Delaney's Journal: Stories from the Wild
Step behind the lens and into the narrative of each photograph.
Discover the rare moments, raw emotion, and artistic vision that define these timeless black and white artworks.
One Moment, Three Perspectives: Behind the Camelopard Trilogy
Peter Delaney's story of capturing three unique giraffe art prints from one magical Mara sighting, featuring the award-shortlisted 'Camelopard'.
Discover how a single, fleeting encounter with a tower of giraffes in the Mara North Conservancy unfolded into a unique series of three fine art prints—a collection defined by its quiet narrative and celebrated for its artistry, with Camelopard being shortlisted for the prestigious Exposure Photo Gallery Awards.
A Fleeting Encounter on the Plains
It began as a single moment of serendipity on a vast, storm-washed Mara plain. A tower of giraffes moved with an innate grace that seemed to slow time itself. As a photographer, these are the moments you wait for—not just to witness, but to interpret. From this one, uninterrupted sighting, three distinct stories emerged, each with its own emotion and composition, giving birth to what I now call The Camelopard Trilogy.
The First Perspective - The Group
Serendipity: The Harmony of the Whole
The first story was one of perfect, balanced harmony. Five giraffes created a living diagonal line against the endless sky. As if directed by some unseen force, the central giraffe paused, turning its gaze to meet mine. This wasn’t just a photograph; it was a silent conversation between the wild and the witness. "Serendipity" captures that fleeting, perfect symmetry of the herd.
The Second Perspective - The Individual
Camelopard: The Poetry of Solitude
As the group moved on, the narrative shifted from the collective to the individual. One giraffe lingered, separating herself to stand beneath a lone acacia. Here, the story became a meditation on solitude and quiet majesty. This intimate portrait, "Camelopard," captured a depth of feeling that resonated deeply, earning a place among the world's notable wildlife images with its shortlist for the Exposure Photo Gallery Awards.
The Third Perspective - The Journey
Journey of Camelopard: The Grace of Movement
Every story has an end, and this one was a gentle release. The same giraffe turned and stepped softly into the open plains, her silhouette blending into the landscape. This final perspective, "Journey of Camelopard," is not a goodbye, but an ode to continuous movement and the serene path forward. It completes the trilogy’s arc from connection, to contemplation to departure.
Watch Their Story Continue
See the tower of giraffes after the portraits were taken, walking peacefully across the savanna.
Watch the Video Below
Explore More Serene Moments
If the graceful presence of these giraffes speaks to you, discover more artwork in the collection.
What Does an Elephant Mother’s Legacy Look Like in the Wild?
This powerful Artnote reveals the story behind "The Matriarch and Family" — a breathtaking panoramic print of an elephant queen and her dynasty. Discover the poignant tale of leadership, loss, and the daughter who inherited her legacy. Explore available prints.
A Portrait of Three Generations in the Mara
The Lineage of a Queen
The Matriarch as the Living Heart of the Herd
Behold "The Matriarch and Family," a breathtaking panoramic fine art print that captures the essence of lineage. This is the story of a mother’s legacy, written in light and shadow on the African savannah. At its heart is the Queen of the Mara, her elegantly curved tusks a rare mark of her regal status. She moves with a calm, commanding presence, the living memory and decision-maker for her family. This is not just a wildlife scene; it is a powerful portrait of motherhood, leadership, and the unbreakable bonds that define a family.
A Dynasty in Motion
The Silent Curriculum of Strength and Protection
Behind the Matriarch, her legacy unfolds in real-time. Her adult daughters walk in her footsteps, their movements echoing her own, learning the ancient routes and survival wisdom they will one day need to lead. A young calf stays close, protected within the circle of its mother and aunts. This image captures the silent curriculum of the wild—a masterclass in strength, protection, and nurturing that resonates with any mother, daughter, or sister.
Queen of the Mara | Expertly Framed
This stunning presentation features a grey mat and a solid wood frame.
Contact us to commission this specific framing or to explore other custom options.
Gallery-Wrapped Canvas | Solid White Maple Floating Frame
Making a statement above a contemporary fireplace
A Golden Moment in Time
The Final Portrait of a Reign
This serene image captures the peak of her reign. Yet, this portrait of strength and unity also represents a graceful conclusion. Not long after this photograph was taken, the great Queen of the Mara passed away, leaving the plains a little less majestic and her family to face the future without her guiding presence.
