William Fortescue: Six Images Chosen For Monochrome Awards 2021

We’re delighted to announce that six images by the talented wildlife photographer William Fortescue have received awards at the Monochrome Awards 2021. Let’s hear from William himself on what the awards mean to him:

“With my work over the last three years focused on African wildlife, featuring a major emphasis on elephant imagery, it was a welcome piece of validation for the images to receive international recognition this week.

As ever, the majority of these images have been created in Amboseli, but with my work now taking me in to central Kenya as I focus more on rhino, it was a happy surprise to see one of 2021’s rhino images, “Tear for the Fallen”, place second overall in the wildlife category. A happy omen for what’s to come this year.

Tear for the Fallen

Taken last year on Ol Pejeta Conservancy in the foothills of Mt. Kenya, this shot was down largely to the help of my friend and guide, Tom Hartley.

For four days we drove around the conservancy, attempting to get close enough to create an image like this. To do so required getting eye level with one of the continents largest animals, ideally to within 10 meters of it.

Rather than use a large safari jeep, we took a Toyota pick up, allowing me to lie on the flat bed and be a less imposing presence on the rhino. Doing so meant we were able to approach from down wind, with Tom reversing as I directed him round aardvark holes and bushes over a walkie-talkie, getting as close as was safely possible without disturbing the animal. While it may have looked odd from a distance, it was remarkably effective and I’m delighted Tom’s remarkable driving skills (and patience with me) have paid dividends.

An enormous thank you must also go to Ol Pejeta, not just for their kind hospitality while I was there but also for loaning us one of their rangers, Simon Irungu (as well as Simon Nakito on additional days), who were able to expertly locate and identify individual rhinos for us. Without their and Tom’s help, I would have had no images at all.”

Availability of Prints

Prints of “African Icons”, “Rumble in the Jungle”, “Precipice” and “Craig” are available from our “African Origins” collection, while “Tear for the Fallen” and “Michael” will be released as prints in 2022. For all print enquiries please email us at info@redeightgallery.com or click below to contact us.