SheFeatures: Bella Falk
Name: Bella Falk
Camera: Canon EOS R5, Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, DJI Mini 4 Pro
Favourite type of photography: I'm a travel and wildlife photographer
Website: passportandpixels.com
Instagram: @passportandpixels
How did you get into photography?
I was interested in photography from a young age. I was the kid who often brought a camera to school; I joined photo clubs and darkroom clubs and I even created a darkroom in my parents' laundry room by taping bin bags over the windows. They bought me my first SLR, an entry-level Canon film camera, for my 18th birthday present, and I went from there!
Do you have any photographic qualifications or accolades?
I taught myself photography, but I also have a postgraduate diploma in Professional Photography from London College of Communication. I won Best Photography at the Travel Media Awards 2020 (and was a finalist in 2019 and 2023). I also won Best Photography at the UK Blog Awards 2018, was a finalist for Travel Photographer of the Year at the Global Travel Media Alliance Awards 2020, and have been shortlisted for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards five times.
What's the first photograph you remember seeing or shooting?
Maybe not the very first, but I remember taking my new film SLR with me to Granada in Spain, where I studied for 6 months as part of my university degree. I sat at the viewpoint across from the Alhambra taking photos, trying out different settings so I could learn what effect different apertures and shutter speeds had, and noting them in a small notebook. Of course by the time I got the prints back, I had no idea which set of notes related to which image!
What do you love about photography?
As a travel photographer, I love how photography helps me to become more immersed in a destination, and experience things that regular tourists don't. I often have wonderful encounters with locals when I stop to chat and ask for a photo; I wander off the beaten path to find interesting subjects and angles and discover hidden gems, or I get up early for sunrise and have crowded destinations to myself. And of course I love going over my images when I get home and reliving those experiences all over again.
What do you wish you'd learned about photography earlier?
I wish I had learned how to market myself and monetise my work in the time before everyone was a photographer. I spent a long time doing photography as a hobby when I should have turned it into a business sooner - now getting paid anything as a travel photographer is extremely difficult!
Where is your favourite place for photography? This could be an outdoor location, your home or studio.
I'm obsessed with wildlife photography, so it's probably the conservancies in the Maasai Mara. It might sound like a cliche, but the wildlife there is sensational, and the sunrises and sunsets second to none.
Do you have a favourite photographic technique?
As a travel and wildlife photographer I'm usually capturing reality rather than using any particular creative techniques, though in wildlife photography I am a fan of high-key shooting
Can you briefly outline your approach to image processing?
I do the bare minimum! Once I'm home I first try to delete at least 50% of the images I've shot that day and star the best ones for editing. I use a preset to give everything a slight boost in contrast and vibrancy, and then I tweak each image one by one, looking at shadows and highlights, white balance, and crop. I try to spend no more than about a minute on each image unless it's something particularly special, say for a cover image or awards. I want my images to reflect reality, not be over-processed or fake.
What's your favourite lens?
My go-to is my Canon RF 24-70 L, but I still love the colour and quality of the Canon EF 70-200 L.
Do you have a favourite accessory?
I'm a big fan of my battery grip. I mainly shoot handheld and the grip helps me shoot more comfortably in portrait orientation, especially when I have a heavy zoom lens attached.
Have you found the perfect camera bag yet?
Not really. I like my Tamrac Anvil which is pretty good, but I've got my eye on the new Shimoda women's bags.
Read our Shimoda Explore 30 v2 Women’s Series Review
Which photographers have influenced or inspired you, and how or why?
On Instagram I follow a lot of wildlife photographers like Andy Rouse, Paul Nicklen, Ellie Rothnie and Suzi Eszterhas. I also enjoy shooting alongside my friend, landscape photographer Sophie Carr - it's always fascinating how even if we are in the same place at the same time, she comes up with very different images from me.
Listen to the SheClicks women in Photography Podcast with Ellie Rothnie
Please recommend 2 or 3 female photographers to follow on Instagram?
Sophie Carr @sophiecarrphotography, Karolina Wiercigroch @karolina_wiercigroch and Diana Jarvis @diana_jarvis
Is there a camera, lens or accessory that you don't have yet but you'd like to buy at some point?
In a dream world, I'd own a Canon RF 600 f4 for wildlife photography, but it costs £14,000!
Is there a genre of photography that you love but that you haven't tried yet?
I'd love to improve my astrophotography and night skies photography skills. I've played a bit, but I'm still very much a beginner!
What's your proudest photographic moment?
Winning Best Photography at the UK's Travel Media Awards 2020
If you could have one superpower that could help you with photography, what would it be?
Teleportation for sure! I love travel photography, but lugging kit through airports is the WORST!
Your favourite baked goods are?
The incredible 'nougat twist' pastry from Waft Coffee in Chiswick
Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm a travel and wildlife photographer, documentary producer-director, writer and content creator based in London.
During my 20-year career in Broadcast Television, I've produced and directed specialist factual, history and science programmes for national and international channels including BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, Science Channel, PBS, and France TV. My most recent film, When Whales Could Walk, aired earlier this year on PBS in the USA and CBC in Canada.
Six years ago, during a break from TV work, I started my travel and photography website, Passport & Pixels, which has won or been a finalist for many awards, including Blog of the Year at the British Guild of Travel Writers Awards 2023.
Today I split my time between documentaries, the blog, travel writing and photography. My pictures and articles have been published by BBC Travel, National Geographic Traveller, Wanderlust, JRNY and Lonely Planet among many others.
My photography passions are wildlife, colourful local characters, and off-the-beaten-track destinations.
