African Photographic Safaris since 2003
On this page, you will find a variety of articles specifically related to African Wildlife Photography. These include photo safari tips, techniques and equipment reviews, as well as interesting animal behaviour and wildlife sightings that were observed on our photographic safaris to destinations like Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.
Links to these articles will also be added in our quarterly photo safari newsletter.
Posted on 31st Aug 2017 in Wild4 Photo Safari Blog - All Videos|Photo Safari Video Trip Reports|
All VIDEO footage was taken on a 12 day photo tour to Etosha National Park in Namibia and Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in South Africa. This unique photo safari was led by Stu Porter. VIDEO by Stu Porter
Posted on 15th Aug 2017 in Wild4 Photo Safari Blog - All Videos|Photo Safari Video Trip Reports|
All VIDEO footage was taken on a 12 day photo tour to Etosha National Park in Namibia and Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in South Africa. This unique photo safari was led by Stu Porter. VIDEO by Stu Porter
Posted on 29th Jul 2017 in Wild4 Photo Safari Blog - All Videos|Photo Equipment|
Our Photographically modified 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser Safari Vehicle LAUNCH trailer VIDEO by Stu Porter
Posted on 28th Jul 2017 in News|
We are very proud to announce the launch of our first Kenyan photographically modified safari vehicle, which will be available for use on both our scheduled and custom designed photo safaris within Kenya. Our previous clients will know how we have pioneered the way to provide photographic supports on vehicles for photographers. Our professional adjustable photobar and beanbag systems that we use on safari vehicles in Botswana, Kruger, Mala Mala, Namibia and Tanzania offer a comfortable solution...
Posted on 2nd Sep 2015 in TIPS & Techniques|
Creating panoramic images of Landscapes is a widely used technique - but what about panoramic images of wildlife subjects ? This is a short article that explains when, how and why you should use this technique if the opportunity to do so arises. WHEN ? If you are too close to your subject to fit it in the frame with your telephoto lens then this technique can work for you - yes you can move further away or even use...
Posted on 1st Nov 2014 in Stories From The Bush|
My personal favourite part of the Kruger National Park, Northern Kruger has an appealing and different atmosphere all of its own. This part of Kruger is extremely beautiful with Fever Tree Forests, Baobab Trees and the beautiful Shingwedzi, Mphongolo and Luvuvhu Rivers. Silwervis and Rooibosrant dams provide great water birds and a stop at Letaba rest camp on the Letaba River will offer some of the best bird photography without even leaving the camp. My personal favourite is the...
Posted on 1st Sep 2014 in Stories From The Bush|
Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya is a unique place to photograph African wildlife. It has a very dry climate, cool in the evenings and early mornings but it can get very hot during the day. A number of unusual species are found in theis reserve which is one of the reasons I love to visit Samburu. You do not have to drive very far to find amazing landscapes and wildlife encounters. When you first arrive at Samburu (normally around...
Posted on 1st Aug 2014 in Stories From The Bush|
I first visited the Kruger National Park with my family in 1983 - since then a lot of things have changed as far as the tourist elements are concerned, but the park still remains the flagship of the South African National Parks and a conservation success story. Set aside to conserve ALL the species found within the park, we often complain that we cannot drive off road, there are not enough tourist roads in some areas and the congestion at Cat...
Posted on 1st Jul 2014 in Stories From The Bush|
This will be our 4th year of running photo safaris to the world famous Mala Mala Private Game Reserve in South Africa and it has been a real privilege to have been lucky enough to spend time with the animals in this reserve, especially the Leopards. Through my experiences in the african bush, there is no better place on the planet to photograph Leopards in the wild. I have certainly photographed Leopards in all the locations I run tours to,...
Posted on 1st Jun 2014 in TIPS & Techniques|Stories From The Bush|
In my mind the winner of the "Best Ruffle" competition amongst the eagles of Africa is undoubtedly the BATELEUR EAGLE (Terathopius ecaudatus). This is a strikingly beautiful Eagle which obtains its colourful adult plumage at around 7 years. Identifying this eagle is quite easy as it has a very short tail (ecaudatus in Latin) The words "Bateleur" in French and "Gaukler" in German both describe this bird as an acrobat or street performer - a basic description of the way the...
Posted on 1st May 2014 in Stories From The Bush|
I thought I would post a short blog on an interesting sighting we had last year in the Moremi Game Reserve, on the eastern fringe of the Okavango Delta. As usual our mornings start early on safari and we were huddled around our morning campfire to keep warm and enjoy a nice cup of coffee and a few rusks. We were interrupted by a Lion roaring very close by. We went to see if we could spot the culprit, and...
I recently did a trip with Wild4 which far outweighed any expectations that I had! Wow what a trip. There was a great variety of animals, Stu has extensive knowledge of the animals and their habitat and was always mindful of us getting the best shots possible. My friend and I had our own bench seats in all the vehicles, which was great as we both had 2 DSLRs with numerous lenses, each vehicle is equipped with beanbags to steady your camera / lens, pockets and enough room to take a camera bag. We had fantastic opportunities to watch the cats for a good period of time and learn a little bit about their life, rather than taking a photo and moving on. I loved that we could sit and watch the lions at Mala Mala play in the Sand River, it was a fantastic opportunity.
Stu provided us with some great tuition, I certainly learnt a lot of new photo techniques which I look forward to using back home. I hired a Canon 500mm lens from Stu which was great, I think I used that about 85% of the time and used a 70-200mm for the rest. We had many opportunities for night photography, silhouettes, time lapse, low light etc
At the end of our trip we did the reptile extension at Khamai Reptile Centre. We went behind the scenes at the centre and had one of Africa's leading reptile specialist spend the day talking about the reptiles, spiders, scorpions we were about to take pictures of. Donald and his team certainly made for a very safe photo shoot, they were extremely patient positioning some of the reptiles for better light or different background. I learnt a lot from Donald, living in Australia we do have some venomous snakes, the day certainly gave me a renewed appreciation for the reptiles.
I would highly recommend the Wild4 team for your next photographic safari you will not be disappointed.
Linda Cappello, AUSTRALIA
For thirty-five years I had dreamed of going on a photographic safari in South Africa. This year I finally realized that dream and it is fair to say that my hopes and expectations were surpassed in every way.
I had done extensive research on African photographic safaris on the Internet before settling on Wild 4 photo safaris. What an inspired choice that turned out to be! This family company run by Stu Porter and his wife, Justyna, and aided by Stu’s parents, John and Ann, provides the perfect safari experience for photographers of every skill level.
Stu is one South Africa’s finest wild-life photographers and a first-class teacher into the bargain. His knowledge of the habitat and habits of the animals and birds to be found in Kruger National Park is simply encyclopaedic. I was accompanied on the trip by my 25 year-old daughter, Amy, and we eagerly adapted to the early morning wake-up call to go off into the wilds in one of Stu’s specially fitted jeeps to photograph animals at sunrise.
Every day brought its special moments whether the spectacle of lions mating just a few metres from the jeep, or leopards lying lazily in the grass digesting a meal, or elephants and hippos frolicking in a river. The days sped by and we returned home with thousands of photographs of birds and animals to sort through and cherish for the memories they bring back.
A safari with Wild 4 is more than a photographic experience with a master photographer: it is an initiation into the wonders of South Africa – its wild-life and spectacular landscapes - and, above all, an experience of friendship as everyone aboard the jeep bond in common purpose.
Everything about Wild 4 is first class: organization is superb, accommodations excellent, choices of locale perfect. Our safari with Stu and Wild4 was truly the experience of a life-time.
Andrew Oliver, CANADA
