The Queen’s Rain
Segera, Tanzania – 2025

“The storm rolled in fast over the Namiri Plains, the way they do out here. One moment, the savannah was drenched in golden light; the next, a wall of gray swallowed the horizon. Most of the pride had already moved to higher ground, disappearing into the fever trees. I should have followed them. But then I saw her.

Perched atop a rounded boulder, a lioness held her cub close against her flank as the first drops began to fall. When the rain came harder, sheets of water slicing through the air, they didn’t move. She kept her body low, her gaze steady, her cub trembling but safe beneath her. They were carved from the storm itself, two figures of quiet defiance, perfectly still amid the chaos.

Through the downpour, her eyes found mine, amber, ancient, and unafraid. This was not a moment of retreat. It was a lesson. A mother teaching her cub what strength looks like when the world turns hostile: to hold your ground, to endure.

I stayed until the clouds passed and they slipped silently back into the grasslands. Some moments demand to be witnessed. This was one of them.

Rendered in black and white, The Queen’s Rain is a meditation on strength and tenderness, a portrait of motherhood in its purest form. Each signed and numbered print preserves the essence of that fleeting instant: the scent of rain, the weight of silence, and the calm defiance of a queen who welcomes the storm.” – Cristina Mittermeier

PS I Love You
Patagonia, Chile – 2025

Archival pigment print

“High in the windswept mountains of Patagonia, the landscape is as raw and untamed as the creatures that inhabit it. After days of tracking through rocky ridges and sparse forests, we finally glimpsed them: two pumas, a mother and her cub, resting in a quiet clearing bathed in the soft afternoon light. One sat upright, its gaze sharp and unwavering, scanning the horizon with the intensity of a true guardian. Every muscle seemed ready to spring into action, a reminder of the wild power these cats command.

Beside it, the second puma leaned in close, softening the scene with a quiet tenderness. Its eyes half-closed, it pressed gently against its companion, offering a rare glimpse of intimacy and trust in a species often seen only as solitary predators. In that moment the contrast between them was undeniable, intensity and softness, strength and vulnerability coexisting in a delicate balance.

Capturing this scene required patience and stillness, moving only when the wind allowed and letting the pumas dictate the pace. There was no posing and no interference, just witnessing a fleeting moment of connection in one of the most remote corners of the world. It is in these quiet unguarded seconds that the true spirit of Patagonia reveals itself, fierce yet tender, wild yet profoundly intimate.” – Cristina Mittermeier

Elephant Train
Segera, Kenya – 2025

Archival pigment print

“I was deeply moved hearing Jochen recount the day he first purchased Segera. At that time, the land was bare, its wilderness erased by decades of cattle ranching. With care, vision, and patience, he began the long work of restoration. Slowly, life returned, and today Segera is a thriving sanctuary. Every species that once roamed here now flourishes, from the recent rewilding of black rhinos to a herd of more than 400 elephants.

One afternoon, beneath the vast African sky, we watched in awe as a long procession of elephants passed close by. Their presence was commanding, their movements steady and deliberate, each one following the other in a line that seemed to stretch forever. The ground shifted beneath their weight and the air hummed with the quiet power of their march.

Elephant Train, my fine art photographic tribute to that day, captures the scale, grace, and majesty of these creatures moving through a landscape reborn. The image now hangs at Segera, a visual testament to restoration, resilience, and the enduring strength of life reclaimed.” – Cristina Mittermeier

Cerberus
Qaanaaq, Greenland – 2017

Archival pigment print

“Photographed in Greenland while on assignment for the Emmy Award-winning documentary The Last Ice for National Geographic, these three young huskies are direct descendants of the Canadian sled dogs that crossed the ancient ice bridge from Baffin Island in 1986. That crossing, the last before the ice bridge melted forever, helped preserve Greenland’s centuries-old dog mushing tradition. Their pristine white coats, matching harnesses, and shared purpose make them living symbols of endurance in a rapidly changing Arctic.” – Cristina Mittermeier