Date of birth: 13th of July 1969

How did you become passionate about nature photography?

The nature part was already in my genes and I started with (nature) photography at the age of 11 during a holiday in Austria. At that age, I found out that looking at my pictures gave me a lot of pleasure and happiness.

What do you take with you on a photo shoot?

It depends on the distance of my trip but next to my camera I always carry a tripod, beanbag, macro lens and a good sense of humor!

What subject do you prefer to photograph and why?

My big passion and love are butterflies in all stages: they tell a story and reflect the beauty and vulnerability of our planet. Next to butterflies I photograph other insects, spiders, amphibians, flowers, toadstools and much more.

What is your favorite nature reserve?

I don’t have one. Mostly I stay close to home as I do not have much time available. As in the Netherlands every square meter has its function and because some nature area’s are very crowded, I try to travel to France once a year to enjoy the rough and neglected nature.

What is your favorite shooting position?

Eye to eye with the subject!

Which nature photographer do you admire?

I don’t have a name. For me, it is not important who made the picture but which message and/or story it brings. I like photographers with enthusiasm who really care about nature and have something to contribute as human being.

What quality must a nature photographer absolutely have?

In the first place love and respect for nature and in the second place patience together with enthusiasm and a certain kind of creativity.

Which light situation do you prefer?

Soft and warm light around sunrise and/or sunset.

Which setting do you prefer: Manual-Aperture Priority-Shutter Priority?

Manual aperture 100%

In percentage terms how much time do you take to create an image and to process the image?

At home I don’t have much time available so the picture must be ‘perfect’ in the field. Sometimes I have a picture in mind and due to the weather circumstances it costs me years to get it and sometimes I have ‘the’ picture within a few seconds. It’s unpredictable, like mother nature!

Which processing program do you use?

RAW-converter from Canon and Adobe Photoshop.

Do you have any advice for future nature photographers?

Always follow your own passion and be critical and strict to yourself!

You can find out more about Silvia Reiche on her websites:  http://www.silviareiche.com/ and http://www.vlinderfotografie.com/

How did you become passionate about nature photography?

People can not live without nature, humans are part of it. We must be aware that we should not waste nature. That is why I take pictures of nature to show how beautiful it is.

What do you take with you on a photo shoot?

It depends on the subject that needs to be photographed. It varies from one camera with a zoom lens of 70-200mm to my entire equipment including a long telelens.

What subject do you prefer to photograph and why?

Nature, but that’s no surprise. It doesn’t matter whether it is in the Netherlands or across the border.

What is your favorite nature reserve?

The Veluwe, cold regions and Africa and South America.

What is your favorite shooting position?

It depends on the subject. Each subject has its own stand point needed. Usually you change position while shooting to experiment and get several pictures. With animals, a shooting position low to the ground is the best.

Which nature photographer do you admire?

Fred Hazelhoff, Erwin Olaf en Frans Lanting

What quality must a nature photographer absolutely have?

Patience and perseverance, and if you want to make your job of it, an entrepreneurial mindset is required.

Which light situation do you prefer?

Evening- or morning light

Which setting do you prefer: Manual-Aperture Priority-Shutter Priority?

Mostly the automatic setting with a preference for aperture around F8 en F11.

In percentage terms how much time do you take to create an image and to process the image?

That depends on the situation and is inexpressible for a nature photographer. That’s very different than when you work in a studio. Most of the time, of course, is in the making of the picture, for one picture you have to wait some days, weeks or even months. The default adjustments are done quickly.

Which processing program do you use?

Adobe Photoshop

Do you have any advice for future nature/wildlife photographers?

Immerse yourself in nature and habits of animals and plants. Try to care for inspiration in your picture, that way it is easier to persevere.

You can find out more about Jan Vermeer on his websites:  http://www.janvermeer.nl/ and https://www.natuurfotomagazine.nl/

Date of birth: 21st of February 1959

How did you become passionate about nature photography?

I feel super at ease and happy when I am working with a camera in nature. I can completely lose myself in creativity.  Besides, I love to inspire people for nature photography, that gives me a lot of energy!

What subject do you prefer to photograph and why?  

I do not have a specific topic, but I particularly like flowers, macro, mushrooms, insects and coastal landscapes.  I try to register as little as possible and I try to look for boundaries in order to make a different picture in a creative / abstract way, though a photograph ‘being different’ is no goal in itself!  I’m not a wildlife or bird photographer, but when the opportunity presents itself, I will not go out of the way either.

