The Big Cat People Podcast

Welcome back to The Big Cat People Podcast! We’re Jonathan and Angela Scott, award-winning wildlife photographers, authors, and conservationists. Today’s episode continues our guest interview series, “In Conversation with The Big Cat People.” Our guest is Daisy Gilardini, a renowned conservation photographer specializing in the Polar Regions, with a focus on Antarctic wildlife and North American bears. Originally from Switzerland and now based in Vancouver, Daisy’s lifelong passion for nature was ignited on her first journey to Antarctica in 1997. Since then, she has dedicated her career to documenting the beauty and fragility of Earth’s most remote environments.Through powerful imagery and storytelling, Daisy bridges art and advocacy, keeping these distant landscapes at the forefront of global awareness. Her fine art prints are collected internationally, and she is a sought-after mentor and expedition leader. A member of the International League of Conservation Photographers, a Fellow of the Explorers Club, and a member of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Daisy’s work has been featured in National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Canadian Geographic, and more. Her photographs have supported conservation efforts with organizations such as Greenpeace and WWF, and she has served as Photographer-in-Residence for Canadian Geographic since 2018.This episode is part of our ongoing effort to educate, inspire, and deepen the connection between photography and conservation. If you'd like to learn more about us, or to check out our latest collection of educational ebooks, please visit our website: ⁠www.bigcatpeople.com⁠.Connect with Daisy Gilardini:@daisygilardinidaisygilardini.com

Welcome back to The Big Cat People Podcast! We’re Jonathan and Angela Scott, award-winning wildlife photographers, authors, and conservationists. Today’s episode continues our guest interview series, “In Conversation with The Big Cat People.” Our guest is the world-renowned fine art photographer David Yarrow, celebrated for his powerful, cinematic images that capture the essence of storytelling through photography. Born in Glasgow, David’s extraordinary career began with his iconic 1986 World Cup photograph of Diego Maradona and has since taken him across the globe — from working with sports legends and supermodels to documenting wildlife and frontier towns. Represented by over 50 galleries worldwide, David’s work has generated more than $285 million in sales, placing him among the most successful photographers in the world. Philanthropy lies at the heart of his work — with over $25 million raised for charities, focusing on conservation, healthcare, and pediatric cancer care. His most recent book, David Yarrow: The Collection, features a foreword by Robert Redford and serves as a stunning retrospective of his career. In this inspiring conversation, we talk about his creative process, the art of storytelling through imagery, and how he uses his photography to make a difference. This podcast series is a continuing effort to educate and inspire our audience. If you'd like to learn more about us, or to check out our latest collection of educational ebooks, please visit our website: www.bigcatpeople.com.Connect with David Yarrow:⁠@davidyarrowdavidyarrow.photography

Nick Brandt, an English photographer, discusses his journey from music videos to capturing the essence of animals in the vanishing natural world. He founded the Big Life Foundation to combat poaching and address climate change's impact on wildlife. Brandt's projects like 'Inherit the Dust' and 'This Empty World' showcase human development's effects on animals, reflecting on climate change's consequences. His recent work in Fiji addresses climate change without featuring animals.

In this podcast, photographer Shem Compion discusses his journey to becoming a wildlife photographer and his innovative work in building Africa's first underground photography hide. They also delve into the challenges of the industry, the importance of storytelling through photography, monetizing wildlife photography, and balancing passion with family life. The hosts share their experiences with wildlife photography in the Masai Mara and the benefits of using remote cameras and hides.

The podcast features Abraham Joffe, an award-winning photographer, as a guest. They discuss his journey from wedding to cinema photography, the role of a cinematographer in storytelling, and their love for nature and capturing the unknown. They delve into entrepreneurial spirit, plans for their children's careers, and the power of filmmaking to create change. They also emphasize the importance of conservation, reaching audiences in poor countries, and giving back to the community.

Brent Stirton, award-winning senior photographer, discusses his career beginnings and the impact of apartheid. The complexity of trophy hunting and conservation is explored. The power of words and images in photography and writing is discussed. Stirton's experience in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the importance of protecting animals and the power of photography are highlighted. The significance of lens choice in photography is explored. The importance of achieving a balance between man and nature and addressing climate change is emphasized. The emotional impact of breathtaking photographs and the role they play in preserving and supporting subjects are discussed.

Will Burrard-Lucas, talented photographer, shares his journey from childhood fascination to acclaimed wildlife photographer. Talks about innovative camera techniques, long-term projects for creativity, iconic creatures, fine art prints, and conservation efforts. Discusses switching from Canon to Sony and ideal photography kit for safari. Explores the role of social media in photography and balancing work, family, and community.

