A young elephant calf leans against her mother as the herd presses around protectively during their journey back into the deeper savannah grasslands.

Khegela means "lean" in Tsonga.

A young elephant calf leans against her mother as the herd presses around protectively during their journey back into the deeper savannah grasslands.

It was a particularly hot afternoon. The lazy air wrapped around the family of elephants as they drank and cooled off along the muddy banks of the river. Eventually they emerged, the younger ones caked in the chalky, dry mud, and climbed up the sides of the embankment, moving straight towards us. As they neared, the herd paused to congregate, and a little one stepped between her mother and a spouse, taking the opportunity to rest briefly against her powerful leg as the others formed the group. With a loud trumpet call, the matriarch of the herd gathered her members together, leading them slowly past us into deeper bush nearby in search of life-giving savannah grasses and leaves to feed on.

I noticed they were skittish. Rightfully so, as only a few days ago a pride of lions took down one of their own. So it is with life, I suppose. One sometimes tends to hold a fantasy just out of the need to see the purity of life, yet the rawness of its challenges always remains ominous. Elephants (perhaps like all animals) are deeply intelligent, and their awareness of the past and present is so attuned that we, as mere humans, will for some time still never know them fully or comprehend their own daily challenges of life. My respect for this beautiful creature never ends, especially when one considers for a moment how they must live to thrive while we go about our daily lives.

Raw Africa Collection

Welcome to Africa - the wise, the restless, the life giving.

This soulful land of dreamers gives rise to the underbelly of a beautiful gentle beat that is only heard by those who listen for it. This photographic journey explores, profiles and captures what I hope is the heart and soul of Africa's true wilderness kingdom. From its deep bush to its dry savannah and desert, Africa remains a place where life is represented by timeless vistas that are distilled into moments to treasure.