Robert Irwin Says His Photography Gear Often Gets Stolen
Steve Irwin’s son Robert, famous in his own right and a talented photographer, recently revealed that he is constantly having to deal with thieves stealing his photo gear.
Irwin, who is currently on Dancing With the Stars, tells People that the biggest hazard he faces as a wildlife photographer is not poisonous snakes or snapping crocodiles, but thieves.
“I was flying through Nairobi, and we touched down, and I have my hard case full of camera gear,” he tells People. “I had to check it because it didn’t fit as carry-on.”
As traveling photographers know, being detached from your camera gear is always unnerving, and Irwin was instantly alarmed when he didn’t see his camera come off the conveyor belt.
“I just went, ‘That’s strange.’ I don’t know what it was, but I just went, ‘I’m just going to check the conveyor belt one more time’ and I walked back and out of the corner of my eye, I see the Pelican case. It’s on a trolley and someone’s walking with it out the front door stealing it,” Irwin says.
His camera case is covered in stickers and has a unique look, “you couldn’t mistake for someone else’s,” he says. Fortunately, Irwin was able to retrieve his case after he intercepted the thief.
“He looks at me and he looks around at everyone and gives it to me and then just takes off running,” he tells People. “But this happens all the time. It happens everywhere, all around the world.”
When interviewed by PetaPixel in 2023, Irwin said he’s always had something to do with the camera. “Whether I’m in front or behind and then navigating how you can use that platform to create positive change — to get your images, voice, story, and what you stand for out into the world.”
“The difficult part is understanding your subject, knowing the story that you want to tell, figuring out how you can put yourself in a position to get an image that no one else has gotten before you. That’s where it starts to get tricky, and then navigating the world and having a platform with whatever your craft is,” he said.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
