MARK A FERNLEY
MARK A. FERNLEY IS AN AWARD-WINNING WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER AND CO-FOUNDER OF UNTAMED PHOTO SAFARIS. HIS WORK EXPLORES ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR AND THE ART OF WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY, ALONGSIDE HIS COMMITMENT TO TEACHING OTHERS IN THE FIELD.
MARK A FERNLEY
PROFESSIONAL WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER
UNTAMED PHOTO SAFARIS
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MARK A FERNLEY
Renowned wildlife photographer Mark A. Fernley is a British wildlife photographer based in Kenya, with extensive experience photographing wildlife across East and Southern Africa. His work combines a deep understanding of animal behaviour with a distinctive artistic approach, exploring the atmosphere, texture and presence of the animals he photographs.
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Years spent in Africa’s wild landscapes have shaped both his photographic style and his field knowledge. Across open savannah, wetlands, bushland and arid terrain, Mark seeks images that reveal the relationship between an animal, its behaviour and its surroundings. His photographs range from intimate portraits to wider environmental compositions, reflecting an interest in both the individual subject and the landscape it inhabits.
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Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are central to his life and work, alongside a wider photographic portfolio from Southern Africa. He divides his time between personal projects and hosting guests through Untamed Photo Safaris, the company he co-founded with his wife and fellow wildlife photographer, Jaren A. Fernley. His experience across these regions informs his photography, his teaching and the photographic journeys he helps create.
FOLLOW THE EVER GROWING PORTFOLIO OF MARK A FERNLEY'S PHOTOGRAPHIC ADVENTURES AND SAFARIS FROM AFRICA!
HIS PHOTOGRAPHY
Mark’s photography is shaped by close attention to light, composition and animal behaviour. From elephants emerging through dust to predators stepping out of darkness, he seeks moments that convey both the character of an animal and the atmosphere of the encounter.
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Texture is a recurring feature of his work. Weathered skin, the folds of an elephant’s trunk, ripples across water and dust suspended in light become important elements within the frame. These details give his photographs a tactile quality, encouraging viewers to look closely and spend time with the image.
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Elephants and hippopotamuses offer particularly compelling subjects for this approach. Their physical presence, textured skin and expressive features provide opportunities to create photographs in which small details carry considerable visual weight. A close portrait can reveal an entirely different impression from a photograph of the same animal within an expansive landscape.
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Minimalism also plays an important role. Carefully considered framing and open space allow a subject to command attention, while restrained colour draws the eye towards expression, shape and detail. Mark often uses the surrounding landscape to establish scale, placing an animal within a wider setting without losing its presence.
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His black-and-white photography explores these qualities further. Deep shadows, bright highlights and subtle tonal transitions allow him to emphasise form and texture, creating portraits that range from quiet and contemplative to stark and imposing. His use of monochrome is closely connected to the subject and conditions, with light and tonal separation helping determine the direction of the finished photograph.
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Although his compositions frequently favour simplicity, his work also embraces movement and complexity. Gathering herds, overlapping forms and changing conditions offer opportunities to explore rhythm, abstraction and the energy of wildlife within a single frame.
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Across these different approaches, Mark’s aim is to create photographs that hold the viewer’s attention and communicate something of the experience of being there.
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LOW PRESPECTIVES & HIDE PHOTOGRAPHY
Low perspectives and photographic hides are defining features of Mark’s African wildlife photography. Working close to ground or water level changes the visual relationship between the photographer and the subject, revealing an animal’s scale and placing the viewer within its surroundings.
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From these positions, familiar animals can appear strikingly different. An elephant’s approach becomes more imposing, reflections become part of the composition, and foreground details help establish depth. The choice of perspective influences the entire photograph, from the background behind the subject to the sense of proximity felt by the viewer.
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Mark’s hide photography draws on extensive time observing African waterholes. Returning to the same locations allows him to become familiar with their rhythms, the movements of individual species and the subtle signals that can precede an encounter.
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At night, these environments take on a different character. Reflections, darkness and carefully controlled light reveal details that are easily overlooked during the day. An animal approaching the water, a brief interaction or dust drifting through a beam of light can become the foundation of a photograph.
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His experience at Shompole Plains Hide in southern Kenya has been particularly influential. Extended periods observing the waterhole have allowed him to explore its changing photographic possibilities, from quiet social interactions to the arrival of predators after dark.
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Behind this work are long periods of waiting. Mark’s approach depends on preparation, an understanding of behaviour and the patience to remain attentive when little appears to be happening. That familiarity helps him respond when light, movement and composition come together.
EXPERIENCE ACROSS SOUTHERN & EAST AFRICA
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Mark’s experience spans the contrasting wildlife environments of East and Southern Africa. Working across savannah, wetlands and dry bushland has developed his ability to assess changing conditions, interpret animal behaviour and recognise the photographic potential of different landscapes.
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His East African work includes elephants in Amboseli, predators in the Masai Mara and Serengeti, and mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Each environment presents its own demands, requiring different approaches to light, positioning, timing and composition.
