You will be met on arrival at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport, and transferred to Jaci's Tree Lodge in Madikwe Game Reserve. The transfer will take approximately 3.5 hours, with a comfort stop en route.
Check in at your tree-house suite offering all possibile comforts. Each of the eight double-occupancy treehouse-style suites features a private outdoor shower and indoor bath, and suspended private viewing decks. Each suite is decorated with our trademark African vibrancy, complemented by modern elements and with a focus on privacy. The custom-built stilted structures are connected by suspended walkways. Most rooms can be converted to offer 2 single, separated beds.
Provided you arrive in time, set out on your first photo safari this afternoon. Return to the lodge for dinner.
What to bring:
Camera DSLR / mirrorless
Lenses 300 mm or bigger
Lens for landscape 16 - 35mm (preferably f2.8) - lenses need lens hood
Cover for dust and rain
Tripod
4x Memory cards (32 Gb or more)
Ideally also bring Laptop with Lightroom and / or Photoshop
Card reader
Lens cleaning kit
Note block and pen
Also important to bring:
Good attitude
Sun block factor 30 or higher
Cap / sunhat
Light walking shoes
Shorts
Swimming costume
Rain jacket
Warm jacket (fleece) - sitting on an open safari vehicle at sunrise can be chilly!
If travelling during winter (April - October), also bring windproof jacket and scarf, it can be incredibly cold early morning and evening on the open safari vehicle!
It is essential that you travel with adequate medical travel insurance, which should also include special medical evacuation cover.
Madikwe Game Reserve is a 75 000-hectare wildlife reserve that lies in the extreme northwest of South Africa. Home to a wide variety of animals, birds, trees and grasses, the reserve is world renowned as a spectacular Big 5 safari destination.
The reserve is home to more than 60 mammal species, including the Big 5, and well over 300 resident and migrant bird species. Madikwe Game Reserve operates as a three-way venture between the North West Parks and Tourism Board, the private sector and local communities. The Parks Board is responsible for setting up infrastructure and operational management, as well as identifying suitable sites for lease to the private sector for tourism-based developments and activities.
The private sector funds the construction of game lodges, which it markets and manages. Lodge employees are drawn from surrounding villages.
Perfectly complementing the photographic offering at Jaci’s Lodges is the submerged Terrapin Hide. Accessible via an underwater tunnel, the popular hide is open 24/7 to all guests. The hide is visited by a wide variety of animals and birds, and, thanks to its unique location, you can sit quietly and watch them coming down to drink as if you weren’t even there.
Your expert field guide, partnering with your dedicated photo guide, will always do their utmost to ensure that you enjoy an incredible bush safari adventure on our twice-daily safari drives.
Each day at your photo safari lodge will follow this programme (excluding arrival and departure day):
Early morning Wake up with tea / coffees and snacks - Morning game drive: (3 hours)
A photo safari morning starts a little before sunrise! For many, this is a big challenge, but nevertheless imperative, in order to take full advantage of the golden morning light which embellishes most wildlife and nature images. This is also the time of day when most animals are active, so the mornings should give you some great opportunities for capturing striking images.
An early wake-up call is usually made approximately 30 minutes ahead of departure in an open game viewing vehicle. This allows for a quick wash and a hot beverage just to get those creative juices flowing….
After a pre-check and briefing by your photo guide (including giving some suggestions for camera settings and a brief over-view of what to expect on the drive), we set off. Your guide is always available on the vehicle to provide constructive suggestions and individual help during the actual drive.
About midway through the morning drive we take a comfort / coffee break in a safe area, to allow guests to stretch their legs and enjoy a hot beverage and some biscuits/rusks etc
There is more to Wildlife photography than lions, e.g. “the little things!”
Your photographic guide will help you with the camera settings for each specific situation and condition. You need to understand the basic photography terms such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO, metering, drive modes, focus selection points, etc. It is also important to know where and when you should change these settings (with wildlife photography you may miss the special shot if you are fumbling with your camera looking for which button to adjust).
Other terms you will learn:
- knowing your subject (the more you know about your subject, i.e. animal, the more likely you are able to predict its whereabouts and actions).
- how to get the shot perfect in the field – without having to do lots of editing in Photoshop afterwards!
- using RAW for maximum results
- how and when to use autofocus / manual focus
- controlling Depth of Field
- settings for night (low light) photography
- focusing on the eyes
- know what you want the image to say – tell a story? Have the images got a special feeling?
- composition: Rule of thirds
- use a flash: during day and night
- mastering birds in flight
- importance of supporting your camera
The morning game-drive usually takes about 3 hours (depending on what we see), and we then return to the lodge for a delicious brunch / late breakfast.
Between Breakfast/Bruch and Lunch/High Tea
After breakfast, photo safari guests may retire to a quiet, private corner of the camp to assess the morning results. There will be free time or optional lectures on editing (Photoshop / Lightroom) and photography tips and tricks, depending on the group and their preferences. Edit images for the presentation of your best 3 images (which will be held after dinner).
What else? Read a book, enjoy the lodge swimming pool or just sit still and listen to the sounds of the African bush.
Late Lunch / High Tea
We meet again early afternoon for a light meal, before setting off on the afternoon Game Drive (minimum 3 hours). Similar to the morning game drive, we try to find our subjects to photograph. The photo-guide will help you with some tips and tricks for sunset and night photography, using flash and lights to compose your shot. Just before twilight, a safe area is located for evening sundowners, where alcohol or soft beverages are served with lights snacks. (Drinks on the drive are usually pre-ordered before the drive sets out).
After sundowners, the guests will experience driving in darkness with a vehicle spotlight to find interesting animals/owls etc, then returning to camp.
Return to lodge after Sunset - Dinner
Time for a quick freshen up before we meet for dinner. Dinner could be a plated dinner, a buffet meal or a traditional African “Braai” (Barbeque) often served in an outside boma around an open fire.
After dinner we meet for maximum 1 hour. We will discuss and evaluate the 3 chosen images per photographer, from the last 2 game drives. These images are displayed for the group to see, with each image being discussed as a group and critiqued by your photo guide. It is NOT a competition, but an opportunity to learn by gaining an understanding of what constitutes a good image.
Bed time: a well-deserved rest after this exciting day in the African Bush. Remember, early start tomorrow!
A full day's photo safari programme similar to the previous days, but maybe with a very special sighting?
After your last morning photo safari, return for a hearty brunch. You will be collected by your transfer representative and transferred to Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport.
