Wildlife Photo Chat – Episode 251: Richard Flack
Host: Ray Hennessy
Guest: Richard Flack
Date: March 3, 2026
Overview
In this episode, Ray Hennessy welcomes back Richard Flack for a record-setting third appearance. They dive into Richard’s “year of firsts”—from launching a leadership coaching business to creating his first wildlife documentary about South Africa’s critically endangered Blue Swallows. The conversation offers rich insights into navigating creative growth, balancing new challenges, connecting conservation and photography, cultivating personal style, and the deeper human connections at the heart of artistry and environmental impact.
Key Discussion Points
1. A Year of Firsts and Following the Heart
[01:12–03:28]
- Richard reflects on a year packed with new experiences: launching a leadership coaching business and—most notably—making his first short documentary film.
- His new pursuits are less by design and more about “following my heart” and faith, embracing new opportunities as they arise.
- Richard finds it “daunting, doing new stuff,” but his philosophy is to “wake up and do my best every day.”
Quote:
“I think I’ve just really been following my heart… Been trying to listen and do what I feel God asks and that’s just led down… different roads.”
– Richard ([01:50])
2. Saying ‘Yes’ and Facing Creative Daunt
[03:28–06:25]
- Ray relates to Richard’s “daunting” year, opening up about his own flurry of firsts, often the result of saying ‘yes’ to new projects during downtime.
- Both discuss the overwhelming nature of creative lives when multiple projects converge at once.
Quote:
“It’s easy to say yes to things when you have downtime.”
– Ray ([04:10])
3. The Anxiety and Joy of New Ventures
[06:25–09:13]
- They reflect on the build-up—stress, work, and sometimes anxiety—before big events or new creative challenges, and the joy of the experience itself.
- Richard opens up about past anxiety with public speaking but shares how confidence and focusing on helping others now make the process enjoyable rather than stressful.
Quote:
“I think mine’s been quite simple. Like, I just want to know that God wants me to go. And then I kind of go, well, what could go wrong?”
– Richard ([07:41])
4. Present Living and Building Confidence
[09:13–10:07]
- Richard’s approach centers on being present with family and those he encounters, prioritizing enjoyment and small daily improvement.
- Ray relates this to building confidence in photography mentorships, especially for public speaking.
5. Family, Hobbies, and Passion Projects
[10:34–16:45]
- Richard shares about his family’s upcoming visit to Seattle—planning to photograph American birds and beetles with his son.
- Discusses supporting his son’s passions for cricket and beetle collecting, with discoveries including possibly undocumented species and connections to scientists.
- Reveals an exciting new “signature trip”—an ultra-small, bespoke South Africa safari for two long-term mentorship students to his favorite locations.
Quote:
“He’s literally found beetles that one had only been seen five times before ever, and like the first photograph of a living specimen.”
– Richard ([15:59])
6. Power of Relationship in Creative Work
[18:49–21:37]
- Describes the difference between “client” workshops and trips with mentorship students: trust, a shared vocabulary, and deeper constructive relationships.
Quote:
“There’s almost… a built-in trust there. Both just to be able to… be yourself, but also help, you know, propel their photography, to push some people.”
– Ray ([20:09])
Deep Dive: The Blue Swallow Documentary
7. How the Film Began
[22:12–25:48]
- Award-winning filmmaker Johan Vermeulen approached Richard to appear in a film about South African birds.
- Richard suggested they shoot at Rosens Nature Reserve, home to several pairs of the critically endangered Blue Swallow—only 25 pairs are left in South Africa.
Quote:
“I thought that would be definitely boring… just watching Rich prance around the grasslands. And so I said… could we go and do it at a place called Rosens Nature Reserve, which has… five pairs of [the] 25 pairs of critically endangered blue swallows…”
– Richard ([22:44])
8. The Shooting Experience, Luck, and Human Connection
[25:52–29:11]
- Initial filming was just one day; later expanded to a full four-day shoot.
- Faced challenges like elusive subjects, time pressure, and unpredictable grassland conditions (mist, rare sightings).
- Managed to obtain rare and possibly first-ever footage of Blue Swallow behavior, aided by Richard’s field instincts and quick thinking.
Quote:
“As he got back, we just… got the first ever footage of these birds doing some stuff… set him up and yeah, we just caught this once-in-a-lifetime moment…”
– Richard ([28:13])
- The documentary spotlighted the reciprocal relationships between people and place—with conservationists, family, and the land itself.
