THE LONG GAME

Will Burrard-Lucas on the value of persevering with a long-term project

Four years ago, I followed a vague tip-off that led to me capturing an unprecedented series of photographs of a black leopard in Africa. It was an incredible scoop that resulted in worldwide media attention. The ethos that led me to invest in such a speculative, low-odds endeavour was the same as the one I described in last month’s column, which looked at how taking the greatest risks can often yield the best results. In this column, however, I will concentrate on what I did thereafter…

When you capture the shot of your dreams, it is tempting to draw a line under the project and move on to your next big idea. For me though, capturing that first ‘great’ image is the point at which a project really begins.