Wildlife Photography: The Life We Capture Through the Lens

I came to the pursuit of photography relatively late in life. My wife and I moved from northern California to the Puget Sound area of Washington in the spring of 2019. With a view of Mt. Rainier from our front windows, a forest view from the back of our house, and dozens of miles of forest trails throughout our neighbourhood, I found myself wanting to capture and memorialise the natural beauty I saw. I began using my wife’s Nikon D7200 lens to photograph the mountains, sunrises, sunsets, moonrises, and local birds and animals. I taught myself to use the camera and Lightroom through trial and error and by watching better, more experienced photographers on their YouTube channels.

In January 2023, I went on my first African safari with a friend, visiting Kruger National Park in South Africa. It was transformational for me, like landing on a glacier in Denali, and I was quickly hooked on the African bush experience. I had never seen so much amazing wildlife so close, and the sights, sounds, and smells were forever etched in my brain. After returning to the States, I wished to hear the Cape Turtle Dove’s call or the hippos’ chortle again. So many people talk about a trip to Africa as a “once in a lifetime” experience. For me, it is now a place I want to keep exploring. My second visit to Kruger was in June 2024, and my third safari will be in the Okavango Delta in February 2024. I have been using a Nikon D850 with a Sigma 150-600mm f/5.6-6.3 lens for my safaris so far, but I plan to add a Nikon Z8 to my camera bag soon, primarily for the improved autofocus features it offers over the D850. My photos are for sale at craigschwartzphotography, and you can find me on IG at @craigschwartzphotography.

Although I love capturing many of the animals and birds I find in Africa or near my home, elephants have a special place in my heart because of their size, power, intelligence, and social nature. I hope you enjoy the photos I’ve included here from Kruger National Park and the Greater Kruger. I processed them all using Lightroom Classic to bring out the beauty of the scenes without enhancing them to the point that they no longer represent reality.

I shot this image on the 2nd day of my January 2023 safari to Kruger National Park. We were in the southern part of the park near Skukuza when we saw a lone bull walking toward an opening in the trees as it fed. We positioned ourselves so I could frame the elephant in the opening, and I was lucky to capture it as it reached up to pull down a Marula branch, looking like it was smiling in the bright sunshine of a mid-morning summer day. I liked the framing and loved the happy look on the elephant’s face. This image won the wildlife division of the Northwest International Exhibition of Photography at the Washington State Fair in 2023.

This image shows Ezulwini, a tusker from the Greater Kruger area, just after sunrise in July 2024. Ezulwini, “From Heaven” in Zulu, is known to be a mild-mannered bull who maintains an easy-going demeanour even when he is in musth. He passed by us within 7 meters as we sat quietly in our vehicle. I liked this photo both for the sheer majesty of the elephant and for the way the morning light brought out the colours of the sky, grasses, and dirt.

In this photo from July 2024, Ezulwini and two younger bulls are seen hanging out at the local watering hole in the Greater Kruger. I appreciated how it showed elephants’ social nature and how the young males find mentors to continue their education on how to be an elephant after they leave their matriarchal herds.

I normally avoid photographs of animals’ rear ends, but this one from a late afternoon in the Greater Kruger in June 2024 told me a story about the relationship between a mother and her baby. I also liked how the low sun accentuated the warmer colours of the animals and the bush.

This bull needed a little boost to reach the water at the bottom of a tank near the Mopani Rest Camp in Kruger National Park last June. This was another late afternoon shot with my D850 that I liked for both the directional lighting and the behaviour that tells a story of the difficulties faced by these animals during the dry season.

My favourite times in Kruger have been the interactive experiences with the elephants and other animals. In this shot from the southern part of the park in January 2023, a young elephant decided to challenge a game viewer vehicle approaching us from the other direction. The youngster even touched the front of the vehicle with its head and trunk while an older sister stood beside him, trying to get him to move off the road with her. I was fascinated watching her use her trunk to reach out and touch the young ellie and coax him away from the people. Even after he moved off the road, he stood by and trumpeted at the cars.