Meet UK-based Edwin Godinho who recently won the most prestigious British Photography Award 2024 in the Land Animal category. Gomantak Times Digital caught up with Edwin on his trip to Goa, where he revealed much about his life as a photographer, his award-winning photos and his time in Goa.
"It is an incredible feeling because the British Photography Awards is the pinnacle of the British photography scene with awards in every category; 20 to be precise. So just standing on the stage with 19 other photographers was an absolute privilege,” said Edwin of his tremendous achievement.
What inspired you to capture this particular moment of the jackal in the Kalahari Desert?
In the last few years, I've started to do a lot of self-drives, where we travel to a country, pick up a 4x4 and drive. What this means is you are the driver and your own guide. So that requires a lot of research, normally a year in advance to learn about the park, its flora and fauna. It was my second time in the Kalahari, and we had learnt of this jackal family that has adapted to hunting doves and grouse that come to the waterholes. There are about 50+ waterholes, and there are only two families of black-backed jackals that have learnt this art of hunting these birds.
How long did it take you to capture this shot? Was it a patient wait or a lucky strike?
We had four nights at a camp where the waterhole was at a distance of about 10-12 kms. We spent three days at the waterhole. On the 3rd day it was starting to get late and most of the jeeps were leaving because the gates at the camp close at 6 pm. The jackal turned up around 5.30 pmand waiting to go for the kill. They do not attack the doves unless there are in excess of 50 because it betters their chances of catching one. Just as I was about to call it a day, the jackal went into crouch position. Then it was just the question of capturing the sequence. Luck plays a huge part, but you do make your own luck sometimes. A lot could have gone wrong, but you put yourself in the position to strike, and when the moment comes, you have to nail it. You don't get a second chance in wildlife photography.
What technical aspects did you consider while capturing this image?
The light was fading fast. I had to shoot wide open at f/2.8 to take in the most light, and at the same time have a high enough shutter speed to capture the motion. I was lucky the jackal ran parallel to the focusing plane, and I managed to capture 67 frames in just about 3.5 secs. The fast aperture lens is incredibly accurate in autofocus mode. Then it was just the question of selecting the right frame. This image was taken with the Canon EOS R3 camera and EF400mm f/2.8L IS MK2 prime lens.
What does winning this award mean to you as a photographer?
As an amateur photographer, it was even more special because you are competing with thousands of photographers and their images. Not that I was expecting to win, but once you are short-listed in the finals, anything can happen. It means the world to me to be recognised by my peers for something I love doing. It just inspires me to do better.
What do you do professionally? How do you make the time for your passion?
I work as a technology management director in financial services, working to deliver technology change. I work for one of the largest banks in the world during the day, but my spare time is devoted to wildlife photography. Typically, I try to make 3-4 trips a year around the world to capture wildlife. Now the kids have grown, so it gives me a little more bandwidth to tune into my passion.
What challenges do you face while capturing wildlife in their natural habitat?
The challenge in wildlife photography is knowing your subject. So, it takes hours and hours of research to study the subject, habitat, seasons, etc, and then timing your trips to give yourself the best chance. And once you learn about your subject, you then learn to anticipate what it may or may not do. The key is understanding its habits and gathering information on best time, place and season to better your chances. There are no certainties in wildlife photography. Sometimes we spend days together waiting for something to happen and nothing does. It is all about patience and perseverance.
How do you balance your professional career with your passion for wildlife photography?
It's not easy juggling leave from work and familial commitments, but I have a supportive family that allows me to pursue my passion. This means when I am at a family holiday I can get out the camera and capture some footage. That way you can get the best of both worlds. But the real grind, where we drive for miles and spend hours in the bush or desert waiting for something to happen, isn't really a holiday but more like hard work.
What are your future plans for your photography and filmmaking projects?
My next big step up is venturing into filmmaking. The initial investment on gear and production is quite high so doing it as an amateur is hard. I'm hoping to invest in some serious gear and shoot more moving footage to produce a documentary. Currently I'm still learning the trade and slowly getting better at it.
Tell us about your project in Goa.
As my presence increases in the Society of Photographers and Filmmakers, I'm trying to join some projects with the big production houses as a B cameraman, but the intention is to become a cinematographer. I'm hoping to eventually get funding and shoot a documentary in Goa on a subject that not much is known about. This takes time because you have to get your license in place and it requires planning. You need to gather sufficient footage across the 3-4 seasons and in some cases follow a group or individual to develop a nice narrative. More importantly it is about documenting something that has never been captured before and then presenting it for the advancement of science and our knowledge of the natural world. The intention is then presenting my work for a PhD at the Open University. I'm hoping to break into the big box office production teams to help film on their productions.
Has Goa in a way inspired you to be close to nature?
It always has. Growing up in Goa was special. My father originally comes from St Estevam island and my mother, from Bambolim. Spending time on the island during our holidays was magic. I loved the outdoors and always spent my time out in the woods and jungles learning all the time about the flora and fauna. What this has meant is I get a buzz out of photographing a tiny insect just as much as I get photographing a big cat.
Since you were in Goa for few weeks, what fun things have you done?
It is almost impossible to take Goa out of our lives. When my parents were still living, I used to come at least twice a year to Goa. I still have my sisters who live in Goa so it is always great to catch up and use the opportunity to have Goa as a base to go East or South chasing wildlife.
Yes, I had the privilege of being down for the exposition of St Francis Xavier. It was also fantastic to be there for the feast of the Immaculate Conception, which was our local church growing up in Fontainhas. It brings back fantastic memories growing up in the Latin quarter of Panjim. I can't see myself not coming down to Goa, though my calendar seems to be packed with trips elsewhere around the world, especially Africa. It is my favourite destination with just so many places to see. I've a few trips around India planned as well to cover the Himalayas and the North-Eastern side of the country.