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Richard Du Toit Photography: The Thrill of the Wilderness
Richard du Toit grew up on a farm in South Africa and from a young age was fascinated with birds and wildlife. He completed a degree in Zoology, but in 1995 his love of photography turned into a full-time career. Over the years, Richard has traveled widely in southern Africa and Kenya to photograph wildlife and landscapes. He has also flown hundreds of hours to photograph animals and scenery from the sky, culminating in his book “Bird’s Eye View”. His images have featured in National Geographic, BBC Wildlife and Nature's Best magazines.
From his career of nearly 30 years, Richard has selected some of his favorite photographs to make as signed limited edition Fine Art Prints, or canvas – available through Sarza. Below, Richard tells us the stories behind some of his iconic images and his favorite moments in the wilderness.
ZEBRAS IN THE BUSHVELD
Zebras are my favorite photographic subjects, and there seems to be an endless variety of photographs one can take of these striking animals. With tails swishing and heads nodding to chase the flies away, these Zebra bunch together on a hot day in the Bushveld.
ELEPHANTS ON THE CHOBE RIVER
While sitting in a small boat on the Chobe River some bull Elephants came striding past, so close I could smell them. This print is made from film and I particularly love the grainy black and white textures of this black and white photograph.
SPRINGBOK ON THE PLAINS OF THE KGALAGADI
The plains of the Kgalagadi are an excellent place to see big cats, and even see them hunting. One afternoon I found a distant Cheetah watching a herd of unaware Springbok resting in the open. Then suddenly the Cheetah ran at them, and in a split second the entire herd exploded into action, running right at me at incredible speed.
OSTRICHES ON THE MAKGADIKGADI PANS
A group of Ostriches scamper along the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana, as seen from a helicopter. It had rained heavily the night before, and the big birds splashed as they ran through the shallows.
ZEBRAS ON THE MAKGADIKGADI PANS
On a summer trip in the Makgadikgadi a powerful afternoon thunderstorm resulted in heavy rain that lasted all night. The next morning we flew low over the pans to discover Zebra had left long trails of footprints in the soft soil. It turned out to be the most amazing and productive days of photography I have ever had.
SAND DUNES OF THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY, KENYA
On a helicopter trip to the northern reaches of the Great Rift Valley we landed on some desolate sand dunes, in a place that felt like the middle of nowhere. It was a hot and windy day, and to my surprise a group of Turkana children appeared, and walked past us in the distance.
WHY WE LOVE RICHARD DU TOIT
We love to think of Richard out there in wild places, sharing his passion for nature and photography with the world through these striking images. He truly is an icon of wildlife photography, with his photographs appearing in the likes of National Geographic. He has also written and photographed five books on African wildlife and one on aerial photography. Owning one of his pieces allows you to experience the thrill of the wilderness through his exquisite eye.
