About Brendon Cremer:
Brendon was born and raised in Zimbabwe where he was exposed to wildlife and the outdoors from a young age, he could hardly be kept in inside, nature already had a big place in his heart and life. While Brendon was at school, he built on his passion for nature and worked in Matusadona National Park during his holidays, absorbing information and knowledge of wildlife and nature.
After Brendon completed his schooling, he went to work full time in Matusadona National Park where he qualified as a professional guide, one of the most highly respected qualifications in the industry. During the years that followed he devoted his time to sharing every aspect of the African bush and its wildlife, including plants, insects, birds and mammals, with his guests. Many of his days were spent leading walking safaris, tracking and stalking Africa’s big game on foot, skills that would later prove invaluable as he focused his attention to photographing the wildlife he spent so much time with. Since then Brendon has worked at some of Africa’s top lodges and premier wildlife destinations across the continent, this background in hospitality and guiding, his deep respect and understanding for nature and wildlife, has formed the foundation for the detailed guest pleasing approach to all of the safaris he leads and designs today.
Today, Brendon is a professional wildlife photographer and guide with over two decades of experience, based in Pretoria, South Africa. Brendon leads photographic safaris, workshops and photo tours not only around the African continent but around the World for the specialist photographic safari company, Tusk Photo . These safaris and tours are specially designed around getting the most out of each location, the wildlife, the environment, the experience and all aspects of the photography. So no matter whether it is Polar bears in the Arctic, Macaws & Jaguars of Brazil or the Big 5 of Africa, safaris lead by Brendon, ensure that you the traveller, not only enhance their photographic skills and leave a better photographer, but also gain a lifelong admiration for the natural world around them. All these elements make for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
When and how did your journey with Nikon begin?
Ha ha laughing I will have to admit that my photography did start was a different brand right in the beginning. However, my journey with Nikon began back in 2011, if I remember correctly not too long after the release of the Nikon D3, D3S, D3X as well as the incredible Nikkor 200-400 F4 Lens. I then changed over to a Nikon D3S and this incredible versatile lens, this was an incredible combination and at the time was just light years ahead of anything else on the market. Since then, I’ve never looked back, the brand is just gone from strength to strength and produced one amazing camera after another followed by an incredible array of lenses.
What’s the message that you always seek to convey in your work?
For me I would say this is twofold, the first being; I truly believe that there is a conservation connection between our animals, wild places, and photography. Photography is the power to influence emotion, and if by sharing my images for the world to see changes even just one person’s outlook on our animals or the natural world, I’ll take that as a win. The second part for me is that I really love the challenge of photography, and when I say challenge, I mean the challenge within myself. What I mean by this is that in today’s age with all the photo sharing platforms as well as social media, we are inundated with amazing photography and images from around the world, so I always have this challenge in the back of my mind when photographing, how do I create an image that will stand out from the crowd of animals or scenes that have otherwise been photographed thousands if not millions of times.
In what ways has using Nikon contributed to your work?
Well what can I say ha ha. I have always said the equipment does not make the photographer; however, having incredible equipment that makes dealing with the day-to-day challenges of photography so much easier is definitely a win. In my line of work leading photographic toys all around the world, I’ve been exposed to many of the other brands available out there, and I can honestly say that my Nikon equipment has allowed me to capture images that would otherwise just not be possible with many other alternatives.
How do you weave in the beautiful South African culture into your work?
This is a tough one to include in my chosen field of photography, just predominantly wildlife and landscape. However, I feel that the photographic tours and Safaris that I lead are not only about sharing of passion for photography and wildlife but also about sharing the South African culture and how wildlife and nature are a huge part of this culture for many of us.
What other projects are you working on currently that we can look forward to?
At the moment, I’m working on some Nikon Z series content. The Z-series range of equipment is just on another level in so many aspects. Hopefully the content I create will inspire others to go the route of this mind-blowing equipment.
What advice would you give to someone who is a budding creator?
I would say the biggest piece of advice would be to never give up, persistence, perseverance, and patience are key. Share your content with the world. Many out there don’t feel that they are good enough or that there are so many others that are better, yet their work is incredible. Always remember that there is enough sunshine to shine on all of us.