Steve and Nicole Gettle Wildlife Photographers

Summary

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Wildlife and Adventure Photography Podcast

Episode: Steve and Nicole Gettle – Wildlife Photographers
Host: Graham
Date: January 22, 2026

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Overview

In this episode, Graham sits down with renowned Michigan-based wildlife photographers Steve and Nicole Gettle. The discussion dives deep into their backgrounds, inspirations, favorite encounters, techniques, and their advice for aspiring wildlife photographers. Drawing on decades of field experience and a unique partnership, Steve and Nicole offer practical insights into both the art and logistics of creating memorable wildlife images—and share stories from iconic destinations including Africa and Madagascar.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Backgrounds and Approach

• Steve: Over 40 years as a professional nature photographer. Has worked with agents, owned a gallery, and traveled extensively for fine art shows and photo tours. Focuses on everything from landscapes to high-speed flash and extreme macro. Pauls special value in doing these adventures with Nicole, noting their 300 days/year on the road together.
  [00:47] Steve Gettle: "I've been taking pictures for over 40 years ... It's such a blessing to be able to do this with Nicole because we travel like 300 days a year."

• Nicole: Came from an environmental non-profit background. Developed as a photographer after meeting Steve, valuing his gentle and constructive feedback.
  [01:48] Nicole Gettle: "...my love of nature was always there... I was volunteering with environmental nonprofits ... I definitely credit Steve for my photography improving. He's a great teacher and thankfully he was gentle."

• On Growth: Both Steve and Nicole emphasize the importance of constructive critique for photographic improvement.
  [02:30] Steve Gettle: "You don’t become a better photographer until you get some constructive critique on your work, and that’s how we grow."

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2. Finding Inspiration & Creative Process

• Pre-visualization vs. Reacting:
  Steve distinguishes between reactive (responding to unfolding scenes) and proactive (preconceiving images, especially with controlled setups like high-speed flash) photography.
  [03:32] Steve Gettle: "There's reactive photography and there's proactive photography... So much of what we do is reactive... but as you're working the subject, you can get more proactive."

• Nicole finds joy and challenge in difficult shots:
  [04:29] Nicole Gettle: "Steve looks for things that are hard too...there's always the puzzling of it. That's a challenge and fun."

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3. Most Memorable Wildlife Encounters

• Serengeti Cheetahs (Three Brothers):

  • Private experience witnessing coordinated cheetah hunt—highlighted by having their sons, both budding photographers, along.
    [07:11] Nicole Gettle: "...a trio of cheetahs, three brothers... we saw the entire setup ... it was such an incredible coordination."

• Lion Family in Ndutu:

  • Serendipitous moment: a male lion, eight cubs, and two females; Steve captures a rare shot with 19 eyes looking at the camera.
    [08:50] Steve Gettle: "Eight little cubs came waddling out ... it was like a portrait session. They all sat perfectly. I got a picture with 19 eyes..."

• Madagascar Lemurs:

  • Nicole's "conspiracy of lemurs" encounter, capturing low-angle photos and slow-motion video as a troop engulfs her in their world.
    [11:29] Nicole Gettle: "...I was down on the ground like 90% of the time...they just gulped me. They came right around me."

• Fun Fact:
  [12:05] Nicole Gettle: "I heard later that a group of lemurs is called a conspiracy. And I thought that's kind of funny."

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4. Still vs. Video: Evolving Practices

• Balance:
  • Still photography is still dominant, but Nicole is expanding more into video to suit the demands of social media. Having two photographers allows one to focus on stills and the other on video, maximizing coverage in dynamic situations.
    [12:27] Nicole Gettle: "I think it's still 90% still."
    [13:48] Steve Gettle: "It's easier when there's two of us because as long as one of us gets, we're good."

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5. Advice for Photographers Going on Tours

• Prepare like it's a trip of a lifetime (most won't get many opportunities in places like Africa).

• Gear:

  • Rent lenses if needed for the trip; always have an extra camera body; familiarize yourself thoroughly with your gear before you go.
    [15:24] Nicole Gettle: "Know your gear."

• Practice:

  • Birds in flight are ideal for practicing tracking and panning before a safari or wildlife tour. Even practicing at a local beach or sporting event can build the necessary coordination.
    [16:41] Steve Gettle: "Go to the beach and practice on seagulls... Just practice tracking... I would go to the soccer games and I would track the ball."

• Photo Tours vs. Standard Tours:

  • True photographic tours are designed for photographers, allowing time and space for the perfect shot (e.g., configurations of vehicles, small group sizes).
    [17:41] Steve Gettle: "...the other advice... go on a photo tour... you gotta have vehicles that are set up for photography."

• Research Animal Behavior:

  • Understanding subject behavior allows you to anticipate action and be ready for unique moments (often with the help of experienced local guides).
    [18:47] Steve Gettle: "...be able to predict their behavior and understand what's going to happen and listen to the guides..."

