Forget retirement, try retyrement It's a frame of mind

Elize in a shutter click

Graduated from the University of Pretoria (UP) in 1980 with a master’s degree in Cultural History, and then completed a postgraduate diploma in Museum Sciences at UP in 1982. In 1988 she completed a DPhil at Stellenbosch University.

Her first job was as a museum researcher/advisor.

After decades of authenticating historical buildings, creating beautiful spaces for ambassadors, and managing a thriving décor wholesale outlet, Elize Labuschagne-Hull could finally retire. Except, she didn’t know how to spell the word.

For her it meant ‘retyrement’; retreading what she thought was worn out and setting out on a new life journey: that of photographer. Just three short years later, this self-taught photographer was one of the Top 100 participants in The Wildlife Photographer of the Year, hosted by the Natural History Museum in London.

It was only when she sold her business that she found the time to pursue the ‘luxury’ of a hobby such as photography. “Travel was always part of my retirement plan, and picking up a camera to capture precious memories was a natural progression.”

As with most enquiring minds, it didn’t stop at photographing people and places. Gradually the challenge of wildlife photography – particularly birds in flight – got the better of Elize, and that’s where her focus landed.

“One cannot control wildlife – there are no guarantees of a good shot,” is how she explains the attraction. “Ultimately, I am a gambler, and wildlife photography has that same combination of luck and skill that find particularly appealing.”

Her gambling instinct has become ever more audacious in recent years. She has leopard-crawled in search of elusive jaguars in the depths of the Pantanal, Brazil, looked into the eyes of Madagascar’s unique lemurs, and danced her way around the blue-footed boobies of the Galapagos Islands.

In 2022, Elize packed for her most challenging journey yet. She boarded an icebreaker in Svalbard, Norway, and navigated the glaciers and frozen tundra that shelter polar bears, Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes. Parts of her are still thawing.

So, what’s the next destination on this interesting life journey? “Without a challenge I will surely wilt,” Elize says. "Once I’ve mastered something, I move on to the next challenge. However, the appeal of photography is that it will never let you master it, so have accepted that my camera and my 400 mm lens, together weighing 4kg, will accompany me until my dying day.”

Her ‘retyrement’ is a lesson in lifelong learning, continuous exploring and sharply focusing on what brings joy. Bottle this frame of mind and you’ll capture the elixir of ageing well.

Fossa goes to Davos

As one of the top 100 images, the fossa was displayed at this museum for a few months and digitally published to benefit millions. From these top entries, the fossa was chosen as one of a few to be displayed at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Fast Fact

The fossa is a vulnerable species on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red list. For the price of a take-away coffee in a disposable cup, the citizens of affluent countries could support conservation in third-world countries. Preserving our natural heritage is not a national responsibility but a global one.

After many years as a cultural historian she became an acclaimed interior designer and thereafter product designer. Her passion for nature and travelling became a full-time pursuit after retiring from business in 2017. She spends long periods in southern African game reserves and wilderness areas around the globe. Her memoirs outlining her development from farmgirl to respected photographer were published in June 2021, entitled Good, Better, Betsie – A Mind Takes Flight (available on Kindle).

She is the winner of the 2019 wildlife category of the prestigious Africa Photo Awards, two-time category winner of the SANParks wildlife competition, and has reached the finals of several international competitions.