by Kyriakos Kaziras & Paul Goldstein
foreword by Brian Jackman
Kenya’s Masai Mara is the most prolific wildlife area in the world. It is a delicate eco-system not immune to changeable weather patterns, but its mid-year grasslands provide an irresistible lure to over one million ruminants, as they thunder North from the Serengeti. Many parks and reserves in Africa claim all manner of alchemy when it comes to predators, scenery and light and most short-change, handing out their favours sparingly. It is not just the animals in the Mara, but the remarkable light, dazzling backdrops and coruscating colours that bring Paul Goldstein and Kyriakos Kaziras back to the plains many times a year.
Both are fiercely protective of this priceless jewel and both extremely sensitive to its moods. Whilst spending eight hours immobile waiting for a hungry cheetah to explode out of the burnished oat grass may not be everyone’s idea of fun, or indeed photography, for these two it is their mating call.
Their photographs are ambitious, many times they fail, but when they do not, the results can be spectacular. Critically, few of the images inside are ‘safe’, many will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it would be dull if they were.
The Masai Mara is different every day, it is fully deserving of the ‘Magic’ accolade, it has to continue. It is imperative greed, short-sightedness and corruption – diseases not uncommon in Africa - are not allowed to plunder this paradise.
