Travel photographer Teagan Cunniffe’s career has taken her on adventurous pursuits to some of Africa’s most remote locations. With Cape Town as her home, Teagan captures stunning visuals for many of the continent’s most thoughtfully designed spaces and remote wilderness areas.
Forever fascinated by the great outdoors, Teagan Cunniffe’s work seeks to showcase places that are truly remote.
Constantly striving to capture magic on camera, Teagan’s career has taken her to some of the wildest corners of the planet, from the banks of the Lower Zambezi National Park to the crumbling walls of volcanoes in Réunion Island.
Having completed her degree, she initially worked as a commercial photographer in Durban, South Africa, before assuming a role as Lead Photojournalist for one of the country’s longest-running travel magazines.
Soon after, lured by a sense of curiosity and wanderlust, Teagan embarked on a series of international adventures, including gorilla trekking in Rwanda, smørrebrøds tasting in Copenhagen, and tracing the footprints of pilgrims in KwaZulu-Natal.
Stimulated by her travel experiences, Teagan returned to freelance photography to take up opportunities to contribute to international publications such as National Geographic Traveler, Condé Nast, Telegraph Travel, and various in-flight magazines. She also restored her horse-riding passions, photographing multi-day horse safaris across the continent and abroad.
Now primarily residing in Africa, Teagan’s work consists of intimate glimpses into the continent’s wilderness, its unique wildlife, and the unparalleled safari and hospitality experiences one might find throughout.
Collaborating with a vast range of clients, from not-for-profit organisations to boutique hotels, Teagan’s creative appetite for variety and ability to capture versatility commends her as a travel photographer of choice.
Q&A WITH TEAGAN CUNNIFFE
Firstly, could you describe the genre of photography that you specialise in?
Teagan Cunniffe (TC): I specialise in travel and hospitality photography, creating marketing media for wilderness lodge and adventure operators in remote regions of Southern and East Africa.
Additionally, I document travel stories and architectural design projects for industry professionals and editorial publications.
I would describe my style of photography as real, warm, and natural. I strive to allow candid moments to appear amidst set up scenes, and mainly use natural light.
What drew you to work in travel photography?
TC: I was drawn to the idea that I could work in the places I am awed by and find inspiration and energy within.
Combining photography with travel became a way to experience these places first-hand.
What do you find most exciting about this kind of work?
TC: I’m constantly excited by how dynamic the field experiences are. Depending on the working day, I could be photographing wild dogs from a helicopter in the morning and, later that afternoon, find myself capturing a sunset scene in ankle-deep waters of the Okavango Delta whilst fending off leeches, maneuvering mokoros, and directing models.
On the flip side, what are the biggest challenges?
TC: Time away from home is a challenge. As much as I love what I do, I miss the regular, grounded routine of home life and relationships and the ability to have pets – it’s a big sacrifice. I’ve found the best way to catch up with friends is to book travel time together and do things like walking trips, and when I am visiting family or at home I try to slow down and be present.
What has been one of your favourite destinations to capture?
TC: One of my favourite destinations to capture has been the Lewa Wilderness safari lodges in Kenya. Lewa, and Laikipia at large, is magic. Much of this can be credited to the Craigs family who have sought to conserve the land and wildlife through tourism since the 1970’s. You’ll find endangered Grévy’s zebra, white rhino, and enigmatic black leopards.
I adore the creativity and energy that I feel in the people and landscapes of Kenya – it acts as an amplifier, filling me with joy and gratitude to be able to do what I do.
Have you been involved in any interesting assignments or projects recently?
TC: I’ve been spending vast amounts of time with Wilderness Safaris (Wilderness), a premier safari operator and one of my favorite clients. Incidentally, it was my first major lodge safari booking when I began freelancing.
Wilderness definitely gave me a foot in the industry and I’ve since photographed many of their camps and lodges in Southern Africa.
My recent stints have been longer than the norm, including week-long opening shoots for camps that have been recently rebuilt or refurbished. Last October, I spent seven weeks in the field photographing Zimbabwe and Zambia, and at the time of writing this, I am on a four-week assignment in Botswana. Commissions like this come with their own challenges, but the chance to be out here for extended lengths of time, and experience moments of downtime in places that many people rarely get to visit
(and have to pay a large sum of money to do so), is a complete privilege.
For example, last night we tracked a female cheetah and her five cubs and ended the day by photographing two full-maned male lions calling to each other in the dusky gloom. It is truly special to be reminded how wild our world can be.
Finally, what’s next for the future? Are there any new destinations you’d like to cross off your bucket list?
TC: Next year I’ll be joining Namibia Horse Safari Company for over 1,200 kilometres of desert riding and open-air camping. Joining them on their epic has long been on my bucket list and I am extremely excited for a month of riding.
On the work side, the majority of my commissions come from Southern and East Africa. I hope to venture further north to work with camps, lodges, and adventure operators doing exciting things in places that are off the beaten track. I am itching to visit Chad!
HOW I GOT THIS PHOTO
TC: I remember feeling rather glum on this afternoon. The weather was a little miserable and the sunset scene we’d curated hadn’t lined up as I’d hoped. Then I turned around and saw Francis glowing in the last of the day’s light. The storm building up behind him added drama to the air and his smile was infectious – we switched on the game vehicle’s lights and I got my 50 millimetre lens out to capture the scene as I felt it.