Modern Acrylic Glass
Sleek, frameless presentation for a contemporary setting
The Matriarch
Her daughter now carries the legacy forward
The Dynasty Continues
A Mother's Legacy Forged in Her Daughter
The true power of a matriarch lies in the legacy she implants in those who follow. Her strength now lives on in her eldest daughter, who has stepped into the role she was prepared for her entire life. She is the new Matriarch, bearing the same quiet authority and resilience she learned at her mother's side.
Own a Piece of This Living History
The Complete Story for Your Collection
This story of continuity in the face of loss makes these artworks more than prints—they are timeless narratives of life, legacy, and the passing of wisdom. "The Matriarch and Family" captures a moment of serene leadership, while "The New Matriarch" portrait embodies the strength and resilience required to carry the legacy forward.
Each piece stands as a powerful, independent testament to the enduring spirit of these magnificent animals.
Choose the legacy that speaks to you.
The Matriarch | Expertly Framed
This stunning presentation features an anthracite mat and solid wood frame.
Contact us to commission this specific framing or to explore other custom options.
🛡️ Collector Assurance & Details
Free Global Shipping
I deliver your carefully crafted artwork to your door, anywhere in the world, completely free of charge.
Ready to Hang, Immediately
Your canvas and acrylic prints arrive fully assembled with all necessary hardware. Unbox your art and hang it in minutes—no fuss, no extra cost.
Museum-Quality, Guaranteed
Every print is a testament to longevity. I use only archival, museum-grade materials like:
Hahnemühle Fine Art Papers (100% cotton, acid-free)
Gallery-Wrapped Canvases
Modern, Durable Acrylic Glass
This ensures your investment remains vibrant and beautiful for generations.
I Am Here to Help
Have a question about sizing, finishes, or custom framing? I am personally ready to assist you.
Curator's Choice: A Collection of Silence and Soul
A journey into the soul of Africa. Explore seven award-winning black and white fine art prints, curated by Peter Delaney for their quiet authority and powerful stories.
In a world saturated with noise, these artworks stand apart. Each has been selected not merely for its visual impact, but for its ability to command a room with quiet authority. These are the pieces that collectors return to—images that don’t just hang on the wall, but breathe within a space, offering a permanent pause and a connection to the untamed. This is more than a collection; it is a journey into the soul of Africa, rendered in the timeless language of black and white.
Elephant Ridge | Grey Ghosts of Etosha
“Etched in grey and grain — a fleeting glimpse of Africa’s quiet giants.”
The Journey Behind the Capture
The quest to capture this image was filled with anticipation and determination. For days, I traversed the vast Namibian landscape in search of this particular herd of over thirty elephants. Just as hope began to fade, I spotted the herd on the final day of my self-drive photographic safari. Positioning myself at a nearby waterhole on a small plateau, I set up my camera as the elephants began to move towards me.
With the dust and sand creating an ethereal atmosphere, I aligned my vehicle parallel to the ridge and captured the moment as the elephants moved gracefully along the ridge’s spine. This fleeting scene, immortalised in "Elephant Ridge," represents the beauty and transience of nature.
Ubuntu – Elephant Family
Where Strength, Trust, and Family Unite
At my favourite watering hole in Addo, I positioned myself not at the water, but on the path I knew they would take. I waited for the herd to walk towards me, their forms set against a landscape of short grass and soft, fluffy clouds.
This panoramic black-and-white print captures a tender moment within a unique elephant family. Nearly all the females here are tuskless, a profound legacy of survival shaped by past poaching. Their adaptation is a testament to resilience.
I titled this piece "Ubuntu," an ancient African philosophy meaning “I am because we are.” In the way the herd surrounds and protects its young, you see this philosophy lived—a universal story of community, compassion, and unbreakable bonds, set against a uniquely South African landscape.
Eye to Eye
A Stare That Commands the Wild
He was a dark shape, sleeping soundly in the rain. We cut our engine and waited. The silence was broken only by a distant roar.
Stirred by the call, he awoke. He rose from the soaked savanna, his wet mane clinging to a frame of pure power. Then, he fixed us with a primal, one-eyed gaze. In that moment, he was not a subject. He was a sovereign presence, and the silent, electric communication that passed between us demanded nothing less than reverence.
This fine art print immortalises that electric hush. It pulls you into the thunder of his presence, capturing the raw power and untamed beauty of a legendary coalition lion in his prime.
Camelopard
A Quiet Majesty — The Soul of Solitude
In the quiet aftermath of a storm, the northern plains of the Mara lay drenched in green. From the stillness emerged a single bull giraffe, the last of five, lingering behind as the others moved on.
