ROSE-ANNE Reyes has no fear when she picks up her camera and ventures into the wild. Whether she’s taking photos of lions and antelopes in South Africa or hummingbirds and capuchins in TT, she thrives on the connection between nature, light, and lens. Now the Santa Cruz-born wildlife photographer has published two coffee table books showcasing her work – one from her home country and another from her dream trip to Africa.

In an interview with Newsday on May 20, Reyes said she brought “all kinds of animals home” as a child.

[caption id="attachment_1156931" align="alignnone" width="791"] A masked cardinal in TT. -  Photo by Rose-Anne Reyes[/caption]

“I always liked wildlife and animals. So (when we went) to the river, for instance, I would find ducks and bring them home…At one point, we had pigeons, a rabbit or two, hamsters and dogs and cats.”

Her parents also had an active subscription to National Geographic’s magazine.

“They cover a range of things including architecture, etc, but the wildlife part of the publication was always the one that drew me in. If they didn't have any wildlife, I’d just look for something else (to read).”

She added, “And, honestly, that is how my fascination with Africa started as well.”

She said she was always creative and “visual,” which led to her pursuing art at a CSEC level.

“From small, I'd always be drawing cartoon characters or other things.”

“I mean, I don't know how great it was then,” she said with a laugh. ”But those were the artsy things I was into.”

[caption id="attachment_1156932" align="alignnone" width="791"] A caiman in TT. - Photo by Rose-Anne Reyes[/caption]

She said her parents kept asking if she was sure this was the direction she wanted to go, even suggesting she focus on business subjects.

“Things they considered practical, you know? But I'm the kind of person (where) if you point me in one direction, I tend to go the opposite way. I tend to rebel against that.”

After completing secondary school, she ran a business – Ruff Designs – for a while, which sold hand-painted ties and T-shirts. She was too young to begin university, she explained.

But when the time came, she remembered her interest in commercial art being piqued when representatives from the International Fine Arts College in Florida, US, visited her school.

[caption id="attachment_1156933" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Flamingos in TT. - Photo by Rose-Anne Reyes[/caption]

“I sent in an application because I knew that's the direction I wanted to go. I didn't think I wanted to be someone who would sit in an office.

She did a degree in commercial art.

It was her first time being away from home for that long, and she struggled with homesickness.

“We grew up at home and we lived basically a sheltered life. And then you're in a foreign country, you realise cultures are different, people are different…So it was an eye-opener for me in that sense.”

As part of her degree, she said she learnt many different styles of drawing, but also some photography.

“And in those days