North Bay Woman

F A L L 2 0 1 9 | NORTH BAY WOMAN 43 lived in my shirt every day." Eszterhas had to teach the wild kitten things that a serval mother would have done, such as how to hunt and kill rats, how to protect himself; basic big cat bush wisdom. "He began feeding really well. He thrived," she says. Of his own volition, the kitten, which Eszterhas named Moto, returned to the wild. She was left with a huge portfolio of photos of the young cat growing up, which she turned into a children's book called "Moto and Me." The book is one of more than 19 books for children that she has written and photographed, all focused on baby animals in the wild with their moms and siblings — lions, tigers, bears, sloths (one of Eszterhas' particular favorites) cheetahs, pandas and more. Despite the joys, triumphs and challenges of her career, Eszterhas freely admits that the most dangerous creatures she has met on the job have been other human beings. Her joy in her work, and her fight to prove herself doubly hard in what has typically been a man's profession, led her to create a new nonprofit called Girls Who Click. Launched early in 2018, the fledgling organization is dedicated to encouraging young women to take cameras into the natural world. "Major challenges to women in wildlife photography include sexism, old boys club attitudes, everything from patronization to downright dangerous situations," Eszterhas says. "I see no reason why this field needs to be male dominated and I would personally love to see more women do this because it gives an incredible amount of joy." Girls Who Click offers free workshops throughout the United States for girls ages 13 to 18 who are interested in nature photography. "We're letting girls know that they can do this as a profession or as part of another profession," Eszterhas says. "Nature photography is used in a lot of fields — by biologists, conservationists, rangers, to name a few. It's an incredibly rewarding thing." So far, the workshops (with other female nature photographers, in addition to Eszterhas, donating their time as teachers) have been held in LaJolla and Monterey in California, Florida, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. One of the key things the classes teach, in addition to empowering young women, is how to be aware of the natural world with a photographer's eye and sixth sense. "Wildlife is way more predictable than human beings, especially if you try to educate yourself before you photograph a species," Eszterhas explains. "You have to learn to understand and read animals' behavior before you're on the ground with them. You have to be smart in terms of using long lenses so you're not getting too close. You have to be protective of yourself as well as the animal." In addition to her work with young women, Eszterhas leads three tours a year to various parts of the world, taking up to 10 amateur photographers with her into the bush. "We're always on the move in those trips. No long days of waiting in vain. We drive around until we find animals to photograph," she says. "I love leading these because I enjoy the social aspects, and to help people have amazing experiences with animals in their natural world. Professional wildlife photography can be very lonely. But I really enjoy people. These trips are as much an opportunity for me to share something I love, with others." The day after we spoke on the phone Eszterhas called back to share what she feels is a key motivation that keeps her creating as she does. "I believe one of the greatest challenges facing our planet now is how disconnected children are from nature. When I grew up I spent so much time outdoors, climbing trees, making mud cakes, watching the birds. But most children these days have so little time in nature and so much time on devices. That's why I love doing children's books. Visual imagery can foster a connection with animals and nature, even in kids as young as small babies. I feel this is one of the greatest values my imagery has. "When it comes down to it," she concludes, "If the planet is to have a chance, we need our children actively engaged in the natural world and conservation. Without their involvement, there is no hope." For more information on Girls Who Click, go to girlswhoclick.org. For more information about Suzi Eszterhas, go to suzieszterhas.com. n Above: Suzi Eszterhas leads a Girls Who Click photography class at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve near Watsonville; Eszterhas' book "Moto and Me" tracks how she raised a serval kitten. - Photo by Carree Michel, book Courtesy of Owl Kids Books

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