He stood beneath a solitary acacia, his form poised in perfect harmony with the land. His long neck arched as he leaned delicately to reach the last of the tree’s tender leaves. Above him, remnants of the storm floated in trailing white puffs.
There were no other animals, no distractions. Just him, the tree, and the breath of the earth. I didn’t make this photograph for the sake of composition alone—it was something deeper. In that instant, I felt the world fall away. Everything stilled.
Rendered in black and white, the image strips the scene to its bones—form, light, and feeling. No colour, no noise. Just the gentle power of presence. Camelopard is more than a portrait. It’s a meditation—a timeless echo of solitude, grace, and breath.
White Rhinos | Mirrored Souls
Harmony at the Edge of Extinction
On the vast plains of Ol Pejeta, the assignment was clear: to find a perspective lower than the rhinos, to isolate their monumental forms against the sky. With a client by my side, we watched and waited as these two gentle giants grazed, relaxed and untroubled by our presence.
Then, the moment of perfect synchronicity arrived. Their heads lowered in unison, their horns crossing to form a silent "X" at the heart of the frame. In that split second, their individual forms became one mirrored soul. This image is the result of that patience—a minimalist tribute to the profound bonds that endure in the wild and a starkly beautiful reminder of all that we stand to lose.
Chimpanzee Dreaming
A Silent Yearning in the Forest
I was deep in the rainforests of Kibale, the air thick with humidity and the sounds of life, when the hunt began. A cacophony of screams, a blur of shapes—and then, an eerie silence. Separated from my group, a primal fear crept in. That's when I saw him: Totti, a powerful alpha male.
His focus wasn't on me, but on a female high in the canopy. I watched as he tried everything—calls, postures, overtures—to coax her down. She spurned every advance. Then, in a moment of pure, unexpected emotion, he gave up. He lay back on the forest floor, threw his arms behind his head, and let out a forlorn gaze towards his would-be lover.
In that fleeting moment, desire and disappointment became one. My years of experience took over; a slow exhale, a soft press of the shutter. This image, "Chimpanzee Dreaming," immortalises that raw, universal story of longing. It is a testament to the deep emotional lives of our closest relatives and the moments of quiet drama that define the wild. It later earned one of photography's highest honours: Winner, Animal Portraits, Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Bonds of Love
An Enduring Testament to Family and Devotion
A bull’s aggressive advance. A newborn’s terrified shriek. In an instant, the herd moved as one. They closed ranks, a living wall of protection, enveloping the vulnerable calf in a shield of bodies and reassuring trunks.
What makes this moment eternally sacred to me is that my own wife and our baby were beside me in the vehicle. The scene was so raw, so upsetting, that they asked to leave. As I turned the car around, a glance in my rearview mirror revealed the unfolding miracle—the family’s profound, instinctual act of love.
I had just one chance. One frame to capture the essence of their bond. This is that photograph. It is a testament to the fierce, universal language of family—a language of protection, reassurance, and love that knows no bounds between species.
Fever Tree Leopard
A Portrait of Quiet Majesty
It began with the slightest movement in Lake Nakuru’s fever tree forest. A young female leopard, a whisper of spotted gold, yawned on a branch and then vanished into the grass.
Guided by instinct, I repositioned myself beside a towering tree with a gracefully broken limb. I waited, trusting she would return to this natural pathway. And then, she emerged.
She paused, her tail flicking in the dappled light, a perfect subject against the forest's yellow bark. In that silent moment of anticipation, as she turned her head, the connection was made. This image is the result of that trust—a quiet portrait of wild grace before she settled on the branch and drifted into a peaceful sleep.
Explore the full collection to discover more artworks that speak to the soul.
Why I Choose Acrylic: Presenting the Soul of the Wild in its Truest Form
For me, a photograph is not complete until it's presented in a way that honours the moment. Discover why museum-grade acrylic is the definitive finish for my black and white wildlife photography.
Why I Choose Acrylic: Presenting the Soul of the Wild in its Truest Form
For me, a photograph is not complete when the shutter closes. It is complete when it is presented in a way that honours the moment it captures. After years of working with various mediums, I have found that for my black and white wildlife and landscape photography, museum-grade acrylic is the definitive finish. It is not merely an option; it is the logical extension of my artistic intent.
Elephant Oasis | Masterprint Edition
Let the timeless beauty of Africa’s gentle giants inspire your space
This is why.