What is your favorite nature preserve?

I have several areas where I often like to go and any time of the year there is an area where I prefer to go. In March / September I like to go to the beach and in winter I prefer the areas close to my home (Oude Buisse Heide). In May and August I like to spend time at the Kalmthoutse Heide. In general the areas which I photograph are not more than 15 kilometers away from my home. Besides that I enjoy photographing on the Waddeneilanden, in the Ardennes and Hallerbos.

What is your favorite shooting position?

Usually I prefer a low point of view, but the shooting position mostly depends on the right background.  So I move constantly to see which background best suits my image.

Which nature photographer do you admire?

In the Netherlands, there are a lot of nature photographers whose work really inspires me and whose pictures I admire. Naming a few would do shortage on the others so I prefer not to do that. I especially respect nature photographers who practice their profession with passion and are willing to just share that passion with others. But I also get a lot of inspiration from photos of workshop participants and so I’m learning every day!

What quality must a nature photographer absolutely have?

For me it is important that a nature photographer should be creative and should be able to think ‘out of the box’.  In addition, a considerable amount of perseverance is important, but also the desire to amaze and inspire people.

Which light situation do you prefer?

My preference is for fresh morning light, preferably with morning mist and dew.  For landscape I like to work with sunsets, but also during fog and snow.

Which setting do you prefer: Manual-Aperture Priority-Shutter Priority?

I use the manual exposure mode for landscape and for macro the aperture priority mode because I can very quickly make ‘steps’ with different apertures.

Do you have any advice for future nature/wildlife photographers?

Make sure you know your immediate area very well and walk / bike there often to see what the area looks like during a certain period. That way you are able to be “exactly at the right time in the right place’!

You can find out more about Johan van de Watering on his website:  http://www.johanvandewatering.nl/

Date of birth: 14th of January 1972

How did you become passionate about nature photography?

As a small boy, I grew up in the countryside in the north of the Netherlands. Nature was all around and it was almost impossible for me not to fall in love with it. Furthermore, my grandfather was a big nature enthusiast and he also fueled my passion. Photography only came later.

What do you take with you on a photo shoot?

It depends. As a landscape photographer I love working with wide angle lenses, but what I use entirely depends on the image I’m planning to make. I use lenses from 15 to 400mm and full frame camera bodies.

What subject do you prefer to photograph and why?

I don’t have a particular kind of landscape that springs to mind. I love scouting and finding interesting viewpoints, no matter what they are. Natural landscapes, urban landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes, micro landscapes. As long as I’m visually attracted to a landscape.

What is your favorite nature reserve?

There are many great Dutch national parks I love to visit. If I had to pick one, it would be the Lauwersmeer National Park. It’s where it all started for me and I have many fond memories photographing there.

What is your favorite shooting position?

Anywhere the light is at its best.

Which nature photographer do you admire?

I love Hans Strand’s work but there are many landscape photographers I admire. Joe Cornish, Peter Lik, and David Noton are just a few.

What quality must a nature photographer absolutely have?

You have to have passion. Passion fuels everything.

Which light situation do you prefer?

I love working with high-contrast situations. Everything just seems to have an extra quality to it when light and dark are fighting each other. I also love working in extreme weather conditions.

Which setting do you prefer: Manual-Aperture Priority-Shutter Priority?

Manual.

In percentage terms how much time do you take to create an image and to process the image?

To create a landscape image can take days, weeks or years. Waiting for the right light is what we as landscape photographers do the most. Post processing is only the last 4-5% of the final image.

Which processing program do you use?

I use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop.

Do you have any advice for future nature photographers?

Learn from others, but make your own choices. Be bold, stubborn and don’t follow the crowd. You want to be, where everybody else isn’t!

You can find out more about Bas Meelker on his website: http://www.basmeelker.nl/

Date of birth: 21st of June 1967

How did you become passionate about nature photography?

As an art director in advertising, I worked with many professional photographers throughout my career. They inspired me to try to get more out of my images than just taking snapshots on my holidays. In the beginning I was a photographic omnivore, but mostly doing travel photography. It wasn’t until my first safari in Africa that I realized that I wanted to focus on wildlife. Later on I also started doing more landscape photography as well.

What do you take with you on a photo shoot?