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6. Gear Choices

• Essentials:
  • Africa: Versatile zoom lenses (150–600mm, 200–600mm), mid-range telephotos (70–200mm), and a wide angle.
  • Rainforest, Costa Rica, Amazon: Macro setups for frogs, lizards; long telephotos for birds.
  • Proximity trips (Alaska, pumas in Chile): Shorter lenses may suffice.
  • Always consult the pre-trip booklet for destination-specific advice. [20:26] Steve Gettle: "For Africa, zoom lenses are great now... 150 to 600, 200 to 600... If you're going to Costa Rica or the Amazon... going to want to think about more macro gear." [21:44] Nicole Gettle: "...our Alaska bears trip where you don't have to have a 600. You're actually shooting with something shorter. So it depends on the trip."

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7. Favorite Places

• Nicole: Madagascar for lemurs and the intimate wildlife encounters.
• Steve: Africa is a perennial favorite for its unpredictability and diversity.
  [22:48] Steve Gettle: "Probably for me it's anywhere in Africa... every time you get in the vehicle, you don't know what you're gonna see."

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8. Talks, Teaching, and Community

• Post-COVID, Steve and Nicole developed a series of online talks for camera clubs worldwide (topics include everything from bird and macro photography to autofocus).
  [23:56] Steve Gettle: "We came up with a series of talks... we do them for camera clubs and we do them over Zoom..."

• Ambitions:

  • Continuously add new destinations and workshops (polar bears, pumas, etc.), keep the experience fresh, and perhaps focus on future book projects.
  • Emphasize the thrill of immersing in photography and building friendships with clients.
    [25:30] Steve Gettle: "We're always exploring new destinations... trying to do new places... probably going to travel a little less and maybe start doing some book projects..."

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9. Final Advice and Philosophy

• "Just Start":

  • Don’t wait—get out in the field and begin, even if just with an iPhone. Practice and gradual gear upgrades are part of the process.
  • Be open to feedback; seek environments (workshops, camera clubs) that foster growth.
    [30:12] Steve Gettle: "If you want to get into nature of a diary, absolutely do it. Don't wait, even if it's just with your iPhone..."

  [32:12] Nicole Gettle: "Be open to feedback... let someone look at your pictures... that's a way for them to share their work, but it's also an opportunity for them to get feedback."

• On Gear vs. Vision:

  • The photographer’s eye and mind are the most important tools; gear is secondary but must be skillfully used.
    [34:13] Steve Gettle: "Maybe it was Brian Peterson said the most important thing is actually 8 inches behind the viewfinder. Right. And that's pretty telling."

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• [02:30] Steve Gettle: "You don’t become a better photographer until you get some constructive critique on your work, and that’s how we grow."
• [07:11] Nicole Gettle: “We saw the entire setup of these three brothers with this Thompson gazelle… relay that played out… incredible coordination.”
• [08:50] Steve Gettle: “Eight little cubs came waddling out… they all like—it was like a portrait session… I got a picture with 19 eyes…”
• [11:29] Nicole Gettle: “I was down on the ground like 90% of the time…and they just gulped me.”
• [16:41] Steve Gettle: “Go to the beach and practice on seagulls… I would go to the soccer games and I would track the ball.”
• [34:13] Steve Gettle: “The most important thing is actually 8 inches behind the viewfinder. Right. And that's pretty telling.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:47: Steve & Nicole introduce themselves and their approach to wildlife photography
• 03:32: Discussion: Pre-visualization vs. reactive and proactive shooting
• 06:16 – 08:50: Memorable wildlife encounters (cheetahs in Serengeti, lion family, Madagascar lemurs)
• 12:27 – 14:14: Still photography vs. video and adapting to social media
• 14:58 – 17:35: Advice for first-time wildlife photographers: Preparation, gear, and practicing tracking
• 18:47 – 20:29: The value of understanding animal behavior and working with local guides
• 20:29 – 22:30: Gear recommendations for different destinations
• 23:56 – 27:34: Steve and Nicole's talks, ambitions, and client community
• 30:12 – 34:13: Final advice for getting serious about wildlife photography, value of feedback and camera club community

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Additional Resources

• Steve & Nicole Gettle’s website: [Link provided in podcast description]
• Steve and Nicole’s photo tours & talks: Refer to their website for upcoming trips (spots for 2027; some may be available for 2026) and virtual presentations.
• Graham’s workshops and courses: Upcoming live and recorded sessions are listed on his website.

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This episode is an engaging and comprehensive resource for both aspiring and experienced wildlife photographers, offering practical wisdom, inspiration, and a wealth of stories from the field. Whether you're looking to hone your craft, plan your first safari, or connect with a passionate photographic community, Steve and Nicole's experiences hold valuable lessons for anyone eager to see the wild through a creative lens.

Transcript

[Nicole Gettle]

Foreign.

[Graham]

Welcome to another podcast and I'm here with Steve, Nicole, who are frankly amazing photographers, I have to say, because I've been looking at your work and it is really inspiring. It's a real pleasure to have you here. And what I'm going to do immediately is hand over to you, just two. You introduce yourselves and just share what you do and we'll kind of see where we go from there.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, that sounds good. Yeah. Well, thank, first off, thank you so much for having us, Graham. It's real honor. I've listened to some of your podcasts and have enjoyed your work, so, so thank you for having us both. It's nice for you to have both of us too.

