A photo safari in South Luangwa National Park

Posted on 4 April 2011

How do you siesta when there’s a pod of hippos chortling in the river outside the patio of your chalet at Nkwali Camp, superbly positioned on the bank of Zambia’s Luangwa River? Each time I get off my bed to go see what the joke is, they sink below the brown flood waters and blow bubbles at me. Ignoring the elephant browsing quietly on the opposite bank, I lie down again, trying to figure out the hippo sense of humour.

Hippos are one of the most numerous animals in South Luangwa National Park. They obviously love jokes, because they lie around in the water all day, giggling and gurgling and egging each other on to tell the next funny story.

Yet another round of guffaws, and I give up trying to sleep. Instead I focus on living a dream in Nkwali Camp outside Mfuwe in the Luangwa Valley. I’m on a photo safari with well-known author and photographer David Rogers and am picking up plenty of new things every day about how to get the most out of my Nikon.

We need our midday siesta, as our little band of photographers is out in the bush by sunrise each morning, ready to capture images in what our guide, Jacob Shawa, calls “˜the sweet light’. A short boat ride across the river and we’re in the park on a game drive, training our lenses on everything from dainty puku to the Big Four. Sadly, rhinos were poached out about twenty years ago – a warning for all other parks.

The park is lush and green at the height of what they call the emerald season. Despite it still being the rainy season with some parts of the park closed to vehicles, we’re able to access large areas by boat and 4×4. Big herds of puku and impala are sleek and well fed, and buffalo are adorned with great dollops of mud. Yesterday evening we watched a lone elephant bull take a sand bath and then lie down for a power nap.

David’s photo workshops in Zambia are hosted by Robin Pope Safaris, one of the most established operators in this park. Nkwali Camp is small and personal, with just six chalets on the south bank of the river, overlooking the park. The style is unfussy and classic bush – you won’t find herds of visitors or any over-the-top opulence here. Guests are treated like new friends by the hospitable staff and welcomed with drinks on the deck next to the river. Nkwali is definitely a place worth saving up for.

And the hippos? Well, the joke is actually on all those who think Luangwa is off limits at this time of the year. The emerald season is not only the nicest time to visit, it’s also when you’ll score discounts on packages normally costing much more.

David Rogers’ photo tip of the day:

When photographing animals from a boat, make sure you have your camera at the ready. I set up my camera on a tripod onboard and set the vibration reduction to active. I also ensure that I have a shutter speed that is fast enough to freeze the action. If the boat is moving and you are using a lens of 300 mm or more, you will need to shoot at least at 1/2000th of a second.

For more information, visit www.davidrogers.co.za.






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