If you like or love wildlife, especially elephants, please let me introduce you to award-winning wildlife photographer: Kathy Karn. She is an amazing woman with a keen eye in her photography and spinning a delicious tale from her thousands of images taken all over the world. A born storyteller!
Kathy, who hails from London, Ontario, Canada, and I first met via zoom in Seth Godin/Kristin Hatcher's Akimbo Writing in Community (WIC) in June 2020. We were all newbies crafting our words attempting to write a book in any chosen genre. The goal: to publish an ebook, with a possible follow-up with a paperback as I did with The Focused Fight. Kathy has been diligently working on her book, Wisdom of Elephants, a stunning coffee table book chock full of her award-winning images and the unbelievable stories that go with them. It's due out summer of 2022.
Last night, Kathy was the featured speaker (Zoom meeting) with her London Camera Club, and I decided to join in on the fun when she mentioned in WIC that anyone could participate. She mesmerized the crowd with the stories of her favorite elephants and beyond. Her stories brought back many memories of my trips to South Africa and Botswana in 2015 and 2016, especially those glorious elephants I love so much.
Today's daily post in WIC had to capture my thoughts from last night. Here is what I wrote, plus I asked Kathy if I could share it on my blog, and she said an emphatic, "YES."
My post here this morning has to be about Kathy Karn! She gave an outstanding presentation to her London, Ontario, Canada, camera club last evening that anyone could sign up and join her. When she announced, "THE ELEPHANTS ARE COMING!!!" I replied, If the Elephants are coming, "I'm coming too!" WIC members Annette Mason and Karena DeSouza also heard the call and jumped on the Range Rover for an unforgettable night.
Right from the first moment Kathy was on camera, she knocked it out of the park. Of course, the entire presentation was on a zoom call, Brady Bunch style. Still, Kathy delivered her brand of gold about herself and her wildlife photography in a measured cadence, bringing every one of us into the lair of her superb storytelling. She also wore a stunning custom African jewelry necklace that set the stage for the rest of the evening.
Kathy's superpower is not only her award-winning photography, but the richness of her stories behind each image presented. She had the pleasure of 100 eager listeners engaging and connecting with her emotionally through the many stunning photos shared.
Kathy's passion for the Amboseli Elephants of Kenya was heartfelt, and her joy in traveling to be with these wickedly intelligent beasts was not lost on her audience. I believe she loves the nuances of capturing her favorite subjects through anything nature throws at her while the camera is in front of her face. It's not easy since no one can control the lighting or the behaviors of the animals! A challenge for sure. All this means for Kathy is to shoot thousands of images, and hopefully, a few will stick and be great as she is!
As Annette Mason said this morning, "Kathy is an ambassador for sustainable travel." I wholeheartedly agree!
Before Kathy closed her 2-hour presentation, she added a few photos of her packing system. I'm always interested in how others pack, especially on an epic trip like this one. I leaned into my computer to see the images up close of her cameras, lenses, ancillary equipment, clothing, and other things she needed to take with her on each trip. The photos were terrific.
Packing light is the key!
We learned how difficult it is to travel with all the heavy camera equipment needed to produce beautiful images. Kathy gave us concrete examples of how she makes it all work to travel around the globe to be with the animals she loves most. It's probably why those Amboseli Elephants know she's in their neck of the bush, and they just do (miracle?). Her uncanny connections with "Tim" (the giant Tusker in Africa who unfortunately passed away last year from natural causes at age 50), and other amazing elephants on the Savannah, frankly, on the deepest levels possible with a pachyderm and human, is what sets her apart from the rest of us.
Kathy's wisdom and love of wildlife, and the elephants she beautifully captures, illuminates our primal need to all stay connected; humans to the animal kingdom. She does this with love, grit, and inspiration in each image she presents to the world!
Thank you, Kathy Karn! You are amazing!!!
bSoleille!
Terri
Photos below are credited to Kathy Karn Photography. To learn more about Kathy, please visit her website: https://kathykarn.com/
