Safari experts & storytellers. Since 1991
Photographer-guided safaris - learn from the professionals
Going on safari with a professional photographer offers an incredible opportunity to elevate your photography skills.
Your guide doesn’t just know wildlife; they understand light, composition, and the patience needed for that once-in-a-lifetime shot. You’ll learn how to anticipate behaviour, frame dramatic moments, and make the most of golden-hour light, all while exploring prime photographic locations. You’ll also gain insights into post-processing techniques and image storytelling.
Safaris with pro photographers enjoy extended time at sightings, customised vehicle setups, and small-group intimacy that prioritises photographic opportunities over rigid schedules.
Working in the field together enables hands-on learning and feedback, transforming your technical and creative approach. Ultimately, the experience enhances your wildlife photography and your confidence and ability to capture unique, high-impact moments in any setting.
Our Favourite Photographer-Guided Safari Idea
Maasai Mara specialist photographic safari
Learn from the best to fine-tune your photography in the beauty of Mara - four guests only!
For this Maasai Mara safari, your small team will benefit from a specially modified photographer’s vehicle and enjoy the company of guides who live in and understand the Maasai Mara ecosystem intimately - giving you the best chance to obtain those unique photos that have us all green with envy.
Your basecamp – Oltepesi Tented Safari Camp – is in a Maasai village, offering a unique and authentic insight into the traditional lives of these pastoralists. This unique safari offers genuine empowerment for local people and helps conserve the greater Serengeti/Maasai Mara ecosystem. There are no fences between the park and the community land, and wildlife roams throughout the area.
Why book with us?
Tailor-made experiential safaris - with love
"Travel in Africa is about knowing what, when and where to go - a few weeks too early/late or a few kilometres off course, and you could miss the Greatest Show on Earth. And wouldn’t that be a pity?
Our crew of passionate safari experts have lived and worked in Africa for most of their lives. Trust us to find you the rarest animals, the most spectacular wildlife events, the remotest landscapes and deeply meaningful cultural encounters!"
Simon Espley - CEO, Africa Geographic
All you need to know about photographer-guided safaris
Why go on safari with a professional photographer?
If you are serious about photography or want to learn how to take better photos, most safaris may limit your ambitions. This is because most game drives are spent with non-photographers, who are usually more interested in moving between wildlife sightings. Not everyone wants to spend hours waiting for a leopard to drop out of a tree or a bird to take off!
Personal coaching: Being in the field together allows for hands-on learning and feedback, transforming your technical and creative approach. In addition, time between game drives will include technical coaching and post-production work.
Extended time at sightings: The best photographs are the result of patience; waiting for those epic moments that usually happen once others have got bored and left the sighting.
Customised vehicle setups that give you the best position and comfortable camera mounts.
Small-group intimacy that prioritises photographic opportunities over rigid schedules.
7 essential items to pack for your photographic safari
Suggested camera gear should include 2 camera bodies (one for backup and to have both a telephoto and close-up lens permanently mounted), telephoto zoom lens (such as 100–400mm or 200–600mm), prime super-telephoto lens (such as 400 or 600mm f/4), and a wide/standard zoom (such as 24–70mm or 16–35mm), and teleconverters (such as 1.4x or 2×).
Bring an empty bean bag with a zippered opening to be filled with rice or sand upon arrival. Tri- and monopods are nice to have but are seldom used on safari, although tripods are used for low-light landscape photography.
Pack more batteries and memory cards than you think you need.
Backup is an essential daily routine, and a laptop, 2 external drives and/or a dedicated backup device are essential
African conditions can be harsh, so bring protection against dust and water, as well as a good cleaning kit.
Pack it all in a high-quality soft-sided camera bag. Pelican cases provide excellent protection but are heavy and difficult to pack into the holds of small aeroplanes.
Drones require special permissions and are sometimes confiscated or held upon entry or exit from a country.
Here is our safari packing list (including a downloadable PDF) for clothing and the essential kit you will need on an African safari.
Photographer lodges
The choice of lodges for our photographer-guided safaris is determined by the safari's focus and the guide's location and requirements. Some are located near natural events, such as the Great Migration, and others feature underground or above-ground photographic hides. We also handcraft trips with professional photographer-guides for single photographers or small groups who want to visit areas or lodges that do not offer photography-specific features. These include:
Luxury safari lodges: Thoughtfully designed lodges and bush camps that disappear into the landscape, offering canvas pavilions with hardwood floors, en-suite bathrooms, and private decks overlooking untouched wilderness. Each accommodation tells a story of place.
Seasonal luxury camps: For the ultimate in exclusivity, these bush camps open seasonally to be best positioned for wildlife migrations or to be located in areas inaccessible to permanent structures, offering front-row seats to nature's greatest spectacles.
Private safari villas (for groups): Exclusive sanctuaries for 6-8 guests with dedicated staff, including private guides, chefs, and hosts. These offer complete flexibility in timing, routing, and experiences – the epitome of bespoke safari travel.
