MAP OF THE MARA

Maasai Mara, Kenya 2017         

The overarching goal of my photography is to offer a timeless glimpse into the souls of my subjects.  It's the carrot in front of the horse and I most often achieve this goal by putting myself in intimate proximity to the animal's face in an attempt to capture their narrative through their eyes.  With untold hours of planning and preparation, and a little bit of luck, this technique works with the majority of my subjects; but not the giraffe.

Resembling more of a genetic menagerie than a single particular species, these towering spectacles of evolution offer little in terms of my traditional soul-searching and compositional techniques because, well, they're simply too tall.  Couple that with their awkward-at-best facial aesthetics and an utter lack of curiosity and you've got to start thinking outside the box.  

So, out of necessity, I too evolved my approach in order to achieve a piece worthy of their grandeur. After several days of observation it became clear to me that giraffes don't reveal their story through their eyes - they carry it on their bodies. Their beautifully canvassed blemishes are the visual braille that tells their tale. It's brutally honest. Like the rings of a tree, or rattles on a diamondback, their scars are the map of their past - revealing a history of challenge and triumph.

The strength of this photo is it's otherworldly sharpness and it's simple yet powerful depiction of toughness and adversity.  It also elicits the feeling that these animals are too large to be captured in a single frame.  Looking at this photo for the first time out of the camera was a proud moment, and one I hope to share with collectors and conservationists alike.

• AVAILABLE SIZES

• LARGE: 72" X 108"

• STANDARD: 36" X 54"

• AVAILABLE EDITIONS

• LARGE: Edition of 14

• STANDARD: Edition of 14