[Graham]

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, for sure.

[Steve Gettle]

So we are Steve and Nicole Gettle. We're from Michigan and professional nature photographers. We've been doing. I've been taking pictures for over 40 years and currently we're making our living as nature photographers doing photo tours. I have an agent who sells things to books and magazines and calendars and I've owned a gallery. I used to travel around the United States doing fine art shows, selling prints, which was a fun way to do it. And we photograph everything in nature. We love doing macro. We do landscapes, birds, mammals, everything. I do a lot of very eclectic, like high speed photography and extreme macro photography and things like that. And it's such a blessing to be able to do this with Nicole and cause we travel like 300 days a year. So being able to do it together, it's pretty important. It'd be hard to leave her at home for 300 days a year. So that's my story and I will let Nicole do her own.

[Nicole Gettle]

Okay, well, so I was not a photographer for as long as Steve, but my love of nature was always there. And so, you know, I was volunteering with environmental nonprofits and doing things like that and always taking pictures. I love to be out in nature and having those connections. And then when I met Steve, I got some feedback on my photography and.

[Graham]

Very helpful.

[Nicole Gettle]

It was very helpful. But I definitely credit Steve for my photography improving. He's a great teacher and thankfully he was gentle.

[Steve Gettle]

She was an excellent student. She was, she was 90%. Otherwise, he just needs a little bit of tweaking, as we all do. I, you know, look, you don't, honestly, you don't become a better photographer and so you start getting some constructive critique on your work and that's, that's how we grow. Right. You know, if you're just showing your pictures to your friends and your family, they're all gonna, they love it no matter what.

[Graham]

Yeah, that's great. I think the other thing I love about it, you're always learning. I've been doing a long time as well, and I'm still learning new things. I don't know if you find that, but in fact, one of the things I wanted to ask you about was where you get your inspiration from, because photographs are amazing and I just, I've been looking at them thinking, wow, that's a good idea. Well, absolutely. No, I'm, I'm looking forward to my next trips because there's, I'd like to approach trip within my back pocket. I've got some ideas. If the situation allows, I'll grab them. So what inspires you guys and how do you approach wildlife photography, nature photography?

[Steve Gettle]

Well, shockingly, it's interesting that you say that you go with ideas in your pocket because I, many of my images are preconceived. Like, I see something and I'm like, boy, if I could take that idea and apply it to this, you know, and, and so you, you go with some ideas in your pocket. And then I do like, for the high speed flash stuff and for a lot of the work that I do, I have some control over things. So I, you know, I pre. Visualize a lot of things and I talk about, you know, there's, there's reactive photography and there's proactive photography. Right. And so much of what we do, like we're wildlife photographers, so so much of what we do is reactive photography. You're just, things are unfolding in front of you and, and you're making. But as, as you're working the subject, you can get more proactive and you can start looking for better backgrounds and moving in closer or backing off and including some of that. So it's, it's really a combination of both, don't you think?

[Nicole Gettle]

Yeah, definitely. I think Steve looks for things that are hard too. So if there's something hard to do, it's going to puzzle it out and figure out some way to capture that picture. And, you know, whether it's a low perspective or it's something really extremely small or, you know, there's, there's always the puzzling of it. That's a challenge and fun.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, thanks. It is, it is fun to have a challenge. Yeah.

[Graham]

Oh, yeah. Well, that, that is part of it is the challenge. And also it's getting for me, one of the big things about nature photography is trying to capture an image or a view of an animal that people have maybe seen lots and lots of times, but you get a shot that gives a different perspective. It gives them something new, which is hard with a lot of.

[Steve Gettle]

So hard. Yeah. And that's the thing. There's so many pictures and so many great photographers out there making so many great images. It's hard to do something different. That's. That's why the high speed flash and that's why the extreme macro, to try to show people different things. And that's just like you say, it's getting harder and harder.

[Graham]

Yeah. So I guess, I mean, there's lots of things I've got here written down. What I'll start with, I think, is maybe what are your favorite stories or encounters? Are there encounters or experiences that really stand out for you as maybe being, I don't know, pivotal or inspiring or something that you look back on and think, wow, that was amazing. I'm so glad I was there. Do you have a tricky one?

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, well, there's so many. It's hard to drill it down to just a couple, you know, like, that's one of the things that's so fun about like, especially like Africa. Every time you get in a safari vehicle, you can go out, you don't know what you're going to see. You don't know what you're going to.

[Nicole Gettle]

I think one thing that jumps out for me is from this last summer when we were in. I think it was either Tanzania or Kenya, maybe it was the Serengeti. But there were a trio of cheetahs, three brothers, and it was only us. There were no other vehicles around. And we saw the entire setup of these three brothers with this Thompson gazelle. And it was like this relay that played out. We watched them, they did the stalking, they set themselves up and then all of a sudden, bam. One went. But he didn't have enough engine to get the gazelle. So as soon as he's losing steam, number two comes up and punches through and grabs the gazelle. And then number three comes in and it was such an incred. Incredible coordination.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah. It was all very orchestrated.

