Tour Guide Profile: Elliott Neep

Elliott’s stunning image of two adult Bengal tigers leaping into a waterhole with a huge splash, won him his first award in a major competition, a highly commended in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 2005.

Photographed during one of my ORYX photographic expedition to the Svalbard Archipelago, I think this represents a bit of a break from the norm for me – a moody and atmospheric rookery. The location is Alkefjellet, a several kilometre long, sheer-sided cliff with hundreds of thousands of nesting guillemots. The sound has to be heard to be believed! It was simply astonishing. I asked our zodiac driver to switch of the engine for a few minutes so that we could all hear the immensity of the avian din!

I photographed this scene whilst leading a guided safari in Northern Tanzania with ORYX. I think it has that ‘once in a blue moon’ quality with the lion’s sphinx-like repose, the stunning gun-metal blue sky and crater wall, and the shafts of light. I couldn’t help but write about this experience in my Practical Photography column!

Another image captured whilst guiding for ORYX in Tanzania! We had been been photographing Ndutu’s Large Marsh pride as they enjoyed their morning sun-bathing session. The pride male was sitting in a lofty vantage point and then walked down to join his family and approached a cub sitting alone. Anticipating what might be, I framed the shot with the cub on the left and waited for the huge male to enter. The lioness approached the pride male and nuzzled him. In a split second, the cub had snarled at the pride male, the male snarled back, the lioness smacked him (no claws) with a paw and the male had smacked her back. It was all over in nine frames – literally one second!

Another first… this Northern Fulmar was photographed during my first ever visit to Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago in 2009. We were heading for Edgeøya, an island and polar bear denning area on the eastern side of the Archipelago. The additional time at sea, provided more opportunities to perfect my ‘bird in flight with reflection’ shots. For open sea, it was incredible how calm the water can be. As you can see from the shot, the ice flow removes all the ‘chop’ from the surface and it became beautifully silky and glossy.

During a photographic safari to the Masai Mara in November 2010, we came across a cheetah and cub, on the east side of Rhino Ridge. The mother (Mrembo) had spotted a tommy fawn wandering on its own, a death sentence on these plains. Mrembo trotted over and, almost nonchalantly, grabbed the fawn by the neck and throttled it, but did not kill it. Quite playfully, her cub trotted over to inspect the meal and seemed a bit bemused why it was still kicking. Mrembo immediately released the fawn and it sprang away. Out of pure instinct, the cub gave chase and flattened the fawn with this trip.

Quickly becoming one of my most favorite lion images, this is the shot that lead me to the decision to switch to Nikon. The light was poor, the ISOs high, but the image was still clean and punchy.

My first ever trek to the gorillas produced this cute ‘through the foliage’ shot of an inquisitive baby. She was most interested in our group as we slipped and stumbled over the foliage! We hiked over three hours and up to 10,500ft to see the Susa Group, but every step and every drop of sweat was totally worth it!

Elliott Neep’s image of the wildebeest migration in Kenya got awarded honors in the African animals category in the Nature’s Best Photographic Awards.

The Nature’s Best Photography Awards are hosted by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. The competition celebrates the beauty and diversity of nature through the art of photography. Elliott’s image titled “Olive Baboons” received honors in the 2011 Nature’s Best competition.

One of Elliott’s Tiger images was used in the BBC Wildlife Magazine for an article on how to save the Tiger.

“Elliott wanted to experience the ‘real’ Masia Mara, not the glossy brochure image. But he was about to get more than he bargained for.” BBC Wildlife Magazine

“The first of an inspirational new series showcasing the world’s best bird and wildlife photographers.” Bird Watching Magazine

How to photograph your garden birds

“Burning passion for Tigers” Daily Express

“A mothers love: Lioness lashes out to protect cub when father gets a bit too rough” Daily Mail

“Huge Lion slapped in face by cub’s brave mom” Mirror

Deer Silhouette 

Elliott’s image of an Urban Fox was published on the cover of Practical Photography magazine, to represent the cover article “Wildlife on Your Doorstep”.

Elliott’s image of this spectacular looking stag was published on the cover of Practical Photography magazine (Sept 2010), to represent the cover article “Zoom in on Wildlife”.

“Humbled by its prowess, and awestruck by its sheer presence, Elliott Neep has devoted himself to photographing the tiger in an effort to preserve its now perilous footing on this planet. He’s even witnessed tiger cubs suckling, a once–in-a-lifetime spectacle….” Practical Photography

“Grey Squirrels tend to provoke extreme reactions – you either love them or loathe them. Armed with a bag of nuts and a permit to shoot in London’s Royal Parks, Elliott Neep heads to Regent’s Park in search of a squirrel with confidence and character. It didn’t take too long…..” Practical Photographer

“With a population sharply on the decline, time really is of the essence if you want to capture images of this protected creature. PP’s wildlife expert Elliott Neep hands out the necessary advice and camera technique to ensure you end up with water vole pictures to be proud of.” Practical Photography

“Herons are an extremely cautious
species, making field craft a top priority for the photographer hoping to capture
this elegant bird. PP’s Wildlife expert Elliott Neep shares his priceless
advice” Practical Photography

“An iconic symbol of British wildlife, the fox is increasingly found living in built-up areas. Wildlife expert Elliott Neep has been engaged in a long-term project photographing them, so here’s some advice if you fancy following in his footsteps.” Practical Photography 

“Spring is the time when early flowers emerge to carpet the woodland floor and meadows with cheerful pinks, whites, blues and yellows. PP’s wildlife expert Elliott Neep explains how to make the most of this seasonal bounty.” Practical Photography

“Britain’s cities are the best place to find our wily native foxes. This month Elliott Neep befriends a young family for a series of engaging candid’s….” Practical Photography

“It takes a keen eye to spot a perfect specimen from 50 paces but Elliott Neep has made fungi-spotting a veritable art form” Practical Photographer

“Elliott Neep reveals just how he gets up close and personal with his very small neighbours to capture incredible images, in this first part of a fascinating new serious on how to shoot urban wildlife.” Practical Photography

“If the thought of spending hours in a hide with a huge lens leaves you as cold as the winter climate, follow Elliott Neep’s advice and train your lens on a far more accessible subject – Britain’s very own urban wildfowl” Practical Photography

Elliott’s image of Emperor Penguin chicks was used by RSPCA magazine for subscribers.  

This incredible image of a stalking Bengal Tiger captured by Elliott was published on the cover of the RSPCA magazine, Animallife.

Picture of the Day 

Picture of the Day

“All Singing, All Dancing” Waterlife

Elliott’s image of a male and female Fellow Dear, published on the cover of the legendary RSPB book, “Where to Watch Wildlife in Britain”, a month to month guide to the UK’s best wildlife experiences.