1.
60 GO! April 2012 www.gomag.co.za GO! April 2012 61
A SECOND CHANCE
Table Bay, South Africa
“Two African penguins hesitate for a second before jumping to freedom into
the cold waters of Table Bay. Rescued from near starvation several months
earlier, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal
Birds (SANCCOB) nurtured them back to health.
“Unique to southern Africa, the population of African penguins has
droppedbymorethan80%since1956.Withonly26000breedingpairsleftin
the wild, the life of each penguin counts.”
HOW? Nikon D300, 12mm lens, shutter speed 1/160 second, aperture f20,
ISO 200, manual mode, with a flash.
Photography to
inspire action
EDITED BY SAM REINDERS
CHERYL-SAMANTHA
OWEN
Reading: The Sudan
Handbook, edited by
John Ryle et al
iPod playlist: Brahms’
violin concerto
S
he’sbeenpinnedbeneatha
boatbyawhaleshark,had
herfacesplatteredwith
penguinguano,tiptoed
behindbuffalosandriddenshotgunin
rusty4x4s,inricketyboatsandaboard
tinyplaneswhileexploringAfrica
anditsoceans.Kenyan-born,South
African-basedCheryl-SamanthaOwen
isaconservationphotographerwitha
passionforteachingpeopletocare.In
orderforpeopletobemovedtosave
something,shebelievesthatthey
havetoloveitfirst.
“Iwanttoinspirepeopletoact,”
shesays.“Conservationphotography
walksathinlinebetweenbeingtoo
cutesyandtoogory.It’seasytoshock
people.What’sdifficultistofind
beautyinasituationthatisn’tby
itsnaturebeautiful.Thisistheonly
waytohelppeopleunderstandthe
delicateworldwelivein.”
Samstudiedandworkedwithin
theconservationbiologyfieldbefore
turningtophotography.Shebelieves
thathigh-quality,dramaticphotogra-
phycanbeapowerfulweaponwhen
pairedwiththecollaborationofscien-
tists,leaders,rangers,fieldworkers
andpeoplelikeyouandme.
Sheconsidersherjobaprivilege
–although,astheguanoincident
proves,itisn’tasglamorousaspeople
maythink.Andwithallthebadnews
aboutconservationoutthere,doesn’t
she get depressed? She shakes her
head.“It’s the bad news that drives
me,”she says.“It makes me more
determinedtowinthenextbattle,to
startthenextprojectthatwillhope-
fullymakeadifference.”
TheskillofSam’sworkisthatshe
textures environmental issues with
the interwoven social issues – the
animals,thescientistsandeverything
in-between.
Rightnow,Samisspearheading
aphotographiccampaigntoprotect
some of Kenya’s last remaining
coastal wilderness, where the rich
biodiversityandtraditionalcultures
areunderthreat.
Fighton,Sam!

2.
62 GO! April 2012 www.gomag.co.za GO! April 2012 63
PORTFOLIO
IT’S RAINING GIRAFFES!
Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda
“Dirty, hot, sticky and tired after a nine-hour drive south from Uganda’s
northern border, we finally turned off the main road and into Murchison
Falls National Park. Thoughts of a stiff drink and a shower got the better of
my driver – rather than slowing down, his right foot became heavier on the
accelerator.
“Speeding through a national park is a big no-no, and besides, I wanted
to see the wildlife. I objected loudly and we came to a halt.The roar of the
engine was replaced with the drumming of a summer downpour. Give nature
a chance and you’ll always see something special, like this tower of giraffes
that emerged out of the rain.”
HOW? Nikon D300, 300mm lens, shutter speed 1/640 second, aperture f4,
ISO 640, manual mode.
LOCKING HORNS
Outside Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda
“These impressive beasts, with horns like elephant tusks, must surely be the
most imposing of Africa’s domestic livestock.The Ankole cow is a cultural icon
for the traditionally nomadic Bahima people of Uganda.
“AfteryearsofdisputesbetweenneighbouringcommunitiesandtheUganda
WildlifeAuthority(UWA)overtraditionalcattlegrazingsiteswithinLakeMburo
NationalPark,FaunaandFloraInternational(FFI)hasencouragedallparties
toworktogetheronasolutionthattakesintoaccounttheculturalclaimsof
thepeopleandthebiodiversityofthepark.It’satypicalAfricansituationand
hopefullytheresultcanbeablueprintforfutureconservationmodels.”
HOW? Nikon D300, 300mm lens, shutter speed 1/1600 second, aperture f4.5,
ISO 200, manual mode.

