PHOTOGRAPHY
Rob takes portraits on a Canon EOS 70D whilst in the field, mostly for online use alongside DRTV spots and engagement videos. Here is a selection of his shots:
2010 Timon Leste schoolgirls
Shot in 2010 in Timor-Leste in a school where we were filming a story about hand washing, these three girls asked to pose for the camera and then revealed their very different personalities. Of all the photographs I’ve ever taken, it’s my favourite and is the screen saver on my computer.
2014 Ethiopia girl with calf
I came across this striking girl in a remote Ethiopian village in 2014. She had a very intense quality about her and was proud to show me the calf she was looking after. What does life have in store for her?
2015 Madagascar Brown Lemur
Madagascar 2015 - Lemurs are primates that reigned until 35 million years ago when monkeys evolved and most lemurs became extinct. A few escaped to Madagascar and safe from monkeys continued to evolve for another 35 million years into more than 105 varieties from a single ancestral species. This one is a Brown Lemur and is very social, living in groups of up to 12 individuals.
2017 Zimbabwe Molly and Roxy
Molly was a orphaned baby elephant rescued in 2017 by the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery (ZEN) just outside of Harare and carefully nursed back to health. Very sadly Molly eventually died due to an infection caused by a bullet that struck her at the same time her mother was killed by a hunter in front of her eyes. ZEN is run by the inspirational Roxy Danckwerts, who clearly had a very strong bond with Molly. Having spend 5 days filming Molly for animal welfare charity IFAW, I can say there is nothing that prepares you for the incredible experience of getting to know an elephant.
2012 Bolivia woman and child
Whilst filming a water and sanitation project for UNICEF in the mountains of Bolivia in 2012, I came across this mother watching us with her child and asked if I could take her photo. She looked very serious and proud while posing, but gave me a big smile after.
2011 India Shahadat
Shahadat lives with his parents and sister in the village of Nahal outside Delhi. He caught polio when he was only two and, although his left leg recovered, his right leg was permanently damaged making it impossible for him to walk. He was so friendly and easy to work with, but I remember how strikingly sad his eyes were. Shortly after filming Shahadat in 2011 it was announced that India was polio-free at last, due in a large part to UNICEF’s work in vaccinating children against the terrible disease.
2015 Madagascar Oustalet chameleon
Madagascar 2015 - this is a female Oustalet chameleon, a very large species endemic to the unique island. It eats large insects, some fruits and sometimes small birds and reptiles. It can turn blue during courtship rituals, but turned green for me as soon as she got to the ground after her modelling session.
2014 Mauritania doctor examining child
This photo was taken in 2015 in Mauritania, where 2% of all children under five suffer from severe acute malnutrition (30,750 children in 2014). If treated in time 95% of these children can be saved. Hadrami - the little boy in this photo whose story we filmed for a DRTV spot - was unfortunately one of the other 5%.