I’ve said it before: Amboseli is the best place in the world to photograph. And after a few days in this place I stand by these words. When you come up to Observation HillI at 7 AM you realize there’re few places in the world that are more amazing. To try to capture this feeling with a camera would be - well - pointless. The best moments are never to be photographed but always remembered.
Amboseli’s one of a kind landscape has very few tension points and the big herds of elephants are truly breathtaking. The wide view over the iconic dry lake is amazing and different every time. It’s conservation at its finest.
Photographing in Africa often resembles capturing the beauty of these endless African savannas and creating stunning images of magnificent sundowners. But the truth is, this is kind of bullshit and not telling the whole story.
People often ask me two question: “why photograph wildlife?” and “why the black and white toning?”. The reasons are rather simple and lie surprisingly close to each other. These creatures, whereas it would be lions, gorillas or elephants are on the edge of extinction. And so I want my images to resonate a sense of timelessness. As if they could very well be made 2017 BCE or in 2017...
Africa’s problems are reaching beyond poaching, HIV and poverty. Just like many other countries we are the problem. Whether it’s elephants in Africa or the billions of “raised for food” animals in the Western Hemisphere; we are just with to many people using too much natural resources.
Ultimately, I’m not interested in creating works for sale. And it’s not about getting about getting action packed shots which do great on Instagram or Facebook. It’s about creating awareness for these animals so I can get my children and my children’s children to see them in the wild before they cease to exist...
Jochen van Dijk
Amboseli, Kenya
9/11/2017