That greatly depends on the location and the conditions. On landscape trips I typically bring three bodies and three lenses – a 14-24, a 24-70 and a 70-200 on a Nikon D4, D800 and D3s. I always bring my tripod and a ballhead wherever I go, as well as a programmable cable release for night photography, flashlights, rain covers and some filters.On wildlife trips it depends on the circumstances and the main subject. On most safaris I use my 200-400 quite a lot because I think it’s the ideal focal range and I like the flexibility of a zoom. I also have a 600 that I use for smaller subjects or when I know the subject is going to be far away from the camera.

What subject do you prefer to photograph and why?

I look at my photographs through the eyes of a graphic designer – I like my pictures to be well organized with powerful shapes and lots of clarity. This is how I pick my landscapes and wildlife. Elephants are great, not only because they’re fascinating to watch, but also because they have such a clearly defined shape and they’re large. With large subjects you can use shorter focal lengths and include more habitat. That’s why I don’t photograph birds much – you need tons of focal length for them and you end up with just the subject against the sky or with only a leaf or a branch.

What is your favorite nature reserve?

I like the Lower Zambezi a lot because of the beautiful habitat, even though it’s a bit harder to photograph animals there.

What is your favorite shooting position?

The one that gives me a unique perspective.

Which nature photographer do you admire?

I get my inspiration from many photographers, but mostly they’re not nature photographers.

What quality must a nature photographer absolutely have?

Love for the subject that they photograph, the ability to predict what’s going to happen before it actually happens, perseverance, tons of patience, and if you want to be successful: to think outside the box, to see past the obvious.

Which light situation do you prefer?

The more dramatic, the better.

Which setting do you prefer: Manual-Aperture Priority-Shutter Priority?

I prefer everything manual.

In percentage terms how much time to you take to create an image and to process the image?

The time I spend to create an image in the field greatly depends on the subject, the location and the weather circumstances. Sometimes you get ‘the shot’ in a few seconds, sometimes it takes me years. Image processing is an ongoing process for me – it never stops. Every time I open an image that I already processed, I change things.

Which processing program do you use?

I use Nikon View NX for editing and selecting, Nikon Capture NX for raw conversions, Photoshop for creating the look I want, and Lightroom for keeping track of my images and for fast processing.

Do you have any advice for future nature/wildlife photographers?

Before you start shooting, check what’s already been shot of your subject. Don’t try to imitate what’s already out there or you’ll never make it. Most natural subjects have already been photographed millions of times before, so ask yourself why anyone should be interested in your version of it. What makes it so different, so special? If you can’t answer that question, it’s not very likely your image is going to shake the world.

You can find out more about Marsel van Oosten on his website: http://www.squiver.com/

Date of birth: 2nd of August 1969

How did you become passionate about nature photography?

In 2003 I took two months off from my work for a trip to Africa: one month in Namibia and one month in Tanzania. Great countries with an abundance of wild nature. It was the first trip that I spent a lot of time on photography and it really opened my eyes. I started seeing things that I had never seen before and became very enthusiastic about nature photography. Back home I joined a nature photography club in Nijmegen and I started learning and improving fast. Since then, photography is a big part of my life. In 2013 I eventually took the plunge into the deep and became a fulltime photographer.

What subject do you prefer to photograph and why?

Nature is always my subject and my source of inspiration, but still there is quite some variation in my themes. I like landscapes a lot, especially intimate landscapes, but photographing birds or insects makes my very happy as well as doing more abstract work.

What is your favorite nature preserve?

In the Netherlands there are a couple of them: Millingerwaard, Deelerwoud and Schiermonnikoog probably occupy the top 3 at the moment. Outside of the Netherlands it must be Vatnajökull national park on Iceland, which is very large and offers endless possibilities.

What is your favorite shooting position?

That depends on the situation.

Which nature photographer do you admire?

I get inspired by pictures of a lot of photographers nowadays, both nature photographers and other photographers, in the Netherlands and in the rest of the world. There are not many photographers that, in my opinion, are able to deliver a constant quality over the years and that keep on surprising and amaze me with their pictures. Hans Strand, Paul Nicklen and Vincent Munier are among the few that do succeed in that.

What quality must a nature photographer absolutely have?

Creativity is very important to me. Too many people are taking the same kind of pictures of the same subjects these days and it takes creativity to find new subjects or new ways to photograph them.

Which light situation do you prefer?

Obviously it is nice to have fog or the beautiful golden light in the early morning or late evening, but I can be happy with any kind of weather. Sometimes an overcast grey day is exactly what you need for a certain picture.