[Nicole Gettle]

It was amazing to. To witness and, you know, to just. To truly just be witness to that wild scene.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, yeah.

[Graham]

And there's an absolutely stunning photograph on your website of a cheetah chasing down a gazelle. Is that from that encounter or was that a different.

[Nicole Gettle]

That was a different one.

[Steve Gettle]

That was probably. Yeah, we've. We've had that experience a few times. Yeah. Thank you.

[Nicole Gettle]

That was probably the one with the mother that came running towards us.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah. Yeah, probably so. Yeah. Yeah, we're lucky. We get to Africa a few times a year, so we've. We've had that experience, but that was really special, especially because we're all alone. And the other thing that was awesome about that encounter was this year we were able. I have two sons that are in their 20s, and they're both budding young photographers, and Nicole and I were able to bring them along, so we got to experience that with our boys, which was, you know, just awesome. Yeah, it was a really, really fun thing to share with them.

[Graham]

Yeah, that's fantastic. And, Steve, what about you? Any. It's a hard question. One or two encounters. You can really stand out for you.

[Steve Gettle]

You know, it's funny, on that same trip again with the boys, we did the best of Tanzania and the best of Kenya with them. And in Tanzania, we were in Ndutu, in the Serengeti, and we. We were. It was our. Was it our last day there? Yeah, it was our last day there. And we're driving through, and Nicole spots a lion, a big male, full mane, sitting wiggly up on the. We're like, oh, let's go do that lion. So he's there photographing this lion, and it's beautiful background, nice light, early morning, and all of a sudden, we hear. And Nicole lights up. She's like, cubs.

[Graham]

Yeah.

[Steve Gettle]

And so we look over and eight. It was eight cubs. Eight little cubs came waddling out. They all paraded right in front of dad. Well, we don't know if it was dad, but it paraded in front of the mail and started playing and all of that stuff. And then the two mothers came. Two of the mothers came. And so we had 10 lions and eight with eight cubs. And they all walked down this. This path, and then they stopped, and they all like. Like, it was like a portrait session. They all sat perfectly. And. And I got a picture with 19 eyes looking toward. You could see 19 eyes, which, you know, whenever you have. If you have more than one animal, getting all the heads right is super hard when you have eight. It's just stupid luck. I mean, it was just dumb luck. But I got one picture, and it. It worked out really nice. It was really. That was a cool thing, too. And again, we got to share that with the boys, which was awesome.

[Graham]

That's fantastic. Yeah. Well, dumb luck definitely plays its part.

[Nicole Gettle]

Yeah.

[Steve Gettle]

No, absolutely. Yeah. That's a spray and pray situation. Yeah. Yeah.

[Graham]

Are there any other encounters that really stand out for you?

[Nicole Gettle]

I think. Well, one of my favorite places is Madagascar. Steve's gonna roll his eyes because I always thought, talk about Madagascar, I don't roll him eyes.

[Steve Gettle]

I love Madagascar. But, but Nicole's got a soft spot for Madagascar. She's lemurs. Lemurs are, are monkeys are pretty cute, but they're not necessarily the nicest animals. But lemurs are like nice monkeys. They are really sweet. And she's got a. So. So. And they're very photogenic too.

[Nicole Gettle]

So. So we've been there a number of times, I think maybe four or five times. And this one place that we go, there are, there are troops of ring tailed lemurs. You know, the ones that you've seen that you know with the tail up and. Yeah, every have little swagger to them and they're so sweet. And so this one morning, well, this, this particular trip, I really wanted to get down low and be in their world. And so I was down on the ground like 90% of the time. And this one morning I see one of the troop come around the bend and he's coming down the trail and then all of a sudden I see the others and so I start shooting. But then I went to video and I got slow motion video of them coming towards us too. And they, it's like a troop of maybe 16 of them or so and they just have this swagger held high.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah.

[Nicole Gettle]

And then they just gulped me. They came right around me. I was switching between photos and videos and snapping away and.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah. And the lodges that we stay in in Madagascar are right in the heart of the preserves and a lot of the animals are super acclimated. So literally these animals, they're walking and you don't know where they're going to go. But they ended up like walking completely all around, completely around her and engulfing her.

[Graham]

That's brilliant.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Graham]

I had a lot of tails.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah. It was like a tree of tail or forest of tails. Yes.

[Nicole Gettle]

I heard later that a group of lemurs is called a conspiracy. And I thought that's kind of funny.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah.

[Nicole Gettle]

Because they look like they're. Yeah.

[Graham]

So that actually wasn't thought there. Do you. How much still photography do you do versus video? And has that really changed for you? Do you find you're doing more or less or what. What would be the mix of still in video?

[Nicole Gettle]

I think it's still 90 still.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah. Nicole does more video than I do. And again I, I think we mentioned before you, you turn on the record that we're going to try to do more social media because we've kind of gotten away from the social media because our schedule's just so crazy. But one of the things, one of the reasons that we got away from social media is because it's so much more driven towards video now than it is towards stills. And if you want to, you know, compete or be seen in that, in that venue, you have to do some video. So we're making a conscious effort to try to do more videos. And thankfully Nicole's.

