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Gondwana Private Game Reserve
Gondwana Private Game Reserve — secondary

DOCUMENTING A LIVING LANDSCAPE

Gondwana Private Game Reserve

A seventeen-year creative partnership shaping the visual identity, editorial voice and enduring story of one of South Africa's leading conservation destinations.

Partnership

A long-term creative collaboration built on trust, shared purpose and a deep understanding of the destination.

Creative Direction

Bringing together branding, photography, editorial, design, illustration, videography and digital content to create a distinctive and consistent brand experience.

Sense of Place

Communicating the relationship between landscape, wildlife, people and purpose through authentic visual narratives.

Some landscapes reveal themselves slowly.

Gondwana Landscape - Photograph by Raquel de Castro Maia
The Langeberg and Outeniqua mountains are the South African fragment of a single mountain chain that once ran unbroken across Gondwanaland, now split apart across South Africa, Argentina and Antarctica. A reminder that the reserve does more than protect a landscape. It brings people back to their origins.Nikon Z9 | ISO-2500 | f/1.4 | 1/5000 sec. | 50mm

Since 2009, I have worked alongside Gondwana Private Game Reserve, documenting the transformation of a former agricultural landscape into one of South Africa's leading conservation destinations. Over nearly two decades, my role has evolved beyond creating photographs to shaping the visual identity, editorial voice and creative direction that communicate the reserve's purpose with authenticity and depth.

Every project begins with understanding the landscape. Working closely with conservation specialists, guides, hospitality teams and leadership has allowed me to tell stories that connect ecological restoration, wildlife conservation and guest experience into a single, cohesive brand narrative. The result is a body of work that reflects not only what Gondwana looks like, but what it stands for.

This collection brings together seventeen years of creative work spanning photography, editorial storytelling, illustration, graphic design, videography and digital content. Together, these projects document the evolution of a destination while demonstrating how thoughtful creative direction can strengthen both conservation and brand identity.

Selected Works

A curated collection of photography, publications, campaigns and creative projects documenting the evolution of Gondwana Private Game Reserve.

Brand Identity and Graphic Design

Guest guides, brochures and campaign material shaped to carry a single identity, consistent from the trail map to the advertisement.

Gondwana Branding & Marketing Collateral - by Raquel de Castro Maia
Every story begins with an identity. Here, it takes the form of a logo, a brochure, a map, a menu, each one shaped by the same design, illustration and photography. The same voice.
Gondwana Branding & Marketing Collateral - by Raquel de Castro Maia
Some stories need more space than a single page allows. These are the large-format spreads designed for Gondwana's guest brochures. The story, unfolded.
Gondwana Branding & Marketing Collateral - by Raquel de Castro Maia
The story, continued.

Published Editorial Storytelling

Long-form features and destination narratives written for guest publications and conservation platforms, translating the reserve's work into stories worth reading.

Gondwana Magazine - by Raquel de Castro Maia
Some stories need more room than a single photograph can give them. This is the first edition of an ongoing magazine gathering Gondwana's conservation stories in print. The beginning of a series.
Gondwana Magazine - by Raquel de Castro Maia
The story continues.

Photography

Two decades of photographing Gondwana. Its wildlife, landscapes, hospitality and people. Building a visual record one season at a time.

Gondwana Private Game reserve - Photograph by Raquel de Castro Maia
Some mornings, the landscape barely reveals itself. Mist settles over Gondwana's hills at first light, hiding as much as it shows, until the sun finally asks it to move.Nikon Z9 | ISO-400 | f/4 | 1/400 sec. | 50mm
Photography by Raquel de Castro Maia
Photography by Raquel de Castro Maia
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Illustration

Botanical and wildlife illustrations created to sit alongside the photography, adding a hand-drawn layer to Gondwana's interpretive material.

Illustrations by Raquel de Castro Maia
Vector illustrations (branding & signage): Some details need to travel — onto a sign, a gate, a map — without losing their precision. These vector illustrations carry Gondwana's identity wherever it needs to go. A brand, built to scale.
Illustrations by Raquel de Castro Maia
Hand-rendered pencil drawings (marketing support illustrations): Not every story needs a photograph to be told. These hand-rendered pencil studies bring a quieter, more intimate layer to Gondwana's marketing materials. A different kind of looking closer.

Videography

Destination films and short-form content gathered from across Gondwana. Wildlife, landscape and hospitality moments, captured in motion and brought together in a single reel.

Digital Content

Seasonal campaigns and everyday storytelling built for Gondwana's website and social channels, keeping the reserve's voice consistent between visits.

Photography & Videography by Raquel de Castro Maia
A guest's first impression of Gondwana often begins here. Years of photography, video and storytelling shaping the reserve's own website.
Photography & Videography by Raquel de Castro Maia
The story continues daily across Gondwana's social channels. The same photography and video, the same voice, season after season.

The most meaningful destinations are not simply visited. They are understood.

Let Me Tell Your Story →

Creative Direction

The work presented throughout this partnership spans multiple creative disciplines, each contributing to a consistent and authentic expression of Gondwana's identity.

Brand Identity & Graphic Design

Creative direction and design for guest guides, brochures, advertising campaigns, signage, print collateral, conservation publications and marketing materials.

Editorial Storytelling

Long-form conservation features, destination narratives, guest publications, website copy, campaign storytelling and interpretive content that communicate the purpose behind the reserve.

Photography

Wildlife, landscape, hospitality, architecture, food, people, aerial imagery and commercial photography documenting the evolution of the reserve across seventeen years.

Illustration

Botanical, wildlife and interpretive illustrations created to enrich publications, educational resources and visual storytelling.

Videography

Destination films, conservation documentaries and short-form digital content capturing the rhythm of the landscape and the guest experience.

Digital Content

Strategic social media campaigns, seasonal storytelling and creative content developed to build a consistent and authentic brand presence across digital platforms.

About This Project

How long have you worked with Gondwana Private Game Reserve?

Since 2009, seventeen years of photography, editorial storytelling, brand identity and creative direction across the reserve.

What kind of work does this partnership include?

Photography, film, illustration, brand identity and graphic design, editorial content and social media, whatever the reserve's story needs at the time.

Do you take on long-term retainer relationships like this one?

Yes, and it's often where the work compounds most. A consistent visual language across every touchpoint is worth more than a single strong shoot.

Can you help develop a brand identity, not just imagery?

Yes, creative direction and brand identity work sit alongside photography and film in most long-term partnerships like this one.

How do I start a project like this?

Get in touchand tell me about the destination, the scope and what you're hoping the work will achieve.