Nature Photographer Ilmar Kaur: a good wildlife photo tells the story of an animal's behaviour

Surgeon and nature photographer Ilmar Kaur spoke on Vikerradio about the art of wildlife photography. Together with his son Verner, he has captured both wary bears and a curious lynx through his lens. According to Kaur, a good wildlife photo should tell a story and reveal an animal's behaviour.

Nature photographer and surgeon Ilmar Kaur shared his experiences of wildlife photography on Vikerradio, emphasising that a truly compelling wildlife photo goes beyond simply depicting an animal – it must reveal something deeper about wildlife.

According to Kaur, it is important that the image provides information about the surrounding environment and helps the viewer understand what the animal is doing and why. "An animal alone in a photo is not enough – what matters is behaviour, context, the story that the photo tells," he explained.

Together with his son Verner, Kaur has captured many rare moments from Estonian nature through his camera. One of his most memorable experiences has been photographing wary bears, and they have also managed to document a curious lynx – an animal that is far from easy to capture in the wild.

For Kaur, wildlife photography is essentially a second full-time passion alongside his medical work, one that demands patience, knowledge of nature, and willingness to spend hours motionless in hiding, waiting. According to him, the wait is always worth it when the right moment finally arrives.