[Nicole Gettle]

Yeah.

[Steve Gettle]

Because she's good at that. And, and.

[Nicole Gettle]

But it's a hard decision, you know, when stuff is playing out, I'm like, oh, stills or video? Still video.

[Steve Gettle]

So someone told me that the can. We're both Nikon shooters. And someone told me that the can of cameras, you can be in the middle of video and. And pop off a couple still shots and. And do both.

[Graham]

True. Yeah. I, I actually use can. I'm not sure if mine will do that, but I was in Karner a few years ago and there was a lion in a bush and I decided to do video this with the 100 to 400 mil lens on some. I try and hold it really steady and I. If you do something really photogenic, I'm just going to be so angry. Yeah, no, the DNA is stills. I'm trying to do video.

[Nicole Gettle]

Yeah.

[Steve Gettle]

And it's nice that there's two of us because she knows that I'm getting the stills. You know, hopefully. Hopefully she's confident I'm getting to the stills. Maybe she's. And I'm. And I know that she's hopefully doing the radio. So it's. It's easier when there's two of us because as long as one of us gets, we're good. And that's the other beauty of being together is if I miss something, chances are she's going to get it and she gets, you know, so that's a nice thing too.

[Graham]

Yeah, that. Definitely an advantage.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, for sure.

[Graham]

So obviously you guys do tours now. I recommend anybody, certainly, to visit your website and just have a look at the amazing images. But also if you, if you can maybe get in touch with you guys about tools. As you said, you pretty much sold out 4 26. But yes, 27 is. Is coming.

[Nicole Gettle]

Yeah.

[Graham]

But before we kind of get into that, what, what advice do you give people who are planning on going on a trip? And I know for a lot of people, they don't get to see wildlife like in Africa or India or wherever very often, if at all. And it might be that once in a lifetime, what's what's the, what sort of advice do you give people so they've got the best chance of getting the best outcomes?

[Steve Gettle]

Well, yeah, I mean, for most people it is a trip of a lifetime. Very few people get to Africa more than once or, you know, go two or three times is an absolute luxury for most people. So you want to make absolutely the most of it. You want to have, you know, have the right lenses. Feel free to rent lenses if you need to. You know, I mean, it's, it's just, it's going to be a couple weeks. It's a good thing to rent lenses. Make sure you have an extra camera body.

[Nicole Gettle]

Know your gear.

[Steve Gettle]

Know your gear. Yeah. Be familiar with your gear.

[Nicole Gettle]

Yeah.

[Graham]

So just. Sorry to interrupt. Just as a practice thing, what I generally tell people is if you really want to get to gear, try shooting birds in flight because they're quite difficult and if you can get reasonably proficient at that before you leave, you're in

[Nicole Gettle]

my,

[Graham]

the reactive shots we were talking about because, you know, you're gearing, you're not really thinking too much about what you're doing. You're focused.

[Nicole Gettle]

Sure, yeah.

[Graham]

Do you have any tips like that?

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, no. And that's great advice because, because that people are very intimidated by birds and flight and in any kind of action photography. And honestly, that is a learned skill. It's hand eye coordination. It's, it's being able to throw your lens up and find it in the lens, like, you know, with the 600 millimeter or even a 150 to 600 zoom out to 150 and then find it and then zoom into 600. But it's hand eye coordination and you can absolutely learn it. And if it's, if it's more instinctive when that cheat is running, you're going to be able to throw your lens up and get on it. And I tell people to go to the beach and practice on seagulls. You know, you don't have to have, have a card in your camera. You don't have to be taking pictures. Just practice tracking and follow it. I used to, when my kids were little, I would go to the soccer games and I would track the ball. And all the, all the parents thought I was the best parent in the world because I was taking pictures of my kids. I'm like, no, I'm following the ball

[Graham]

around kitchen at ball kids.

[Steve Gettle]

I have great pictures of soccer balls, Graham, I gotta tell you. So. But yeah, that's, that's great advice. And

[Nicole Gettle]

well, like our raptors in Flight shoot. Like, we have a client that has gone on a lot of our raptors in flight workshops, where you're basically tracking a raptor going between two locations. And that gets that muscle memory. And then. So he practiced that. And then he came on one of our Africa trips. He's like, that gave me the skills I needed to track a cheetah, you know, as it was running, so. Because that's a tough, tough thing to do when they're running fast.

[Graham]

Yeah, yeah. They don't hang about. Yeah, yeah.

[Steve Gettle]

So. And then the other advice. Important thing to do is to go on a photo tour. You know, if you're a photographer. We just got back from the Galapagos, and it's so funny because our. We have a small boat that we take. It's. It's just 14 clients and it's strict, strictly photographers. And maybe we have one nature lover, but it's all photography. You know, we're very photography focused on our tours. And we'll get these other. Like, sometimes when you go on an island, there'll be another group there and you'll see it and there'll be like a group, and it's not a photography group. And there's always the last guy coming down the trail trying to get the picture because nobody wants to wait. So, you know, you. You gotta. Like in Africa, you gotta have vehicles that are set up for photography. You don't want to be sharing a seat with somebody, you know, and it's gonna probably cost you a little bit more. But that's the whole purpose of your trip, and it's a good investment in your photography.

