Photo Plus - UK (2020-01)

Photographer of the Year contest.
How important do you believe
awards are for a professional
photographer’s career?
Indeed, I had the great honour to win
this incredible prize twice! Each time
has been a huge highlight of my career
and it’s a great feeling. Because of this
recognition, people from all over the
world have seen my images and that’s
been fantastic for my career.

Is it always the award-winning
images you are most pleased
about, or are there others that
are more important to you?
I am pretty demanding of myself, it’s both
an advantage and a hindrance at the
same time, as you can imagine. I’m
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If the photos win awards then I will like
them more, but there is always room to
do better. The image of which I’m most
proud is undoubtedly the one I will be
shooting tomorrow.

You only turned professional three
years ago. Any regrets?
Any regrets? Not on your life! It’s a bold
step, but I’m doing exactly what I’ve
always wanted to do. It’s not easy,
however, I’m not denying it. Making a

living as a wildlife photographer is not

the easiest thing to do, but I hold on and

try to keep the dream going.

What are the best and worst things

about becoming a professional?

I’ve been taking pictures since I was 15

and I’ve always felt like I’ve lived in

nature and today that’s exactly what I do

all day long, so it’s really impossible to

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I’m a happy man and that’s what matters

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What advice do you have for

someone who wants to make a

living as a wildlife photographer?

Make sure you have plenty of

perseverance, don’t pay too much

attention to criticism and follow your

path. Trust in yourself and always give

100 per cent of your effort to your

photographic projects.

Michel’s new book Hokkaido

(price €38) and his previous work

Yellowstone (€35) can both be

purchased directly from his

web shop at https://

micheldoultremont.com/en/

product-category/book/

Michel D’oultremont

Nature photographer

Since taking up photography aged 15,

Michel d’Oultremont has quickly

established himself as one of Europe’s

leading nature photographers. Less than

ten years later, he had won two of Europe’s

biggest awards for photographers aged

26 and under: the GDT Fritz Polking Prize

and the Rising Star Portfolio Award in the

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

competition. Michel draws much of his

inspiration from the Belgian countryside,

particularly the wildlife of the Ardennes,

where many of his award-winning images

have been taken. Michel turned

professional only three years ago, in 2016,

and now aged 27, he already has three

best-selling books to his name:

Rencontres (now sold out), Yellows ton e

and Hokkaido. His work has been

exhibited at festivals and galleries across

Europe as well the Brussels parliament.

PROFILE

10

The Canon Magazine 79

Next issue: Wanda Martin, London-based

fashion and music portrait photographer

MICHEL D’OULTREMONT