The Rift
WHO ARE WE
Producing a comprehensive book project on the Rift valley is a large undertaking with a very large scope. By incorporating contributors who are experts in their fields, the Rift grew into a repository of important narratives as much as a celebration. The contributors imparteddistinct individual expertise which together with striking and compelling imagery, has resulted to create a one-of-a-kind project that has never been attempted before.
The Story
Shem Compion has been photographing in Africa for over 23 years. His adventures have led him up numerous volcanos, he lived for 7 months living in a Landrover and built specialised photographic hides, all in pursuit of images of relevance. His images have been recognized and published globally. A native of Africa, his interest in the Rift Valley stems from his family who lived in Elburgon, Kenya perched on the steep edge of the Rift escarpment where nearby Lake Nakuru hosted thousands of flamingos in its saline waters. Shem’s pan-African travels have led to a rare documentation of almost the entire Rift valley – resulting in the distinctive initiative to showcase the Rift in this body of work. Shem is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. To date, he has published 8 books.
Contributors & Authors
I have spent 23 years as a photographer in Africa, never failing to feel a sense of awe when
encountering the Rift’s various manifestations - the Arte Ale volcano in the Danakil Depression,
which forms the northern Rift Valley in Africa; the plains of the Mara and Serengeti- linked to
the falling volcanic ash from Kilimanjaro and the Ngorongoro Crater, and families of chimps and
mountain gorillas found along the Albertine Rift. The southern edge of the Rift escapes into the
Indian ocean via the Zambezi Valley. The volcano, Mt Gorongosa stands as the south-eastern
edge of the Rift, feeding a very rich ecosystem. And then there are the landmarks of Lake
Turkana, the Suguta Valley, Lake Tanganyika, Ol Doinyo Lengai and Ethiopian Rift valley.
Shem Compion