn't realistic for me. That's why I use my photography to briefly immerse myself in realities that I long for.”

Yana's Tips for Getting Started in Animal Photography

If you'd like to try your hand at artistic animal photography, Yana has some advice for you.

1. Find your own perspective on animal photography

Aspiring animal photographers should first follow their instincts and then ask themselves 'why'. Yana says, “From an artistic perspective, it's important to become aware of which aspect of animals interests you the most.”

2. Develop your own visual language

To develop a visual language you can call your own, Yana recommends drawing inspiration from other photographers and creating as much as possible. “The best way to find out which images work, and to develop your own style, is to take lots of photos.”

3. Don't focus too much on camera gear

Photographing domestic animals is a little different to photographing wildlife. And the right camera gear for wildlife photography isn't quite the same for all animals. At the start, it doesn't matter what camera gear you use for domestic animal photography.

“Don't be put off as an aspiring photographer if you think you haven't found the perfect equipment yet. There are some great works that have been created on the cheapest or quirkiest cameras. When photographing animals, and with artistic photography in particular, it's mostly about your own perspective. Just start with what you have, get going and see where the journey takes you.”

4. Respect the animals and their owners

It should go without saying that you should always treat the animals you photograph with respect. And, when working with owners or operators of animal shelters, Yana has additional advice. “These people usually do their work voluntarily and out of passion. So, you should always keep in mind that they have a lot to do and little time. Consider what value you can offer them for allowing you to photograph there. You could give them a few photographs as a gift or for their website.”

Closeness and Intimacy through Black-and-White Photography and Natural Light

Yana's visual language is characterised by closeness and intimacy. To capture her experiences and focus on the essentials, Yana doesn't stage her photos. Instead, she shoots in black and white using natural daylight.

“I chose black-and-white photography because most of my work takes place in the forest or in the fields. These masses of green would otherwise dominate the images. I also find black-and-white beautiful, especially in relation to the interaction between humans and animals, because you can perceive the physicality better and feel somehow closer."

"To make the animal stand out better from the background, I also like to shoot with a slightly wider aperture. And also, this way, the textures of the fur or skin come out better. I always like to work with a slight bokeh.”

Otherwise, Yana's photography depends on the situation at hand. “I hardly edit my photography at all. I take the black-and-white images as they are, and maybe slightly adjust the exposure or contrast. Pictures don't have to be perfect. In fact, any imperfections help the photos appear even more authentic.”

Yana's Recommended Camera Gear for Animal Photography

Since Yana travels a lot for her work with animals, and creates a lot of stills photography and video, she chose a Sony mirrorless camera that shoots quickly and offers good dynamic range for playing with light and shadow. “I used to always work with a Canon SLR film camera. But since I started making videos, I switched to digital. It's also smaller, more manageable and can shoot pretty good video.” These photos were all taken with a Sony A7R II, but she's since switched to the Sony A7R IV. Yana likes to move around a lot on set, to feel close to the animal and capture the right moment. So, she prefers to work with prime lenses, like the Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA Sonnar T* and her current Sony FE 50mm f/2.5 G, which she bought from MPB.

Read more interviews on the MPB content hub.