3.
64 GO! April 2012 www.gomag.co.za GO! April 2012 65
PORTFOLIO
STRUGGLING SURVIVOR
Tana River Delta, Kenya
“Despite having survived the extinction of the dinosaurs, sea turtles like this
loggerhead are in great trouble. Only about 1 in 1000 hatchlings survive to
adulthood and those that do have to negotiate their way through polluted
seas, not mistake a plastic bag for a jellyfish and eat it, and steer clear of the
hooks and nets of fishermen.
“On Kenya’s north coast, the Local Ocean Trust (LOT) is encouraging
fishermentoreleaseratherthanslaughterturtlesthatgetcaughtaccidentally
intheirfishinggear.Afinancialincentiveisprovidedtocompensatethose
whotakepartintheprogramme.Hopefully,whena25-year-oldfemaleturtle
returnstolayhereggsonthebeachwhereshewasborn,shecandososafely.”
HOW? Nikon D300, 12mm lens, shutter speed 1/200, aperture f22, ISO 200,
manual mode, with a flash.
THE REAL PRICE OF SOUP
Tana River Delta, Kenya
“The plight of sharks being hunted for their fins hit me hardest when I came
across this bloodied drying wrack in a remote fishing camp on the Kenyan
coast. The only way in and out of this area is by boat, and every month a
Chinese agent in the port town of Mombasa collects a delivery of fins from
the fishermen.
“Nowhere in the sea are sharks safe from exploitation, not even in so-
called protected areas – after all, they’re wanderers that don’t adhere to
human boundaries.
“The main markets for fins are in China and in Chinese communities
worldwide, where they are boiled down to add a different texture to
chicken soup.”
HOW? Nikon D300, 12mm lens, shutter speed 1/125 second, aperture f9,
ISO 400, manual mode.

4.
66 GO! April 2012 www.gomag.co.za GO! April 2012 67
PORTFOLIO
GANNET IN THE BATH
Table View, Cape Town
“The Cape gannet, with its snow-white body, black-edged wings and
distinctive golden crown, is one of southern Africa’s most graceful seabirds.
But whether they will continue to fill our skies is questionable, as they have to
contend with a polluted sea and dwindling fish stocks.
“In this shot, volunteers from SANCCOB are scrubbing oil from a gannet’s
feathers. Ships in False Bay regularly release oil by emptying their bilge water,
and birds are brought to SANCCOB often, especially in winter, when storms
bring that oil to the surface.”
HOW? Nikon D300, 12–24mm lens, shutter speed 1/100 second, aperture f6.3,
ISO 500, manual mode, with a flash.
UNDERWATER SURVEY
Near Mombasa, Kenya
“Scientists from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
measure the growth of coral in the Indian Ocean off the Kenyan coast.The
study is helping to determine the effect that a rising sea temperature will
have on coral reefs. Coral polyps are slow-growing organisms and the natural
resilience of reefs is under threat not only from climate change but also from
pollution, overfishing and coastal development.
“Scientists estimate that as much as 70% of the world’s coral reefs are in
danger and many are already beyond salvation.The reefs in the Caribbean,
for example, have lost up to 80% of their coral species.”
HOW? Nikon D2x, 10,5mm lens, shutter speed 1/250 second, aperture f13,
ISO 200, manual mode, Subal underwater housing and Inon strobes.
Visit www.samowenphotography.comtoseemoreofSam’sworkand
tofindoutwherehernextprojectwilltakeher.