How to Become a | Wildlife Photographer

Tom Mason is an award-winning wildlife and conservation photographer. Having worked around the world, from the Arctic to the Amazon rainforest, Tom has become a prominent member of the UK’s wildlife photography scene. A regular speaker and photography tutor, Tom is also a Nikon Optics Ambassador. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge that he’s always keen to share with aspiring photographers, encouraging exploration and developing skills.

I was fortunate enough to book in some time to speak to Tom to get an insight into his personal journey to becoming a wildlife photographer; how he made a name for himself and what advice he has for aspiring creatives. If you're a wildlife photographer and want an insight into one route into the industry, this one is for you.

Leo White: How did your interest in this field first arise? When was the first time you picked up a camera? 

Tom Mason: Before photography, my real interest was wildlife and nature; big surprise. I spent my free time hiking around the Lake District and learning as much as I could about UK wildlife and the natural world at large. I dedicated much time to documenting British birds out in the wild as well as at a local nature reserve. As my love of bird-watching grew, I was gifted a bird-watching book that had a section on photography. I was fascinated by the idea of visually documenting the discoveries I would make. Sure enough, I was later gifted an old film camera. This ignited something within me and from the first, blurry image, I knew that this was what I wanted to do.

LW: Did you study photography at school? 

TM: Despite my growing passion for wildlife photography, I didn’t study photography at school. However, I did take up an extracurricular photography course that allowed me to follow my passion on my own terms. I could freely interpret the syllabus compared to the school courses that are more rigid in their teaching approach, covering styles that I was less interested in. 

Naturally, I leaned heavily into my wildlife interests. I learned to first focus on my specific interests and the techniques that complemented them, rather than narrative. 

 

 

 

 

 

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LW: How did you get to where you are today? What was your first role in the industry?

TM: My first job was at a local nature reserve as a photographer. Having spent a lot of time there growing up, I approached them and asked if I could take images. After a few shoots, it became paid work. 

Often it's about establishing yourself before getting the work. You can achieve this in a variety of ways but generally, you have to network. I spent a long time networking in my local area, working various photography jobs and lecturing, all while working a day job to earn a living (writing articles and content).

I also focused on producing project work. When contacting magazines, having a body of work was way more enticing than singular images. One of my first features in BBC Wildlife Magazine came about after a year-long series of a group of foxes at the same local nature reserve. 

LW: How did you become a Nikon optics ambassador?

TM: Ambassadorships are long-term jobs with lots of work that slowly builds up over time – it doesn’t happen overnight. I developed a relationship with Nikon at an event after helping a person asking about wildlife photography. Nikon recognised my technical knowledge and passion for the subject. The following year, Nikon approached me to ask me to join their stand as a professional wildlife photographer. 

After around three years of continually building the relationship by maintaining communication and sharing images taken with their equipment, I was offered the position of ambassador to officially promote their products and represent the company.

Being a Nikon ambassador is something I’m immensely proud of and I think it’s something people who are genuinely invested in a brand should aim for. Still, it isn’t an easy task – it’s not a five-minute job and it’s a two-way relationship between the creative and the brand. 

LW: Your wildlife photography has taken you all over the world. How do these projects come about?

TM: There are several ways that jobs come about in the wildlife industry. The first is where you pay for it yourself as part of a personal project; you can then sell this to varying publications. When I went to photograph bears in Finland, I went out with a friend. It was off the back of my gap year and it was something I had wanted to do for a long time. I put in costs upfront, with the hope of selling the work to companies looking for research/visual projects around the subject matter. 

The next way would be press trips. Press trips are about promoting locations and providing fresh images for businesses. When I was sent to the Falkland Islands, I talked to a tourism agency’s press team and pitched a project I felt hadn't been covered previously – something new and innovative. They offered to pay for the whole trip in return for image usage and rights. 

Commercial shoots are another job. I was fortunate enough to be sent to the Arctic to test out the Nikon 800mm. Nikon commissioned me to shoot images and deliver a video of the trip. I then quoted a fee to cover the trip and my time.

Finally, you can apply for sponsors, grants or bursaries – especially if you're a young photographer. Whichever route you go, having a strong narrative will help. 

 

 

 

 

 

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LW: Is there a notable moment when you knew this was going to be a career for you?

TM: The most important moments have been when I’ve been able to continue the local projects that I’ve invested so much time into. Photographing brown bears in Canada, and a jaguar in the Amazon Rainforest was amazing. But oddly, these were not as exciting as the projects at home. Even in my lectures, I show images from across the world, always coming back around to local fauna.

I’ve always found it more inspiring to capture a fantastic image on your back doorstep that has the same quality as a shot that you travel around the world for. When travelling the world to photograph exotic species, those images speak for themselves and will largely look good, even if the photo isn’t technically effective. It’s more impressive and challenging if you’re able to capture a photo of native wildlife that stands out among the thousands of identical images.

LW: Could you talk about a difficult or challenging moment in your career? How did you overcome that?

TM: This one is easy; broken cameras, equipment failure, gaffa tape and cable ties. 

On a more serious note, sometimes the motivation to keep taking photos can be challenging. I think one of the things that can get to you when your hobby becomes your day job, is that you can become disillusioned into thinking it isn’t work. You have to find a new passion for it all the time and be very clear on what’s fun for you. Fortunately, my passion for photography grew from my initial love of watching wildlife.

A challenge I faced early on that I still work on is being afraid to take time off. Starting out, I let the job consume my life. I wouldn’t do anything that didn’t benefit the job. That wasn’t sustainable. Sure enough, that led to some burnout and fatigue. Learning to allow yourself some time off to put the camera down and enjoy life has definitely helped me, both creatively and personally.

LW: Do you have any advice for those aspiring to a similar career? Three top tips?  

1. It’s important to be patient; not just for taking the photos but being patient to find clients, and to do the work. You may be excited to have taken some great shots and want to send them out immediately, but you almost waste potential opportunities if you do so.
   
   
2. Learn to work on projects. Shooting the one-off photo and putting it out can mean you won’t make as much. Learn to improve your photography by developing a project, seeing it through and producing a whole body of work. Project work not only looks more professional in terms of when potential clients come to your website etc. but they’re also far more salable.
    
3. Be business-minded. As much as you may want a creative career, it has to be a business too. You can’t progress without some business knowledge – think marketing, invoicing, building long-term client relationships and pricing your work.  

 

 

 

 

 

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About the Author

Leo White has been a member of the Wex Photo Video team since 2018, working in a variety of roles ranging from the contact centre to the product setup team. With both a photography BA and MA, Leo has a wealth of knowledge he's ready to share.