Awesome I

Awesome I, Mara North Conservancy, Kenya

For an hour, this elephant moved slowly along the ridge — unhurried, indifferent to everything below. The sky built behind it the entire time. This is the moment it all came together.  This image has been Highly Commended in the 2026 BBC Wildlife Magazine photography competition and will be published in the July 2026 print copy of the magazine.

The Mara North Conservancy sits on the northern edge of the Masai Mara ecosystem, bordering the Maasai lands that stretch toward the Siria Escarpment. It is quieter than the main reserve, less trafficked, and on the right afternoon the light and weather can do extraordinary things. This was one of those afternoons.

The storm, a slow accumulation of cloud that rolled in from the west and stacked up over the ridge. The elephant was untroubled by it.  It continued along its route, pausing occasionally to pull at the dry-season grass, while behind it the sky turned from pale blue to something considerably more serious.

The shot required patience rather than luck. The elephant’s position relative to the cloud formation shifted constantly, and most frames placed it too far left or off away from the horizon. This one — a single moment when the animal crested the ridge and the cloud reached its fullest height — was the frame worth keeping.

Also available in colour — a version worth considering.

About These Prints

Every print is produced by Whitewall, voted the world’s best photo lab by TIPA for multiple years. The quality speaks for itself.

Fine Art Print — Hahnemühle Photo Rag paper, printed with a 1cm border. A museum-quality archival paper that renders tone and shadow with exceptional depth.

Framed Print — As above, with a 3cm passe-partout mount and a 20mm black oak frame. Ready to hang.

Artbox — The image mounted behind glass in a slim aluminium frame. Clean, contemporary, and particularly striking at larger sizes.

Do visit my Prints and Framing page for more information on these products.

A note on sizing

All sizes refer to the image area only — the border, mount, and frame add to the overall dimensions. If you’re buying for a specific wall space or an existing frame, please factor this in. Not sure? Drop me a message and I’ll help you work it out.

Something else in mind?

Different size, different frame, different format entirely — I’m happy to help. Get in touch via the Contact page and I’ll do my best to sort it.

All prints are supplied without watermark or copyright overlay.