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As a photographer, I have been interested in wide and hook-lipped (black) rhinos in different conservancies and in meeting some of the last remaining supertuskers in Amboseli, etc. My dreams became true. And at Ol Pejeta Tented Camp in Mara North Conservancy, a special camp for photographers, I had amazing adventures.
A stunning week in all respects ... Oltepesi is an understated camp in the Maasai community - accommodation clean, spacious, comfortable ... The guides were amazing, tireless and anticipated all the needs of a photographer. Professional photographer Arnfinn Johansen's knowledge and instruction were most valued. AG managed the trip superbly from beginning to end.
... The final camp was Tanda Tula in the Timbavati. I was guided by Chad Cocking who is great company and an accomplished photographer. He got me into some good positions at numerous sightings for some fantastic shots; leopards, wild dogs on kills, etc. I'm keen to repeat the visits to Zimanga, Tswalu and Tanda Tula.
Frequently asked questions
The timing of your African trip depends on your expectations. Each season offers distinct advantages for the discerning traveller seeking unique experiences.
Dry-season drama (May to mid-November): The classic safari season when wildlife congregates around permanent water sources, and predators are in action. Vegetation is sparse, making game viewing exceptional, and the weather is most comfortable for extended outdoor activities. The later in the dry season, the better the wildlife encounters will be, but be aware that temperatures can be very high in October and November.
Migration magic (specific timing varies by region): The great wildebeest migrations in East Africa and Zambia's Liuwa Plain offer once-in-a-lifetime spectacles, as do the zebra migrations in Botswana and bat migration in Zambia's Kasanka, but timing is crucial and advance booking is essential for prime locations.
Green-season tranquillity (November to April): Often overlooked by conventional tourism, this period offers dramatic skies, newborn animals, resident predators, and spectacular birdlife, with the landscape transforming into an emerald paradise. Expect lower prices and fewer tourists.
Photographic considerations: Each season offers unique lighting and compositional opportunities. Dry-season dust and smoke, and wet-season clear skies transform your photo into works of art.
Your needs as a photographer for good light happen to coincide with the best times to find wildlife. Each safari day follows the rhythms of the bush:
Dawn awakening (5:30-6:00 AM): Soft wake-up calls with steaming coffee or tea and freshly-baked biscuits delivered to your private deck. The African dawn is a sacred time – when the golden light begins to paint the landscape and nocturnal creatures make way for the day shift.
Morning game drive (6:00-10:00 AM): The prime wildlife hours when predators are active and the light is a photographer's gold. Your expert guide will navigate you through landscapes where every turn might reveal leopards draped in fever trees or elephants emerging from morning mist.
Midday sanctuary (10:00 AM-4:00 PM): Return to your lodge for an elaborate breakfast on your private deck. The midday hours are for restoration – perhaps a massage, a swim, or simply absorbing the sounds of the bush from your shaded veranda. Some camps offer cultural visits to local communities or guided walks.
Afternoon departure (4:00-4:30 PM): Tea and homemade treats before your evening game drive. This is when the African light begins its legendary transformation toward the golden hour.
Evening game drive & sundowners (4:30-7:30 PM): As shadows lengthen, the bush awakens. Your drive may extend into darkness with spotlights revealing the nocturnal world - a privilege available only in private reserves.
Night's embrace (7:30 PM onward): Multi-course dinners under star-scattered skies, often around the campfire where stories are shared and the sounds of the African night provide an ever-changing soundtrack.
If you are carrying a large camera bag, it's best to chat with your safari expert about arranging for overweight carry-on luggage, especially on the small aeroplanes used to get you to remote lodges.
When it comes to checked-in luggage, although international flights may permit hard suitcases and higher luggage weight allowances, the small planes that fly into remote bushveld locations don’t. The luggage holds require soft luggage and cannot carry as much weight. It’s essential to plan your luggage and wardrobe and pack wisely.
Our safaris typically cost from US$700 per person, per night, depending on the accommodation comfort level and activities. This price usually includes accommodation, all meals, game drives, experienced guides, airport transfers, and 24/7 support from our team, but excludes a private vehicle and other exclusive services.
You only make your first payment when you book your holiday. Your second (last) payment is about 90 days before you travel.
Peak season bookings require 12–18 months of advance planning. Trips outside of peak season can be arranged 6–9 months ahead, with better rates and availability.
Click here to schedule a no-obligation call with one of our Safari Experts or fill in our 2-minute form with your questions. Our team of experts are here to help! Whether you’re curious about the best time to travel, want to hear first-hand about an experience or need help planning your safari.
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Why choose us to craft your safari?
Handcrafted experiential safaris since 1991.
Travel in Africa is about knowing when and where to go, and with whom. A few weeks too early/late or a few kilometres off course, and you could miss the greatest show on Earth. And wouldn’t that be a pity?
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We donate a portion of the revenue from every safari sold to carefully selected conservation projects that make a significant difference at ground level.
YOUR safari choice does make a difference - thank you!