PhotographerDonal Boydis known for his intimate portraits of wildlife.
These unique images are made possible by his custom-crafted steel camera box.
His desire to have the animals interact with his camera box is born from this interest.
At the same time, his images have a bird’s eye perspective that gives insight into animal behavior.
We had the chance to speak with Boyd about his work and what drew him to wildlife photography.
We also discuss what led him to build the camera box and how it led to his favorite photo.
Read on for My Modern Met’s exclusive interview.
What drew you toward conservation photography?
As a young boy, I would spend hours in the forest behind my family home.
Fixated on small details, I wondered how it all worked together.
This is my mission and my methodology.
What inspired you to make the custom camera and how did you go about creating it?
Generally, viewers can feel the physical distance between them and the subject.
They know it must have been captured with a zoom.
Keeping all this in mind, getting physically close to wildlife of any kind is usually not very safe.
So, so you can overcome the obvious difficulties, I decided to engineer a solution.
Working with my team at Erindi, we created the first version of the camera box back in 2018.
What sort of observations go into the camera placement?
Sentient beings who each have their own personal story and life history.
What’s the biggest challenge of using this camera and the biggest reward?
The biggest challenge is the inherent unpredictability of wildlife.
As much as we think we might somehow understand their intentions or their desires, we dont.
What’s your favorite image taken with the camera and why?
In the photograph, closest to the box is a young elephant, curiously looking into the lens.
Trunk pointed forward, moving around the box cautiously.
you’re free to see the peaceful observation in his stance, but also hesitation.
To the right of the box, looking intently is an older sibling.
More joyful, and appearing more confident.
To the left and right sides, older elephants, already having moved past the box.
Guardians of the toddler.
So the herd surrounds the youngest for protection.
From the safari vehicle where we sat far away in silent observation, it didnt appear this way.
What do you hope that people take away from looking at these portraits?
I hope that people can sympathizerelate in some way to the plight of these animals.
What adventure is next for you?
This weekend Im heading to Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in Iceland to photograph Arctic Foxes.
