In August of 2006 I was privileged to visit two beautiful wildlife areas in Kenya while teaching a workshop through International Expeditions. The Samburu region in northern Kenya is a high plateau with very sparse vegetation. It is home to several unique species such as the Grevy's zebra, Rothschild giraffe, and the gerenuks of the antelope family. In the south we were able to spend considerable time in the fabled Masai Mara, a grassy savannah area of extraordinary beauty.

Our time in the Mara concided with the procession of the wildebeest herds during their migration through that area. The number of wildebeests in the herds is astonishing. They seem to be the hub of the wheel around which much of the daily activity turns, mowing down the grass to make it easier for gazelles and impala to graze, and as central characters in the hunting drama of lions, crocodiles, and other carnivores. Their river crossings are spectacles of the natural world. The movement of these animals and others through the tall grasses is beautiful and at times haunting.

I am often asked with surprise why I choose to portray these scenes in a monochromatic palette. For me it is more about an essence than a narrative, a presence that seems to be distilled in a purer form when color is replaced by light and tone.

Field notes: All photographs were taken with a Nikon D200. Lenses included the 80- 400mm f/5.6, and a 24-120mm f3.5/5.6.

Eliot Cohen, February 2008