THE STORY
This picture is of Valentine and her calf, two of the Nubian (formally Rothschild’s) giraffe living in Kidepo Valley National Park, Uganda. They will be directly and positively impacted by the funds raised, through a donation being made when you purchase this print.
During my time in Kidepo with GCF in 2017 we conducted a survey of the population and were able to photograph and identify all of the 32 giraffe in the national park. Giraffe have unique pelage (coat) patterns, a bit like human finger prints and in Kidepo all of the giraffe have been given names.
Valentine’s calf was one of six new babies that had been born over the preceding 12 months and brought the tiny population up to 32 individuals.
This image was poignant for me, it captured the beauty of this incredible and isolated landscape that lay forgotten by the outside world for many years. As the two tiny figures stood alone on the hillside, I was also struck by the huge landscape that surrounded them, almost devoid of giraffe. The presence of the young calf spoke of hope and promise for the future. But I was reminded that for that promise of hope to continue to exist we must actively take a part in righting the problems that have led to their dramatic decline and ensure that as Julian says “Not on my watch” will giraffe be allowed to disappear from African soil.
The colouring and editing of this artwork evolved with that poignant message at heart, whilst it is beautiful and a celebration of this truly iconic creature, it I hope also captures the sense that giraffe are on the verge of being restricted to dreams and fairy tales and that it is our responsibility to protect both them and the natural world now before it is too late.
WHY GIRAFFE NEED YOUR HELP
I have been fortunate to have worked closely with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation since 2017. I had been shocked to discover that giraffe were under serious threat. Populations in Southern Africa make you feel that this animal is prolific. However giraffe have been listed as Vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN due to the dramatic decline of the population that has been seen in recent decades. Now with just 117,000 giraffe left in the wild, this is equivalent to just 1 giraffe for every 4 elephants!! Action is urgently needed before it is too late. Dr Julian Fennessey and his wife Steph are courageously leading the fight, through their charity the Giraffe Conservation Foundation to turn this tide and it is my honour to offer these prints for sale to raise funds to support their titanic efforts for giraffe across Africa.
You can read more about how the money donated will be used and also the work of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation by clicking here https://giraffeconservation.org/
EXTRA INFORMATION:
Instead of offering bulk mass-produced prints, I want you to know that you are buying something special and unique. I feel that people should purchase fine art photography prints because the artwork speaks to them and they feel an emotional connection to the print and the photographer. All my prints are strictly available as low number limited edition runs. As a limited edition print sells its price will appreciate accordingly in the online store, as fewer remain available to purchase.
This picture is printed on archival grade fine art Hahnemühle Photorag paper. If you have not seen this before it a softly textured paper that gives a wonderful quality to an image, really empathising the idea of the texture you would imagine if the giraffe was actually standing in front of you. It is a brilliant paper for bringing out the subtle tones and textures.
I recommend that when you receive your print that you have it properly mounted and framed by an experienced professional frame shop to ensure the maximum care and longevity of your artwork.
Should you wish to purchase a limited edition print in a different size to that listed, please contact me and I will be happy to discuss your requirements and provide a quote for the cost to produce the print in your desired size. I am also happy to provide quotes for framing or printing onto Chromaluxe if you would like to have your print sent to you ready for you to hang on your wall.
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