Journeys of Discovery
The beauty of a journey of discovery is that it doesn’t require Livingstone-esque escapades.
Whenever I’m introduced as a wildlife photographer, the most common question is: “Have you had lots of close calls with dangerous animals?”
Many of my peers are constantly frustrated, feeling the public should be asking us about species behaviour, our technical workflows, or how they can help in protecting wild spaces.
However, I love it. There’s an innate sense of discovery naturally interwoven into the question: “Tell me about wild spaces and places.” It instantly opens the conversation to storytelling, an opportunity for me to bring to the fore our most cherished memories.
The most recent of which was a trip to the Odzala National Park, deep in the Congo Basin. Although I’d originally been assigned to find and photograph the western lowland gorillas, it was the sense of place and journey of discovery that resonated with me most.
Picture the scene: you’re stood on a small muddy island, surrounded by Congo’s largest and most mineral rich baï. Around you, forest elephants frolic in the water, bongo antelopes drink, African grey parrots sing in the trees. You look down at your feet and there’s smashed pottery pieces, still with intricate decoration visible, embedded in the mud, some over 500 years old.
Every day, every hour, every moment felt like discovery. The light constantly in flux, the environment forever changing. Even now while writing this, I can smell the river, feel the morning mist lifting, and see a tiny version of myself nestled among this paradise.
My mind then turns to precious time spent on the Finnish/Russian border, living alongside European brown bears. Becoming one with them, with the forest, with the natural world around me. All this just hours away from the buzzing metropolises of Europe’s capitals.
Too often in the 21st century, or, indeed, as humans, we opt for the ‘known’. Rinse and repeat.
The beauty of a journey of discovery is that it doesn’t require Livingstone-esque escapades. It’s a feeling. It requires self-definition, rather than being prescribed by others. Wherever you feel a sense of difference, of a deviation from the norm, moving away from routine. It’s finding something within yourself; a self-determination previously unknown, a new pursuit, memories that will cement themselves within the foundations of your very being.
I’ve found that discovery through nature is a catalyst for self-discovery. It reverberates throughout your life, creating a motivation to seek more. To move beyond the expected and, instead, constantly rewrite your goals and ambitions.
George Turner is an award-winning wildlife photographer hailing from the south west of England. His work is frequently featured in National Geographic Traveller, BBC Earth, Lonely Planet, and other acclaimed international publications. His greatest love is guiding fellow wildlife enthusiasts into some of the world’s most pristine wildernesses.
This article originally appeared in Billionaire's Discovery Issue, September 2018. For subscriptions click here.
