January 2015, Gunsan, South Korea
Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III; 1/250 sec at f2.8; ISO-400

It was almost sunset on an icy-cold January evening. Silvana had been waiting by the reservoir since afternoon, eagerly watching the flock of Baikal Teals on the water.

Despite not having any luck the past few days, she clung to a thin thread of hope for a miracle shot before the sun dipped past the horizon.

Then, with what sounded like a thunderclap, the teals took to the sky – a dark gigantic stormcloud in reverse. Hundreds upon thousands of birds were swirling and dancing across the dusk. Awed as she was, Silvana gathered her wits and equipment, and raced in pursuit of the birds, snapping whenever she could catch her breath until the last sliver of light.

It was a majestic sight. Hundreds of thousands of wings moving in unison to form one unified flock, an extended family helping one another, in good times and in bad.

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February 2011, Rausu, Japan
Technical Details: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV; 1/600 sec at F5.6; ISO-200

The eagles were out early hunting. After a three-hour drive in the snow from Nemuro, Silvana arrived in time to witness numerous raptors already circling above. After all, Rausu is the winter-feeding grounds for the Steller’s sea eagles and white-tailed eagles from Stovok, Russia. Chaos reigned as every bird was attempting to fish while fending off the others.

A white-tailed eagle dove into the frigid water, emerging seconds later with breakfast in its powerful talons. Yet it had to fight to keep its meal as a Steller’s sea eagle swooped in from below, attempting to rip away its catch. The other birds turned to observe the battle, awaiting a window where they could steal the food for themselves.

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October 2015, Delta, Canada
Technical Details: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV; 1/800 sec at F11; ISO-200

Silvana was driving down the beautiful countryside on a warm October afternoon. To her surprise, she came upon what seemed like a snow-covered field. Upon closer approach, the “snow” was revealed to be thousands of snow geese, migrating southward from Wrangel Island, Russia, 5,000 km away.

Realising the significance of what lay before her, Silvana’s eyes lit up as she pulled over and ran, camera in hand, into the field.

Patiently she sat among the wild grass. With a sudden burst, the first few birds took flight, signalling the flock to press on with their winter migration. Wave after wave soared skywards. Awe and amazement filled Silvana’s being at the sight and sound of winged thunderclaps in a dazzling snowstorm.

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December 2015, Asahikawa, Japan
Technical Details: Canon EOS 5DMark III; 1/1600 sec at F5.6; ISO-400

Led by her penguin-enthusiast son to Asahikawa Zoo, world-renowned sanctuary for the endangered king penguins, Silvana soon spotted a moment she would hold close to her heart for a long time.

Amidst a group of adults was a nestling leaning into its mother while squawking plaintively. Although she could never understand their exchange, their body language more than eloquently expressed a deep bond between parent and child.

 “Wow, just like you guys”, Silvana whispered to her son, as he too started leaning towards her. The young one may already be as large as its mother, however, it would still remain her “baby” until its time to leave the nest.

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October 2015, Fairbanks, Alaska
Technical Details: Canon EOS 1D Mark IV; 1/250 sec at F5.6; ISO-2000

Silvana had been tracking this pair of polar bears intently, observing and recording their movements. The younger creature was almost an adult, yet still continued to follow its mother. As the pair stopped for a brief break, the young polar bear snuggled up to its mother, eyes closed with a contented smile.

Female polar bears nurse and protect their young for 30 months before the cubs venture out on their own. Till then, this young one was perfectly satisfied being in the safest place in the world – right next to its mother. 

This always reminded Silvana of her own children, whom despite being all grown up, always came back to the most secure place – by her side.

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October 2015, Fairbanks, Alaska
Technical Details: Canon EOS 1D Mark IV; 1/800 sec at F5.6; ISO-1600

A group of polar bears was feasting on a whale carcass. Instead of that gory scene, Silvana was seeking a gentler moment. She then spotted this individual sauntering away after having its fill.

Despite its full belly, its air of blissful satiation made it seem like it was crossing the ice as if on air, swaying to its favourite tune.

The journey on treacherously slippery ice would have been daunting for most. Yet even saddled with heavy equipment – and two fractured ribs, Silvana was undeterred when she set out to capture the polar bear, Earth’s largest carnivore. Being able to get this shot made the experience that much sweeter.

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December 2010, Jigokudani, Japan
Technical Details: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV; 1/60 sec at F6.3; ISO-400

Though disappointed that her first day at Jigokudani was misty, Silvana remained hopeful the weather would improve to grant her at least one good shot. As she was setting up her equipment, a troupe of snow macaques emerged from the forest and dipped into the hot spring.

Just then, the mist cleared. Right in front of Silvana were these monkeys. They soon formed a grooming conga line while soaking in the mineral-rich water.

Silvana realised that the younger ones were grooming their elders, reflecting a hierarchy based on seniority. Yet the great tenderness with which the macaques were tending to each other touched her. Much like humans, their fellow primates, they too had great capacity for familial bonds.

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July 2015, Masai Mara, Kenya
Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III; 1/800 sec at F11; ISO-100

In late July 2015, Silvana set out on an expedition to the Masai Mara reserve. It was very early on day 2, and she wanted to capture the sunrise.

It was a still morning, dark and quiet, with only the growl of her jeep for company as she headed out into the grassland. As the sun peered over the horizon, she noticed a couple of gazelles grazing.