- Richard’s connection to the Blue Swallows and mistbelt grassland deepened as he learned the delicate web of ecological threats and the mystery of the swallows’ decline.
9. The Role of Human Stories in Conservation
[29:12–34:15]
- The importance of including people, stories, and relationships in effective conservation storytelling.
- Photography and storytelling as catalysts for real conservation impact.
- Richard finds, for the first time, his photography has clearly made a measurable difference in supporting conservation action.
Quote:
“It was the first time that I have ever experienced… photography makes a difference and can drive awareness and get people to take action. But it was the first time I’ve ever seen my photographs do that…”
– Richard ([30:12])
The Power—and Limits—of Conservation Photography
10. Measurability, Motivation, and Encouragement
[36:01–42:52]
- Discuss how the real impact of conservation media is hard to quantify—likes or views rarely correlate directly with long-term effect.
- Ray recalls that while audience feedback is rare, a heartfelt thank you from just one person makes all the effort worth it.
Quote:
“You don’t often get to see the result of that… There’s a lot more impact we don’t see.”
– Richard ([41:36])
11. Generosity, Encouragement, and Authenticity
- Richard urges photographers to encourage their peers more often and to focus on the intrinsic joy of creating, teaching, and caring, rather than external validation or measurable success.
Releasing the Documentary: Details and Intent
12. How to Watch the Blue Swallow Documentary
[45:15–48:07]
- Release Date: March 10, 2026 (YouTube: Blue Swallow Productions channel)
- Purposefully avoids personal branding/followers; focus is wholly on conservation and awareness.
- Fundraising for Conservation Heritage Trust for continued preservation.
Quote:
“We just both thought we didn’t want it to be about us… it’s really what it’s about is just getting people to watch this documentary and drive awareness for the birds… and hopefully, drive some funding…”
– Richard ([45:36])
Personal Growth, Competitions, and Evolving Artistic Style
13. On Competitions and Artistic Confidence
[53:50–63:44]
- Both discuss the nuances of wildlife photo competitions—how making a shortlist affirms artistic growth, regardless of winning.
- Caution against basing self-esteem on contest outcomes; focus on fun and healthy feedback loops.
Quote:
“Don’t enter competitions for self-esteem. Like build your confidence outside of them… enter competitions because it’s fun.”
– Richard ([56:25])
14. Artistic Evolution and Style
[68:43–76:47]
- Ray and Richard reflect on whether artistic style is intentional or evolves naturally.
- Richard emphasizes genuinely pursuing what brings joy—a style “emerges” organically from what an artist loves.
Quote:
“It comes from who you are uniquely… your intuition, your gut, and that is such an important part of… what makes you YOU as an artist.”
– Richard ([75:11])
- Richard’s mentorship approach helps students discover and cultivate their own emerging style by identifying what truly excites them in their work.
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On Impact:
“There’s a lot more impact we don’t see… and I think that’s… just knowing that that happens every now and then and getting encouraged by someone just fuels that fire a lot more.”
– Richard ([41:36]) -
On Conservation and Photography:
“Your photographs, the impact they have doesn’t get measured… maybe not as appreciated as you should be and maybe not getting to actually see the measurable results, but from my experience, there’s no doubt that what we do… does make a difference.”
– Richard ([37:08]) -
On Style:
“So many mentorship students come to me… and they’re like, ‘I want a style’… I’ve just always been a proponent of if you just keep chasing what you love and what brings you joy… your style will show up eventually…”
– Ray ([72:22])
Important Timestamps
- [01:12] – Richard’s “year of firsts”
- [06:25] – Handling the anxiety of firsts and public speaking
- [14:32] – Beetle collecting and rare species discoveries
- [22:12] – How the documentary project started
- [28:13] – Once-in-a-lifetime footage of Blue Swallows
- [30:12] – Photography’s role in real-world conservation
- [45:15] – Details about the film’s March 10 release
- [56:25] – Competitions and the pitfalls of seeking validation
Final Thoughts
Ray and Richard’s conversation is an inviting blend of honest self-reflection, conservation storytelling, and practical wisdom for creatives. It’s a heartfelt exploration of why we create art, how we handle growth and challenges in our lives and careers, and how our genuine passions—when pursued authentically—offer lasting impact, both for ourselves and the wild world we cherish.
Don’t miss Richard’s Blue Swallow documentary—find it on YouTube March 10, and help share the story to support vital conservation!