Bio

Jaren A. Fernley is a wildlife photographer and photographic safari leader whose work is deeply embedded in the landscapes, rhythms, and wildlife of East Africa. As the co-owner of Untamed Photo Safaris, she brings together decades of in-field experience with a refined creative perspective — guiding photographers, documenting rare encounters, and exploring the continent’s most dynamic and remote ecosystems through her lens. Her photographic journey spans the expansive plains of the Masai Mara, the volcanic valleys of northern Tanzania, the deep rainforests of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and beyond. Jaren has spent years immersed in these diverse biomes, capturing not only iconic species but also the quiet, often-overlooked moments that define wild Africa. She continues to photograph and lead expeditions across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, and Namibia, where her knowledge of animal behavior and light in the field results in images that are both intimate and timeless. Jaren’s creative philosophy is built on observation, patience, and respect for the natural world. Her work is characterized by a modern visual language — balancing raw authenticity with a conceptual sensibility. From the thunder of a lion’s movement to the stillness of a giraffe at dusk, her photographs invite the viewer to engage more slowly, more deliberately, with the wild. She is especially drawn to the intersections between wildlife and extreme environments — places where survival is not guaranteed, and every image becomes a story of adaptation, resilience, or fragile beauty. While grounded in wildlife photography, Jaren also integrates aerial perspectives and compositional minimalism to offer fresh visual interpretations of familiar ecosystems. Her recent work includes explorations of East Africa’s Rift Valley lakes, including the surreal surfaces of Lake Natron — landscapes that blur the boundary between abstraction and realism. Her image Natron Drift exemplifies this — capturing a pattern of flamingos in flight over a salt-stained lakebed, turning migration into visual poetry. As a photo host and mentor, Jaren has become a trusted guide for photographers of all levels. Her leadership on safari blends technical expertise with storytelling insight, helping guests not only improve their skills, but also deepen their connection to the subjects they photograph. Whether in the golden grasslands of the Mara, the cracked crusts of Natron, or the mists of Bwindi, she provides a grounding presence — passionate, knowledgable, and endlessly curious. Her work has appeared in international publications, exhibitions, and conservation campaigns. But for Jaren, the true impact of photography lies in its ability to change how we see — and how we care. Through her lens, wild Africa is not just documented, but interpreted, honored, and reimagined.