Photographer Profiles

Young Wildlife Photographer Captures Amazing Close-Ups of Animals Reacting to His Presence

Ron Leach  |  Aug 8, 2016

Konsta Punkka, aka “The Squirrel Whisperer,” is a 21-year-old Finnish photographer known for his amazing close-up portraits of animals reacting to his presence in their natural habitat. His unique approach to wildlife photography has earned him over 800,000 Instagram followers.

 

A photo posted by Konsta Punkka (@kpunkka) on

Punkka has received some criticism for images of animals eating out of his hands because feeding wildlife is controversial, but he now avoids the practice and utilizes his skills and knowledge of animal behavior.

 

A photo posted by Konsta Punkka (@kpunkka) on

“I need to focus on their behavior and areas where they move to finally capture close-up shots without disturbing them," he says.

 

A photo posted by Konsta Punkka (@kpunkka) on

Most of Punkka’s work has been done in Scandinavia, but he says he plans to spend more time getting up-close-and-personal with animals in Asia and tropical locales.

 

A photo posted by Konsta Punkka (@kpunkka) on

You can see more of his amazing images on his Instagram page.

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