Held Together

Maasai Mara, Kenya 2023

Both of them are young. The one in front is just a little older than the one behind. The younger one is holding the older one's tail with the tip of his trunk — seeking guidance from the one ahead. This is what young elephants do in a herd. They learn by following, by touching, by staying close to the ones who already know.

The herd was in front of us with many bonding moments happening at once. Calves, mothers, the older juveniles. I was watching for a small strong one — something quiet that would carry the connection without needing to explain itself. Technically the photograph was not difficult. Spotting the moment was the work. By the time you see it, you have a second to lift the camera and frame it before the animals move and the line of sight breaks. Most of these moments do not survive that second.

This image belongs to The Heart of the Wild. I do not photograph wildlife to document it. I photograph because being in these places is what makes me feel the most alive. The Mara is full of moments like this one if you slow down enough to see them. The first days of the trip I was reactive, shooting too much, missing the small things because I was chasing the big ones. Somewhere in the middle of the trip I started waiting for the quiet moments instead. That shift is what made the work.

Format I think about a lot. This image needed a horizontal frame with the grass on both sides — the two animals breathing inside the field, not pressed against the edge. A tighter crop would have killed the connection.