Over the years of hopping between concrete and savannahs, it has become painfully obvious how human exploits are diminishing the beauty of wildlife ecosystems with each passing day. It is unfortunate that this entire sophisticated network is at the mercy of us and our actions. As animal populations decrease in the hundreds of thousands along with their natural habitat, it is glaringly obvious support is needed in both restoration and conservation efforts.

The medium of photography is an extremely powerful tool in conservation – it provides a visual voice. Real change and action rarely originate from technical white papers and donation requests. It comes from a deeper emotional connection and our capacity to create a profound sense of empathy and compassion – one with nature and one with an understanding of the impact we have had on this planet that not only threatens the wild and its natural habitat, but our future existence. Photography evokes this in through its visual narrative and storytelling.

My role as a wildlife photographer exists because there are beautiful and spectacular moments to capture in the wild, but therein exists an important duty to the preservation and conservation of the wilderness and its natural habitat. This gives me a bigger sense of responsibility as a human and photographer to use my work to showcase the beauty of the once abundant wildlife on this planet.