An African wild dog is one of the most social mammals on earth. They travel in packs and take care of each other like a team. Because of that, they have a higher hunting success rate than even lions.
It’s a fascinating animal to Boris Diaw, and after five safaris in Africa, the wild dog had become Diaw’s white whale.
He still hadn’t photographed a wild dog, an endangered species, after trips to South Africa, Botswana and Tanzania. For his sixth safari, he went to a specific reserve in South Africa that had a pack of wild dogs roaming.
Diaw was determined to snap a perfect photo, spending hours hiking through brush and avoiding black rhinos to get a glimpse of the dogs.
“I don’t know if I should say more,” Diaw said. “It’s a chapter in the book.”
Diaw’s book, Hoops to Hippos, is an educational book on wildlife in Africa he wrote and photographed. In the book, with a suggested reading age of children 7 to 10, Diaw shared his experiences on safari and took almost all of the photos, except the ones of himself.
He’ll have a book signing at 4 p.m. on Dec. 19 at Barnes & Noble, 15900 La Cantera Parkway. The book is also available to purchase online (National Geographic Kids Books, $5.99).
“Photography makes me want to explore, it makes me want to see more,” Diaw said. “You look at the world in a different way when you’re looking with a camera lens. You want to bring back memories and stories and share them with the world.”
Diaw’s passion for photography began when he first visited Senegal at the age of 7 and brought a disposable camera along. When he visited Africa again in 2004, after his rookie season in the NBA, he brought a better camera and discovered a second love.
As a star youth basketball player in France, Diaw had traveled his whole life. But his excursions abroad consisted of going from the gym to the hotel and back.
Photography helped him appreciate his experiences and pushed his thirst for adventure.
Soon, he was being chased away by elephants, getting too close to leopards and capturing it all on his camera.
“I don’t think I ever would have discovered how much I love photography if it wasn’t for basketball,” Diaw said. “Year after year, I just taught myself and asked other photographers for tips.”
Diaw befriended NBA photographers such as Catherine Steenkeste and Barry Gossage, often picking their brains and asking them for critique.
While he played for the Phoenix Suns, Diaw opened a photography studio with Gossage called Studio 3D.
“He was always asking questions about cameras and photography,” said Gossage, who has been an NBA photographer for 25 years. “It didn’t take long to see he had a natural eye, and then he really pushed himself in photography. He’s able to see composition, and he’s not afraid to experiment.”
Diaw continued to take photos as he traveled the world, and he admired the work of National Geographic wildlife photographer Steve Winter. A few years ago, Winter invited Diaw to join him at India's Bandhavgarh National Park, a tiger reserve and wildlife sanctuary.
The day before Diaw arrived, a tiger had killed two villagers. There were visa and security issues, but Diaw was focused on getting up close to a tiger and getting the photos.
“I love being able to tell the stories of these animals and being able to share through photography,” Diaw said. “There are so many different stories out there.”
Looking for an outlet to share his photos, Diaw had the idea of a children’s book. He contacted National Geographic, where kids books editor Shelby Alinsky admitted she was a bit skeptical.
National Geographic regularly receives submissions from celebrities who take photos as a hobby, but their work is often far from the standards of a Nat Geo photographer. The magazine has to be the one to tell the celebrity that they’re just a person with a camera.
When they met with Diaw, he showed them hundreds of photos from his safaris. Alinsky realized that Diaw was no average photographer. Not that the 6-foot-8, wine-and-coffee-drinking world traveling renaissance man has ever been “average” anything.
One of Diaw’s photos is now Alinsky’s computer desktop image.
“We were impressed,” Alinsky said. “He has a real, true, genuine passion for animals and photography. He has an interest not only in learning about these creatures and learning the art of photography. We knew right away that his story made for a very good book.”
Diaw teamed up with author Kitson Jazynka to put his safari stories to print, and National Geographic had photos from years of safaris to choose from.
The book was a two-year process, much of which took place while Diaw was helping the Spurs win the 2014 NBA Championship.
Diaw tells of his encounters with lions and leopards, cheetahs and crocs, and yes, wild dogs. He also adds educational information about animals, endangered species and some photography tips as well.
“He’s a true National Geographic photographer,” Alinsky said.
Diaw’s next photography frontier is upward. He’s become fascinated by astronomy photography, taking pictures of the moon and of other planets using telescopes.
Safaris piqued Diaw’s interest in wildlife photography, forming a lifelong passion to share that has taken him around the world.
Lately, the sky is having the same effect.
“It’s a big field to explore,” Diaw said. “When you see the beauty of the moon, the stars, the planets, you do want to go into space and explore for yourself. Maybe some day.”
Maybe Boris isn’t only for this world after all.
Twitter:@lornechan