What Eszterhas Learned While Taking Photos for New on Earth
Eszterhas said one of the lessons she’s learned while taking photos for New on Earth is not to go into a situation with any preconceived notions of how an animal is going to behave. They’re generally not going to behave in the manner you think they are, she said, because all animals are different. That doesn’t mean Eszterhas doesn’t arm herself with knowledge—she researches the behavior of the species she’s going to cover before any shoot—but it does mean that she has an open mind and works to get to know each individual.
Over the years, Eszterhas has also learned to get more help from others with her shoots. Earlier in her career, she used to do everything alone, primarily because she was working on a shoestring budget. But now she can afford to hire trackers and guides, which she likes to do to help bring money into local economies and communities.
Eszterhas said she is now more careful and much more aware of her personal safety and surroundings when it comes to humans. She doesn’t make a lot of the same choices she made when she was younger.