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In Amboseli, dust, open space and the movement of elephant herds offer opportunities to explore scale and atmosphere. In the Masai Mara and Serengeti, watching predators and following the changing activity of the plains calls for anticipation and an awareness of how a scene may develop. Photographing gorillas in Bwindi requires a different sensitivity to limited light, dense vegetation and brief openings within the forest.
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His Southern African photography broadens this perspective, exploring wildlife within landscapes where water, seasonal change and open space shape the opportunities available. Across these regions, his work reflects an ability to adapt while maintaining a recognisable visual style.
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Repeated visits and extended periods in the field have given Mark a practical understanding of positioning, backgrounds and anticipating movement. Returning to familiar areas also creates opportunities to move beyond an initial impression, explore different conditions and develop a more considered body of work.
AWARDS & PUBLICATIONS
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Mark’s wildlife photography has earned international recognition through multiple awards such as Exposure One Awards and Wildlife Photographer of the Year to name a few. His images bring together patient observation, thoughtful composition and an artistic vision developed through years of working with wildlife.
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His photography and wildlife stories have featured in multiple National Geographic articles, alongside regular publication in newspapers worldwide and specialist photography publications. From intimate animal portraits to dramatic encounters and expansive landscapes, his published work brings the wildlife of East and Southern Africa to an international audience.
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Beyond still photography, Mark has contributed his field expertise to major wildlife documentary productions. He guided and organised Amazon fieldwork for Silverback Films’ Our Planet, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, supporting production teams in locating and filming wildlife in challenging rainforest conditions. He also provided field guidance and organisational support for Plimsoll Productions’ Tiny World, drawing on his understanding of animal behaviour and experience working in remote environments.
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Across photography, editorial features and documentary fieldwork, Mark’s contributions reflect a career grounded in practical wildlife knowledge and visual storytelling. His work gives audiences opportunities to examine familiar species more closely, discovering expressions, behaviours and details that might otherwise pass unnoticed.
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Publication gives these encounters a life beyond the field. A moment witnessed in a remote location can reach readers and viewers around the world, encouraging curiosity about the animal, its environment and the circumstances behind the image.
RECENT AWARDS: REMEMBERING GIRIAFFES / REMEMBERINGWILDLIFE
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Mark A. Fernley’s photograph The Language of Touch was selected as one of the 20 competition-winning images for Remembering Giraffes in 2026, adding to his record of international photographic awards and recognition. Part of the Remembering Wildlife conservation book series, the publication brings together wildlife photography from contributors around the world.
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Photographed from Shompole Plains Hide in southern Kenya’s Shompole Conservancy, the image captures three Masai giraffe bulls gently intertwining their necks beside a waterhole. The interaction lasted approximately 20 seconds, providing a brief opportunity to document a quieter aspect of giraffe social behaviour.
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The overlapping necks create an intricate composition, drawing attention to the contact between the animals and the shapes formed by their bodies. The photograph reflects an established feature of Mark’s work: recognising the photographic potential of subtle behaviour through close observation and familiarity with his subjects.
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Its inclusion in Remembering Giraffes extends his contribution to international wildlife publications while supporting an initiative with a practical conservation purpose. Profits from the book support projects dedicated to protecting giraffes in the wild, connecting the work of contributing photographers with conservation efforts.
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The Language of Touch also reflects Mark’s sustained photographic work at Shompole. Returning regularly to the same environment allows him to study its wildlife in depth, explore different compositions and respond to brief interactions with an understanding developed over time.
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Mark and Jaren attended the book’s launch at the Royal Geographical Society in London on 14 October 2026, where Mark joined fellow contributing photographers for the book signing. His participation formed part of his wider work across photographic publications, conservation initiatives and international wildlife photography.
MARKS PHOTO SAFARIS
Together, Mark and Jaren founded Untamed Photo Safaris to share the places and photographic experiences that have shaped their lives. Their approach places time in the field, personal instruction and respect for wildlife at the centre of each journey.
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As co-founder and lead photographic host, Mark draws on his African field experience to help guests develop their understanding of light, composition, camera settings and animal behaviour. His guidance connects technical decisions with creative intention, helping photographers understand how their choices influence the finished image.
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Teaching continues throughout the experience, from anticipating movement and assessing backgrounds to adapting to changing light. Mark encourages guests to consider the possibilities within a scene, experiment with perspective and develop confidence in their own photographic judgement.
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For photographers developing their skills, this may involve understanding exposure, selecting an appropriate shutter speed or learning to respond more confidently to moving subjects. For more experienced guests, the emphasis may shift towards refining composition, simplifying backgrounds or interpreting familiar wildlife in a more individual way.
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His approach encourages photographers to think ahead. The direction an animal is travelling, the light it may enter and the background behind it can all influence a decision before the photograph is taken. Learning to recognise these relationships helps guests become more deliberate and adaptable in the field.
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His experience with low-angle photography and hides also informs his teaching. These settings offer opportunities to slow down, study behaviour and explore compositions that differ from those available during a conventional game drive. Respect for wildlife underpins his work. Patience, careful observation and responsible positioning guide both his personal photography and his approach with guests, allowing animals the space to behave naturally.
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Whether developing his own portfolio, contributing to international publications or teaching in the field, Mark remains committed to creating wildlife photographs with a strong sense of place, atmosphere and understanding.