Welcome to The Big Cat People podcast! We're Jonathan and Angela Scott, award-winning wildlife photographers, authors and conservationists. We have made our name documenting the lives of lions, leopards and cheetahs in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Today's episode is the second in the Sacred Nature Series, and it discusses the topic of 'Becoming Conservationists'. A trip down memory lane with Jonathan and Angie, from growing up immersed in Nature - Angie in Tanzania and Jonathan on a farm in the UK - to their shared love of wildlife, photography and art. They met and married in the Maasai Mara in 1992, kindred spirits, with Angie giving structure and clarity to their path, whether what their next project might be - a CD Rom on an African Safari, revising their Safari Guide Books to East African Animals and Birds, or working on television series - they have never looked back, always on the go, living life to the full, whether at home in Nairobi or photographing a world beyond reality: Antarctica. There were halcyon days on safari filming Big Cat Diary for weeks at a time, with Jonathan as co-presenter and Angie as an ace big cat spotter and production stills photographer. Angie has always loved books and dreamed of one day seeing their work writ large in a portfolio book of their own making. That dream was realised with their two award winning titles of Sacred Nature published by HPH Publishes in South Africa. They in turn led to them founding the non-profit Sacred Nature Initiative based on three pillars: Inspire, Educate, Conserve. This is the fascinating and inspiring story of their journey to Becoming Conservationists.  This podcast series is a continuing effort to educate and inspire our audience. If you'd like to learn more about us, or to check out our latest collection of educational ebooks, please visit our website: www.bigcatpeople.com.

Welcome to The Big Cat People podcast! We're Jonathan and Angela Scott, award-winning wildlife photographers, authors and conservationists. We have made our name documenting the lives of lions, leopards and cheetahs in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Today's episode is the first in the Sacred Nature Series, and it centers around the concept of 'Safari Etiquette'. The advent of wildlife tourism to Parks and Reserves around the world has been a mixed blessing. It helps to generate much needed foreign currency for the local economy. Some of this revenue goes towards managing protected areas and helping local communities living with wildlife to meet their development needs. Getting the right balance between the financial benefits of tourism and the sanctity of the natural environment, and wellbeing of local communities and wildlife, is no easy matter and needs to constantly be monitored. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem in Kenya. The overdevelopment of tourism facilities in and around the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) has resulted in swarms of vehicles crisscrossing the landscape in search of predator sightings, leading to scenes of utter chaos as reported recently in a hard hitting article in the New York Times entitled, The Cheetahs Made a Kill. Then the Safari Trucks Swarmed In (4 January, 2023). How can we help? The Sacred Nature Initiative, founded by Jonathan and Angela in 2021, is currently supporting Narok County Government’s One-Mara Brand initiative. This takes an ecosystem approach in partnership with stakeholders, such as the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancy Association, to help safeguard the welfare of local communities and wellbeing of protected areas, while developing sustainable and attractive tourism products. Embedding a strong culture of good practice - a Safari Etiquette - would help elevate the safari experience we want to offer visitors to new standards of excellence. In doing so it would go a long way to turning the dream of having the Greater Mara Ecosystem declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site into a reality. This accolade has to be earned. In this podcast Jonathan explains the reasoning behind the Safari Etiquette and why it is so important for all stakeholders to come together to help salvage the reputation of the Maasai Mara. This podcast series is a continuing effort to educate and inspire our audience. If you'd like to learn more about us, or to check out our latest collection of educational ebooks, please visit our website: www.bigcatpeople.com.

Welcome to The Big Cat People podcast! We're Jonathan and Angela Scott, award-winning wildlife photographers, authors and conservationists. We have made our name documenting the lives of lions, leopards and cheetahs in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. This episode, titled 'The Truth About Lions', marks the tenth and final episode of our Big Cat Diary Uncut series. Jonathan reflects on the changes in the Marsh Pride and shares insights in a recent documentary. The Lion: The Rise and Fall of the Marsh Pride aired in 2022, highlighting the iconic pride's story through extensive BBC Natural History Unit footage. It addresses the poisoning incident in 2015, the decline of herbivore populations, and challenges like the climate crisis, elephant population, fires, tourism oversupply, and conflicts with pastoralists. The Marsh Pride's territory and uncertain future are discussed, with hope resting on the newly signed Maasai Mara Management Plan for a brighter future. This podcast series is a continuing effort to educate and inspire our audience. If you'd like to learn more about us, or to check out our latest collection of educational ebooks, please visit our website: www.bigcatpeople.com.