Charles Gibson's way of life

Get to know Charles Gibson, an Abu Dhabi-based wildlife photographer.

I love wildlife photography the best. That's because the possibilities of photographing various wild animals in their natural habitat are endless.

Mary-Ellen is my frequent companion on all my wildlife trips.

I have travelled to five continents to photograph wildlife. Some of the places I frequent are Kenya, Thailand, Germany, England, Canada, Australia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Africa is my favourite continent for wildlife photography.

We've had many animal experiences.

We've fed giraffes, been elephant riding, posed with tigers for pictures, bottle-fed lion, hyena and tiger cubs and played with baby elephants. Leopards and cheetahs are our favourite cats, but they are elusive and you require good luck and persistence to find them.

A couple of years ago, my wife and I visited the Animal Orphanage at Nairobi National Park, where we were introduced to three two-year-old cheetahs that had been hand reared from birth owing to the death of their mother. We were allowed to enter their enclosure and pet them.

I've photographed Abu Dhabi most.

That's because I've lived in Abu Dhabi for eight years and plan to hang around for several more, even though we are originally from England. Of course, there is not much wildlife in Abu Dhabi, so I photograph almost anything that looks interesting in the capital. Having said that, we have seen a gazelle or two running around the desert.

I scare my wife at times.

My scariest (or should I say, most daring) incident related to taking photos whilst visiting Zimbabwe. We travelled to the Victoria Falls, where we crossed over the bridge into Zambia to photograph the northern part of the falls. At the edge of the cliffs there was a rocky outcrop that extends over the abyss, so I leapt out onto it for a better shot of the cascading water.

I wanted my wife to photograph me on the outcrop, but she was shaking so much with fear that it would have been impossible to get a shot that wasn't all blurred. Needless to say, we came away without any decent photos.

In Paris last year we stayed in a hotel near the Eiffel Tower. From the executive lounge, the tower could be seen quite well, but I needed to move over to the edge of the balcony to set up my tripod.

Because of an overhanging roof I leaned the tripod arm over the side, placing the camera in a good shooting position. To set it up I had to lean over the railing to reach the viewfinder. Mary-Ellen, who was sitting inside in the lounge, turned her chair around so she wouldn't have to watch me, and, in doing so, retained her sanity.

I also like scuba diving and shooting underwater. However, like all wildlife, fish do not take direction too well. This is proved by the number of fish tails I have photographed! Patience is the key to photographing any kind of wildlife and waiting for the subject to be in the position in which the photographer can frame his picture.

I currently use Nikon Digital cameras. I also have a selection of five lenses, four zooms and a fixed focal length. For wildlife, long lenses are required to bring the subject closer, focally.

For buildings, presumably the photographer can be closer and use a shorter lens. Anyone wanting to buy a camera should decide on the type of photography for which it will be used.

A studio photographer, for instance, doesn't need a camera that will shoot five frames a second and a backpacker can't carry five lenses up a mountain. By using the internet, anyone can research the specifications of any camera and make the decision that suits them the best.

People ask me why I wear safari suits. The answer is really very simple. I like the style! Safari style is, I suppose, derived from military uniforms, and always looks smart. I can drag myself out of the bush, knock off the dust, put my hat on and still look presentable enough to have tea on the lawn with the Queen. My wife would probably prefer something more formal, like a tuxedo, but tux and me? Never!

I promote my photographs in various ways.

My fine art pictures are displayed in the Hemisphere gallery in Abu Dhabi. I sell my calendars to friends and I contribute to stock agencies.

I also do quite well at the Abu Dhabi Mall's Annual MSF Christmas Bazaar. I have taken part in Dubai's Artisans of the Emirates (ARTE) fairs.

In Abu Dhabi, I find that word of mouth is the best way to get noticed - most of my customers are people with whom I work and their friends.

I hope to retire in Thailand. I have been visiting Thailand for over 20 years and have found the people to be friendly, the climate mild and the cost of living quite reasonable.

Although we've travelled to the mountains and the coastal areas, we prefer to make the beach our home. Pattaya, Phuket… the list is endless.

Thailand is in the middle of an infinite number of photo opportunities, surrounded by interesting countries with different cultures. It is easy to travel in and is very colourful.

For more info, e-mail emir_charles@yahoo.com