When I first stepped onto the African plains, I had no idea how much 18 days would change the way I see the world. Traveling through Kenya and Tanzania on safari was not just about ticking names off a wildlife checklist. It was about slowing down, paying attention, and feeling a connection to a land that pulses with raw, untamed beauty.
Armed with a Sony RX10iv and a heart full of curiosity, I set off to explore some of the most iconic landscapes in the world: the Maasai Mara, the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater. I ended up with 4,000 photographs—each one a story. Each click of the shutter was a reminder that life, like nature, is fleeting and precious.
The moment that defined the trip came early. At Ark Lodge in Aberdare National Park, I stepped into the observation room just after dusk. A spotlight revealed a herd of nearly 20 elephants at the watering hole, no more than 10 yards away. They were quiet, still, and majestic. I watched as one elephant used its tusk and trunk to dig up mineral-rich soil and place it in its mouth. It was then I understood—this journey wasn’t going to be about spectacle. It was going to be about wonder.
As the days passed, I saw more elephants than I ever imagined: families bathing in rivers, a calf getting its feet in place to standup after a nap, matriarchs guiding their herds with calm authority. Each encounter held a lesson in resilience and unity.
At night, the wilderness sang to me. Hyenas called like a chorus, lions purred in the distance. One night, as I lay in a tent at Embalakai Camp, I heard a lion’s deep, rhythmic roar. It felt more like a lullaby than a threat. In the morning, I asked others if they heard it. They hadn’t. That moment belonged to me.
Of course, not all memories are quiet. I watched lions guard their prey from encroaching hyenas. I saw giraffes sparring with their necks in slow-motion combat. I even witnessed a rare hippo battle between a mother defending her calves and a charging bull. Each scene unfolded not with drama, but with dignity—a testament to how wildlife exists on its own terms, not for human amusement.
This trip wasn’t just about mammals. As I compiled photos for Birds of Africa: Kenya and Tanzania, I began to notice the grace of feathered creatures. From the commanding presence of the African Fish Eagle to the subtle beauty of the Pied Kingfisher, each bird brought new color and energy to the experience.
Bird photography is all about timing. There were no blinds, no planned set-ups—just an attentive eye, a knowledgeable guide, and the patience to wait for flight. When you catch a wing fully extended, the feathers in focus, the light just right, it’s like capturing a breath of freedom.
Now, when I flip through the pages of my books, I’m reminded that Africa gave me more than images. It gave me a renewed appreciation for wildness, a deeper respect for the creatures who live without fences, and a gentler pace of observation. The safari wasn’t about adrenaline. It was about awakening.
And so I invite readers to join me—not just in seeing these animals, but in seeing through them. The elephants, the lions, the birds—they’re all mirrors, reflecting a quieter, more instinctual part of ourselves we often forget.
If you want to experience that kind of beauty for yourself, my books are a good place to start. The book is not just photos of the animals, but has QR Codes that link to videos of the live action of hippos fighting, elephants in a river and much more.