Beyond
About and
For more than fifty years, I have explored the edge where science, art, and wild nature meet
— searching for meaning through a lens that teaches us how to see.
"The question is not what we look at but what we see.
In the largest sense, we find only the world that we look for."
~ Henry David Thoreau
A solitary elephant bull climbed the Chobe River embankment and paused. From the horizon a herd of impala drifted down to drink. They met without rush — a quiet conversation about river, danger, and the upstream village’s pollution.
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That moment fixed into my long-term memory. It taught me that photography begins with engagement, not the shutter — and that fun in nature returns when we stop shooting too slow.
Shared Knowledge – The Measure of a Mentor
“Lou has always pushed to be at the forefront. But one thing makes him stand out — he shares every last bit of knowledge he has.
Everyone who learns from him benefits from it. He belongs to a greater society and deserves to be heard.” – Dr Wenzel Kotze
Masters in Business Leadership – Research based on “Towards Synergy”
Climbing the Walls of Convention
Photographers struggle not because of talent, but because the walls of convention keep them shooting too slow, too safe, too still. Our Wildlife Rating System placed behaviour, action, and interaction at the top — portraits at the bottom.
That shift forced me to push shutter speed, push technique, and chase story over perfection. This section introduces the video Climbing the Walls of Convention, where I explain how simple technique and fast shutterspeed open a deeper level of connection with nature.
“Lou’s intuitive ability to understand the potential of new technology pushes boundaries further — showing how we can use photography to connect with nature and support mental wellbeing.” – Craig Rix, Publisher, Travel Africa
Breaking Through the Walls – The Mirrorless Frontier
I didn’t jump to mirrorless for fashion — I hit the ceiling at 1/8000 sec.
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Mirrorless opened 1/32 000 sec and 120 FPS, allowing me to work speed and depth together.
Pre-recording, pioneered by Olympus/OM System, added something new — capturing the decisive moment before the shutter is pressed.
Not all brands offer it at the same level, but it demonstrated where storytelling is heading.
This is not about sharper images — it is about seeing more of the story.
Full Circle – Stills Become Motion, Motion Becomes Stills
Shooting stills at 120 FPS allowed me to build motion from single moments.
Shooting video at 1/32 000 sec allowed me to extract stills from time.
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Together, they close the loop — depth and speed revealing what lies beyond the obvious.
New technology didn’t replace my craft — it expanded my vision.
Breaking the Hollywood Rule
Traditional filmmaking says video must follow the Hollywood Rule — keep shutter speed slow to match how the eye sees.
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But when the Red-Billed Oxpeckers dived on a young impala, everyone shooting stills missed it — their shutter speeds were too fast for motion, but too slow for instinct.
I filmed at high shutter speeds and higher ISO, pulling sharp, usable stills from 4K video.
It revealed behaviour we had never seen before.
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Sometimes you must break a rule to see truth.
“In TOWARDS SYNERGY, Lou Coetzer’s intimate and evocative images provide the perfect backdrop to Da Vinci’s interpretation of Leadership Lessons from Nature. There is a lesson in this for all of us.” ~ Prof. Bennie Anderson, CEO – Da Vinci Institute
Born of Africa – Leadership and Wellness Through the Lens
This story was born in Africa — a continent that teaches through experience.
My book Towards Synergy – Leadership Principles in Nature inspired Dr Wenzel Kotze’s Masters research confirming that leadership principles are reflected in nature.
Dr Waldemar Bussiahn, independently, proved through his Masters and PhD work that immersive nature photography restores wellness.
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They never worked together — I integrated both bodies of research into my Progressive Photography Model, a living bridge between leadership and wellness.
Simple enough for a child to understand; powerful enough to transform a leader.
Every workshop carries my money-back guarantee.
The next chapter in this fascinating journey will be my collaborative book with my friend Anton Musgrave, Founding Partner of Futureworld - “ReHumanising Humans In The Face Of AI-Lessons From Nature.” ~ Lou Coetzer
A Lifetime Behind the Lens – From Structure to Freedom
Lou Coetzer’s 57-year journey bridges sport, nature, and innovation.
He holds three PSSA Fellowships, is a BBC Natural History Museum award-winning photographer, former Head of Nikon Academy, Director of Nature’s Best Photography Africa, and designer of the world’s first 360° revolving photographic rig.
These achievements shaped the model that now teaches both children and leaders how to see differently.
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Journey on Social Media
A Different Side of the Lens – My Visual Art Fellowship (2004)
In 2004 I earned a Visual Art Fellowship from the PSSA — proving that a nature storyteller can also create deeply expressive photographic art. These images come from that panel. ~ Lou Coetzer
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