After 220 days of travel in 2024, I slowed my pace in 2025 and found something unexpected. Returning to familiar places, working with smaller groups, and choosing experience over accumulation reshaped how I photograph and how I teach. This year became a reminder that photography is not about doing more, but about seeing more, learning deeply, and showing up with intention.

What began as a long-anticipated photo safari in Botswana’s Okavango Delta and Chobe River became a deeper creative and personal journey. In this reflection, I explore how setting aside expectations and embracing a slower, more intentional approach to photography allowed for more authentic storytelling—focusing not just on dramatic moments, but on the quiet, often-overlooked connections that reveal the true spirit of place.