The photographer continued: “Days turned into weeks, and I found myself at Seurasaari almost every night, despite working from 10 am to 5 pm every day. At this point, I was determined to get a picture of a fox. After about a month of searching, exhaustion started to set in; I was only getting 3-4 hours of sleep each night. But my determination kept me going. Another month passed, and summer was drawing to a close. I had seen the fox about eight times during the summer but still hadn't captured a good picture.
I began to lose hope, questioning whether all this effort was worth it, whether I was just wasting my time and wouldn't get any worthwhile photos. Despite these doubts, I decided to make one last trip to Seurasaari one evening.”
Finally, Munter’s fortunes changed, and he finally caught a lucky break: “I wandered around the island for about three hours but saw no sign of the fox. Disheartened, I started to head home. But then, something inside me urged me to take one last lap around. As I turned a corner near a restaurant, I spotted two young foxes, one with a toy in its mouth and the other with a bun. They had likely found food in the restaurant's trash.
My body filled with adrenaline, my hands shaking. This was my chance after months of trying. I began snapping pictures, and to my surprise, the foxes didn't seem afraid of me. They moved under a rowan tree, and one of them looked straight into the camera. I took numerous photos of the scene, and after a while, the foxes dashed away.”
“My heart raced as I sifted through the images. Most were either out of focus or blurred due to my shaking hands. But there was one picture that was sharp, and tears of joy welled up in my eyes. That picture remains the most important one for me to this day, not just because it was my first fox picture, but because it proved to me that one should never give up, even when things get tough. And I believe that if I hadn't captured that picture, I might not have pursued photography in the same way, eventually turning it into my profession.”
Next, the photographer shared with us what challenges he typically faces when capturing images of wild animals in their natural habitats: “The most challenging aspect might be finding the animal, and then, when you do find it or have been waiting for it, it's often quite dark, making it difficult to capture good photos. While newer cameras have fairly good low-light performance, it's still tricky to take quality pictures in darkness because the animal is moving, and you need a relatively low shutter speed or high ISO setting.”
He also added: “Additionally, animals are often quite skittish, so they tend to get scared if they spot you.”
Asked how he stays patient and persistent when waiting for the perfect moment to capture a wildlife shot, Joachim said: “To photograph animals, one needs good patience and must be prepared to wait for a long time. However, it varies quite a bit; sometimes you wait for many hours without seeing a single animal, and other times, you might spot something right away. But most of the time, you end up going home without getting a single good picture.”
Lastly, we were wondering what role, in Munter’s opinion, wildlife photography plays in raising awareness about environmental issues and conservation efforts. He told us: “Wildlife photography has the power to evoke emotions and connect people with the beauty and wonder of nature and animals and to provide valuable educational opportunities by showcasing the diversity of species, their behaviors, and their habitats.
It also has the ability to inspire individuals to take action and make positive changes in their lives to support conservation efforts. It's a powerful tool for raising awareness and inspiring positive change and conservation action.”
