About Elliott Neep
I am a multi-award winning freelance wildlife photographer supplying stock images to Getty Images and Frank Lane Picture Agency (FLPA). My images regularly feature in books, greeting cards, calendars, magazines, and the national press (see Tear Sheets). Throughout the year, I also work as a photographic Tour Leader for Oryx Photography (RockJumper) and as a staff photographer for Silversea Expeditions. Alongside these photographer and guiding roles, I produces feature illustrated articles for Britain's leading photography monthlies.
I am originally from Middlesex, England growing up on the borders of Greater London's green-belt country. After studying Business & Marketing, I spent several years in the IT industry before concluding that the ‘office suit’ would simply never fit.
Early in 2002, I took up a new vocation in photography - studying, practicing, and shooting every day. I’d learned so much in that short time that by the summer of 2002, I began freelancing with eHouse, a property photography agency. In 2005, I was ready to make wildlife photography a full-time career.
I won my first award in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2005, with subsequent awards in The International Photographer of the Year, The Aperture Awards, British Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Windland Smith Rice International Awards (Natures Best).
What do I photograph?
Although I will opportunistically photograph almost all aspects of nature, travel & tourism, and landscapes, my real specialisation is mammals. I feel I have a greater affinity with mammals because they are so engaging, I can relate to their behaviour and they can show so much individual character. Within the realm of mammals, I have a particular passion for big cats. Photographing these incredible survivors and prolific hunters has consumed thousands of hours and tens of thousands of megabytes. I’ve spent nearly ten years photographing them and the fascination runs as deep as ever.
How do I photograph wildlife?
British wildlife is notoriously wary and these subjects take careful planning and time. Wildlife that ‘roams’ such as deer and hares I will usually stalk in camouflage or take up a position after spending time observing regular movements. Any subject that has a den like foxes and badgers, I will lie in wait and leave offerings of natural food along well-used path a little distance away from their burrow. Many of my subjects are actively hunted or persecuted, so I am discretion personified.
When I am on safari, I use the best possible vehicle and naturalist guides. We work as a team to understand the animal’s behaviour and position the vehicle in the right location to anticipate any action or drama. In my view, the ability to anticipate is the key to great wildlife images.
A quick word on equipment...
In 2011, I switched camera systems from Canon to Nikon, favouring the low-light capability of Nikon’s D3s and versatility of the 200-400mm telephoto zoom. My current kit-list now consists of two D3s bodies, 600mm f/4 VRII, 200-400mm f/4 VRII, 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII, 24-70mm f/2.8, and TC-14EII. A number of ultra-fast Sandisk CF cards, Sanho Hyperdrive downloaders, plus 1TB Western Digital Passport and LaCie Rugged 1Tb serve as storage for during safaris and photographic expeditions. The entire system fits snuggly in a single Lowepro Vertex 300 and Pelican 1510. The latest addition, the Lowepro Outback 200 proved invaluable when climbing the steep and densely forested mountainsides in the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. For support, I generally rely on my Gitzo carbon tripod, Jobu Black Widow gimbal head, and Really Right Stuff (RRS) BH-55 ball head with RRS quick-release lens plates and L-plates. In the safari vehicles, I use a combination of Manfrotto superclamps and double beanbags.
Where do I travel to?
In my early career, travel was limited to the UK and maybe one or two international safaris per year, usually to Bandhavgarh National Park in India. I now travel extensively throughout the year to iconic wildlife hotspots such as the Masai Mara & Serengeti Eco-system, the Arctic, and Antarctica. Time allowing, I still focus a large proportion of my working year on British wildlife, photographing iconic subjects such as the artful red fox, sprightly hare, and humble badger in my own ‘back yard’.
I lead several photogographic safaris each year, in the worlds best photographic destinations, with Oryx Worldwide Photographic Expeditions. If you would like to photograph alongside me, learning professional techniques in the most outstanding locations then please visit the Oryx website at www.oryxphotography.com or click here. In 2012, I will be guiding photographers in the Ngorongoro Crater & Serengeti in Tanzania, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, the Svalbard Archipelago in the Norwegian High-Arctic, the Falklands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula.
Why do I do this?
“Being reduced to a blubbering, teary mess along with Jacqueline, Digpal, and Ranjan (the mahout) after discovering two-week old tiger cubs in the Chakradhara meadows of Bandhavgarh; Awestruck and dumbfounded at the Mara River as thousands upon thousands of animals cross during the Great Migration; Standing on fast ice, surrounded by hundreds of Emperor penguins and pristine icy colony at Cape Washington; Speechless after watching a cheetah hunting in full-flight, travelling at an incomprehensible speed; Humbled to the point of tears as a tiny badger cub curls up asleep against my leg; To be sat at peace, just a metre away from the most gentle giant, the Mountain Gorillas... For all this and more...”
About NeepImages
NeepImages is the stock wildlife image collection for Elliott Neep Wildlife Photography. Rights Managed images are available to license online and are delivered electronically as hi-res, highest-quality jpeg files. To make your search easier, all images are embedded with industry standard IPTC keywords, captions, and locations.
Within the galleries, you can download comps, send links and lightboxes via email, or share images on social networks. All the images in this website can be purchased as traditional prints and mounted canvas in various sizes and finishes.
Licensed images and prints can be purchased online via PayPal, credit card, or via invoice (subject to prior notice and agreement). All images on this website are protected by copyright. Any use or distribution of any images from this site without a license is strictly prohibited. For more information, please click here. Note: If ‘licensed pricing’ is not available for a particular image, it will only be available exclusively via Getty Images.
