Why a wildlife photographer took 40,000 photos to capture these extraordinary birds

Rebecca Cairns, CNN
5 minute read
Updated 7:50 AM EDT, Tue March 14, 2023
Wildlife photographer Tim Laman has spent three decades photographing birds of every shape and size across six continents. He's crawled through marshes, stood in river deltas, and crouched in camouflaged "blinds" to try to capture the perfect shot. Highlights of his exhilarating career are collected in his new photo book, "Bird Planet," from the striking scarlet ibis (pictured) to dazzling birds-of-paradise. <strong>Look through the gallery to see more of his stunning images. </strong>
Wildlife photographer Tim Laman has spent three decades photographing birds of every shape and size across six continents. He's crawled through marshes, stood in river deltas, and crouched in camouflaged "blinds" to try to capture the perfect shot. Highlights of his exhilarating career are collected in his new photo book, "Bird Planet," from the striking scarlet ibis (pictured) to dazzling birds-of-paradise. Look through the gallery to see more of his stunning images.
Courtesy Tim Laman
Laman says he often pre-plans and sets up aspects of his shot, like this one of a hummingbird in California. Hummingbirds are territorial, feeding on the same flowers multiple times a day, allowing Laman to choose a spot they frequent, observe them and set up his equipment. "You can kind of pre visualize the shot and think about the background, foreground, lighting and angles," he says. "You can try to almost design a beautiful shot, (and then) wait for the bird to come do his thing."
Laman says he often pre-plans and sets up aspects of his shot, like this one of a hummingbird in California. Hummingbirds are territorial, feeding on the same flowers multiple times a day, allowing Laman to choose a spot they frequent, observe them and set up his equipment. "You can kind of pre visualize the shot and think about the background, foreground, lighting and angles," he says. "You can try to almost design a beautiful shot, (and then) wait for the bird to come do his thing."
Courtesy Tim Laman
Some shots are more opportunistic -- like this one of a male rhinoceros hornbill in flight with a mouse in its beak, at Budo Su-ngai Padi National Park, Thailand. Describing them as the "largest and most charismatic birds of the canopy," Laman featured them in his first article for National Geographic magazine.
Some shots are more opportunistic -- like this one of a male rhinoceros hornbill in flight with a mouse in its beak, at Budo Su-ngai Padi National Park, Thailand. Describing them as the "largest and most charismatic birds of the canopy," Laman featured them in his first article for National Geographic magazine.
Courtesy Tim Laman
Photographing every species of the tropical birds-of-paradise became Laman's passion project, and he spent 544 days over eight years in New Guinea scouting the birds and setting up shots. This is a rare blue bird-of-paradise, captured on its favorite feeding tree in the Tari Valley in Papua New Guinea.
Photographing every species of the tropical birds-of-paradise became Laman's passion project, and he spent 544 days over eight years in New Guinea scouting the birds and setting up shots. This is a rare blue bird-of-paradise, captured on its favorite feeding tree in the Tari Valley in Papua New Guinea.
Courtesy Tim Laman
In Coachella Valley, California, Laman captured a close-up portrait of Costa's hummingbird. He spent hours watching the hummingbird return to its favorite perch to rest, and moved closer until he was within six feet of the tiny bird.
In Coachella Valley, California, Laman captured a close-up portrait of Costa's hummingbird. He spent hours watching the hummingbird return to its favorite perch to rest, and moved closer until he was within six feet of the tiny bird.
Courtesy Tim Laman
One of Laman's favorite photographs is of a Greater bird-of-paradise at sunrise in New Guinea, Indonesia. It became the face of a successful protest by local conservationists to prevent parts of the rainforest being turned into sugarcane plantations. "If we protect the habitat for the birds, then everything else in that rainforest and Aru is also going to benefit," says Laman.
One of Laman's favorite photographs is of a Greater bird-of-paradise at sunrise in New Guinea, Indonesia. It became the face of a successful protest by local conservationists to prevent parts of the rainforest being turned into sugarcane plantations. "If we protect the habitat for the birds, then everything else in that rainforest and Aru is also going to benefit," says Laman.
Courtesy Tim Laman
"When you freeze a bird in flight, or a bird taking off or displaying, you capture a moment in time that most people don't see," says Laman. On one of his five trips to Antarctica, he captured this Adélie penguin "porpoising," a behaviour which allows it to catch a breath and look for where to land as it leaps in and out the water.
"When you freeze a bird in flight, or a bird taking off or displaying, you capture a moment in time that most people don't see," says Laman. On one of his five trips to Antarctica, he captured this Adélie penguin "porpoising," a behaviour which allows it to catch a breath and look for where to land as it leaps in and out the water.
Courtesy Tim Laman
As a conservation photographer, Laman says showing birds in their habitats helps to remind people they are part of a larger ecosystem. "That's one reason why (I include) these wider shots, where the birds are small in the environment. I think they're really important for getting that message across, about the importance of healthy habitats," says Laman.
As a conservation photographer, Laman says showing birds in their habitats helps to remind people they are part of a larger ecosystem. "That's one reason why (I include) these wider shots, where the birds are small in the environment. I think they're really important for getting that message across, about the importance of healthy habitats," says Laman.
Courtesy Tim Laman
'Bird Planet' showcases birds like you've never seen them before

