My Africa

Official Photographer for Conservation International @conservationorg‘s MY AFRICA, a 3D virtual reality film narrated by Academy Award-winner @lupitanyingo which brings viewers up-close-and-personal with community-led conservation in Samburu, northern Kenya.

#MyAfrica premiered at @tribeca Film Festival ‪April 18-29‬ #Tribeca2018
👉🏿 Official trailer: ‪conservation.org/myafrica‬

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CHZ-88EKsA

Wildlife keeper at Sarara Camp Lekupania receives kisses from orphaned Grevy’s zebra at the Sarara Camp (@sararacamp) stables. All the baby animals at Sarara – baby giraffe, zebra, eland, warthogs – absolutely love Lekupania, after all he is their mum! These zebra were orphaned but soon will be rehabilitated and returned to the wild. Sarara is on a sanctuary that sits on the 850,000-acre Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, owned by the Samburu community. ~Stills shoot for “My Africa”, virtual reality film set in Northern Kenya.

The famed “singing wells” of the Samburu people, a scene in a remote area of northern Kenya that has remained unchanged for centuries – and which they are determined will remain for many more. The purpose of the Samburu singing to their livestock is not only expressive, it also has function. Hundreds of animals may get watered at one time, each morani sings a hypnotic synchronicity, their animals know the trough where their owner is watering them because they know the sound of his voice recognising the pitch, sorting any issues of cattle getting mixed up without any physical way of organising them. The ‘singing wells’ is one of the most fascinating examples of the link between the morani and their animals, and poignant demonstrations of the bond the Samburu have with their ecosystem. ~Stills shoot for “My Africa”, virtual reality film set in Northern Kenya.

In Samburu culture, beads define the concept of a woman’s beauty. A beautiful woman in Samburu means well defined long neck and coloured body structure. The only way to achieve this is to war beads from infancy to old age. Beads are believed to make a woman feel feminine and beautiful, varying from neck rings, bracelets to anklets. It is always such a pleasure to be granted trust to photograph Samburu women – capturing their strength and colourful clothes and beads against the backdrop of Samburu’s orange soil and orange-blue mountains is deeply inspiring. ~ Stills shoot for “My Africa”, virtual reality film set in Northern Kenya.

A ‘morani’ warrior lifts water in a bucket to his friend at the top from a ‘kisima’ or well dug deep in the dry river bed in Samburu’s wilderness. The Samburu “singing wells” are famous and have remained unchanged for centuries, and which the Samburu are determined will remain for many more. They sing to self-express and to call their cattle to their kisimia, each morani has his own song the cattle recognize. I get this shot I lowered myself down to the bottom of the well, knee-deep in the cool sandy water while Africa’s heat scorched the earth above. What struck me was the beauty of the light and shadows on the moran’s back as he sang drawing and lifting the life-giving water. I’m not sure how many non-Samburu have been given permission to be at the bottom of one of their wells during critical watering time for their cattle, but for me it felt like a privilege. ~Stills shoot for “My Africa”, virtual reality film set in Northern Kenya.

Umoja Woman’s Village

Crying for Coal

Animal Farm

Wildlife Wars