The Darkest Hour Is Before The Dawn
Price range: $800.00 through $1 300.00
The Darkest Hour Is Before The Dawn
"The Darkest Hour Is Before The Dawn - Skukuza, Kruger National Park, South Africa" - At the cusp of dawn, before the first light pierced the horizon, silence cloaked the Kruger landscape in shades of indigo and silver. Captured during the blue hour on Kodak Portra 160 film with a Pentax 645n medium format camera, this moment is a visual prayer—quiet, reverent, and steeped in the weight of anticipation. The Sabie River meanders through the wilderness like a hymn, holding its breath for the sun’s arrival.
This image was taken in the winter chill of Kruger National Park, South Africa’s flagship reserve and one of the most biologically rich sanctuaries on earth. Stretching nearly 2 million hectares along the Mozambique border, Kruger offers a raw and immersive wildlife experience. Here, Africa’s legendary Big Five roam alongside over 130 other mammals and more than 500 species of birds—each contributing to the living heartbeat of the Lowveld.
Yet this scene is absent of roaring lions or sweeping elephant herds. It is instead the before. A liminal space where the veil between night and day, fear and hope, stillness and life, is paper-thin. At the confluence of the Sabie and Sand Rivers, I set my tripod, loaded my film, and waited—cold air thick with promise.
The title, The Darkest Hour Is Before The Dawn, draws from the eternal rhythm of nature and scripture: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6). It is in these unspoken hours that the soul is most attuned to creation’s quiet majesty.
Psalms 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
Kodak Portra 160, with its soft grain, cinematic fidelity, and nuanced tonal palette, rendered this pre-dawn scene with unmatched warmth and depth. Unlike digital capture, this analogue process holds time in a single frame, allowing texture, shadow, and soul to speak unfiltered.
For collectors and connoisseurs of African imagery, this is more than a photograph—it is a meditation on place and presence. A reminder that beauty doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it whispers.
This is a signed and embossed Open Edition film print—meticulously scanned, colour-corrected, and finished to gallery standards. AI has no place here—only light, lens, and life.
This is a signed and embossed Open Edition print.
The Darkest Hour Is Before The Dawn
The Darkest Hour Is Before The Dawn
"The Darkest Hour Is Before The Dawn - Skukuza, Kruger National Park, South Africa" - At the cusp of dawn, before the first light pierced the horizon, silence cloaked the Kruger landscape in shades of indigo and silver. Captured during the blue hour on Kodak Portra 160 film with a Pentax 645n medium format camera, this moment is a visual prayer—quiet, reverent, and steeped in the weight of anticipation. The Sabie River meanders through the wilderness like a hymn, holding its breath for the sun’s arrival.
This image was taken in the winter chill of Kruger National Park, South Africa’s flagship reserve and one of the most biologically rich sanctuaries on earth. Stretching nearly 2 million hectares along the Mozambique border, Kruger offers a raw and immersive wildlife experience. Here, Africa’s legendary Big Five roam alongside over 130 other mammals and more than 500 species of birds—each contributing to the living heartbeat of the Lowveld.
Yet this scene is absent of roaring lions or sweeping elephant herds. It is instead the before. A liminal space where the veil between night and day, fear and hope, stillness and life, is paper-thin. At the confluence of the Sabie and Sand Rivers, I set my tripod, loaded my film, and waited—cold air thick with promise.
The title, The Darkest Hour Is Before The Dawn, draws from the eternal rhythm of nature and scripture: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6). It is in these unspoken hours that the soul is most attuned to creation’s quiet majesty.
Psalms 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
Kodak Portra 160, with its soft grain, cinematic fidelity, and nuanced tonal palette, rendered this pre-dawn scene with unmatched warmth and depth. Unlike digital capture, this analogue process holds time in a single frame, allowing texture, shadow, and soul to speak unfiltered.
For collectors and connoisseurs of African imagery, this is more than a photograph—it is a meditation on place and presence. A reminder that beauty doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it whispers.
This is a signed and embossed Open Edition film print—meticulously scanned, colour-corrected, and finished to gallery standards. AI has no place here—only light, lens, and life.
This is a signed and embossed Open Edition print.
Price range: $800.00 through $1 300.00
Print Information
The Cameras
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Every photograph begins with the camera it was created on. Whether captured on traditional photographic film or a modern digital camera, every image is produced with the same commitment to craftsmanship and authenticity.
