Two years ago, a fellow photographer shared her dream of travelling to South Africa to go on safari to photograph leopards in the wild. I offered to go with her, and from there the adventure slowly grew. We saved, planned, and counted down the months until finally, on May 1st this year, our group of four boarded a plane bound for South Africa.
This trip had been years in the making, and it turned out to be everything we had hoped for and more.
You can expect many blog posts from this unforgettable adventure, and they will not necessarily appear in chronological order. I simply cannot help starting with some of my favourite safari drives first. This post focuses on our very first afternoon safari drive at Elephant Plains Game Lodge in the famous Sabi Sands Game Reserve, which marked the beginning of the second half of our South African journey.
Impalas Everywhere
One of the first animals we encountered was the impala. Before arriving, we had been warned that impalas were everywhere and that by the end of the trip we would probably be tired of seeing them. That never happened for me.
I quickly realised that herds of impalas were an important part of the safari experience. Our guides explained that impalas are often like a supermarket for predators such as leopards and lions. Wherever there were impalas, there was always the possibility that a predator might not be too far away.
Photographing them was also more enjoyable than I expected. Their alert expressions and graceful movements made them wonderful subjects in the African bush.
Seeing Zebras in the Wild
Next came the zebras. I have photographed zebras before in zoos, but this was the first time I had ever seen them roaming freely in the wild. The same could be said for many of the animals we encountered during this safari.
There is something incredibly special about seeing wildlife in its natural habitat. Zoos certainly have their place in conservation and education, but nothing compares to watching these beautiful animals behave naturally in the open wilderness.
Seeing a herd of zebras standing amongst the lush green grasses after the recent rains, felt surreal after years of only seeing them behind fences.
A Close Encounter With Elephants
I had been especially excited about seeing elephants, although I never imagined just how close we would get to them.
At one point, an elephant approached our safari vehicle so closely that my lens suddenly felt far too large for the situation. I managed to capture a few photographs before instinctively turning away in fear as one enormous elephant moved toward us.
That first encounter was both thrilling and intimidating. As the trip continued, I became much more relaxed around elephants, although I still preferred having just a little extra distance between us. Watching wild elephants up close was one of the highlights of the entire safari experience.
Photographing Giraffes in Harsh Light
Our next sighting was a giraffe, its tall head reaching gracefully above the treetops as it fed on leaves. The lighting conditions during the afternoon drive were challenging. The South African sun was bright and harsh, and I needed to overexpose my image to properly capture the warm colour and detail in the giraffe’s face.
Throughout the safari, our photography guide from Panthera Photo Safaris shared valuable advice on handling rapidly changing light conditions. One moment we were photographing animals in harsh sunlight, and the next we were adjusting our camera settings in deep shade or near darkness.
It was a steep learning curve, and there were many moments where all of us were quickly scrambling to adjust camera dials before the animal moved away.
A Chameleon After Dark
The final image in this post was taken after sunset at the end of the drive. Darkness had settled over the reserve when our tracker used a spotlight to search the surrounding bushes. Soon, he found a tiny chameleon clinging to a branch.
Once you know what to look for, chameleons become surprisingly easy to spot at night because they almost glow under the spotlight as the vehicle passes by. It was an incredible way to finish our first safari drive in Sabi Sands.
Final Thoughts on Our First Sabi Sands Safari Drive
Our first safari drive in Sabi Sands was an unforgettable introduction to South African wildlife photography. From impalas and zebras to elephants, giraffes, and even a tiny chameleon, every sighting felt exciting and new.
For me, the most memorable part was experiencing these animals in the wild for the very first time. It was everything I had dreamed of when we first began planning this adventure two years ago. This was only the beginning of our Sabi Sands safari experience, and I still have many more wildlife encounters and photographs (including lions and leopards) to share in future posts.
All the images in this post were taken using my Lumix G9II. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to contact me through my website, or follow along on Facebook or Instagram.