The Sentinel
Botswana, Africa
I almost left this photograph behind.
Buried among thousands of images from my 2024 journey through Botswana was a frame I had never given much thought to. The original RAW file was dark and unremarkable, and at the time, I simply moved past it. Nearly two years later, I opened it again and saw something entirely different.
There he was. A Cape Glossy Starling, perched delicately among the thorns, his brilliant blue plumage hidden beneath an image that had never been given the chance to reveal what was really there. As I began working with the photograph, shades of sapphire, cobalt, turquoise and violet emerged from his feathers. Then came that extraordinary fiery eye, illuminated against the softness of the African sky.
Suddenly, the photograph I had once overlooked became one I couldn't stop looking at.
Photographed in Botswana, the Cape Glossy Starling is a familiar presence across southern Africa, but I didn't want this image to feel like a traditional bird photograph. I wanted him to have presence. I wanted the portrait to feel almost regal, as though this small creature had claimed his place among the thorns and was quietly surveying a kingdom beyond the frame.
That transformation also reminded me of something I have come to understand about photography: sometimes the artist who captures an image isn't yet the artist who will ultimately finish it.
Africa changed the direction of my work in ways I could never have anticipated when I made this photograph in 2024. Returning to those files years later, I see them differently now. I notice light I once overlooked, stories I wasn't yet prepared to tell, and possibilities hidden inside frames I nearly dismissed.
The Sentinel is one of those discoveries. A forgotten moment from Botswana, given a second life. And perhaps a reminder that beauty doesn't always reveal itself the first time we look.
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Questions about this piece? Sizing, framing, or a closer look - Sarah replies within 1-2 days.
- Edition Collector's Reserve Edition · Limited to 50 · Signed & Numbered
- Pricing $3,330 - $13,000 depending on size & presentation
- Delivery Production 14-21 business days + insured shipping 7-14 days
- Medium Archival Fine Art Print
- Origin Botswana, Africa
- Available Sizes 35×45" · 50×60" · 60×75"
- Frame Options Acrylic Mount · Black Float · Dark Brown Float
- Shipping US & Canada
- Artist Sarah L Glabman
Museum-Quality Framing
Every piece is crafted with the same care as the photograph itself. Choose from two handcrafted float frames or a crystal-clear acrylic face mount.
Black Float Frame
A sleek, modern black float frame that suspends the print with a subtle reveal around all edges, giving the artwork a gallery-quality depth and presence.
Dark Brown Float Frame
A warm, natural wood float frame with rich grain and dark espresso tones. The floating mount brings dimension and an organic elegance to the piece.
Acrylic Mount
The photograph is face-mounted behind optically-clear museum-quality acrylic, creating extraordinary depth, luminosity, and a contemporary floating effect on the wall.
