After months of meticulous planning and weeks of getting the rhinos acquainted to and comfortable with the ramp we needed to place among them, we decided we were ready to do the shoot. Over the next three days, Eric spent several hours each morning slowly letting the rhinos get accustomed to his movements - until the rhinos would stand, grazing peacefully while Eric was performing his flare just a couple of meters away from them.
As rhinos have quite poor eye sight, but very good hearing, Eric had to continuously talk to the rhinos while I on the other hand had to remain completely silent and still, so as not to startle them and avoid having them charge off with incredible speed, heedless of who or what stood in their way. It was an intense few days as a situation could at any given moment spiral into extreme danger for both Eric and me. The extreme pressure and enforced patience finally paid off all the way however, when we managed to get this particular shot: just as Eric jumped his Flare, Mattanu, the Rhino, looked up - and the two ended up staring straight into each other’s eyes…time appeared to stop for one breathless moment.
Shawn van Eeden

About the shot

Biography
I started out as a graphic designer. 15 years into the business, more and more frustrated with and increasingly unfulfilled by the industry and its limitations, I decided it was time for a change. With a young family to support and no time to “properly” re-train for a new career path, I decided to turn my love and passion for photography into my profession. The journey was often exceedingly challenging and I faced my fair share of hurdles, detours and dead-ends. Now, several years later, a more mature person and significantly more experienced photographer, I can truly appreciate the learnings those challenges presented me with.
Namibia is a huge country with a relatively small population. As such, I get to see many different places and meet unique people. So when Red Bull asked me if I would be interested in helping create awareness for the plight of our rhino population – currently under severe pressure from professional poachers - I leaped at the opportunity. With lifestyle and commercial photography my main forte, I had to very quickly acquaint myself with the special demands, perspectives and aspects of action photography – here, Eric was a fantastic help.