Just recently, well known wildlife photographer Andy Biggs gave a very informative insight in the way he works and how he became a wildlife photographer in this great video, filmed at Google talks. To me, Andy Biggs is in the tradition of great american artists like Howard Hawks or Ernest Hemingway: Great and unique in their art, but modest and not artsy-like in their character. Andy calls himself not an artist, but “a creative person”. I guess, that says it all. So let his photography talk about the man: his view of Africa and its wild animals is a poetic one. There is always some tenderness and empathy in Andy Biggs pictures of African animals and landscapes. There is never any overcooking involved in his pictures -never too close, never too far away, always on the spot where the photographer has to be. Timing and composition, always great, and always fitting to atmosphere and object.
Andy Biggs offers photo safaris mostly in Botswana and Tanzania/Kenya.
Andy Biggs ist ein sehr bekannter Wildlife Fotograf, der erst jüngst bei einer Veranstaltung bei Google (siehe obigen Link auf das Video) einen sehr interessanten und sehr amerikanisch-praktischen Einblick in seine Arbeit und seine Karriere als Fotograf gab. Für mich ist Andy Biggs ein typisch amerikanischer Künstler: Seine Kunst sprich seine Fotografien für sich sprechen zu lassen, ohne für sich als Person in Anspruch zu nehmen, ein Künstler zu sein. Andy Biggs nennt sich selbst lieber “a creative Person”. Seine Fotografie von Afrika und den Tieren Afrikas spricht von grosser Sympathie für Landschaft und Fauna, und von Respekt. Seine Fotos sind nie aufdringlich, halten Abstand, wo es sinnvoll ist, Abstand zu wahren, und gehen poetisch in die Nahdistanz, wenn dies sinnvoll ist. Ich mag sein Timing und seine Komposition: immer stimmig, immer atmosphärisch.
Andy Biggs bietet Fotosafaris in Afrika an, zumeist in Botswana und dem Serengeti-Mara Ökosystem.
Q safari-photographer: What is your photo equipment, and what is the reason for Canon or Nikon?
A Andy Biggs: I primarily shoot with Phase One medium format gear, however I also use Canon and Nikon both to fill in on a safari-by-safari basis. I rent what I need, and some safaris require longer focal lengths than others.
Q: What are your lenses?
A: My primary wildlife lens is a Schneider 240mm on my Phase One camera, which is equal to around 150mm on a full frame Nikon or Canon camera. I also use a Phase One 75-150mm, and on 35mm equipment I often use a 200-400mm f/4 or 300mm f/2.8.
Q: What is your favorite lense, and why?
A: I absolutely love the 70-200mm f/2.8. It is such a utilitarian lens!
Q: What is your favorite place for wildlife photography in Africa/the rest of the world, and why?
A: I have two favorite places: The open savannah of the greater Serengeti ecosystem as well as the Okavango Delta of northern Botswana. Both of these locations offer extraordinary landscapes as backdrops for the abundant wildlife.
Q: What is your current project you are working on?
A: I am currently working on trying to be at home more often. 
Q: What is a dream project for you in the future?
A: My dream project is to photograph in ecologically sensitive environments, documenting threatened species as the result of habitat loss.
Q: What are your concerns for the future regarding protecting the African wildlife and national parks?
A: My concerns are that the wildlife in our parks are becoming islands of isolated genes, separated from each other by large populations of humans. I would like to have wildlife corridors, linking parks and wildlife-rich ecosystems with one other.
Q: What do you try to achieve with your photography?
A: I try to convey a sense of peacefulness, hope and timelessness with my imagery. I try to take viewers to a place that seems far away from home.
Q: Do you consider yourself being an artist?
A: I do, but I prefer to use the term photographer or that I am a creative person.
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