Film negatives and transparencies are personally developed by hand before being professionally scanned and prepared for printing. Digital photographs are captured in RAW format and carefully processed to preserve the original scene rather than alter it.
Large Format
Shen-Hao 4×5
4×10
5×7
8×10
Korona 7×17
Pinhole Cameras
Medium Format
Baby Rolleiflex
Yashica 44
Yashica Mat 124
Pentax 645N
Mamiya 645 1000S
Pentax 6×7
Fuji GX617 Professional
Various panoramic roll-film systems
35mm
Nikon F5
Nikon F6
Digital
Nikon D800E
Nikon D4
Nikon D5
Fujifilm GFX100
The Collections
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Every collection represents years of exploration, patience and careful craftsmanship. Some photographs are captured digitally, while others originate on traditional photographic film.
Film photographs are developed by hand before being scanned using professional equipment. Digital RAW files receive only careful tonal and colour refinement, preserving the integrity of the original photograph.
Collections are available as either Open Editions or Limited Editions, depending on the artwork.
The Triptych Collection Sizes
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Triptych Size Guide
For Triptych Collection artworks, the selected size applies consistently across all three panels.
In compositions where the side panels are portrait and the centre panel is landscape, the selected size refers to the maximum height of the artwork. For example, when A3 is selected, the two portrait side panels are produced to the A3 long dimension, and the centre landscape panel is scaled proportionally to match that same height.
Where all three panels are landscape or all three are portrait, the selected format remains consistent throughout the set — A0 is A0, A1 is A1, A2 is A2 and A3 is A3. Sizes are not mixed between panels.
Available Triptych Collection sizes: A0, A1, A2 and A3.
The Editions
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Limited Editions
Limited Editions are permanently restricted to 25 prints worldwide, regardless of the size or medium selected.
Once the edition has sold out, no additional prints of that artwork will ever be produced.
Signing & Numbering
Every Limited Edition print is individually signed, embossed and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
Each print is hand-numbered—for example: 10/25
This indicates the tenth print produced from a total edition of twenty-five.
The Photographic Process
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Many CFP Prints artworks begin with traditional photographic film.
Each negative or transparency is developed by hand using carefully selected chemistry before being professionally scanned for printing. Every stage of the workflow is managed with the objective of faithfully reproducing the original photograph rather than digitally transforming it.
Every photograph represents a real moment, captured through experience, patience and light—not artificial intelligence.
The Printed Medium
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CFP Prints is produced exclusively on museum-quality Hahnemühle FineArt media.
Hahnemühle Cézanne Canvas
A 430 gsm, 100% cotton canvas offering exceptional colour depth, fine detail and long-term archival stability. Its natural matte surface makes it ideal for gallery-quality presentation.
Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Matt Baryta
A 308 gsm, a natural white, 100% cotton paper with a traditional barium sulphate coating. This paper offers rich blacks, luminous highlights, and refined surface texture. It is acid- and lignin-free, with certified age resistance.
Certificate of Authenticity
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Every CFP Prints artwork is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (CoA)—a signed and embossed document that formally certifies the originality, provenance, and technical details of the artwork.
Issued with both Limited Edition and Open Edition works, the certificate confirms that the artwork was produced exclusively by CFP Prints using museum-quality archival materials and professional printing standards.
Collectors, galleries, and institutions are encouraged to retain the Certificate of Authenticity with the artwork at all times. It forms an important part of the artwork’s provenance and assists in verifying authenticity for resale, exhibition, insurance, and archival cataloguing.
Caring for Your Print
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Every CFP Prints artwork is produced using museum-quality archival materials designed to provide exceptional longevity when properly cared for.
To help preserve the beauty of your artwork for generations:
- Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight or strong reflected light.
- Dust gently with a soft, dry microfibre cloth or soft artist’s brush. Never use household cleaners, solvents, or abrasive materials.
- Display or store your artwork in a dry, temperature-controlled environment, away from excessive humidity or heat.
- Canvas prints are protected with a professional matte archival varnish and may be gently cleaned with a soft, slightly damp cloth when necessary.
With appropriate care, your CFP Prints artwork will retain its richness, detail, and archival quality for many years.