When I lost my mother to lung cancer, and my engagement ended in the same year, the world became colorless to me. I was convinced there wasn’t any magic left for me to feel anymore, and went through my days trying to survive with my children, instead of truly living.
When a friend convinced me to take a few days for myself to go backpacking for the first time, I was hesitant, because I had never done any outdoor activities before, and I had no interest in sleeping outside…I trusted him though.
We hiked up 6 miles to an alpine lake to where we setup camp for a night, and I was astonished! There was a moment on the hike, when I found a pond of white lilies just as the sun was setting, sending dozens of gold beams through a wall of skinny white trees. When I stopped in awe, a white butterfly flew by and sat down on my hip to flutter its wings for a few seconds. Before it flew away, I smiled down at it, and in that moment, I knew that I was wrong about the world.
If I continue to keep shooting and exploring, I would hope that my photos spread the same sense of hope and wonder that other landscape photos did for me a year ago when it led me to the outdoors. I especially hope that my photos are seen by those who also felt like I did a year ago, that the world is becoming colorless.
I hope my photos inspire those people to step outside to explore and find for themselves that when they leave the city and their comfort zones behind, they’ll find that there is still an abundance of magic left in the world to discover, and I hope that discovery makes them feel lucky and happy to be alive.
Andy Rider is a passionate wildlife photographer and filmmaker based in South Africa, dedicated to capturing the raw beauty of nature while raising awareness about conservation. Inspired by legends like Steve Irwin, his journey began as a field guide, where he honed his skills and developed a deep respect for ethical wildlife photography.
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