I am a Kiwi-born photographer, content creator and media adviser with a passion for wildlife and conservation. In 2016, I made the decision to leave my high profile career in luxury fashion PR in London, UK to pursue my love for wildlife photography and Africa (you can read my story here).
Before I quit my job, I studied photography at night classes and spent weekends photographing wildlife at nature parks in the UK. I hired a career coach, went on a life course in Italy and with no real plan in place, took the leap.
That decision completely changed my life.
For the first three months, I volunteered for wildlife organisations, first as a photographer in Samburu, Northern Kenya, and then as a researcher for hyena and cheetah projects in the vast Namib desert in Namibia. I also photographed mountain gorillas high up in the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda for a story with Refinery 29 about the 50th anniversary of the Dian Fossey International Gorilla Fund.
Overnight I went from living and working in Central London, to photographing and studying wildlife in Africa. I swapped my heels, designer dresses and celebrity parties for a camera, flip flops, shorts, and dancing at sundowners with Samburu warriors on hilltops in Northern Kenya.
And I never looked back. Years later, I’m still in Africa and still pinching myself at how my life has turned out.
I fell in love with Kenya where I currently work as a communications consultant/ media advisor for conservation organisations such as Save the Elephants, Elephants & Bees, The Pangolin Project and the Elephant Crisis Fund. I have also photographed elephants and anti-poaching operations for clients in Zambia and Malawi.
My media consultancy business, Jungle Jane Communications, operates out of Nairobi and I spend a lot of time in Samburu, northern Kenya photographing and filming elephants and wildlife.
(photo of me with Sarara, the bull elephant by Gilbert Sabinga)
My photos and stories have been published in global publications from the Times UK, The Australian and monthly magazines – Planet Mindful, Africa Geographic and Emirates Woman, to the Daily Mail, Newsroom and Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper. My work has also been published on websites for Save the Elephants, CNN.com, The Elephant Crisis Fund, Wildlife Conservation Network and The Elephant Queen movie, amongst others. I’ve also created a number of short films for Save the Elephants.
In May 2017, I was named by global luxury hotel CitizenM as one of five inspirational women to have quit their corporate jobs to chase their dreams.
I hope you enjoy my view of the world and are inspired by my story to follow your own heart and chase your dreams. Never give up!
Thanks to my talented friend, Wynter Blathwyt from Gyroscope, for the logo (which represents my love of surfing, photography, horse riding and travel) and for creating this site!