[Graham]

Absolutely. And what about researching animals and things like that? Do you suggest people do that before they go away with you, just to learn a little bit more about the animals that they were hoping to see?

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And be being able to predict their behavior and understand what's going to happen and. And listen to the guides. You know, the guides are with these animals all the time. They know. You know, the first time I went to Africa, I had. We have wonderful guides that we've been working with for decades. And one of our gu. We're photographed, these two teachers. And it was my first trip, and I'm like, you know, he. I'm taking pictures, and all of sudden he starts the car. I'm like, what are you doing? He's like, well, they're gonna get up and they're gonna go over here. They're gonna stand on this hill and they're gonna look over there and Then they're gonna go down there and get a drink. I'm like, all right. So he moved the truck and sure enough they went over. They sat on the hill, they looked over there and they went over there and they got a drink and I was able to photograph it all. But, you know, he knows you gotta trust the, the instincts of the people you're with. And they're not always right, but they're going to be right probably more than you are.

[Graham]

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And yeah, I absolutely agree with that because some of these guys are just amazing. They're so knowledgeable and they reach spore as we Africa, which spore is essentially any, any evidence left by an animal. So it could be tracks, could be dung, it could be broken. And it's amazing people who are able to read spore like that and just tell you what's going on and how recent an animal went through and all this kind of.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Graham]

Okay. In terms of gear, what, what are your suggestions on gear for people? You mentioned renting, but what sort of lenses do you recommend for just general wildlife or birds? Anything, you know, what, what would, what, what do you recommend people think about on the gear front?

[Steve Gettle]

You want to take that one?

[Nicole Gettle]

That's all you.

[Steve Gettle]

Okay. It depends on the trip. So if you come on, look at the frequency. Yeah, yeah. Any good photo tour operator is going to send like we send out a 50 page pamphlet with everything from what to wear.

[Nicole Gettle]

Yeah.

[Steve Gettle]

Tipping what gear to bring, the local customs, you know, it's everything you need to know. So depending on the trip. But like for Africa, zoom lenses are great now, you know, these 150 to 600 to 200 to 600, that's going to cover virtually everything. If you have a 200 to 670 to 200 and a wide angle. Yes, you got it. Good. You know, if you, if you're going to, you know, Costa Rica or the Amazon or someplace like that, you, you're going to want to think about more macro gear. Maybe, you know, you're still going to need the longer lens for birds, but you know, we're going to do poison dart frogs and lizards and snakes and all of that fun stuff too. And then of course landscapes and flowers and, and, and all of the beautiful things in the jungle. So. But you know, it's pretty trip specific but it used to be, you know, I came up in the days of film when zoom lenses were, were not so good. Now zoom lenses are, you know, and they're so much more affordable.

[Graham]

Yeah, yeah.

[Steve Gettle]

You know.

[Graham]

Yeah. What about you, Nicole? Any, any suggestions?

[Nicole Gettle]

Well, I was just thinking of some other trips. So then we have these other trips where you're kind of in close proximity to some of the wildlife and like our puma trip down in Chile or our Alaska bears trip where you don't have to have a 600. You know, you're actually shooting with something shorter. So it depends on the trip.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, it's very trip.

[Nicole Gettle]

That's where the pre trip booklet comes in, right?

[Graham]

Yeah.

[Steve Gettle]

So that's the fun stuff, you know, when you get close to it. When you're shooting a puma with a 24 to 70 and getting piney mountains. What is the Andes mountains behind it?

[Nicole Gettle]

Yeah.

[Steve Gettle]

Oh, it's amazing, you know, having those, being able to get those different perspectives in some of these things. It was pretty cool too.

[Graham]

Yeah, no, that's, that's brilliant. What about favorite places? So, Nicole, I think I know yours.

[Steve Gettle]

He was paying attention.

[Nicole Gettle]

I know.

[Graham]

Making notes say.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, I would have to say probably for me it's, it's pretty much anywhere in Africa. I really like Africa. But you know, the, the fun is we get to go everywhere and do every, you know, but every time in Africa you just, every time you get in the vehicle, you don't know what you're going to see. It could be something super epic. And, and there's so many different things, you know, between the, you know, people under. Don't really rate the birds in Africa, but the birds are spectacular in Africa, you know, and, and you know, you want to get those, those big, the big apex predators because that's all fun. But you know, do the gerenac and the wildebeest and there's so many things to photograph. And then, you know, these stories that, that unfold in Africa are pretty, pretty exciting too.

[Graham]

Yeah, that's, that's brilliant. So I guess moving forward, you've got tours coming up this. Well, say this year 26. You also do talk, Steve. Do you still do that? Because on the website you talk about doing, doing talks.

