This wildlife photographer doesn’t just capture landscapes – she’s transforming them with every shot

With her fish-eye lens in hand, Emma Gatland tilted it upwards toward the sky.

In her viewfinder was a rhino, bound by its snout and hooves, being lifted by a helicopter – hanging upside down in mid-air.

It was an unusual sight, but for Gatland, the photograph she snapped in that moment symbolized the bond between humanity and nature. It’s a connection she seeks to capture with every shot she takes.

“You want to get low, feel the moment – the animal is unharmed, given a chance to survive just a little longer – and capturing what conservation means,” says Gatland.

The rhino captured in her photograph was being relocated from the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa for safety reasons. For these vulnerable creatures, airlifting is the best way to ensure their well-being, as being suspended upside down helps open their airways.

Originally from Zimbabwe, Gatland was raised in South Africa and developed a deep love for nature after years of family vacations in various outdoor settings. “These were my ultimate happy places,” she recalls, captivated by “the rawness, beauty, vastness, and tranquility” of the landscapes.

She bought her first camera for a trip to Morocco and quickly fell in love with the balance between “the technical aspects and the artistic side” of photography.

The first time she held that camera, “it just felt right,” Gatland remembers. “I felt this wave of excitement. Every time I pick up a camera now, I still get that same thrill.”

Challenging the limits

As Gatland’s gear evolved, so did her creativity, attention to detail, and mastery of the technical aspects of photography.

“For me, the greatest privilege is capturing a fleeting moment that disappears with a single click, never to be repeated,” Gatland reflects, “yet giving it eternal recognition and honoring its brief existence.”

Patience is essential, especially for a wildlife photographer awaiting that “epic” shot, she explains. The challenge lies in creating a composition that captures the subject from the right perspective while still being artistically compelling, factoring in the unpredictability of light, weather, and animal behavior.

“What excites me is immersing myself in the environment I’m in and capturing it in its purest form – but it's also a challenge,” says Gatland.

Influenced by photographers who push the boundaries of traditional photography, Gatland has cultivated her own artistic approach, experimenting with various techniques and manipulating light and color.

She cites Chad Cocking, a local wildlife photographer from Timbavati in northeastern South Africa, as an example of someone who masters the technical side of photography with the right gear and settings, “and then adds his own creative touch,” she explains.

Her ideal shot would be to capture a dramatic low-light moment, like “a lion exhaling in the morning mist with the sun rising behind it in Kruger National Park, or a leopard perched in a marula tree with the moon setting behind it,” she shares.

A greater cause

Gatland shares that she wants her photos to tell powerful stories and raise awareness about the urgent challenges these animals face – particularly rhinos, who are being hunted by poachers for their valuable horns.

The white rhinoceros, which often appears in Gatland’s work, is classified as near-threatened, with only around 18,000 individuals remaining in the wild.

Gatland is also part of the increasing presence of women in the field of nature photography across Southern Africa.

When Gatland first entered the field, there weren’t many female photographers, but she believes those who are present bring a unique, more empathetic perspective to their subjects.

She aspires for her photography to gain global recognition and hopes to inspire other women photographers, regardless of age, to express their own unique views of the world.

“Keep shooting and learn the ins and outs of your camera,” Gatland advises. “Create something that hasn’t been seen before.”