Which setting do you prefer: Manual-Aperture Priority-Shutter Priority?

Aperture priority in 98% of my pictures.

Do you have any advice for future nature/wildlife photographers?

Stay with one subject you love for some time and you will see you will start taking better and different pictures of it after a while.

You can find out more about Theo Bosboom on his website: http://www.theobosboom.nl/

Date of birth: 22nd of June 1967

How did you become passionate about nature photography?

As a child I was fond of pictures of nature and animals and dreamed about standing behind the camera following wildlife. I never dreamed that this could ever become reality.

What subject do you prefer to photograph and why?

Nature in general, animals, landscapes, details

What is your favorite nature preserve?

Areas where I can let off steam and where I hardly encounter any people such as the rugged landscapes of Scandinavia and the Arctic and Antarctic regions, the latter is still a big dream of mine.

What is your favorite shooting position?

My favorite shooting position does not exist. It doesn’t matter if I have to climb a high rock or lay down low on the ground as long as it benefits the image I want to make.

Which nature photographer do you admire?

I have respect for nature photographers, which can live off their photography and I enjoy all those special images of many nature photographers, but I have no names.

What quality must a nature photographer absolutely have?

If you love nature and are passionate about photography, endurance comes naturally.

Which light situation do you prefer?

Ambient light (morning or evening light, fog) and special circumstances such as during or after snowfall.

Which setting do you prefer: Manual-Aperture Priority-Shutter Priority?

It depends on the situation, either aperture priority or manual priority.

Do you have any advice for future nature/wildlife photographers?

Photograph with passion and go “play” with your subject (experiment)

You can find out more about Heike Odermatt on her website: http://www.odermatt.nl/

Date of birth: 1st of July 1968

How did you become passionate about nature photography?

From childhood I was fascinated by nature. Afterwards came the passion for photography.

What subject do you prefer to photograph and why?

I prefer birds and butterflies, maybe because they have the freedom to fly.

What is your favorite nature preserve?

Viroinvallei

What is your favorite shooting position?

At eye level with the subject

Which nature photographer do you admire?

Vincent Munier

What quality must a nature photographer absolutely have?

Creativity

Which light situation do you prefer?

Backlight

Which setting do you prefer: Manual-Aperture Priority-Shutter Priority?

Manual Priority (20%) and Aperture Priority (80%)

Do you have any advice for future nature or wildlife photographers?

Tell a story with your photos

You can find out more about Tom Linster on his website: http://www.tomlinster.be/Fotografie/

Date of birth: 6th of July 1971

How did you become passionate about nature photography?

Photography has always been a part of my life. It’s since I met my boyfriend Edwin Giesbers (in 2002) who is a professional nature photographer that I focused more and more on nature photography.

What subject do you prefer to photograph and why?

My favourite subjects are macro subjects such as flowers, toadstools and insects. With the macrolens I can create my own world. I can create an image that cannot be seen with the ‘naked’ eye and therefore is far away from any ‘truth’. The more the image surprises me the happier I am.

What is your favorite nature preserve?

Until recently my favourite shooting place was ‘the Hatertse Vennen’ in Nijmegen, a fen area close to my home. Sadly enough this place now has become ‘victim’ of large scale tree cutting. So I’m afraid I’ll have to search for another favourite shooting place…

What is your favorite shooting position?

I prefer low to the ground shooting. It’s no good for the body but it gives opening to a more creative image where I can play with unsharp fore and backgrounds.

Which nature photographer do you admire?

So many. If I mention some of them here, I’m afraid I’ll do shortage to some others. Apart from getting inspired by other (nature) photographers, I also like to get inspired by random pictures, no matter from who they are.

What quality must a nature photographer absolutely have?

I guess he or she must have patience and must be self critical.

Which light situation do you prefer?

I prefer two light situations: one when the sunligt is warm and the shadows are cool (mainly in the morning and in the evening) and the other one is sunny light but only assuming I can block the sunlight with an umbrella.

Which setting do you prefer: Manual-Aperture Priority-Shutter Priority?

I prefer aperture priority and when necessary I correct this exposure with min or plus. My aperture is more important to my images than my shutterspeed. Most of the time I use almost open aperture, to create lots of blurry surroudings.

Do you have any advice for future nature or wildlife photographers?

Do your own thing, find a way or subject that satisfies you the most, specialize in it and try to surpise yourself.

You can find out more about Misja Smits on her website: http://www.misjasmits.com/