Photography has become so much more than a hobby. It gives me an excuse to slow down, put the phone away, and spend time appreciating God’s incredible creation.
Over the past year, my family and I spent eight months travelling and camping around the Kruger National Park. Those months allowed me to photograph wildlife almost every day and completely changed the way I experience nature. I find myself noticing the little things now, the colours of a bird’s feathers, the way light falls through the trees, or a behaviour I might once have driven straight past.
I’m still learning every time I head into the bush, and I hope I never stop. Every sighting is different, every photograph tells a story, and every day behind the camera reminds me why I fell in love with wildlife photography.
If my photographs encourage someone else to appreciate the amazing wildlife and birdlife we have in South Africa, then sharing them has been worth it.
How I Became a Birder
Ironically, I never set out to become a birder.
It all started in June 2024 on our last morning in the Kruger National Park. A bateleur eagle landed in a tree right next to the road. My husband and I were sharing a Nikon Z50 with a second-hand Tamron lens we’d found on Facebook Marketplace. I picked up the camera, took a few photographs, and when I looked at them later, I realised I’d discovered a new passion.
Not long afterwards, I bought my own Nikon D850 and Tamron 150–600mm lens. That camera travelled thousands of kilometres with me through the Kruger as I learnt bird photography one sighting at a time.
Today I photograph with a Nikon Z9 and a NIKKOR Z 180–600mm lens. While my equipment has changed, the excitement hasn’t. I still get just as excited every time a lifer lands nearby or a familiar bird gives me a chance to capture a behaviour I’ve never photographed before.
I’m not an ornithologist or a professional bird photographer. I’m simply someone who loves spending time in nature with a camera in hand, always looking for the next bird to photograph and the next lesson to learn.
