Introduction and Main Facts
In the competitive and visually saturated world of nature photography, few transitions are as compelling as the journey from a technical hobbyist to an internationally recognized professional. This evolution is the focal point of Nature TTL’s acclaimed interview series, “From Amateur to Professional,” which examines how contemporary masters developed their craft over decades.
In this installment, the spotlight falls on Victor Soares, a South African-born wildlife photographer whose career spans nearly twenty years of dedication, patience, and technical refinement. Now based in the United Kingdom, Soares splits his time between leading specialized photographic tours across Europe and Africa and capturing evocative behavioral portraits of the natural world. His work has achieved widespread acclaim, notably reaching the final rounds of the prestigious Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards (formerly known as the Veolia Environmental Awards) out of more than 48,000 global entries.
While Soares spent the majority of his adult life working as a professional engineer, a redundancy in early 2024 served as the catalyst for a lifelong dream, propelling him into full-time professional wildlife photography. Today, his portfolio is celebrated for its shallow depth of field, low-angle perspectives, and a deep emotional resonance that captures the psychological and physical reality of his subjects.
Chronology: Two Decades Behind the Lens
The trajectory of Soares’s photographic career reads like a masterclass in organic skill development, moving from casual holiday snapshots to high-stakes professional expeditions.
The Genesis in South Africa (2004–2006)
Soares’s affinity for wildlife is rooted in his childhood in South Africa, where nature served as an escape from a tumultuous world. However, his formal photographic journey began serendipitously in 2004 with the purchase of a Canon 300D—one of the earliest and most accessible digital SLRs of the era. Intrigued by technology, Soares initially bought the camera simply to document family holidays.
A visit to Kruger National Park and a subsequent trip to a local photo lab changed everything. Upon handing his prints to shop owner and amateur wildlife photographer Johan Combrink, Soares pointed to a striking image of a Cattle Egret on display and declared his desire to capture similar work. Impressed by the ambition, Combrink invited Soares back to the shop the following day for impromptu mentorship. For years, Soares spent countless hours learning exposure techniques, composition, and post-processing from Combrink entirely free of charge, laying the technical foundation for his future career.
The Turning Point and International Recognition (2007–2012)
By 2007, armed with a new Canon Rebel XT gifted by a friend in the United States, Soares began actively studying light, focus, and animal behavior during return trips to South Africa. He transitioned away from basic automatic modes, experimenting with manual settings despite the technical limitations of early digital sensors, which suffered from severe noise at higher ISO settings.
The defining milestone of his amateur career arrived in 2012, when one of his wildlife images reached the final round of the Natural History Museum’s annual photography competition. Competing against more than 48,000 international submissions, the validation provided a profound psychological breakthrough. As Soares recalls, it was the definitive moment he realized he might actually possess the talent to stand among the industry’s elite.
Relocation and the British Wilderness (2016–2023)
Following his relocation to the UK in 2016—and eventual move to London in 2018—Soares expanded his portfolio beyond African megafauna to encompass the subtle beauty of European wildlife. Urban parks in Sutton provided an introduction to red foxes, culminating in a celebrated autumn portrait of a yawning vixen that remains one of his favorite images. Simultaneously, he immersed himself in the annual UK deer rut, studying the behavior of red and fallow stags to capture dramatic seasonal interactions in misty, golden-hour light.
The Professional Leap (2024–Present)
By 2023, Soares was already testing the waters of professional instruction, guiding small groups on photography trips in his spare time. However, corporate restructuring in early 2024 resulted in the redundancy of his engineering position. Supported wholeheartedly by his wife, Soares made the definitive decision to turn a twenty-year passion into a full-time profession. Today, he operates as a professional guide and wildlife artist, bridging the gap between technical precision and emotional storytelling.
Supporting Data and Technical Evolution
Soares’s portfolio provides a clear visual timeline of how digital camera technology and individual technique have matured over the last two decades.
- Camera Equipment Evolution: Soares started with entry-level APS-C DSLR bodies (Canon 300D and Rebel XT) constrained by low ISO tolerances (rarely exceeding ISO 400 due to noise) and primitive autofocus systems. Over time, he invested in professional-grade "glass," identifying the 300mm f/2.8 telephoto lens as his personal favorite for its ability to isolate subjects against creamy, dreamlike backgrounds.
- Shooting Methodology: Early mistakes—such as cutting off an animal’s feet, relying on Aperture Priority mode, and misjudging depth of field—have been replaced by a rigorous adherence to Manual mode. Soares now prioritizes extreme low-angle perspectives, positioning his lens as close to the ground as possible to establish an intimate connection with the subject.
- Compositional Philosophy: Rather than aiming for front-to-back sharpness, Soares deliberately uses a shallow depth of field to draw the viewer’s eye strictly to the point of interest. His work consciously seeks to portray animal emotions—ranging from calm and curiosity to cunning and desperation—giving wildlife photography a narrative weight beyond simple documentation.
Official Perspectives and Insights
Reflecting on his journey, Soares offers candid insights into the psychological hurdles that face aspiring nature photographers, particularly the trap of comparing oneself to established icons.
"What I have learnt is that you place these photographers on that pedestal yourself; that’s why they are role models. They will probably always seem better than you… but the important thing is to keep going. Persevere."
Addressing the modern temptation to rely on technological advancements rather than foundational skills, Soares emphasizes patience above all else:
"When we embark on any journey, especially today, we demand immediate results… If a new camera had a higher frames-per-second rate, I thought I was quicker. If it had more focus points, I assumed I could focus better. But that’s not true unless I already had the skills to be quick and focus accurately."
Soares also stresses the value of community engagement. Despite two decades of experience, he continues to participate in camera clubs, read specialized literature, and shoot alongside peers, maintaining that continuous learning is essential for artistic survival.
Implications for Aspiring Wildlife Photographers
The trajectory of Victor Soares’s career offers several critical takeaways for the broader photographic community:
- Mentorship is Invaluable: Soares attributes his entire career to the generosity of Johan Combrink, who invested time in an unknown amateur without financial compensation. The story underscores the importance of community-based learning and knowledge sharing in a specialized craft.
- Technical Limitations Breed Discipline: Shooting on early 2000s digital bodies forced Soares to master exposure, light quality, and framing without the safety nets of modern sensor stabilization, AI autofocus tracking, and high-ISO noise reduction. Contemporary photographers can apply this lesson by intentionally mastering fundamentals rather than relying entirely on camera automation.
- Resilience in Career Transitions: The sudden shift from engineering to full-time photography demonstrates that professional success often arrives at the intersection of enforced life changes and long-nurtured preparation. By steadily building his instructional and portfolio credentials while maintaining a day job, Soares ensured he was ready when the opportunity for a full-time transition arose.
Ultimately, Soares’s journey from a young boy observing South African birds through binoculars to an internationally recognized professional proves that wildlife photography is not merely a destination defined by awards or gear, but an ongoing, patient practice of observation and empathy.