Unsure if they would wander in her direction, Silvana chose to focus instead on the rising sun. As luck would have it, the animals came into view, with one clambering up on to a low berm while its companion carried on foraging. As her shutter clicked, both froze for a split-second then melted away like morning mist into the light.

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July 2015, Masai Mara, Kenya
Technical Details: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV; 1/320 sec at F7.1; ISO-800

Seeking sights unavailable to tourists, daring Silvana requested her driver to obtain a permit to veer away from the designated tourist routes.

One of her encounters was of this magnificent lioness. Alerted by the jeep’s engine, the cat was recovering from a recent kill, and kept a wary eye on the approaching vehicle.

Keeping a respectable distance, Silvana knew that the seemingly placid creature could swiftly transform into a bounding terror. Yet she was grateful for this opportunity where the queen of the savannah deigned to grant her undivided attention, as if posing for her royal portrait.

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July 2015, Masai Mara, Kenya
Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III; 1/500 sec at F7.1; ISO-800

While waiting for a zebra herd migration, Silvana took time out to take in her surroundings. It was then that she noticed a couple of lions circling a lioness.

Through her telephoto lens, she turned to observe their actions. Soon enough, the males started fighting while the lioness simply lay there watching. The fight was fierce and intense, with neither suitor willing to give ground.

All too quickly, it was over. The loser slunk away, leaving the victor to his prize – and Silvana with hers: A worthy shot of this heated battle for dominance and mating rights among the kings of the wild. It resembled a Renaissance era painting of Greek gods fighting each other to rule over the other.

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July 2015, Masai Mara, Kenya
Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III; 1/160 sec at F9; ISO-100

Silvana had been trailing a wildebeest herd when she noticed this tower of giraffes, which according to her guide, found safety in numbers by grazing together.

The leader suddenly lifted its head, and domino-like the rest followed suite, staring intently in the direction of his gaze. Before Silvana could ascertain what caught their attention, giraffes and wildebeests began racing in the other direction.

She later realised a pair of lions had wandered by. Alerted to their presence, the other animals took flight. This phenomenon left Silvana amazed at the interconnection and cooperation even among different species – a lesson we humans could better learn.

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July 2015, Masai Mara, Kenya
Technical Details: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV; 1/800 sec at F5.6; ISO-320

Silvana had heard a lot about the well-known cheetah Malaika. She had hoped to see her and her cubs, the subject of a National Geographic documentary the year before when the cubs were born.

After over six hours of tracking the cheetah family, Silvana chanced upon Malaika imparting her hunting skills to her year-old cubs. The four young cheetahs keenly observed their mother stealthily stalk an unsuspecting herd of wildebeest, imitating her moves from a distance so as not to spook their prey.

This image was when the cubs shot up from hiding in rapt wonder as their Malaika lunged at a wildebeest calf. More than a reflection of nature’s subtle inner workings, this instance of a mother guiding her children towards independence reminded Silvana of how she raised her own children. That is why she held a deep affection for this piece of work.

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July 2015, Masai Mara, Kenya
Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 1/250 sec at F8; ISO-400

It was the first day of Silvana’s journey, and the sea of grass spread endlessly across the horizon. It was devoid of animal life as far as the eye could see until the eagle-eyed driver caught sight of a pinhead-sized figure in the distance. It was the solitary female cheetah, Malaika, perched on a rock, scanning for her next target or possible danger to her cubs resting nearby.

It was a windless day. The noon sun beat down mercilessly. Silence reigned.

Most people would think of wild places to be characterised by frantic life-death struggles. Yet there too are moments of absolute stillness – moments that allow a lone cheetah (or a wildlife photographer) to regain her centre amidst the fast-changing world. As her eyes met Malaika’s, she saw her own reflection in her, always looking out for her four children in an unpredictable world.

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July 2015, Masai Mara, Kenya
Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III; 1/400 sec at F11; ISO-200

It was mid-afternoon, and the harsh rays of the African sun beat down mercilessly on a large herd of zebras grazing on the plains. Even so, the zebras organized themselves into lines, almost politely,taking turns to quench their thirst at a small watering hole nearby.

Silvana’s group chose this location to alight from the jeep and have lunch, whilst observing this orderly display. Despite the vivid pattern of their coats breaking the wilderness with psychedelic stripes, the atmosphere was one of calmness. Few among the herd chose to quench their thirst, perhaps even pausing to contemplate on their reflection in the water. Most of the others were simply standing around, gathering energy for the long journey onwards.

Silvana was captivated by this scene, and trekked to the opposite side of the bank under the searing heat to capture this shot. To Silvana, this was a magical moment where she felt like time had stopped.

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October 2015, Delta, Canada
Technical Details: Canon EOS 1D Mark IV; 1/500 sec at F32; ISO-250

While observing a skein of wild geese, Silvana spotted a smaller group flying apart from the others, at a higher altitude.

After going through the burst of shots she had taken, she felt lucky when she realised that the 8 geese were in the process of getting into a V-formation. She was impressed by how the birds could instinctively fall into a pattern to take advantage of the slipstream.

She also noticed, in the distance, a jet-stream which seemed to be guiding the geese on their ascent. Seeing the birds en route South left her with a longing for her own home, after weeks away from familiar sights and sounds.

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