Wildlife & Bird Photography · Kruger National Park

Through My Lens

Slowing down to notice the beauty in God’s creation, one sighting at a time.

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Lilac breasted roller portrait photographed in the Kruger National Park by Mandy Papenfus

More than a hobby

Learning to slow down

Photography has become far more than a hobby. It’s my excuse to slow down, put the phone away and simply enjoy God’s incredible creation.

Over the past year, my family and I spent eight months travelling and camping through the Kruger National Park. Photographing wildlife almost every day changed the way I see nature. I notice the little things now: the colours in a bird’s feathers, the way light filters through the trees, a behaviour I once would have driven straight past.

Every sighting is different and every photograph tells a story. If my images encourage someone else to love South Africa’s wildlife and birdlife a little more, sharing them has been worth it.

8 monthsCamping in the Kruger

ThousandsOf kilometres in the bush

One bateleurThat started it all

Bateleur eagle portrait photographed in the Kruger National Park by Mandy Papenfus

How I became a birder

I never set out to be a birder

June 2024

On our last morning in the Kruger, a bateleur landed in a tree right beside the road. My husband and I were sharing a camera with a second-hand lens from Facebook Marketplace. I took a few frames, and when I looked at them later, I knew I’d found a new passion.

Nikon Z50 · Tamron
Learning in the field

Soon after, I bought my own camera. It travelled thousands of kilometres through the Kruger with me as I learnt bird photography one sighting at a time.

Nikon D850 · Tamron 150–600mm
Today

The kit has changed; the excitement hasn’t. A lifer landing nearby, or a familiar bird showing a behaviour I’ve never captured before, still makes my heart race.

Nikon Z9 · NIKKOR Z 180–600mm

“I’m not an ornithologist or a professional. I’m simply someone who loves being in nature with a camera in hand, always looking for the next bird and the next lesson.”

Mandy Papenfus