Mathieu Courdesses

Mathieu Courdesses knew he was going to be a wildlife photographer from a very young age. "I was eight years old when I first travelled to Africa," he says. "My family went on safari in Namibia to see elephants in the wild. The trip had such an impact on me that I promised myself I'd come back to the continent when I was older and find a way to work with nature."

Today, Mathieu's career achievements include being the back-to-back winner of The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation's Environmental Photography Award, and publishing his successful book Green & Wild which is the culmination of 10 years' work in the field. He intends to keep devoting his life to connecting the world to endangered species through photography.

Aged 17, Mathieu told his parents that he was going to become a professional wildlife photographer. They weren't convinced he could make a career out of photography, so encouraged him to enrol at a business school in Paris instead. "My goal never changed," he says. "I had to choose a work placement in my second year, so I chose to go back to Namibia to work in marketing for a tour operator."

While in Namibia, Mathieu used his evenings to study books on native flora and fauna. "I wanted to become a guide," he says.

After a year in the continent, Mathieu became one of the youngest guides in southern Africa. "That gave me the opportunity to get close to nature every day, and I carried my camera with me on every trip," he recalls.

Mathieu's work is characterised by an intimate connection with the natural world. Experience as a guide in southern Africa equipped him with the knowledge to get closer to endangered animals than many other photographers, and he attributes his success to the respect he has for nature. With over 300,000 followers on TikTok, Mathieu understands that building an audience is essential to spreading the message about wildlife conservation, and uses his platforms to create empathy within his global audience.

What do you hope to achieve with your work, and what are your ambitions for the future?

"A personal goal of mine is to capture photographs of all the animals I'm yet to encounter, especially pandas in China and jaguars in Brazil. The goal of my work is to connect humans with animals – to amaze them with their beauty and, in turn, educate them about the threats they face. Social media is a great way for me to spread my message, so developing my channels and growing my follower base is very important to me. My audience inspires me to improve my content, and I enjoy interacting with my followers online. I know I'm doing my job properly when somebody comments, 'Through your content I travel with my mind'."

What are the biggest challenges when shooting in remote locations, or endangered species?

"Jungle conditions don't appeal to everyone – the weather can be very uncomfortable and trekking through dense bush is challenging. Then there are the snakes, spiders and biting insects, which can't be avoided. Aside from the environment, finding endangered animals is very difficult. I know how to track animals and use local knowledge to increase my chances of finding them, but I'm not always successful. I recently travelled to Ecuador to photograph native jaguars and returned without seeing one. When I am lucky enough to find the animals I'm searching for, it's not always possible to get into the right position to take the shots I want to take. I need to prepare for every eventuality, which is why I always bring my Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM for animals that are further away, and my Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM and Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lenses for when I'm able to get a bit closer."

How long does it take to establish a bond with animals?

"Once I make contact, I only give myself an hour to photograph because I don't want to disturb them too much. They're wild animals and need to stay that way. There are certain techniques I've learned for bonding quickly with primates in particular. For example, lowland gorillas in Cameroon have such little contact with humans that they often assume we pose a threat. When I made contact with them, I ate leaves as I approached quietly to show that I was a vegetarian, and not there to hunt them. I also made a deep grumble sound to say hello. I didn't approach fully until I heard a grumble back and therefore knew it was safe for me to stay. Gorillas tend to look away from humans when they're making noise, so after the initial greeting I stayed as quiet as possible to encourage the eye contact that you can see in my photos."

What work are you most proud of, and why?

"In 2021, I put on a very special exhibition called Wild in the City. I printed 30 of my favourite images of primates – including mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in Uganda and Rwanda, lowland gorillas in Cameroon, and orangutans in Sumatra – and displayed them in a tropical greenhouse in Paris. I wanted to share the feelings I had when encountering these animals with the people of Paris who most likely won't be able to get the same opportunity in the wild. By bringing the people close to these incredible animals, I hoped to create a bond and encourage empathy. These apes are very close to us but will soon disappear if we don't act to prevent poaching, deforestation and climate change."

"The more respect I have for the animals I want to photograph, the more respect I'll get back. I research my subjects very thoroughly, and always remember that I'm a guest in the animal's home. For me, respect also continues in the post-production process – I want to share the scene as accurately as I can, and I feel that too much editing can break nature's spirit. If I stick to these rules, I know I'll get the best pictures I possibly can."

Instagram: @mathieucourdesses

TikTok: mathieu.courdesses

Website: www.mathieucourdesses.com