When Larry died in December 2021 he had a photography trip booked to Rwanda with our dear friend Bob Harvey of Nature Photography Adventures. Larry was going to photograph wild mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, colobus monkeys, and the lush, beautiful country of Rwanda.

In September of 2023 I was feeling really low, missing Larry so much. Bob reached out to me and said, “Come hike with me in Rwanda in January… Bring Larry’s gear and be there with and for him.” In that moment I found a light in the darkness; I decided to pick up a new camera of my own (Larry’s camera bodies were large and heavy), couple it with one of Larry’s long lenses, and take the trip to see the gorillas in his honor!

I’ve always enjoyed photography - mostly of the fun, travel, and family varieties. I loved taking photos of Larry taking photos! During our marriage, Larry was the photographer and I was his assistant, spotter, and holder of lenses and camera bodies as he switched them between photo opportunities. Now I was going to pick up where he left off and try to figure out this (slightly terrifying) serious photography thing… and in January 2024 I found myself in Rwanda with a brand new camera, Larry’s 70-200 lens, lots of rough terrain hiking gear, and a tiny vial of Larry’s ashes in my pocket. Larry was right there with me, both in spirit and in a form I could leave out in the wild with the gorillas.

These photos represent my first foray into “big kid” photography. Thanks to the patience and expertise of my tripmates Bob, Janne and Garry, Gail, Sandra, and Dan, and to the incredible technology that is a mirrorless camera - and I believe a little guidance from my sweet husband - I captured some really special images. Hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed taking them. Thank you again, Sweetie, for opening me up to the world.