During my latest trip to Kenya I enjoyed a leopard fest, including a sighting of a rare and elusive melanistic black leopard named Giza. Giza is a female aged two to three years old. Confirmed sightings of black leopards, especially in Africa, are rare events. Before the most recent verified observation of a black leopard in Kenya, it had been 110 years since one had been photographed (and thus confirmed) in Africa.  I think Giza is probably the most beautiful animal I have ever seen. For images of Giza and other leopards click the link here.

This should whet your appetite for this year’s Remembering Wildlife book, the eighth in the series.”Remembering Leopards” which will be published in November. Click on this link for more information:

October brought a return to Kenya.  I was able to re-visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy home to the last two Northern White Rhinos (NWR), Najin aged 33 and her daughter Fatu aged 22. Since the death of Sudan, father of Najin and grandfather of Fatu in March 2018, they are the very last remaining of the species.

I heard the latest news of the embryos now being created by scientists, in total, they have managed to produce and cryopreserve 22 pure NWR embryos. Later this year they intend to start implanting these in the hope of producing offspring.

I stayed at Kicheche Camp in Ol Pejeta and then at Kicheche Camp in Mara North Conservancy. As ever enjoyed my time at both camps, thanks to all the great staff who made my visit so special. I then went on to Olare Motorogi Conservancy where I stayed at Olare Mara Kempinski, now a firm favourite of mine.

I experienced some great leopard sightings, including a first for me, a leopard  (Akira) in a beautiful Euphorbia Candelabra tree in gorgeous early morning light. Very special images, I hope you enjoy viewing them.

In October I also received my copy of the latest Remembering Wildlife series book which this year is Remembering Bears. The wonderful Margot Raggett has done it again, a beautifully produced book, with work from internationally acclaimed photographers, I have been lucky enough to be included. My photograph is of a giant panda taken in Sichuan, China.

Remembering Bears is the seventh book in the celebrated Remembering Wildlife fundraising series, which has so far raised more than £920,000 for conservation projects since it began in 2016.

To view the Remembering Wildlife series and for an opportunity to buy your copy: click here

Click here or on the image below to view a gallery of images from this trip:

I have recently returned from another wonderful visit to Kenya. I spent time in Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for both it’s black and white rhinoceroses. I also visited Mara North Conservancy and Olare Motorogi Conservancy.

In Lewa, as well as the rhinoceroses, I was able to photograph some of the animals seen only in Northern Kenya, such as the beautiful Grevys zebra, the Reticulated Giraffe and Gerenuk Gazelle, some in front of Mount Kenya.

To view the gallery of images either click here or on one of the images below:

In Memory of Fig the Leopard

I have recently returned from Kenya, where I spent time in the Masai Mara, Olare Motorogi Conservancy and Amboseli. During my time in the Conservancy, I spent several days photographing Fig the leopard. Fig had successfully raised a number of cubs, including Olare, Figlet and Furaha. I photographed her throughout her life and so it saddens me tell you that on 7th March she was tragically killed by lions. She was ten years old and to make matters worse she was heavily pregnant.

The leopard images in the gallery (please click on the link below) are all of Fig, with the exception of the black and white male, affectionately known as ‘Golden Balls’, on account of having sired many cubs, including several of Fig’s. So sad to think that these images are among the last ever taken of Fig. She will be missed by many.

I spent some time in Amboseli, where I was lucky enough to get good views of snow capped Kilimanjaro, and was able to photograph elephants and flamingos in the foreground.

Click here or on the picture below to see the gallery of images from this trip….

After two very long years I finally returned to Kenya in December 2021. It was wonderful to once again experience those wide open spaces and huge skies of the Masai Mara.  I had almost forgotten how beautiful it is. I also spent time in Olare Motorogi Conservancy where I had some great leopard sightings of Tito and Fig with their cubs. I hope you enjoy some of my images from the trip.

Click here or on the image below to view a gallery of further images.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

It was great to see so many of you at my summer exhibition at the gallery@oxo. Thank you for your continued support throughout 2019 for both my photography and my charity.  A huge thank you to those who purchased my new book “Latitude”, all the proceeds from the sale of my books are donated directly to my Charity Hoopers Africa Trust. Please click on the link to see some of the wonderful achievements of Hoopers Africa Trust in 2019.

I have added some new images from my recent trip to the Masai Mara and Olare Orok Conservancy in Kenya.

Click here or on the image below to view a gallery of further images:

I have just returned from the Masai Mara and Olare Orok Conservancy in Kenya with my friend and guide Paul Kirui.  I was fortunate enough to photograph seven leopards, Kaboso and her cub, Tito and her cub, Siri, Fig and Figlet. It is easy to see why leopards really are my favourite animal to photograph. To view the images click on the link below:

Click here or on the image below to view a gallery of further images…

I have just returned from our biennial trustees visit to my Charity, Hoopers Africa Trust Kenya in the Masai Mara. The Charity provides education to disadvantaged girls in Kenya. See www.hoopersafricatrust.org for more information or to make a donation to this great cause.

Whilst there I was able to allocate some time to my photography. August is one of the best times for photographing the migrations of Wildebeest. With daunting crossings and hungry lions, there are plenty of wonderful photographic opportunities .

Below is one of my favourite images from the trip. Click on the image below to view a gallery of further images…

In February I visited Amboseli, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and the Masai Mara in Kenya with my friends, Lucy Parratt from WWF and Anne and Mike, fellow WWF supporters.  We visited the Masai Mara Predator Project, which is supported by WWF where we learned about some of the incredible work in which they are involved.

At Amboseli we saw large herds of elephants, some as many as 100 strong.  We also had some great sightings of the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro.

In the Masai Mara we saw lots of lions, with one pride made up of five females with ten cubs. We also had some good leopard sightings.

At Lewa Wildlife Conservancy we saw large numbers of both black & white rhino and the critically endangered Grevys Zebra. Lewa is one of the best places in the world to see rhinos and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.  At one watering hole we encountered five rhinos, alongside elephants and zebras, which is an incredibly rare sighting.

Click on the image below to view images from the trip.

Elephants in front of Mount Kilimanjaro