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.
A Secret Love Affair with Landscapes
"Step into the haunting beauty of Southern Africa with five evocative fine art prints. From the fiery sands of Dune 45 and stormy Karoo skies to the skeletal trees of Deadvlei, Giant’s Playground quiver trees, and the ancient baobab, each image captures a quiet, timeless dialogue with the land."
Landscape photography has always lived quietly alongside my wildlife work. While black and white remain my natural language, there are moments when the land speaks so clearly that it refuses to be stripped back. This small collection brings together five such images, two in colour, three in black and white, bound by contrast, memory, and an enduring pull toward Africa’s open spaces.
Dune on Fire, Dune 45, Sossusvlei, Namibia
A Moment When the Desert Came Alive
“For those who seek the desert’s soul, where wind and sand ignite the earth in a tapestry of fire.”
Dune 45 is one of the most photographed dunes in the world, and finding something personal within such an iconic place is never easy. The constant flow of visitors, climbing from morning through late afternoon, often leaves little room for solitude. But every so often, patience is rewarded.
Late one afternoon, as a sandstorm rolled in, everyone fled for cover. Suddenly, the desert was empty. Alone with the dunes, I watched as the wind erased every trace of human presence, smoothing the sand back into something ancient.
I reached instinctively for my 600mm lens, a choice shaped by years as a wildlife photographer, and crouched behind my 4x4 as the wind whipped sand through the air. The grains stung my face and eyes, but through the long lens the dunes transformed, glowing red, alive with movement and energy. It was a fleeting moment, raw and elemental, shared with my wife Nicolinah, and one we will never forget.
This image, Dune on Fire, is not about a place so much as a moment when nature briefly reclaimed itself. It later received recognition at the Memorial Maria Luisa Competition, but its real value lies in what it gave us that evening, solitude, intensity, and awe.
Storm Over the Karoo, Mountain Zebra, South Africa
For those who yearn for Africa’s dramatic soul.
“For Those Who Carry the Karoo in Their Heart and The Sound of Rain on Dust, Forever”
If Dune on Fire speaks of heat and desolation, Storm Over the Karoo is its natural counterpoint. Together they form a quiet dichotomy, the same harsh land revealed through opposing states of being.
The Karoo has always held a special place for me. Its vast openness and silence bring a deep sense of calm. Yet on a trip to Mountain Zebra National Park, that stillness was broken by a storm of almost biblical scale. Dark clouds built rapidly over the parched land. Thunder rolled across the plains. Lightning tore through the sky.
I had imagined this image for years, but nothing prepares you for witnessing such power firsthand. For a brief window, the land transformed, tension replacing tranquility. This photograph captures that rare convergence, drought meeting deluge, permanence meeting change.
Storm Over the Karoo is a reminder that even the most familiar landscapes can surprise us, revealing strength, drama, and vulnerability in equal measure.
Choje Among the Giants, Giant’s Playground, Namibia
A Monochrome Meditation on Survival in Shadow and Stone
"Beneath the gaze of ancient stone, Choje endures—weathered, bowed, but unbroken."
My relationship with the quiver tree runs deep. Known to the San people as choje, it was once called the Tree of Life, a giver of shade, arrows, and spirit.
At Giant’s Playground, fractured dolerite boulders lie scattered as if tossed by giants, a place steeped in San folklore. Rising among them stands a solitary quiver tree, sculptural and enduring. Cropped low in the frame, the image draws attention to its twisted limbs and architectural form, set against the stark geometry of stone.
Rendered in black and white, the textures of bark and rock become a quiet dialogue. This is not a portrait of abundance, but of survival, a meditation on life persisting where even giants erode.
The Ancient One, Baobab, Kruger, South Africa
Centuries etched in bark, a sentinel of life, endurance, and spirit
“Immerse Yourself in the Echoes of the Past with The Ancient One Baobab Art”
This is not merely a tree; it is a monument to time itself.
Known as the Tree of Life, the baobab is Africa’s great survivor, a symbol of resilience, spiritual energy, and the enduring soul of the wild. Folklore tells of baobabs wandering by night, their spirits frozen in place by the dawn, forever guarding the landscapes they inhabit.
I found this solitary giant standing sentinel in a parched land. Its ancient, textured bark reads like a living map of centuries, etched with the scars of elephants that have sought its moisture and the quiet history of all who have rested in its shade.
This image forms part of a personal quest to document Africa’s grandest life forms, the iconic baobab and the legendary elephant tusker. In this tree, I found both. The Ancient One carries the strength of a tusker and the timeless wisdom of Africa’s megaflora, a testament not only to survival, but to endurance with grace.
May its presence bring a sense of wonder, strength, and deep time into your space.
Spectre of Deadvlei | Namib-Naukluft National Park
Spectre of Deadvlei, A Realm Sculpted by Time
“For those who find beauty in stillness, solitude, and the echoes of forgotten worlds.”
Thirteen years ago, on my first visit to Deadvlei with my partner, now my wife Nicolinah, I sensed the potential of a particular tree. Walking among the dead camelthorn giants before sunrise was hauntingly beautiful, but the image I imagined never quite revealed itself.
Years later, I returned while guiding a client, teaching the art of photography. As we stood at a distance, a sudden gust of wind swept across the clay pan, lifting chalky dust and fine sand into the air. For only a few seconds, the scene transformed.
Handholding a 200mm lens, I managed to capture what I had envisioned all those years before. Through the haze, the tree emerged like a spectre, its skeletal limbs raised against the towering dune behind it. The dust filtered the light into silvery tones, revealing texture, shadow, and form.
Spectre of Deadvlei is a reminder that some images take years to realise. The land remembers, even when we must wait.
