African Wildlife Photography that benefits its subjects
It is hard to believe it has been over 15 years since I met Shirley Sanderson and her husband Bob at a UC Berkeley Alumni travel reception in 1999 and planned their first African safari. Eight Bushtracks safaris later, Shirley, an inspired wildlife photographer who has toted a camera around since childhood, has amassed as extensive a collection of photos of Africa’s wildlife as any I’ve ever seen, capturing the wild essence of lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants and gorillas with her keen eye and impeccable timing.
Shirley and Bob Anderson observe lion conservation efforts at the Kafue Lion Project in Zambiawas
“A main goal of the exhibit is to bring attention to the plight of these beautiful creatures”
I’ve personally enjoyed Shirley’s photos over the years, so I was happy to learn that 28 of these photos will be on display from February 2-27, 2015 at the Orinda Library, in Orinda, California.
Sanderson’s goal in her photography, and with this exhibit, is to draw attention to the plight of African wildlife who are as mesmerizing and beautiful as they are under threat. “I hope that showing these photographs will bring more public awareness to these threats, and help bring about solutions that will ensure their continued existence in the wild,” says Sanderson. “Anything I can do to save them, I’ll do it. Can you imagine an Africa without elephants and lions?”
A young mountain gorilla in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, photo by Shirley Sanderson
Sales benefit Wilderness Wildlife Trust of Southern Africa
An artist’s reception will be held Sunday, February 8, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. with proceeds from sales going to Resources First Foundation for Wilderness Wildlife Trust of Southern Africa. The Trust supports a wide variety of projects in southern Africa, spanning wildlife management, research and education and training for local communities.
The Orinda Library is located at 26 Orinda Way, Orinda CA 95463, and is open everyday. For hours and directions visit the library website.
If you are outside the northern California area, and want to enjoy Shirley’s African wildlife photography, I encourage you to visit her online gallery at www.wanderingeye.net.
Read Shirley’s tips for photographing gorillas featured in our latest catalogue
The first version of this article was posted on 4 Feb 2015 at 2:38 PM.