[Steve Gettle]

We do, yeah. So that was one of the things that we did. So Covid, obviously we were in the travel business. Covid was a bummer for us. So when Covet hit, we literally stopped our tour business for two years. And we're like, oh my gosh, what are we going to do? And we thought, you know what, let's do some marketing. So we came up with a series of talks. I think it's like eight or ten talks that we do. They're about an hour Long and we do them for camera clubs and we do them over zoom and usually I'll give the talk and then Nicole fields the questions and interrupts me and we can play off of each other. We have fun doing it. And then, and then we send out a full set of notes. So we do, you know, talks on bird photography, on auto focus setup on macro photography, all kinds of different, different talks. And, and we did, during COVID we did like 200 of those all over the world. It was really kind of fun. But now it's, it's obviously slowed down and we do travel. Right now we travel 300 days a year, 26 to 27. We're going to slow down a little bit. So it's hard for us to get those on the schedule. But we still do it for sure. And we don't charge anything. We just ask you to get us a big audience and, and we'll do that for anybody. Yeah, and we love doing that.

[Nicole Gettle]

A lot of fun.

[Graham]

Yeah, yeah. No, Brilliant, brilliant. So what are your ambitions moving forward? Where do you want to take what you're doing? If you, that's another so thinking.

[Steve Gettle]

I, I, well, yeah, you know, we're always exploring new destinations. Right now we're doing I think about 40 different trips to 35 different countries. We just did a magazine article. That's why I have those numbers on the tip of my tongue. So, so, but we're always exploring new, trying to do new places. Like we just, we're just doing a trip to do polar bears. We've just come up with a trip to do bears in Alaska fishing. And we're going to India to do the little palaces cat. So we're trying to do some because we got to keep it fresh for too and we got to find new trips for our, for our clients to go on. So we're always looking for new and exciting places. I think, you know, we're probably going to travel a little less and maybe start doing some book projects. You know, I'd like to do some, some large format coffee table books and maybe some, some instructional books and, and go in that direction for a while too. But I think we'll always travel and we'll always get clients because we just, we really enjoy. It's so much fun. And like you say, you learn so much, you know, you, we see, you know, a couple clients a year and we learn something from every one of them and they become friends. Like this last trip to Galapagos was just amazing because it was all people that had traveled with Us two or three times before because we hadn't done the Galapagos in a few years. So all of our longtime clients are like, oh, I want to grow the Galapagos. And they all signed up, and it was just. We had such a good time. And it's the camaraderie and it's people, it's. Photographers don't often get to completely immerse themselves in their. In their craft and their art. Right. And when you're on a photo tour and hopefully your tour leader is taking care of all of those logistics, and you can just worry about the photography and just enjoy the photography, and they're getting you in the right places, and that's such a treat. And it's so fun to share that with people and give them that experience. It's really rewarding.

[Graham]

Yeah, yeah, no, that's. That's fantastic. And, Nicole, anything that you want to

[Nicole Gettle]

add to that, you've hit it pretty well. I mean, we just. We definitely have a few places on the list that, you know, there are some experiences we still want to have and explore. And like, for me, I love those wild connections. So I love going to places where you can really be in the wildlife, you know, experience of it all. And so there. There are some things. And I enjoy the research. Like, part of it, for me is the research of, oh, where can we go and see this? And, you know, what's. What lodge can get us closest? One of the things I love is when you can wake up in the morning and the wildlife is right there.

[Graham]

So hopefully in your room. But.

[Steve Gettle]

Yes. Yeah, yeah.

[Nicole Gettle]

Where was it? Zimbabwe. We were in these tents and you could see the shadows of elephants walking by us. There's an elephant.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah. And she does. She's really good at doing the research, and she enjoys that. For me, that would be so tedious. It just. It's not enjoyable for me, but she loves it. And I. I have no idea where we're going. I. I will. I will go out to our package box and there'll be a box from Amazon, and I'll walk down and I'll open it up and they'll be the birds of Sri Lanka. And I'm like, hey, are we going to Sri Lanka? She's like, I'm thinking about it.

[Nicole Gettle]

Gotta learn the speakers.

[Graham]

That's brilliant, though. It sounds like you have a really great partnership going on there, both with, you know, planning and all of that, and also when it comes down to photography, too, with speaking about stills and video and all of that. It sounds like you both really connect well when you're on the trips and work well with other people too. So there's. That sounds like there's a real feeling of camaraderie and community with people that you take out.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, yeah, we enjoy it. Yeah, we're super lucky. Like, if you'd have told me 15 years ago that there'd be someone that I would spend 365 days a year, 24 7, in intense situations with, and I didn't want to kill her, sometimes I would say, yeah, like, it's amazing that we can do this and not kill each other, but we truly enjoy it and enjoy each other. Other. So it's. It's a blessing.

[Graham]

Yeah, that's fantastic. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about? Anything else you'd like to either share or maybe tips for anybody who either wants to go on a trip or wants to get into wildlife photography in a more serious way? Do you have any, any anything you'd like to. To add before we wind things up?

