One of the most remote fjord systems on earth, where polar bears are hunted by local communities and rarely show themselves. On our first zodiac outing from the expedition vessel, in the fading evening light, this bear rolled lazily atop its perch — completely unbothered, completely sovereign. We never saw another on the rest of our expedition.

Nubra Valley, Ladakh — one of the rare places on earth where desert dunes and snow-capped mountains exist side by side. Light fades quickly at high altitude, and I had only a narrow window as these double-humped Bactrian camels, endemic to the region, formed a silhouette against the last of it.

Jim Corbett National Park - two rivers shape this ecosystem, and the meadows along the Ramganga are where elephants are most often found. This herd was just metres from our vehicle — close enough for the usual tight portraits, but the drama in the frame made me go wide and create a habitat photograph.

Chobe, Botswana has one of the largest elephant populations on earth, and encounters on the ground are often closer than you expect. This tusker crossed within metres of our vehicle — close enough that a wide frame was impossible, and a tight one became the only option. The black and white rendition of the close up elevates the texture and the skin signifies the elephant's years of lived experience on the land.

Scarlet macaws are the most iconic bird in this corner of Central America, but getting close is rarely this easy — they're cautious, fast and usually high in the canopy. This one was at its nest cavity, a hollow carved into the trunk of a large tree, and paused just long enough to look out.

At sunset, the last light caught the red sandstone cliffs and threw a deep amber glow across the sea. The wake of our expedition vessel carved a path of rippled gold leading straight to that arched iceberg in the distance. Fire reflected in ice.