“For Africa to me... is more than a glamorous fact. It is a historical truth. No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place.””
Mal d'Afrique
Serengeti & Tarangire, Tanzania 2022
By J.C. Buck
This past August, Liz and I traveled to Tanzania, Africa, for a safari trip we had planned initially back in 2019, and we finally were able to go after a couple of covid-19 delays. To say we were excited our African adventure would happen is an understatement.
After two weeks filled with transatlantic flights, small bush planes, jeep game drives, candlelight dinners, sleeping in canvas tents, bucket showers, and making new life-long friends, we can both state we had the trip of a lifetime! The experience blew me away on every imaginable level, but what surprised me, even more was what I experienced after returning home. And this is what my latest work, Mal d'Afrique is all about.
After returning from Tanzania, a unique sorrow set in, and the revelation that my time there was over brought an immense yearning to return. Nostalgia overtook me, and I spent days reliving our adventures. The continent, the wildlife, and the people touched my heart in ways I have never experienced. I discovered there is a french phrase for these emotions; Mal d'Afrique, bringing together the sentiments that are so tough to put into words. To experience Africa is to breathe the air and touch the ground of our origin. This collection honors our collective past, the continent, and its exquisite animals.
I am offering in my online shop Limited Edition fine art prints of the best photographs from my time in Serengeti and Tarangire, Tanzania. The work was captured and developed with the intent to create nostalgic, dreamlike landscapes and dramatic, intimate, surreal portraits of Africa's iconic animals. I am proud of this work and excited to release it today. To view the collection, click HERE. Navigate to the "shop" page to purchase prints.
A special thank you to Liz, my beautiful life partner, Erica and Franchesco with Escape to Shape, Silvia with Wild Places Safaries, our driver guides Henry & Victor, the head of the camp, Nyman, fellow photographer MacDonald, our walking guide Noel, and all of those who made the most epic trip of my life possible.
Lastly, many thanks for your continued support of my photography! I hope you enjoy the Mal d'Afrique collection. I will be back next month with more new work!
JC
Other Updates -
I have been busy in my new classic B&W portrait studio in Capital Hill since I last wrote. After a decade working in commercial commissions with still life subjects like architecture and interior design, I was craving more interaction with people. Inspired by the classic B&W portrait photographers of the past(Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, George Hurrel & Herb Ritts), I designed John Christopher Studio to bring back the art of the studio portrait. I invite you to look through my work and reach out to schedule your sitting. I believe our faces are unique works of art, and we all deserve a classic studio portrait.
And many of you have inquired about Grit, my next fine art photography book featuring Colorado's wild horses. The book is 75% complete. I have selected my book designer and printer, created two dummy copies, and have most of the copy written. With the success of my new portrait studio, the book ended up on the back burner. And while sitting with the work a bit longer, I came to feel it wasn't ready. There is more I want to add to the collection. I will provide more information next year on Grit and our in-house press company Applehead Publishing. Stay tuned!