Some experiences change you forever. My journey to Africa was one of them.
It wasn’t just the landscapes or the animals, it was the raw, untamed beauty of life unfolding moment by moment. There’s a saying about Africa:
"It gets under your skin and into your heart. It's not about how you'll get back but a question of when."
And they were right.
The moment it all changed
We were bouncing down a muddy trail in a green four-wheel drive, the rain pouring so hard it blurred the horizon. A muddy gully brought us to a halt, most over us ending up in the next seat over.
And there she was.
Faulu, a leopard, perched on the edge of a bank. Rain streamed down her sleek coat, but she didn’t flinch. For a handful of seconds, her piercing gaze locked onto ours and then back off into the distance. It was a fleeting moment captured in time. I feel like that’s the beauty of photography.
As I grabbed my camera and stared at the tiny playback screen, the Leopard in the rain. It wasn’t just an image; it was a realisation. This is it, I thought. This is what I love about photography. Capturing fleeting, unscripted moments that will most likely not happen again.
That was the moment I fell in love—with Africa, with wildlife photography, and with chasing those unrepeatable moments in nature.
A world beyond words
How do you describe something so vast, so vivid, so alive?
Africa isn’t just a place; it’s a feeling. It’s the smell of damp earth after a rainstorm, the chattering of birds in a gentle breeze, the vibrant greens that seem too bright to be real.
And then there are the animals.
One unforgettable afternoon, we searched for TJ, one of the last 25 remaining “super tusker” elephants in the world. As we rounded a bend, he appeared— calm, and truely captivating. His tusks, impossibly large, could have flipped our vehicle without effort. Yet he moved with such grace that it made you feel small, insignificant, but also privileged to witness him.
The scene was something out of a dream. TJ stood tall, framed by Kilimanjaro in the distance and an acacia tree to his right. It was something of a Bob Ross painting.
What Africa taught me
My time in Africa wasn’t just about photography; it was about learning how to see the world differently. Here are the lessons I’ll carry with me forever:
1. Patience is power
You can’t rush the wild.
We waited six hours one day for a glimpse of a leopard. I’m not proud to admit I ate most of the snacks in the vehicle during that time (snack monster alert), but the payoff was worth it.
We waited for cheetahs to hunt—and they did. We waited for elephants to wander in front of a rainbow—and they did. We waited for lions to stalk across the grassy plains. The only thing we didn’t wait for was a hippo to charge us— I can tell you we dodged a couple of those.
The magic happens when you’re willing to stay still, observe, and let nature come to you.
2. Seize the moment
Opportunities don’t last forever in the wild.
Sometimes it’s swapping lenses to capture a sweeping landscapes. Other times it’s noticing the smallest creatures—like a bright blue lizard trying to blend in with the brown bark of a tree—while waiting for bigger ones.
Adaptability is key. Lighting changes, animals move, and the landscape transforms in seconds. You have to embrace the unpredictability and seize every chance.
3. Don’t forget to zoom out
Close-ups are powerful, but landscapes can help paint the whole story.
Too often, I found myself focused on tight shots: a cheetah’s piercing eyes or the detail of an elephant’s tusks. But sometimes, zooming out reveals the magic of context—a cheetah and her cubs feasting on a gazelle against the backdrop of endless plains, or a lion blending into the golden grass as the sun rises along the plains.
The bigger picture often holds emotion the details.
4. Be present in the wild
Africa is breathtaking, but it’s also brutal.
I witnessed a mother cheetah hunt and kill a baby gazelle to feed her cubs, while the mother gazelle cried out for her lost calf. I watched zebras, late to their migration, fall into the Mara River and become a crocodile’s lunch.
It’s raw. It’s harsh. But it’s real.
Sometimes, the best moments weren’t the ones I captured with my camera but the ones I absorbed fully with my eyes. Africa taught me to put my camera down occasionally and simply be.
A place like no other
No two trips to Africa will ever be the same. Every drive, every sunrise, every animal encounter feels uniquely yours.
Africa isn’t just a destination; it’s an experience that stays with you long after you’ve left. It’s in the stories you tell, the images you capture, and the way you carry its lessons with you.
So, take it all in. Be patient. Be open. And when you go, leave a part of your heart behind—it will always be waiting for you to return.
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