Excuse Me, Is This Lens Edible?

The Giraffe Centre Nairobi gave me an opportunity to photograph a Rothschild’s giraffe from a distance at which a telephoto lens became completely unnecessary. The giraffe moved so close that its nose, eyes and enormous ears filled almost the entire frame. At that point, I was no longer sure whether it was interested in me, my camera or the possibility that the lens might contain something edible.

The wide perspective exaggerated the size of its muzzle and created an expression that looks curious, slightly suspicious and wonderfully cartoon-like. Its nose appears almost close enough to touch the glass, while its dark eyes seem to examine both me and the strange object I am pointing in its direction.

That curiosity inspired the title “Excuse Me, Is This Lens Edible?” At the Giraffe Centre, visitors can observe Rothschild’s giraffes at very close range, and the animals are clearly familiar with people carrying food. From the giraffe’s point of view, a photographer holding something round near his face may simply look like another visitor who has forgotten to serve lunch.

The humorous encounter also has a more serious background. The Giraffe Centre in Lang’ata combines visitor education with conservation and breeding work focused on Rothschild’s giraffes. Meeting one face to face makes their distinctive appearance impossible to ignore and turns an abstract conservation message into a personal experience.

I particularly like this photograph because it abandons the traditional elegant image of a giraffe standing gracefully on the savannah. Instead, it shows an inquisitive personality invading my personal space and almost entering the camera itself.

Sometimes wildlife photography requires patience, distance and a long lens. This time, my subject handled the distance for me. All I had to do was keep the camera steady and hope the giraffe decided that the lens looked more interesting than appetising.