Robert Irwin was only two years old when his father, famous conservationist Steve Irwin, died. Inspired by his dad, who always took a camera wherever he went, Robert has become quite the accomplished photographer by the young age of 13.
Irwin grew up right in the middle of the 100-acre Australia Zoo. He not only captures stunning photos of the animals who call it home, but he also takes his camera with him when traveling internationally to document what he finds. He spoke to the Huffington Post: “I love exploring our amazing natural spaces all around the world and this has allowed for some great photo opportunities.” He added, “It is so important to inspire people, especially kids, to love our natural world and be passionate about protecting it for future generations. I believe that photography is a great way to achieve that.”
One recent photo has garnered a lot of attention and landed Irwin on the shortlist for the prestigious Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the year. According to the article, “Robert [said] the snakes are not easily found and that it took weeks to track down the python on his family’s conservation property, the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. When his team finally did find it, they set up a studio flash and photographed the snake for about an hour, until Robert got ‘the perfect shot of the snake looking directly at the camera with his tongue out.'”
Irwin believes strongly that nature photography is incredibly important to spread the message of wildlife conservation. Pictures such as his share the beauty of the natural world with everyone around the globe. You can see more of Robert’s breathtaking photos below and on his Instagram account.