Regional Journeys
Life Beyond the Horizon brings together photographs from across Africa, the Middle East, Europe and beyond.
Explore wildlife, marine life, landscape, travel and natural history through the individual perspectives of the exhibition's four photographers.
Southern Africa
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Southern Africa is one of the few places on Earth where wildlife photography can move beyond simple record shots and become true visual storytelling. Stretching from the woodlands of Angola and the great wilderness areas south of Tanzania, through Botswana and Namibia to the rich ecosystems of South Africa, the region offers an unrivalled diversity of subjects, habitats, and photographic opportunities.
For many visitors, wildlife photography begins in well-known parks such as Kruger National Park. These reserves provide exceptional wildlife sightings, but creating extraordinary images is often far more challenging than simply finding the animal. Photographers are usually restricted to roads and vehicles, competing with other visitors for position and angle.
The result can be images that are technically good but visually familiar. The true magic of Southern Africa lies beyond the checklist of species. It lies in photographing animals within landscapes that reveal something of their character and environment. A leopard resting in a cave entrance, framed by ancient rock formations, tells a richer story than a fleeting sighting in dense roadside vegetation. Elephants crossing the floodplains of Botswana’s Okavango Delta speak of scale, wilderness, and the relationship between wildlife and habitat. Images become stronger when they show not only the animal, but also the world in which it lives.
South Africa offers a different but equally rewarding experience. From the savannas of the Lowveld and the mountains of KwaZulu-Natal to the coastlines of the Cape, photographers can work with an extraordinary variety of subjects, habitats, and light. The country’s diversity allows the creation of portfolios that combine wildlife, birds, landscapes, and conservation stories.
What makes Southern Africa a dreamland for photography is not simply the abundance of wildlife. It is the opportunity to capture moments that reveal behaviour, environment, mood, and atmosphere. Here, photography is not about collecting sightings. It is about creating images that connect the viewer with the wild places and remarkable creatures that define this extraordinary region.
Robert Forrester / Richard Peek / Christine Theron
South sudan
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After decades of conflict in this country the trustees of the South Sudan Trust, with permission from the Ministry of Conservation and Tourism, aimed to capture images of this area for future research and prosperity’s sake. The project was also intended to be used as an aid for promoting fishing, bird watching and cultural tours in South Sudan, to develop eco-tourism. It was hoped that scientists would begin research in this vast swamp. I am pleased to read that a number of scientific studies, from various universities including Edinburgh University, are now underway in this vast environment, with its shifting maze of floating vegetation and annual mass-migration of wild animals.
The Dinka people are the largest ethnic group in South Sudan. They live in the savanna areas surrounding the Sudd and use the vast wetland for seasonal grazing for their cattle. They are competent fishermen, catching and drying copious amounts of fish which are stacked and stored, or traded along river routes to support communities.
Nicole Forrester
Kenya
In August/September I accompany Kyle to the Chyulu Hills in southeastern Kenya, where he is on standby to fight bush fires using an aircraft . For me this is heaven on earth - weeks of African bush with amazing wildlife and no concrete! My senses are filled with the sight, sound, smell and feel of Africa. Life is abundant here, from tiny insects and sunbirds to towering giraffes and mighty elephants. The background melody of cicada beetles and bird calls, interspersed with baboon screeches, buffalo snorts and elephant trumpets fill the air. Through my photography I would like to share with you the raw beauty of life in the wilds of Kenya and the emotions I feel – I hope you can imagine yourself being there.
Nicole Forrester
Saudi Arabia
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There are other distinct geographical areas within Saudi Arabia’s borders, including the towering Sarawat mountain range which follows the Red Sea coastline and reaches altitudes of over 3,000 metres; fertile highland areas; and lush, green, agricultural valleys.
I have been fortunate to spend the majority of my time in Saudi Arabia over the past two years, as my husband, Kyle, is working there as a pilot. Although feeling totally alien in this enormous, hot and harsh environment, the Saudis are wonderfully hospitable. Whilst taking photographs of some camels in the desert, the owner and his son arrived in his vehicle, offering dates and camel’s milk to dip them into. They were delighted to have photographs taken of themselves as well as the camels and I emailed them some copies. To Saudi Arabs, camels represent life, deep cultural heritage and national pride. The oil reserves in Saudi Arabia are the second largest in the world and the oil and gas from this region is essential to the global economy.
Nicole Forrester
Sea Life
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Taking underwater images was the first genre of my photography career. It began in the early 2000s when I became a PADI Scuba Instructor and opened a dive training centre in Zimbabwe. The crystal clear waters of Chinhoyi Caves provided my initial training ground, which then progressed to film and photography in the incredible underwater world of the Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique, where we owned a dive centre for five years. I am fascinated by marine life and still get butterflies in my stomach before a dive – so excited about what wonderful creatures I might find.
After we moved from Mozambique to England, I enrolled as a mature student at Falmouth University in Cornwall and studied a degree in Marine and Natural History Photography. I apply skills learned at university to the extensive practical knowledge I have, and continue to gain, when travelling to fascinating destinations. Currently we are based in Saudi Arabia on the Arabian Gulf coast and we have taken the opportunity to visited the Red Sea on the east coast a number of times. For me, the raw emotion of capturing images of wild marine life; vibrant corals; and exploring sunken shipwrecks; never gets dull.
Nicole Forrester
United Kingdom
Having live in the UK for the past 12 years, I have accumulated a multitude of photographs showing the diversity within this island. My images show landscapes and wildlife, as well as some street photography ranging from the cliffs in Cornwall, through green pastures, villages, cities and north to the Scottish highlands. The changing seasons create different perspectives throughout each year in this picturesque kingdom.
