Raquel de Castro Maia — conservation storyteller, photographer, writer and illustrator
Species, landscapes and people all have a story to tell.
I create stories where conservation, science and visual storytelling meet, revealing the relationships between species, landscapes and people that shape the world around us.
Through photography, writing, illustration and creative direction, I explore the stories often hidden beneath the surface, whether in a landscape, a species, or the places and people that give them meaning.
Selected Stories
The landscape is already speaking
Yet landscapes rarely read the same reports as scientists.
Before there are reports, research papers or conservation strategies, there is a living system quietly revealing itself.
A species adapting.
A landscape recovering.
A relationship unfolding.
My work begins by paying attention.
Because understanding begins with observation.
Stories that create connection
Beautiful imagery captures attention.
Meaningful stories create understanding.
With more than twenty years of experience in branding, creative direction and visual communication, I combine strategic thinking with photography, writing and storytelling to help organisations communicate what makes them unique.
I don't simply document what exists.
I uncover why it matters.
Work Together →For editors
Original natural history features, photo essays and editorial storytelling grounded in careful field observation and scientific understanding.
Work TogetherFor conservation & purpose-led brands
Communicating research, restoration and environmental initiatives through compelling visual narratives that connect people with purpose.
Work TogetherFor lodges & destinations
Helping guests discover not only where they are, but why that place is extraordinary through photography, storytelling and thoughtful brand narratives.
Work TogetherYou May Be Curious
What kind of photographer are you?
I am not a wildlife photographer, and not a commercial safari photographer. I am closer to a conservation journalist, one who also understands how a lodge, a restaurant or a purpose-led brand needs its story told.
Who do you usually work with?
I work with lodges and destinations, conservation and purpose-led organisations, hospitality and culinary spaces, and editors and publications.
What can you be commissioned for?
I take commissions for photography, videography, drone and aerial work, writing and editorial, illustration, and brand identity or creative direction, separately or together.
What are you most passionate about capturing?
The quiet stories. The moment before anything obvious happens, a species adapting, a landscape recovering, a relationship between people and place that most visitors walk straight past. That's where I look first, no matter who the client is.
Do you travel for work?
Yes, across southern Africa. I travel to the reserve, lodge or project.
How do I get in touch?
Use the contact form and tell me the place, the story and roughly when. As much or as little detail as you have.
The smallest observations often reveal the greatest stories.