MPB Meets: Wildlife Photographer Sasan Amir

With a career photographing animals around the world, wildlife photographer Sasan Amir has had his work featured in publications including National Geographic and BBC Earth. In this interview, Sasan Amir discusses his kit choices, creative workflow and advice for beginners. Read on to learn more. Over to you, Sasan.

MPB: How did you get into photography?

SA: I got my first camera when I was just under ten years old. Despite its low resolution of 0.1 megapixels, I had a lot of fun with it. I received the camera as a gift from my father when I was in primary school and I tried out a lot with the camera—and I still own it. This camera quickly awakened a curiosity in me, and over the years this curiosity became a passion and ultimately also my vocation and life's work.

MPB: Why are you involved in nature and wildlife photography? What interests you about it?

SA: I had always loved being in the forest as a child. Hikes, climbing parks and even mountain biking. The latter has accompanied me for a large part of my life, and so I combined my two passions. In my opinion, many people have almost completely lost touch with our world and its origins, especially with regard to animals. I am also active in various organizations that focus on environmental protection and nature conservation. With the pictures, I would like to re-establish this connection.

MPB: Is there a picture that you are particularly proud of? If so, which one and what makes it special for you?

SA: One of my absolute favorites among the big cats is the caracal, even though it is much smaller compared to leopards, lions or jaguars, it is one of the strongest compared to its mass. I was also very pleased that this series was requested and published by both National Geographic and BBC Earth.

MPB: What camera and equipment do you use? And how important is the equipment to you as a photographer?

SA: I use the Sony A1 and Sony A7 IV. The excellent autofocus of both cameras and the high resolution of the Sony A1 is perfect for wildlife photography. The ability to shoot in 4k at 120 frames per second, and in 8K, is a very powerful tool. The latter 8K, of course, is little used in output by the end-user and I am often asked what I use 8K for in the first place. The high-resolution video gives me many advantages: stabilization in case of camera shake, enormous digital zoom to 4k or full HD, and digital pans can also be created. However, on the downside, the amount of data is enormous and very high-quality lenses are needed because doubling the resolution from 4K to 8K means that the number of pixels is four times as high. So each individual image does not consist of 8 megapixels as with 4k, but of almost 32 megapixels with 8K. That's why I also use the fast 160GB CF Express cards from Sony.  

I mainly use telephoto and super-telephoto lenses. I still use the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G SSM II for the comparative close-up range and the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS. If necessary, I also use a 1.4x teleconverter. This gives me a focal length of 840mm—in the APS-C mode of the Sony A1 (read the Sony A1 review), the image is equivalent to a focal length of 1,260mm. As you can see, equipment plays an important role for me. The weatherproofing of the A1 is also a very important point.

MPB: What gear do you recommend for photographing wildlife?

SA: Of course, there is always the hurdle of getting close enough to the animals. Therefore, as mentioned above, long focal lengths are an enormous advantage. After that, you can also work with APS-C cameras at the beginning, as these take advantage of the crop factor. For example, a Sony ZV-E10 and the Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS. On the APSC sensor, the image section is then equivalent to full-frame 105-525mm. An upgrade would be the Sony A7 IV (read the Sony A7 IV review) in combination with the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS (read the FE 200-600mm review). High-end would be the Sony A1 with the Sony FE 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS or the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS. But the choice of equipment also depends on the motifs to be photographed and the respective surroundings. Therefore, it is impossible to recommend a perfect setup that would suit every situation.

MPB: Is there one animal you will happily photograph again, and why?

SA: Definitely tigers, the first big cat I wanted to photograph was a tiger. I saw one in India in 2015, but I had my Sony A55 with me at the time and only a 50mm f/1.8 and was more focused on portraits. So I would very much like to travel to India again to capture these beautiful big cats.

MPB: How long do you typically wait for your shots?

SA: That's very difficult to put into a frame. Especially when traveling, I always have my camera with me and in nature, it is never switched off. Often it is very spontaneous moments of short duration that arise. In other situations, however, I also observe the animals for a while to find out a pattern. For example, where the kingfisher has its perch, where it sunbathes in the morning, or where it devours its fish. That can take several days when I go home again without any luck. But that's the beauty of wildlife, it's unpredictable.

MPB: What is your work process like? How do you create your works?

SA: It is important to mention that a lot of computing power is needed for a smooth work process. I work on the road with a mobile workstation and use the latest AMD Ryzen 9 processors. At home, my workstation is a wide monitor from ViewSonic (VP3881), designed for photographers and content creators. The PC also runs with an AMD TR. If we take a look at my last one-hundred-day wildlife project in South Africa, for example, I created folders for each week or section of the trip. Each is for image and video material. The former is all imported into Lightroom and sifted through. All the pictures that I don't like, or that can be seen several times in continuous shooting, are then deleted directly. So that in the end, a selection of usable material is directly available. I then go through these and adjust colors, brightness, contrasts, etc, according to my style and crop the image into the desired format.

MPB: Was there ever a moment you thought you were too close to the action?

SA: In 2015, I was looking for a cobra in India and saw one in front of me disappearing into the bushes. I cautiously went after it and noticed at the last moment that it was just setting up in front of me and I was clearly within its range. Due to its incredible camouflage, I had not been able to recognize it until it was far too late, even though it was directly in front of me.

MPB: Do you think wildlife photography has an impact on conservation?

SA: Yes, I am absolutely convinced of that. I know from myself that I tend to protect what I know. And these beautiful animals are becoming less and less important due to the rapid digital change—TikTok videos, virtual reality, etc. Likewise, almost everything revolves around the pandemic and the topic of wildlife is completely lost. Yet it is often these animals that are directly or indirectly driven to the limits of their existence by our actions. That's why I try to focus the viewer's attention on the uniqueness and value of these animals.

MPB: What tips do you give to beginners in nature photography?

SA: Have a lot of patience and practice. In the beginning, a pet in your own garden can be a good exercise to get a feeling for the setup, as well as small birds in the trees and bushes. It is important to get a feel for the setup, especially when working with long focal lengths. When reviewing the results, look for motion blur in the images. If so, hold the camera steadier and increase the shutter speed. It also takes time to get used to the focus in fast movements and to find the right setting on the camera to make it easier to focus. It doesn't have to be a big trip abroad either, the local forests usually offer a variety of beautiful animals to photograph.

Looking for more wildlife content?

This article is part of the MPB Guide to Wildlife Photography and Videography, our comprehensive look at how to create wildlife imagery, with camera recommendations, advice and interviews with experts.