Birds of the world: wonders of biodiversity! An interview with Wayne H. Smith

13 September, 2024

By Susan and Richard Dauphiné

Wayne H. Smith looks at his photo of a Green Turaco (Tauraco persa), displayed as part of an exhibition of his photos at l’Eglise protestante unie de l’Annonciation, Paris. Photo by Richard Dauphiné.

Photographer Wayne H. Smith has traveled the world as a witness to the wonders of biodiversity. Born in the United States and a longtime resident of France, he recently exhibited a selection of his incredible photos in Paris, entitled “Birds of the world: wonders of biodiversity!” We sat down with him during the exhibition to learn more about his life and work.

1.     How did you first become interested in birds, and how did your current photography exhibition come to be?

In 2001, I went to South Africa for the first time. The birds that I observed there struck me as so different from the birds that I had observed in the United States and France. They just grabbed my attention and from that moment, I decided that birds would be a necessary part of my portfolio. Just before I retired at the end of 2019, I put on a small photo show, hosted by my employer. The show focused on birds and after I retired, I intended to transform that into something open to the public. For a while I searched for a place to show my bird photographs, and I finally got a positive response from the pastor of the church that owns this conference center in Paris. She is very green-minded and concerned about the state of the natural world, as I am too. 

2.     Do you have a favorite bird?

That is a very difficult question. At this exhibition, we have 77 different species from 23 different countries that I have photographed over the past 24 years. What amazes me is not just the beauty of the birds, but also the strangeness of birds, in their extreme diversity. You can take any of these birds, they are all so different, so unique. Each one is marvelous and beautiful, as well as vulnerable: the information on each species at the exhibition includes the IUCN assessment of the degree of threat to the bird’s survival, from “least concern” to “critically endangered.”

Variable Sunbird (Cinnyris venustus) male, Ngungwe National Park, Rwanda. Photo by Wayne H. Smith.

3.     Can you briefly describe your career path to get to where you are now?

I graduated from the University of Chicago in 1978. After that, I was planning to continue my education by going to law school, but first I wanted to spend a year in Europe, and I chose Paris. I arrived in Paris in 1980, and my plan was to go back to the US and attend law school the following year. But I just never made it back to the United States, and now I have a French law degree and I’ve been living in Paris for 44 years. I worked in the securities field for about 30 years, and during the last 15 years I worked for the French equivalent of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a securities regulator. My work took me all over the world, from Canada to Mexico to India to Australia, from Singapore to Hong Kong.

When I traveled, I tried to arrive a day or two early for the meetings or leave a day or two after the meetings so that I could explore either the city zoo, or preferably, real wildlife. In countries like the ones I mentioned, there is considerable wildlife. Over the years I learned a lot, doing everything I can think of to improve my photographs. For example in case one camera dies, which has happened before, I always carry two cameras. This also helps me be ready for different types of shots because, in addition to the two camera bodies, I have two lenses ready to go instantly, because things can happen quickly whether on the city streets or in a jungle. In bird photography, there are many surprising things. I think it’s always lucky if you see animals in action, such as hunting, building a nest, or feeding. You don’t see that as often as you’d like, but when it happens it’s definitely one of the highlights.  

Ocellated Antbird (Phaenostictus mcleannani), Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica. Photo by Wayne H. Smith.

4.     What are the most surprising things you’ve had happen in your work?

There’s a picture here of a very beautiful bee-eater. I made a trip to Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, in December 2019. It was the last trip I made for my employer, and after three days of meetings, I went to central India to see a couple of national parks known as tiger reserves. I had a guide and we arrived at the park entrance at 6 am, when it opened, and we looked for tigers until 9 am, with no luck. By this time we were both hungry, so the guide parked the car in a designated parking lot. You cannot get out of your vehicle otherwise, because of the tigers. It’s too dangerous to be walking around. While my guide was preparing breakfast, I kept my eyes open because there’s always something happening, and saw this bee-eater in perfect light on the edge of the parking lot. Surprises, big and small, can occur anytime. You just have to be ready for them!

Asian Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis), Pench National Park, India. Photo by Wayne H. Smith.

5.     What have been among the most memorable moments of your time in the field?

My French wife and I were in Botswana about 15 years ago with our sons, in a jeep with our very good local guide. The brush was rather dense and we came across a female elephant with a baby elephant. We surprised her and she surprised us. She looked at us and looked at her baby. Then she started moving her head up and down and then she lowered her head and the guide told us « She’s going to charge. » He backed up as quickly as he could, but we hit a stump and were stopped dead in our tracks. The mother stopped about 20 feet before colliding with the jeep, looked at us like she wanted to warn us and then she turned her head and she walked away. I was not prepared for that. I have no pictures of that. It was just too frightening. So you can’t always be prepared because some things are going be such a big surprise that you’re just not ready. That’s what happened that day.

Grey-crowned Cranes (Balearica regulorum), Lake Baringo, Kenya. Photo by Wayne H. Smith.

6.     What projects are you currently working on, and what are your priorities for future projects?

Making a book is something that I will consider. Finding other venues to display these pictures, maybe in a different part of Paris, and maybe somewhere outside Paris is also something that I’m thinking about at the same time. I’m always busy just reviewing the pictures I have. I have 33,000 pictures on my computer and that’s after several long phases of filtering and editing. I’m still working through them. Priorities for future projects include thinking about another book or more photographs of birds or other wildlife. I take pictures of absolutely everything so what might be my next theme? I’m not sure. It could be landscapes, kids - or the elderly, or religious sites - around the world, or something else. I have a lot of different pictures and interests, and there are so many stunning things and places to see and experience, and then share with others.

Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops) in Bhutan. Photo by Wayne H. Smith.

7.     Do you have any advice for young people pursuing a career in wildlife for photography?

Air travel is something that I don’t like to encourage, but there aren’t many other options available. Even to come to France from the US, it’s not very realistic to take a ship. It’s possible but very few people do that. But I think you have to travel to see what this planet of ours holds. Also, do not minimize or dismiss any particular subject. I mean, I realize that most people don’t like insects, but they are absolutely amazing once you really look at them. That means being curious, as well as staying off your smart phone. A lot of people go to Africa just to see the lions and the elephants, as you know, but beyond the “big five” (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and African buffalo), there is so much more, like chameleons walking in the grass and a whole other world after dark. It’s just endless. You just have to keep your eyes – and your mind – open to begin to appreciate it all.

Pale-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus guatemalensis) male, Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica; this species is a close relative of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis). Photo by Wayne H. Smith.