On Safari

Thursday October 13th, 2011

Sometimes, a photography career can take you to truly amazing places. This was certainly the case with Ryan Heffernan‘s recent assignment for Uncharted Outposts, a boutique travel agency based in Santa Fe. The job would have Ryan traveling all the way from New Mexico to the east African nation of Kenya.

For Ryan, not only was the location exotic and exciting, the assignment wasn’t bad either. He was commissioned to capture the total experience of a Kenyan safari—the geography, people, culture and animals—for Uncharted Outpost’s website and print materials. The shoot allowed Ryan complete creative freedom to photograph what, and how, he pleased while in Kenya, asked only that he bring back photos highlighting the essence of an African safari.

This would be Ryan’s first time in Kenya, and according to him, the country and experience blew him away. “It’s truly an incredible country.”

Once he’d reached Kenya, Ryan embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. The whirlwind assignment had him rushing from one location to another, including game conservancies, nature preserves, and many local villages. “It was an incredible place to go on a safari, and experiencing the local Maasai and Samburu cultures really enriched the experience. Spending time with the warriors and nomadic tribes was exceptional.”

Throughout his Kenyan journey, Ryan was able to capture some amazing images. Including one peaceful photo of a nearby sleeping lion. Ryan explains how he got the shot,

I was probably 25 feet way from the lion. Understandably, you aren’t allowed to get out of the vehicles when you’re close to the wildlife, so I leaned out over the door and used live preview to frame up the shot.

The response to the photos has been phenomenal, with the images being featured in 2011 Communication Arts Photo Annual,  as part of Ryan’s portfolio in PDN’s 30 Emerging Photographers of 2011, and in a show at the Ring Cube Gallery in Tokyo. But, “most importantly, the client was thrilled.”

- Maria Luci