Steve Irwin's Son Takes Stunning Photos Of The Wildlife His Family Helps Protect

Robert Irwin, the 13-year-old son of wildlife conservationist and “The Crocodile Hunter”Steve Irwin, is continuing his dad’s love of photography with his own stunning work.

Robert takes gorgeous photos of the wildlife he’s come to love, thanks to his parents’ passion for animals, and shares them onhis photography siteand hisInstagram page. The teen told HuffPost he turned to photography because he was inspired by his father, who died in 2006. Robert said Steve always carried his camera with him while traveling, which is what motivated him to pick one up himself.

“Growing up right in the middle of Australia Zoo with incredible animals in my backyard has helped drive my fascination with wildlife and nature, so when I started using a camera, it allowed me to capture the beauty of our natural world, which I can then share with others,” he said.

Using Canon DSLR cameras and a variety of Canon lenses, Robert takes photos of wildlife, landscapes and architecture, though the former two are his favorite subjects to capture.

“I love exploring our amazing natural spaces all around the world and this has allowed for some great photo opportunities,” he told HuffPost. “It is so important to inspire people, especially kids, to love our natural world and be passionate about protecting it for future generations. I believe that photography is a great way to achieve that.”

One of the teen’s favorite photos he’s taken shows a spotted python on a termite mound. Robert told HuffPost the snakes are not easily found and that it took weeks to track down the python on his family’s conservation property, the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. When his team finally did find it, they set up a studio flash and photographed the snake for about an hour, until Robert got “the perfect shot of the snake looking directly at the camera with his tongue out.”

“I was quite proud of that shot!” he said.

The rising photographer has already won awards for his work. He plans on continuing his passion for photography to help show others the importance of the wildlife his family works so hard to protect.

“Photography is my biggest passion and it is a great way to help people connect with our natural world, so that they will want to help save it,” he said. “Wildlife conservation and photography go hand in hand as one photo can showcase an individual animal and tell a story.”

See more of Robert’s work below as well as on hisphotography siteand on hisInstagram page.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.