They say a picture tells a thousand words. Whether you’re an aspiring amateur snapper with a passion for wildlife or a professional paparazzo looking for that perfect photographic moment, Jaci’s Lodges’ photographic safaris guarantee an encounter with some of the most sought-after wildlife subjects. And it’s not just adults who can join in the fun, but young people can also take part in these photographic excursions thanks to Jaci’s Lodges’ children’s photographic safaris.
The photographic workshops and safaris for children are unique to Jaci’s Lodges and are hosted by well known photographer, Andrew Aveley.
The aim is to have fun while learning basic photographic skills from Andrew, with a strong focus on creativity with no rules.
Having never been on safari before, a recent guest, 11-year-old Finlay McDonald from Scotland, was keen to learn how to properly capture some exciting wildlife moments with his new camera.
So that morning, instead of going out with the rest of his group, Finlay got to head out with Andrew in their own private vehicle to experience a one-on-one photography session with him!
Finlay describes Andrew as “an enthusiastic teacher with the patience of a saint!”
Andrew went through the basics of wildlife photography with Finlay, talking him through some of the more important aspects of photographing animals in their natural habitat.
“The thing he said that he thought was the most important was composition. Let the animal walk into the frame.” – Finlay MacDonald
They were lucky enough to see wild dogs as one of their first animal sightings, and Finlay managed to capture some great shots thanks to Andrew’s professional advice. They also saw two lions taking a power nap next to the leftovers of their breakfast feast; an unfortunate buffalo; tall and elegant giraffes; a warthog; and a guinea fowl in tree. What a fun morning!
Finlay enjoyed his first session so much that he asked Andrew if he would take him out a second time, but in the evening instead.
The following evening Andrew took Finlay and his family out on a drive and taught them about night photography, guiding them through some of the technicalities that a photographer must prepare for when photographing at night. For example, what to set the ISO to and how to adapt the camera to the artificial light created by the vehicle’s spotlight.
Again they were very lucky with their sightings – they saw a brown hyena with the remnants of a zebra in its mouth, a herd of elephants out on an evening stroll with their newly born calf, and two lions that had just killed a wildebeest. Seeing the lions was especially exciting as they had tried to track them down earlier that evening but when they saw Jenna, their amazing guide, they ran away. “I had a brilliant time with Andrew and extremely enjoyed my stay at Jaci’s Lodges!” – Finlay MacDonald, age 11
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