Nimble hands, a metal lock and a key fill the camera’s lens. A hairy hand twists the key to crack open the lock. The camera snaps. An orangutan mother opens the door, grabs her child and flees the dark cage, yet again.

Richard Sheehan, Notre Dame professor emeritus and independent photographer, captured this moment years ago in the Los Angeles Zoo. According to him, it was a common occurrence.

Before becoming a Notre Dame finance professor and capturing wildlife pictures, Sheehan worked at the Federal Reserve as an economist. During his time at the Federal Reserve, he recorded the macroeconomy, monetary policies and their growth over time.

He said sports-related data piqued his interest in pursuing a career as a macroeconomics professor and researcher.

“It led me to think of the question: Suppose you could split off football programs from colleges … and then you can sell that. How much would that be worth?,” he said. 

Sheehan was the first who “asked that question.” It commenced his research, teaching and career at Notre Dame.

This idea, along with others, prompted him to release his book, “Keeping Score: the Economics of Big-time Sports.” In his book, Sheehan addresses the value of professional and collegiate teams. He also answers questions about “paying [college] athletes” and “competitive balance.”

Throughout his time as a finance professor, Sheehan also pursued photography as a hobby. He accredits his interest in photography due to the revolution of the digital camera.

A digital camera was his present to himself after defending his Ph.D. dissertation. It was barely used, but his first family African safari was “a real breakthrough” for two reasons.

One reason was because Sheehan did not have to rely on developers and “was in control all the way through.” Another reason was the instant feedback allowed him to learn more throughout the safari than previously.

Over his 40 trips to Africa, he has taken digital pictures of nearly every wild animal. 

“If you can think of a wild animal, I have probably photographed it from lions to leopards to tigers to cheetahs … ” he said.

Sheehan said that one of his friends has a history of leopard and tiger conservation, which prompted Sheehan’s hobby of wildlife photography. In his most recent trip to the Orange Free State, South Africa, Sheehan photographed these tigers and their cubs outside of their den. 

Sheehan said one of his favorite animals to photograph is the African wild dog, a critically endangered species whose hunting patterns are distinct from the common cat predators.

He said the monochromatic aesthetic of zebras are “always graphic.” He also said intelligent animals, like the orangutan and elephant, are his favorite to capture, pointing to the common orangutan outbreak in the Los Angeles Zoo. 

After his recent trip to South Africa, Sheehan returned to Notre Dame to temporarily teach macroeconomics this semester.