Let It Rain: Photographing in The Rain

On arrival in the Mara Triangle Conservancy it was clearly evident that the region had very little rain. Little did I know that this was apparently the driest the Mara ecosystem has been in the last 20 years. Not a hint of greenery in any of the standing grasses, just a burnt orange and yellow [...]

The Science Of Lenses

Are you already intimidated? No need to worry. The science of lenses is not as scary as it seems. It can go really deep but in this blog I’d like to simplify this for you somewhat. I would like to help you understand lenses better and/or provide you with a bit of information that may [...]

Camera Sensor Technology

Understanding camera sensor technology is very important as this is the backbone of any digital photography system. This small piece of technology plays a crucial role in determining image quality. A camera sensor is a light-sensitive device that captures the light that enters the camera and converts it into an electronic signal. The resulting signal [...]

Back to Basics blog series

If you are wanting to start out in Photography, or you are a seasoned pro looking to brush up on your photographic knowledge, then this is the perfect "Back to Basics" blog series for you! Shutter Speed, Aperture, Iso, Metering modes. These are just a few of the basic terms that one should know in photography [...]

Back to Basics: Metering modes & Exposure compensation

Okay, so there is one more pretty technical piece that we need to cover in the Back to Basics series before moving on to the more exciting stuff. That is Metering modes & exposure compensation. I'm going to try and make the various metering modes simple to understand using a couple of "out of the box' [...]

Back to Basics: ISO

So, we are comfortable with the numbers on the front of our lens, we understand what aperture is and how we can use it creatively. We are able to use (and manipulate) our autofocus to ensure that we are focusing in the right region, and finally we understand how important shutter speed is in obtaining [...]

Back to Basics: Shutter Speed

Now that we have been able to achieve autofocus on our subject and have selected the correct aperture to ensure that the we render our subject sharp and in focus, there is really only one other variable in the equation that can go wrong - Shutter Speed. Quite simply, shutter speed refers to the duration that [...]

Back to basics: Autofocus

Autofocus is far more complicated and involved than most people understand. For the purposes of this series, I am going to try and keep things as simple as possible. Essentially, Autofocus allows the camera to make use of a number of Autofocus (AF) sensors to shift a series of elements inside the lens in such [...]

Back to basics: What is aperture and how can I use it in my photography

In the first of the Back to Basics series of posts we looked at what the numbers on the front of your lens stood for and we came to the conclusion that these help us to understand the lens' focal range and maximum aperture at any given focal length. This led to the question of [...]

Back to basics: What are those numbers on my lens???

Photography can be a challenging subject to take on and understand when starting out. Even someone who has been doing photography for a while may have skipped past some of the most basic topics to get to a point where they are happy with their level of understanding and have never looked back. The best [...]

Behind The Frame: A Portrait of a Male Lion taken at Sabi Sabi Last year

In this episode in the Behind The Frame series, Trevor McCall-Peat shares a lightroom edit of an image of a male lion captured at Sabi Sabi Last year while hosting a Private safari in October 2022. Sabi Sabi is very well know for its big cat activity, Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve borders the Sabi [...]

Photographing Gorillas and Chimpanzees

When you go on a normal safari in Africa you stand the chance of seeing and photographing around 20 mammals during your time in the field.  As awesome as this is it can be overwhelming to head out on drive without a clear photographic goal in mind. The way you would, for example, approach a [...]

Focus Modes vs Focus Areas

          I know just how messy Focus Modes vs Focus Areas can get in one’s head. I think back to my early days with camera in hand... so many things to remember right? Well I am here to hopefully provide simple clarity. The two (modes & areas) are very different concepts [...]

Creating silhouette photo opportunities on safari

When heading out on your Safari, you should take every opportunity to capture unique images that create a diverse portfolio of images. If you’re looking to add some creative flair to your photos, consider trying your hand at capturing the perfect silhouette photo. In this blog, I'll go over some tips to help you create [...]

How to break the Rule of Thirds…

Ask any photographer or have a look through any photography book, and I am sure that The rule of thirds will pop up at some point! So what is The rule of thirds and how can we use it in our photography? The rule of thirds is a guideline used in photography to create a [...]

Think Outside the Box

The purpose of photography can vary depending on the context and the goals of the photographer. Some common purposes of photography include: Capturing memories: Photography is often used to document personal or historical events, such as family vacations, wildlife, weddings, or important moments in history. Artistic expression: Photography can be a form of artistic expression, [...]

The Importance of Focus in Photography

Without focus, there is no photograph. Well, at least not one people want to look at for more than a mere second. So the importance of focus in photography is everything really. In my opinion, it over rules exposure. I say this because you as the photographer will have good room for error on this [...]

Basics Behind Spotlight Photography

This is a topic that always has plenty of discussions around it. On my recent safari my guests and I discussed it, how to use the spotlight to your advantage, what the camera settings should be and how to manipulate your camera in different situations while using a spotlight to get the best results. For [...]

Converting An Image into Black and White

Do you struggle to decide when to convert an image from colour to black and white? Or even struggle with why would you even want to in the first place? In this blog, I'm going to tackle this very topic and walk you through my own way of thinking when I approach each image. What [...]

Your Images Reviewed: The Greatest Maasai Mara Photo Competition

Are you planning on entering The Greatest Maasai Mara photo competition and standing a chance of winning $10 000 AND a 5 night stay at Angama Mara? We would love to help you refine your image selections and edits and perhaps increase your chances of winning this fantastic prize all whilst supporting one of the [...]

Photographing the Western Lowland Gorillas of The Congo Basin

Did you know that there are actually four recognized subspecies of gorilla, all of which are native to Africa? Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei) The Eastern Gorilla is divided into two subspecies: the mountain gorilla and the eastern lowland gorilla. The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is found in the Virunga Mountains on the border of [...]