#055 - Silent Strength

Lake Nakuru, Kenya - 2023
 
In 2023, I led a one-to-one wildlife photography safari to Lake Nakuru, Kenya, with the specific objective of spending two days focused on rhinos. To our dismay, we learned upon arrival that the rhinos had been hiding in the thick bushes for the past week, avoiding the roads and eluding any sightings. This presented a significant concern, as it meant that our mission to locate and photograph these magnificent creatures would be more difficult than anticipated.
 
Working with wild animals is always unpredictable, and that unpredictability is part of what makes African wildlife photography so rewarding. Every day brings new challenges and opportunities that can’t be anticipated. That’s part of the thrill and the challenge of the safari experience.
 
On our second day, we set out from our lodge early in the morning, brimming with hope and anticipation for a closer encounter with the elusive rhinos. After 20 to 30 minutes of searching, I finally spotted them again, once more from a considerable distance. We parked the vehicle and waited patiently, understanding that true fine art wildlife prints often begin with quiet endurance. Our patience was rewarded as the rhinos gradually moved closer to us. For about an hour, we were treated to an incredible close-up experience, observing three magnificent rhinos from just 5 to 6 meters away. It was a rare and intimate encounter, offering a fantastic opportunity to capture their grandeur up close and in their natural habitat, a moment that would later become a limited edition rhino print celebrating the quiet power of these remarkable animals.