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, I mean, if you want to get into nature of a diary, absolutely. Do it. Don't wait, you know, even if it's just with your eye. Like, we have people that come on our trips that are just iPhone photographers or they've just started. You know, if you're going on a photo tour, we want you to understand the basic settings of your camera, if you want, you know, because they're, they're. There's instruction involved, obviously, for sure, but it's not really a workshop, so we want to make sure everybody's in the right place. And then we also do workshops too, but, but get started. Don't wait. You know, even if it's just, you know, we all start. That's how we all start. We all start taking snapshots, right? We have a point and shoot camera or an iPhone, and we start framing up pretty parts of the world and pushing the button and taking a picture. And then we're like, boy, you know, I'd like to get closer. How can I get closer? I need to get a telephoto lens. I'd like to, you know, freeze this. Action. I'd like to get more depth of field and we want to have more control over our pictures. And then we start getting into cameras, but it's so much more accessible now. You know, back in the days when I used to. I started off in film and I would, I would take a picture, I'd have a notepad, I would write down what I did. And then two weeks Later I'd. And I'd be like, oh, that didn't work because I did this, you know, and that's how you learn, how you push the button and, you know, so that's. That's amazing. It's so much more accessible now. And, yeah, photo tours are just. They're a great way to. To enjoy what you're doing and to really totally immerse yourself. And we just. Yeah. So as far as our tours, our 26th is pretty much full. Although didn't we just have. We have one person that had to unfortunately cancel on Kenya in July.

[Nicole Gettle]

Yeah.

[Steve Gettle]

So we have a spot in Kenya in July, and then we just opened up our 27 schedule. So that's all. And that's on our website.

[Nicole Gettle]

Yeah.

[Steve Gettle]

So we'd love to have you join us.

[Graham]

Yeah, fantastic. Well, that'll be on the website. Nicole, did you want to add anything? Anything you'd like to.

[Nicole Gettle]

I think, kind of circling back to where we started, be open to feedback, you know, for, you know, let someone look at your pictures and, you know, tell you what. What they see and that kind of thing. One of the things that we do with clients, too, is we have them submit images to our client galleries.

[Graham]

Okay.

[Nicole Gettle]

And. Excuse me, that's a way for them to share their work, but it's also an opportunity for them to get feedback, too, if. If they want it. You know, we don't give it just because it's there, but if someone wants feedback.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah. So we'll give people a thoughtful critique and a constructive critique. Yeah. And, you know, another bit of advice, if you're getting into photography. Join a camera club.

[Nicole Gettle]

Yeah.

[Steve Gettle]

You know, get involved in a camera club. Get involved with other photographers. And, you know, because that's. Those are such great places to learn and get that feedback and learn about places to shoot and find friends to shoot with and find out about gear and find out about computer programs and all of that stuff, too. I mean, it's such a wonderful resource. Yeah.

[Graham]

And I think the point I'd like to pick up there, that you made, Steve, about shooting and starting to recognize that maybe you want a longer lens or whatever it is. There's a lot of people I've come across, certainly share of people who think that all you do is buy a more expensive camera and it all suddenly happens and it's. And one of the things that really irritates me is I don't know about you. If someone really loves one of my pictures and says, oh, you must have a great camera, I said, but it's kind of like going to Shakespeare and saying, I love your play. You must have a brilliant quill.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah.

[Graham]

You need to learn your craft and then you understand which tools are going to work best for you. But that comes through experience and shooting.

[Steve Gettle]

That's an absolute important point. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. And gear is, is important, but it's not the only thing. It's. I, I think. I don't know who it was.

[Graham]

I.

[Steve Gettle]

Maybe it was Brian Peterson said the most important thing is actually 8 inches behind the viewfinder. Right. And that's. That's pretty telling.

[Nicole Gettle]

Yeah.

[Graham]

Yeah. If that's empty, you're in real trouble.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah.

[Graham]

All right, well, I've really enjoyed talking to you and I appreciate you spending the time as well with your schedule and I hope everybody listening in has enjoyed the conversation. And there is a link to your website in the description to the podcast. And I do encourage everyone to jump on and have a look because there are some absolutely stunning images there. And if you're looking for inspiration, that is a brilliant place to go. So thanks again, Steve and Nicole. Happy New Year.

[Steve Gettle]

Yeah, Happy New Year to you as well. Yeah. And thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our story with the audience. We really do appreciate it.

[Graham]

It's been an absolute pleasure. All right, bye for now.

[Steve Gettle]

Cheers.

[Graham (Podcast Host)]

Just before I go, I have a couple of things coming up. So on the 26th of March, that's Thursday, I'm running a one hour introduction to wildlife photography and that'll be a mini workshop. If you can't make the live event, there will be a recording. So you're very welcome to join me on the 26th. And then on the 4th, 13th of April, I'm running the first module release of a six week course which is about composition. It's called Seeing Differently. So that will be one lesson per week, dropped on the Monday. That includes some live sessions as well. So there are details on the website and you'll find the link below. If you don't have the link, just go to www.ge.ography and have a look at the improve your photography tab.

[Graham]

So thanks for listening.

[Graham (Podcast Host)]

Please remember to like and subscribe and I'll speak to you next time.

[Graham]

Bye for now.