TITLE: Against All Odds

This is a portrait of a tuskless bull elephant called Equinox who has a fascinating backstory.
Equinox was born a twin 40 years ago & remarkably both he & his sister Eclipse survived to adulthood. To be born a twin is extremely rare, but for both to survive is rarer still. Then a few months before my encounter with him, he broke both his tusks which could have been because of a fight or because of falling on rocks. Either way, as they were broken so high the nerve would have been exposed so this would have been extremely painful. Equinox has had to recover & learn how to feed without his tusks. On top of this he, as well as all the elephants in the Amboseli eco system had to deal with one of the worst droughts in recent memory.
He’s an elephant that has survived the odds more than once & has shown extraordinary resilience to survive.

AUTHOR: JULES OLDROYD (United Kingdom)

After 30 years working in the TV for C4 & National Geographic, I took a leap of faith & decided to follow my passion & become a full-time wildlife photographer.
However, during my time at National Geographic where I led the programming strategy for Nat Geo channels internationally, I was able to soak up all the expertise around me & collaborate with some of the world’s best photographers, explorers & filmmakers. I watched, I listened & I learnt from the best.
I look for an unmistakable sense of place in my photography. In my compositions I am constantly seeking to capture the raw beauty & majesty not only of the wildlife in front of me, but equally important to me is the environment around it.
I am also increasingly looking for those subjects & environments where I know black & white will enhance the final image, as I love its timeless beauty & elegance.
10% of my print sales goes to support various conservation charities in Africa.