Sometimes, without effort, you live in the moment. You don't regret the past or worry about the future, and in that moment everything flashes before your eyes, a clear snapshot of what has to be done, and everything pauses. - Rebecca McNutt

Nature has an amazing way of releasing you from the grips of everyday routine and keeping you present. Nothing in the wilderness is set in stone. It is fluid, forever changing, adapting to suit environmental conditions and outside pressures placed on it. When visiting these areas, you are forced to take a step back and just be, forgetting about everything else in your life and focusing on the here and now, what’s right in front of you. It’s a beautiful thing. This is why I enjoy wildlife and nature photography so much. I’m constantly confronted with living in the moment and to be honest, I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.

Please enjoy this week’s image selection of wildlife in monochrome.

Spending time with elephants can be one of the most rewarding life changing experiences a person can have, especially due to their likeness to human beings with regards to family.

Some scenes are just pure magic, but to appreciate them, one needs a great wide angle lens.

Probably one of the most well recognized male lions in South Africa, “Mazino” the smaller of the Charleston duo. I just love looking at him.

It’s a humbling experience being in the presence of lions, especially those as confident as the Charleston males.

I too, enjoy a bit of bird watching every now and then.

Watching vultures coming down to a carcass is pretty amazing, especially when seeing their incredible wingspans at close quarters. They are really impressive animals.

The energizing breath, commonly known as a yawn and often associated with tiredness, but in reality it forces oxygen to the brain, increasing activity. This is how we know cats are waking up and getting ready to start moving.

By far the cutest carnivores in all of Africa, soaking up the morning sun and bonding with group members before starting the day. Probably an important lesson in there for us somewhere.

This girl is going to break hearts in no time at all and it’s so amazing to me how relaxed she is with us at such a young age. She will be one to watch in the coming years.

The Winter night skies, my favourite time of year for stargazing and astrophotography. Silence during these times is absolutely golden.