Photo Safari

Best Places to Visit on an African Photography Safari Experience

Africa boasts some of the best safaris in the world, with splendid wildlife occupying majestic savannahs, wetlands, and grasslands. Capturing these amazing moments is a must, to ensure these memories are forever ingrained in memory. Joining a photography safari tour offers just that, allowing you to capture these amazing moments on a safari that facilitates photographers to their needs.

Photography Safari tours are for everyone, whether you are an experienced or a beginner photographer there’s a perfect photography safari tour for you. Whether you have equipment or not isn’t a problem, as there are many luxury lodges that offer professional gear. So, you can travel without the headache of carrying all that gear. Some high-end lodges also have photography studios, allowing you to edit your spectacular moments. 

If you're not clued up on how to work a camera but still want to capture those insane safari moments, then wouldn’t it be great to keep the company of a professional photographer whilst you enjoy and admire the wildlife on your safari? Well, several lodges in Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa offer the services of specialist photographers, giving you the chance to not only capture these spectacular moments but also keep these memories in high quality.

What types of African photography safaris exist?

Anyone can enjoy a photography safari, from expert photographers to beginners who need some guidance on their trips. Regardless of expertise, many lodges offer their guests experienced guides who are seasoned and understand the fauna and flora very well, guiding you through areas with prime light conditions and the most abundant wildlife. They even look for specific behavior and the right actions giving you the chance to capture actionable moments. However, finding the right areas to enjoy a photography safari can be quite tricky, let’s help you with that.

African Photography Safaris in specialized vehicles

The Sabi Sand and Londolozi private game reserves are prime reserves to visit on a photography safari tour. One striking feature, amongst many that make these reserves perfect, is their customised game vehicles that have been transformed to accommodate photography gear.

The Sabi Sand Game reserve in South Africa is a fantastic game reserve to visit. It shares a border with the incredible Kruger National Park, housing the most incredible wildlife, including the African Big 5. This reserve is perfect if you want to capture spectacular shots of the elusive leopard, as it has the densest population of leopards anywhere in the world. These animals are hard to find as they mostly hunt during the evenings, however, due to their large presence in the reserve they will be easily spotted during the day.

The Londolozi game reserves have spectacular light spreading across majestic scenery housing the most incredible African wildlife, making it a dream come true for any photographer. As a world-renowned area for premier wildlife viewing this reserve offers its guests the most amazing wildlife experience, alongside electric game vehicles allowing you to silently sweep through the wild, creating minimal disturbances and a great opportunity to get those fantastic shots. 

For a more intimate experience, The Londolozi game reserve offers its guests private safari vehicles, alongside a ranger and a tracker team focusing on tailoring the experience around the guest's specific photography wildlife interests. This includes tracking specific bird species, specific big cats, terrains, and many more. 

Botswana Boat Photography Safaris

Botswana is one of the flattest countries in the world, with unspoiled landscapes housing the most incredible wildlife in Africa. This beautiful country has amazing reserves with some of the best wildlife photography safaris. 

The incredible Okavango river that flows northwest of the country produces an incredible wetland known as the Okavango Delta. Capturing antelopes being chased by amazing predators such as lions, cheetahs, or wild dogs, through these wetlands is truly a great moment. The Okavango Delta is one of Africa’s biggest wetland reserves offering guests a unique experience. Where else can you ride in a dugout canoe, known as a mokoro, through narrow waterways photographing areas teeming with life. 

If you want more stability, then take a ride on a motorboat, at the Chobe game reserve, designed to accommodate cameras with built-in camera arms. This region is known as the “elephant capital” of the world, so get ready to capture these stunning gentle giants on your incredible photography safari. This region also has a large concentration of the endangered African Wild dogs and many other wildlife species including the Big 5.

What encompasses a day on a photography Safari?

The schedule of safaris vary from lodge to lodge but you can expect a typical schedule. Your day begins in the early morning as you prepare to catch the amazing sunrise, along with its splendid golden light. With this amazing morning light, you can capture the most beautiful shots of wildlife on your safari. 

You return back to your lodge and enjoy a splendid breakfast before setting out for an afternoon safari alongside other lodge activities. Afternoon photography safaris are not ideal due to fierce bright lights and temperatures that will distort your shots. However, you can utilise this time to hone your techniques. In the evenings you’ll enjoy a delicious dinner and even experience a night photography safari with incredible moonlight if you are lucky. 

Some lodges offer vehicles with charging points and power banks allowing you to get the most out of your experience. They even include camera stands giving your arms a chance to rest. For those photographers that would like to have an intimate experience whilst on their safaris, you can book private game drives and enjoy the experience with your own company. 

Book your African photography Safari with Kabura Travel and Tours

Want to get more insights on finding the best photography safari or not sure what to pick? Let’s get in touch, with expert travel agents we can make your dream African photography safari come true.