Work with me
Work with me

Who I Work With

Stories that create connection.

Every place, organisation and project has a story.

The challenge is finding the part of that story that matters most, and communicating it in a way that people can feel, understand and remember.

I work with editors, conservation organisations, luxury lodges and purpose-led brands to create visual and written narratives that reveal the deeper meaning behind what they do.

Combining more than twenty years of experience in branding, creative direction and communication with a deep understanding of conservation and storytelling, I help transform ideas, landscapes and experiences into authentic stories with purpose.

More than content creation

Beautiful imagery captures attention.

Meaningful storytelling creates connection.

Every project begins by understanding:

The purpose.
What makes this place, organisation or idea meaningful?

The audience.
Who needs to connect with this story?

The voice.
How should this story be told authentically?

From there, I develop photography, writing, illustration and visual narratives that reflect the identity of each project.

I don't simply document what exists. I uncover the story behind it.

Flower Mantis on fynbos, macro photograph - Photograph by Raquel de Castro Maia
This is not a flower. It's the back of a flower mantis, and it only needs to look the part long enough for something smaller to make the same mistake.Nikon Z7 | ISO-800 | f/14 | 1/800 sec. | 105mm

Who I work with

Editors

Stories grounded in curiosity and observation.

I create natural history features, visual essays and conservation stories that combine strong imagery with thoughtful storytelling.

My approach bridges scientific understanding with accessible narratives, helping complex ecological stories connect with wider audiences.

Services include:

  • Natural history writing
  • Editorial photography
  • Photo essays
  • Species stories
  • Conservation features
Fork-tailed Drongo - Photograph by Raquel de Castro Maia

Conservation organisations

Helping important work reach people.

Conservation is not only about protecting species and landscapes.

It is also about helping people understand why they matter.

I work with conservation teams to translate research, restoration and field projects into compelling stories through photography, writing and visual communication.

Services include:

  • Conservation storytelling
  • Project documentation
  • Campaign content
  • Photography
  • Visual communication
UK's Super Vet Noel Fitzpatrick during a vet proceedure, captured for BBC4 - Photograph by Raquel de Castro Maia

Lodges & destinations

Revealing the story beyond the experience.

A remarkable destination is more than beautiful scenery.

It is the landscape, the wildlife, the people, the history and the purpose behind it.

I help lodges and conservation-led destinations communicate what makes them unique, creating content that allows guests to connect with a place before they arrive.

Services include:

  • Brand storytelling
  • Website imagery and copy
  • Photography
  • Guest experience content
  • Campaign development
  • Conservation narratives
Sunset drink stop at Madikwe - Photograph by Raquel de Castro Maia

Marketing teams & purpose-led brands

Creating stories aligned with your brand voice.

Strong brands are built through consistency and authenticity.

With a foundation in branding and creative direction, I understand how to create content that not only looks beautiful but strengthens the identity and message behind a brand.

Services include:

  • Creative direction
  • Content strategy
  • Photography
  • Writing
  • Illustration
  • Brand storytelling
Designs and Branding for Gondwana Private Game Reserve -
White rhino conservation work at Gondwana Private Game Reserve - Photograph by Raquel de Castro Maia
Following the recovery of a species brought back from near extinction, and the fight to keep it that way, at Gondwana Private Game Reserve.Nikon Z7 | ISO-800 | f/13 | 1/800 sec. | 490mm

My approach

Observe deeply.
Understanding comes before creating.

Understand fully.
Every project begins with purpose, audience and context.

Tell the story honestly.
The strongest stories are those that remain true to the place, people and purpose behind them.

Let's create something meaningful

Whether you are sharing a conservation story, building a destination brand or communicating the value of a landscape, the goal remains the same:

To create stories that do more than show.

Stories that connect.

Stories that matter.

Before We Begin

What kinds of projects do you take on?

I take on commissioned photography, videography and creative direction for lodges, destinations and culinary spaces, conservation and purpose-led organisations, and editorial work for publications. Often several of those at once for the same client.

Do you work on single shoots or ongoing relationships?

Both, though I find the long relationships are where the work compounds. A consistent visual language across every touchpoint is worth more than a single strong set of images.

What happens before a shoot?

I spend time understanding the identity of a place before I create the images that represent it. That groundwork is what separates imagery that sells a destination from imagery that could be anywhere.

Do you travel to the property?

Yes, across southern Africa. I travel to the reserve, lodge or project.

How do I get a quote?

Use the contact form with the place, the scope and roughly when. The more you can say about what the images are for, the more useful my answer.

Species fact files

Place

Gondwana Private Game Reserve

Type
Private game reserve (rewilded fynbos)
Region
Garden Route, near Mossel Bay, Western Cape

A rewilded former-farmland reserve in the Cape Floral Kingdom, restoring endangered fynbos and renosterveld habitats, and the wildlife that lived there before European settlement, alongside an active conservation foundation.

Key facts

  • ≈11,000 hectares on South Africa's southernmost coast, developed expressly to rewild the region
  • Free-roaming Big 5, including the world's southernmost free-roaming elephant herd, the first elephants re-established in a fynbos / renosterveld landscape
  • Over 1,000 fynbos plant species; a ~1,000-ha protected block for specialist species (bontebok, Cape mountain zebra, sable)
  • Site of the rediscovery of the Critically Endangered orchid Satyrium muticum, first found on 13 September 2017 by Raquel de Castro Maia; now the largest known population (6,000+ plants by 2020)
  • Endangered species present include Cape mountain zebra, bontebok, serval and brown hyena