…and an insane amount of trial, error, horrible failures to succeed and once you do, you have to do it all over again (preferably without the errors and the failures, but I’m almost certain they will happen!)
Let me start by saying I absolutely hate this expression - “it takes a village”. I get the sentiment and the truth behind it, but in the end, as opposed to a village, it’s the photographer alone who fails and has to deal with the aftermath (depression included at no extra charge!), who bears the entirety of the costs, the stress, the anxiety. Yes, it takes a village working together, but ultimately, this is all paid for, conceived and drive by one person.
But I digress. Recently I was immensely pleased to be one of the finalists in the very prestigious World Photography Organisation competition in the Travel category (see here) with an image I’m particularly proud of. This image has a history behind it - I conceived it almost 4 years ago during my first trip to Ethiopia, almost to the last detail. Back then, due to timing and circumstances I was not able to realise it but in the 3 1/2 intervening years I was slowly gearing up, experimenting, trying (and failing), slowly and surely preparing for it. And in my last trip I was able to realise it - almost exactly as I had planned it.
This is the image:
But, what did it take to make it happen? Two trips, more than 100 days in trials, thousands of images taken, discarded, retaken, processed and then discarded again only to start the cycle again. Hundreds of hours of study of sketching lighting diagrams and researching light and how to control, shape and mould it. And it took people - loads of them - and this image would not have been possible without them:
The wonderful people at Shadows of Africa who not only created an absolutely amazing trip for me but also pulled out all the stops to accommodate my peculiar and very specific demands. Inge, Lomayani, Amini and Hashani for creating a truly unforgettable trip with the tribes of Tanzania. The difficulties we had to overcome (the sun, the insufficient light, the challenging location) were absolutely invaluable lessons without which the winning image would never have been able to be realised. There are even better images hidden there and I cannot wait for the travel restrictions to lift to explore them and, with their help turn them into more award-winning images.
Hodi, my absolutely invaluable guide and fixer in the Omo Valley. Her spirit, her ingenuity and ability to organise things at the last moment, her thirst for knowledge and willingness to experiment literally made this image possible! I am planning to return to Ethiopia very soon and explore further remote areas of the Omo Valley with Hodi and I am absolutely sure some truly remarkable images “live” there. And I know with someone like Hodi I can bring them to life!
The amazing professionals at UK Nikon Professional Services for turning around camera repairs, cleaning and servicing in record times, even during the pandemic with all its challenges. During each trip my cameras take a lot of beating - dust, sun, sweat, the occasional rain shower - and despite my care and attention, they do need a professional service and I could not have been happier with my choice.
The various medical professionals, both private and NHS, for their help with testing, retesting, vaccinating etc., throughout this absolute mess that’s the pandemic. Without them I would never have been able to travel in 2020 (with more coming in 2021) and stay safe.
The staff at all the hotels I stayed in during my travels in 2020. At truly challenging times, with severe staff shortages, with hundreds of new rules to adapt to and to follow, I never came across a hotel in Africa which did not bend over backwards to make the very few visitors they had to feel safe, healthy and welcome. I am not exaggerating when I say that travelling through Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia I felt safer than I do when walking around here in the UK. Without them and the professionalism they exhibited, all the previous trips and the one in Ethiopia where I took this image would simply not have happened.
The above list is dozens and dozens of people, some of them I now consider my friends and colleagues, without which the image would not have happened. Yes, Hodi and Ali were the people organising this particular shot, but unless Inge and Loma had worked tirelessly to help me work through concepts and technical challenges, unless Rob and the NPS team had not ensured my cameras were performing as they needed to, unless I had been able to charge my lights in my hotel the night before, well, this image would not have happened. And I would like to thank each and every one of them - and I will - personally! This win is theirs as much as it is mine.
NOTE:
If you want to work with any of the people I mentioned above, please let me know and I can help bring you in touch.