Charlotte Cornwallis will bring the magic of South Africa to Atlantic Highlands in her talk; the diverse cultures and destinations, from wine country to Kruger National Park, as well as her journey of honing her photography skills in a wild and unpredictable environment.
She will tell the story behind the images on display in the window and the photographic choices she made in creating them.
Charlotte will also share her passion for wildlife conservation. Many species are at risk of extinction because of human impact; encroachment of space, poaching, illegal wildlife trade, etc.. Also knowledgeable about the best safari destinations, she can advise on where and when to go.
Charlotte loves to meet anyone who wants to know more about Africa, wildlife, and more about the images she’s exhibiting. It will be a very interactive session!
Charlotte Cornwallis Biography
Now just over 50 years old, there is much more to Charlotte than just her ability to point and shoot a camera. To understand her and her motivation in life you need to know a little about her history and past achievements. Charlotte is a former world champion in Court Tennis, a medieval game few have ever heard of let alone played. She was undefeated for 5 years from 2004 to 2009 and won the world championships singles title 4 times. With four nations playing Court Tennis (US, UK, Australia and France) Charlotte travelled a lot to compete in her 25 years of playing at the top level and always took her camera with her. With little money to be earned in Court Tennis, she had a full time job as a National Account Manager for an events operation in the UK, the only way to fund her love of Court Tennis and desire to be the best. However, at the height of her reign as World Number 1 in 2009, she was forced to retire due to a wrist injury. A catastrophic event for her at the time, yet it was the catalyst to her finding her next passion - wildlife photography. In 2013, she had worked in London for just under 3 years and always hated city life, so she chose to take a sabbatical. South Africa was the chosen destination embarking on a 3 month volunteering position in wildlife conservation. What was supposed to be a short sojourn ended up being a 7 year adventure. During these 7 years she honed her photography skills alongside some of the best in the business and fell deeply in love with Africa. She had 3 different jobs while in SA, all in slightly different regions of this phenomenally complex country. All were focused on wildlife, safari and conservation, hence she was able to capture some incredible moments on camera. The greatest skill of a wildlife photographer is learning behaviour to such a degree that you can prepare yourself for a ‘predictable” moment. Wild animals are exactly that, wild. They do not cater to instruction nor do they stand in a studio and pose for hours on end - it is a game of prediction, knowledge, anticipation and a whole lot of luck. This is the exciting, dramatic and often frustrating side of the photography world in Africa and it’s what keeps Charlotte going back time and time again since leaving there in 2020 to come to live in Atlantic Highlands, NJ.
Having had a successful first exhibition in Rumson in 2024, Charlotte is taking her next steps in showing her work, this time in her home town of Atlantic Highlands. Her favorite quote regarding photography is by Peter Adams - “Photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field”. It ties in superbly with her mission to create images which make other people feel what she felt when taking them. The Eye Contact series, all in black and white, is all about focus and connection. Images have been taken from various locations and in very different environments. There will be extensive narratives accompanying each piece to help you immerse yourself in the world Charlotte was so addicted to for so long.