Editor’s Note: Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action.

CNN  — 

“I’m willing, more than most people, to go through some discomfort.”

That’s how American conservation photographer Tim Laman ended up with water rising over his knees in a marshy river delta at midnight, his camera gear floating by his side. “I got myself into a situation,” he admits.

Laman was in Venezuela’s Orinoco Basin searching for scarlet ibises, bright orange-red birds that roost among the tangle of mangrove roots and sticky mudflats at dusk. He wanted to photograph the birds in the evening and morning light – which meant spending the night on a fixed plywood raft in the middle of the river. But the tide charts he was using were incomplete and, as the sun set, the water came up over the raft.

“I spent the whole night standing on the platform, waiting for the tide to go back down, which it finally did by morning,” says Laman. “The sun came up and I got my camera back out and got more pictures of the birds.”

It’s a shot from this trip that wraps around the cover of his new photo book, “Bird Planet,” capturing the birds in flight, contrasted against a baby blue sky and softly glowing full moon.

“I think it was worth it, overall,” he jokes. This misadventure was the worst, he says, although after spending three decades photographing birds, he’s put himself in many precarious positions in pursuit of the perfect image.

Laman's dynamic photos give an insight into how birds live and move -- such as this rhinoceros hornbill carrying a mouse to its nest in Thailand.
Laman's dynamic photos give an insight into how birds live and move -- such as this rhinoceros hornbill carrying a mouse to its nest in Thailand.
Courtesy Tim Laman

“When you freeze the moment of a bird in flight, taking off, or in a (mating) display, you capture a moment in time,” says Laman, who hopes his work will inspire people to take care of birds, and their habitats.

“They’re one of the most charismatic and readily-observed types of wildlife, that people can see whether in the city or the country,” he says, adding: “Getting people to appreciate and pay attention more is one of my goals.”

544 days and 40,000 photos

Laman developed his lifelong obsession with tropical birds while carrying out research for his Ph.D. in the rainforests of Borneo. In the early 2000s, he pitched a story to National Geographic about the birds-of-paradise of New Guinea, a tropical island in the South Pacific split between the nation of Papua New Guinea in the east, and Indonesia to the west. According to Laman, the publication had never run a feature on the birds with photographs: “It seemed like a group that was really under-photographed and under-appreciated,” he adds.

Laman visited New Guinea five times for the article, presenting photos of around 15 species for the feature spread. But he wanted to do more, and made it his mission to photograph all 39 species known to science at the time (since then that number has increased to 45).

Between 2004 and 2012, Laman and ornithologist Ed