Category: Media

  • Hyenas in the Maasai Mara

    Hyenas in the Maasai Mara

    I’ve recently been working with Mattikoko Safari Camp on a new blog about Hyenas in the Maasai Mara. The article explores one of the Mara’s most fascinating and often misunderstood animals, the spotted hyena.

    Spotted hyenas don’t always get the credit they deserve. Too often they’re portrayed as simple scavengers hanging around the edges of another predator’s kill. In reality they’re intelligent, highly social and extremely capable predators with a fascinating place within the Mara ecosystem.

    On our trips with African Photography Safaris, we’ve spent a lot of time watching and photographing hyenas in the Maasai Mara. Our friends at Mattikoko Safari Camp recently reached out to me for some of my thoughts on this incredibly successful predator. And, of course, a few of my photographs to help illustrate the article.

    Have you ever watched a clan of hyenas going about their business in the Mara? If so, you’ll know there’s considerably more to them than popular culture usually depicts.

    READ Maasai Mara Wildlife Spotlight: The Hyena

    Mattikoko Safari Camp is managed and owned by our friends Moses and Marion Nampaso. It is in the heart of the private Lemek Conservancy and is an incredible special place to experience the Maasai Mara ecosystem from.

    You can join us at Mattikoko with AFRICAN PHOTOGRAPHY SAFARIS.

  • Umlani Through The Lens

    Umlani Through The Lens

    South African lifestyle magazine Wild Getaways included my connection to Umlani Bushcamp in Timbavati in their article, “Umlani Through the Lens.” This is the bushcamp where we base our Penda Photo Tours trips to Timbavati in South Africa.

    They also included a profile of me, my wildlife photography, photographic philosophy and the approach I take to leading photography safaris. For me, photography is about more than simply finding wildlife and making good images. Understanding the habitat, behaviour and environment is a big part of what makes an encounter, and ultimately the photograph, meaningful.

    The second feature, “Umlani Through the Lens,” focuses on Umlani’s Fair Trade Tourism certification. I was asked to give my perspective on why this ethos also matters to me.

    Their is an intrinsic link between responsible tourism and wildlife photography. I believe the landscapes and wildlife we photograph need to be protected. Tourism should contribute positively to the people, communities and conservation systems that make that possible.

    It is an approach that runs through the photographic safaris I lead. Obviously I want guests to come away with exceptional photographs. But also a genuine connection with the places they have visited and a better understanding of why those places matter.

    The issue also features one of my backlit lion photographs on the front cover.

    For more information on all of the safaris I lead, including our Penda Photo Tours safari at Umlani Bushcamp in Timbavati, click here.