BLACK BEAUTY

Borana in Kenya offers some of the most raw and dramatic scenery in East Africa - rolling plains are interspersed with forests, steep hills and craggy rock faces. The most famous spot of all is, of course, Pride Rock of The Lion King fame. For the 2019 remake, the Disney crew spent eight weeks filming in Borana - quite an investment of time for an animated film. Last week I was very honoured to be asked to shoot the new Land Rover Defender on this location - it is a filmmaker’s El Dorado.

In 2007, the Dyer farming family made a decision to commit all retained earnings from commercial activities on Borana to support the increased costs of conservation. Borana and Lewa together now boast the most successful rhino conservancy in Kenya. Poaching is a thing of the past in this part of Kenya and much of the credit belongs to second and third generation farming families like the Dyers and the Craigs in Lewa, who know what they are talking about. As I grow older, I recognise the importance of knowing what I am talking about.The success of Kenyan farmers in Borana brought new residents from Europe and even more horses. But not just any horses - champion racehorses. To photograph them at altitude in Borana was a great thrill - their muscled bodies set against the plains below offer the artist every chance.

I want to thank Michael Spencer for all his support and help over the years. No man knows more about old colonial Africa and no man has given back more - it is integral to his soul to be loyal to his roots and in Borana he has found his spiritual home. Michael and Sarah’s stunning racehorses add another dimension to one of my favourite places in East Africa.

Developing a concept that ticks the boxes creatively and then executing that concept are emphatically two different jobs, which is why making a picture is a longer process than taking a picture. Many years ago, the exceptional work of British photographer Tim Flach, drew my attention to the hot springs of Myvatn in the north of Iceland. This remote area is geologically angry and in deep winter it is fairly inhospitable, but in the summer, it becomes something of a tourist resort for the local Icelandics and all too crowded for how we operate. We would always choose inhospitable over crowded.

I have filmed here in the winter in the past, but struggled to do justice to the uniquely raw ecosystem. As always there is an element of knowing how to get it right by initially getting it hopelessly wrong. In particular, this is not a safe place without engaging locals, because the ground underneath, much like Yellowstone in Wyoming, is not to be taken for granted. To be brave and work close to the geysers needs permits and guides.

But in 2022, we finally had our rewards. The weather plays such a big role in the field; no more so than up here at 66 degrees north where the Norse Gods granted my wish for strong winds and good light. It was the wind that amplified the trail of steam and allowed me to work a comfortable distance from the source without losing the effect. It was then up to me to work the strong late afternoon light to the best of my advantage.