“In the heart of the Namib Desert, there lies a place unlike any other, where the sun beats down relentlessly, and the earth stretches out in endless waves of sand. Welcome to Deadvlei.
Nestled amidst towering dunes that rise like ancient sentinels, Deadvlei is a surreal landscape of stark contrasts and haunting beauty. The bleached white clay of the desert floor stretches beneath an impossibly blue sky, while the skeletal remains of ancient camel thorn trees reach skyward, their twisted branches casting long shadows across the barren landscape.
Yet, despite its inhospitable environment, Deadvlei is a place of undeniable beauty—a place where the interplay of light and shadow, texture and form, creates a truly remarkable photographic landscape. Its ethereal beauty has inspired artists, photographers, and writers from around the world. Its striking contrasts and otherworldly forms serve as a muse for creative expression, sparking imagination and stirring the depths of the human spirit.”
These five images represent a quieter side of my work, a long-standing, deeply personal dialogue with the land.
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If one of these landscapes speaks to you, I invite you to live with it, slowly, honestly, and with space to breathe.
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.
How Black & White Photography Reveals the Soul of African Wildlife
Award-winning photographer Peter Delaney explores the emotional power of monochrome. Discover the stories behind the lens and learn how stripping away color reveals the raw texture, emotion, and timeless soul of Africa's majestic wildlife.
Weathering the Tempest Fine Art Print
Seeing in Monochrome
It was on a solitary lunch break, escaping the relentless hum of London's financial district, that I first truly understood the power of monochrome. In the quiet, dusty confines of a second-hand bookshop, I stumbled upon a copy of Don McCullin's “Retrospective”.
As I turned the pages, his portraits of raw, human truth—not of war, but of soul—seared themselves into my mind. In that city of numbers and noise, his images were a silent, devastating shock.
They spoke in a language deeper than colour, a dialect of light, shadow, and gut-wrenching emotion.\
In that moment, a seed was planted. From that day forward, I didn't just see in black and white; I began to feel the world through its stark, honest contrast.
Weathering the Tempest
"Bring a touch of the wild into your space.
A Lesson in Seeing: Weathering the Tempest
This philosophy was put to the test with “Lions - Weathering the Tempest.”
We happened upon this lion and lioness in the heart of the Masai Mara, and my body went into overdrive. The heart-pounding euphoria told me this was a moment to translate into art.
But raw emotion is not enough. I calmed myself to see the scene not as it was, but as it could be. The lions would play the lead roles, but the supporting cast—the savannah, the brooding storm clouds, the lone tree—would make or break the story. I chose a wider lens to include it all, to give a profound sense of place and scale.
The lion looks out of the frame, asking a silent question. The lioness meets the viewer’s gaze directly, a moment of intimate connection amidst the vastness. The tempest in the sky mirrors the quiet drama on the ground.
But capturing the image is only half the story. The real magic happens in the digital darkroom, where I once more follow my heart. Converting this scene to black and white was an act of translation. Without colour to lead the eye, I used a full tonal range of light and shadow to walk the viewer through the photograph. I sculpted the light on the lions' fur, gave weight to the clouds, and used the tree to anchor the composition, ensuring every element plays its vital role in creating an engaging, timeless art print. It is a perfect example of seeing the monochrome potential before the shutter is released.
Contemplation Winner Animal Portraits Wildlife Photographer of The Year
Intimacy and Contemplation
This process of reduction reveals profound intimacy. In “Chimpanzee Dreaming,” colour would distract from the quiet poetry etched in the alpha male's skin. Black and white invites you to see the intelligence and vulnerability in his soulful eyes, the story told in every wrinkle and worn nail on his hands.
Heart of Darkness | Confronting the Wild
It also creates a powerful confrontation. In “Heart of Darkness,” the Kalahari lion’s gaze is stripped bare of its golden hue. Rendered in monochrome, every shadow in his mane deepens the sense of power and mystery. His eyes become portals into a wild, unfiltered consciousness. This is not a portrait; it is a moment where you don’t just see the lion—the lion sees you.
Bigfoot | Winner Nature In Black and White Wildlife Photographer of the Year
The Details That Define Us
And it celebrates the defining details. “Big Foot” focuses on the raw texture and immense weight of an elephant’s foot. In black and white, every wrinkle and crevice becomes a word in a story of strength and endurance, a monument to the unseen details that define a life in the wild.
Own a Piece of the Soul
Each of my prints is handcrafted to museum-grade standards, using archival papers like Hahnemühle Photo Rag®. This ensures that every glance, every breath of the wild is preserved with depth, clarity, and permanence. There is no digital manipulation to 'enhance' nature—just tonal truth and tactile honesty.
These are not merely photographs. They are soul portraits.
For the collector, this means owning more than an image; it is an experience. These limited edition pieces are available in custom sizes and finishes—from elegantly floated frames to archival loose prints for bespoke framing. Each one is signed, numbered, and accompanied by its own Certificate of Authenticity.
Collectors often tell me these prints don’t just decorate their walls—they anchor them. They evoke silence, presence, and a profound connection to the natural world. A lion’s stare can make a boardroom pause. A chimpanzee in thought can turn a hallway into a conversation. They become future heirlooms, carrying the spirit of the wild into a home.
I believe anyone can operate a camera. But it is vision—forged in experience and feeling—that separates a photographer from an artist. It is the vision to see the story in the shadows and to translate the soul of your subject into a form that can, in turn, speak directly to the soul of the viewer.
If one of these images resonates with you, it is not a coincidence. It is recognition.
Make a Powerful Statement
*“Sons of Rosetta” commands attention in a contemporary setting. This 180x120cm museum-grade print transforms a space, merging the untamed spirit of the wild with modern elegance.*