Wildlife from Namibia
Scott Hurd – Living and Working as a Professional Photographer in Namibia
The open spaces, wildlife and people were what initially drew him to Namibia. He had expected to be involved in mainly Lodge and Hotel publicity work, to have the occasional wedding or baby shoot and maybe to sell a few photos, but, as one of the few photographers in the country at the time, he completely failed to anticipate the diverse and fascinating work that flooded in.
As a professional photographer in Namibia, he never knows what the next phone call will bring. He could be training anti-poaching units out in the bush, photographing aged freedom fighters or shooting a President. He could be camped out in the desert doing ID photos of Wild Horses, covering a big tribal wedding or working with rescued pangolins. One of his most unexpected and exciting projects has been to document the construction of a brand new mine, from virgin bush to the first gold bar. His knowledge of African wildlife has enabled his images to spearhead major conservation campaigns and be used in publications worldwide.
As the title says, the talk looks at Scott’s life and work, here on the edge of the oldest desert in world. His storytelling is interwoven with points of interest and many of the photographic techniques that he uses. The content of his presentations is as diverse as the Namibian people, the wildlife and the land itself. This is an Africa that visitors can only guess at.