To Honour the Light and Shadow of Africa
The African landscape is defined by its intense, raw light and deep, velvety shadows. My goal is to transport you into that light, to feel its warmth and mystery.
Unmatched Depth & Luminosity: Acrylic glass acts as an optical layer, giving the image a three-dimensional quality. When you look at a tusker in the Shingwedzi riverbed, the acrylic finish makes the water on his skin gleam and the cracks in the mud appear tactile. It doesn't feel like a picture on a wall; it feels like a window through it.
The Purest Blacks and Whites: The glossy surface intensifies contrast, rendering the profound blacks and brilliant whites essential to monochrome photography. This ensures the dramatic tension and emotional weight of the scene are preserved with absolute fidelity.
Eye to Eye: A Triptych of Raw Power
This commanding three-panel acrylic artwork holds its own in an industrial loft. The lion's intense gaze becomes the soul of the space, contrasting with exposed concrete and piping, yet harmonising with rich velvet and a zebra rug.
Feel the raw power of Africa’s king with every glance at your walls.
The Pinnacle of Craftsmanship: The Masterprint Edition
For clients seeking the ultimate statement piece, I offer an exclusive Masterprint service. This is a world-premiere printing technology, developed to realise artwork on a truly monumental scale, perfectly suited for grand interiors.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
A Seamless Masterpiece:
Traditional large-format prints are pieced together. A Masterprint is produced seamlessly up to 500 x 240 cm (196 x 94 inches), including a statement-making 290cm x 145cm size. This guarantees an utterly immersive, uninterrupted view of vast landscapes or intimate animal portraits, preserving every detail with razor-sharp clarity.
A Collaborative Art Process:
Commissioning a Masterprint is a collaborative journey. It includes individual file inspection and consultation to ensure perfection. For absolute confidence, we can arrange a professional test print—a large, mounted section of your image—before the final piece is produced.
The Heirloom Standard:
Each Masterprint is a testament to permanence. Using a specially engineered Fine Art paper and thick, crystal-clear acrylic glass (4mm or 5mm), it is mounted with a permanently elastic silicone on a sturdy aluminum backing. The result is a legacy piece of unparalleled quality, delivered with a secure, professional hanging system.
Camelopard | Connect with Nature
Celebrate the delicate grace and quiet strength of Africa’s gentle giants.
A Tender Moment in Manhattan
High above the city that never sleeps, a moment of pure calm.
Embrace the wisdom and strength of elephants in every piece of art.
A Statement of Permanence and Legacy
The animals and landscapes I photograph represent ancient lineages and timeless cycles. The presentation of their portrait must reflect that permanence.
An Heirloom, Not a Decoration: The combination of archival materials, UV-resistant acrylic glass, and robust backing ensures your artwork is built to last. It is designed to be a legacy piece.
A Luxury Aesthetic for Discerning Spaces: The final piece—whether a standard acrylic or a monumental Masterprint—has a profound, commanding presence. It is a statement of quiet confidence, designed for interiors that value minimalist elegance and powerful storytelling. It doesn’t just fill a space; it defines it.
Mintlangu: Nkuma | A Triptych of Earthly Power
This monumental three-panel portrait brings the raw, ancient soul of the savanna into a contemporary retreat.
Transform your home into a sanctuary with the power of elephants
The Final, Collaborative Step in My Process
From the moment I compose a shot, I am thinking about the final presentation. The crisp detail of a leopard's gaze, the vast sweep of a baobab landscape—these details demand a medium that does not compromise.
Ready for Your Journey:
Our standard acrylic prints are crafted to order and arrive ready to hang, typically in 12-14 days. The Masterprint edition, due to its meticulous, handcrafted nature, requires a 30-day creation and delivery period to ensure absolute perfection.
When you acquire an acrylic print, you are not just buying a photograph.
You are investing in a moment of wild, profound silence, presented with the permanence and luxury it deserves.
Mirrored Souls | A Sanctuary of Calm
A serene triptych of two white rhinos, their horns gently crossed, creates a sanctuary of quiet connection above the bed.
This piece brings the grounding spirit of the wild into a modern sanctuary, blurring the line between a curated courtyard and the untamed soul of nature.
Quiver Tee | Choje Among the Giants
"Where the San once spoke to the spirits, silence now listens."
In a grove scattered across ancient volcanic rock, one quiver tree rises in quiet authority.
Experience the Acrylic Difference on Your Wall
The true impact is best understood when you see it in your own space. I invite you to request a complimentary custom mockup of your favourite artwork, scaled perfectly to your wall.