I remember as a child being fascinated by animals and birds and would love to collect and read the World of Wildlife magazines , often being mesmerized by the amazing images that were contained therein. However, it was only in in 2013 during a family trip to the Kruger National Park that I actually got a taste of the bush for the first time. The sights, sounds, and smell of the Kruger were something I had only dreamt of, and to witness it firsthand hand was an almost overwhelming experience. Even though I was a complete novice at the time, I knew then that I would have to come back and capture the many special moments with my lens.

Soon after, I received a wonderful birthday gift from my supportive wife – an intermediary photography course with esteemed photographer and tutor Martin Osner. This was instrumental in my development with photography. It was here that I began to truly understand and appreciate terms like aperture, ISO, shutter speed, depth of field, bokeh and composition. This course was certainly a game-changer and would equip me well for the future.

In 2015 I made a trip with a good friend to Etosha National Park in Namibia. It was our last morning and I was waiting at the Okaukuejo Waterhole in anticipation of capturing something special before the journey back home. The gorgeous early morning golden light just needed a perfect subject to do it justice. After some time luck was on my side when 7 zebra came down to the waterhole to quench their thirst. I could not believe my eyes at such beauty, when all 7 zebra drank simultaneously while displaying their perfect reflection in the glassy water. This moment was however shortlived as one of the zebra became startled whereby the stillness of the water was interrupted and although the moment of perfection was gone, it was captured forever through my lens. I believe it was this image that ignited the spark that would fuel the flame that was to be my love and passion for wildlife and nature photography.

My image which I fondly named “Upon Reflection”, went on to win Country Life image club, October 2015. It was a Getaway Magazine finalist in October 2017, and was also included in their 2018 calender. I was delighted when it was selected to be published in the Getaway coffee table book the 30 Year Safari, A Celebration of Getaway Photography. “Upon Reflection” was painted by a top local wildlife artist, and a print was also sold to a gentleman in Manhattan , New York where a taste of Africa now proudly hangs on his wall.

I am very proud and humbled to have been involved with fundraising to help benefit a remarkable and inspirational young boy who was suffering with cancer. A framed print of“Upon Reflection” was raffled and then sold, and raised almost R17,000 for this worthy cause.

Photography affords me the opportunity to be at one with nature. Whether its capturing the colourful, vibrant sunbirds, sugarbirds or kingfishers of Cape Town , honey badgers, meerkats and the majestic black maned lions of the Kgalagadi, the Big 5 of the Kruger or the abundant bird and animal life in and along the banks of the Chobe River in Botswana.

Even though I have captured my favourite little bird, the malachite kingfisher countless times, my heart still skips a beat everytime he decides to grace me with his breathtakingly beautiful presence on a nearby perch. The day I no longer feel the passion and excitement to experience these wonders, is the day I will put my camera down. However, I know that this day will never come.

Thank you for your support.

Achievements and awards

• Indlovu River Lodge Amateur Wildlife and Birding Photography competition 2016 – Overall Runner up
• Natures Best Photography Africa 2017 – Finalist – Bird Portrait and Mammal Behaviour Category
• Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2020 – Semi-Finalist (Top 50)
• Country Life Magazine Image Club:
  • 1st Place: Oct 2015, Sept 2019
  • 2nd Place: May 2017, Oct 2017, Oct 2018, June 2020
  • 3rd Place: Oct 2016, March 2018, April 2018, April 2019, Jan 2020
• Getaway Gallery: Monthly Finalist (Top 5): Sept 2017, Oct 2017, March 2018, Nov 2018, June 2019, Aug 2019, May/June 2020
• Getaway Calender 2018: “Upon Reflection” included
• The 30 Year Safari, a Celebration of Getaway Photography by Justin Fox : Includes 2 of my images, “Upon Reflection, and “Pretty Pelican”
• African Birdlife – March/April 2020 Publication featuring unusual pale chanting goshawk behaviour