Wow, 2024—it was a game-changer! On a personal level, my photography hit its peak. I was capturing images I’d only dreamed of before and editing them with a speed and finesse that felt almost magical. For a moment, I even let myself think: I’ve made it! Nature photography had never felt so exhilarating.

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But here’s the twist: my real measure of success has always been my client’s growth. Seeing them improve and thrive has been my North Star, and I’ve poured my heart into sharing every ounce of knowledge I have. Cue the ego pop. During my 101st safari on the Chobe River—yes, my 101st!—I got a wake-up call.

 

This was a special group, many of whom had been with me since the beginning. These were the same folks who first embraced my game-changing invention: the world’s first Custom Photography Revolving Chair, mounted on flat-bottom boats. All of them bought into a Wildlife Photography Rating System, that me and my wife Veronica developed, from day one. They were old friends and most of them were loyal participants in my Mentorship Support Program, a bond in friendship that survived even the long COVID-induced pause in our safaris.

 

They came armed with the latest and greatest mirrorless cameras—Nikon Z9s, Sony A1s, Canon R3s, and OM-1s. But during our midday evaluation sessions, I noticed something shocking: their photos weren’t better. Compared to the high standards we set 15 years ago on the very same river, they’d taken a step back. The photos they captured back then with their trusty Nikon D700s outshone their 2024 shots. Same boats, and the same species, but vastly different results. It was a tough pill to swallow. How could this happen with all that cutting-edge gear in hand? What were we missing?

 

It was clear something was off—not in the way they clicked the shutter, but certainly in the way they set up their cameras and in what came next. They were set up for failure in their cameras. Their editing skills weren’t keeping pace with their camera's potential. Even with AI-powered software, their edits not only lacked the polish that brings a photo to life but it prevented them from squeezing the best out of their cameras. That realisation hit hard because, for me, photography is as much about the storytelling in post-production as it is about the perfect shot in the field.

 

After that humbling safari on the Chobe River, it was back to the drawing board for me. I realised it wasn’t just about what I was sharing with my clients—it was about how I was sharing it. That led me to a quote by Albert Einstein that stopped me in my tracks: “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old child, you don’t understand it yourself.”

 

Challenge accepted. I enlisted my grandsons—10-year-old Ethan and 12-year-old Peter-Kersey—to test my editing and upscaling process. The deal was simple: I’d teach them professional editing techniques in a few easy, repeatable steps.

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Guess what? In just 18 minutes, they declared, “Can we go play now? We’ve got it!” They didn’t just "get it"—they nailed it. Their edits were clean and consistent, and they mastered upscaling as if they had been doing it from being toddlers. But here’s the kicker: we put their results head-to-head with edits done, on the same photographs, by some of the most respected, international award-winning nature photographers I know. The comparison involved everything from current cutting-edge, old favourites to noisy, challenging shots.

 

The verdict? Ethan and Peter-Kersey’s work didn’t just hold up—it stood out. The pros took longer and, to their credit, were gracious enough to admit a preference for the boys’ results. Mind-blowing, right? That moment lit a fire in me. If two kids could learn this in under 20 minutes, why couldn’t I make nature photography and editing accessible for everyone, regardless of age or experience?

 

The rest of 2024 was spent channelling that inspiration into action. I developed an entirely new Nature Photography Model—one designed to flatten the learning curve and bring the fun back into photography. My mission? Make professional-level skills in both Nature Photography and Editing achievable in days, not years, while ensuring the process is as joyful as the moments we’re capturing them.

 

This vision led to revamped National and International Workshops and Mentorship Support Programs, both in-person and online. And because I believe so strongly in the results, they all come with a first-time money-back guarantee.

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2024 didn’t just refine my photography—it redefined my purpose. Here’s to making photography more exciting, approachable, and rewarding for everyone.