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Namibia is a superb location for a wildlife photography trip because of the wide range of opportunities: from the desert landscapes at Sossuslvei, to the coastal birds at Walvis Bay, seals at Cape Cross and the mammals/birds at Etosha National Park.  And all this can be done in two weeks.  The route we selected, for maximum flexibility, took us from Heathrow to Johannesburg and then onto  Windhoek, all flights with British Airways.  Car hire and accommodation at the beginning and end of the trip were arranged in advance over the internet.  We were glad to have arranged a VW combo which over rough roads and long distances gave us plenty of room and comfort.  We chose to go in their winter when it is generally dry, sunny and cool (cold at night) providing perfect photographic weather.  No visa is required for Namibia, but do check inoculations in advance.  Overall, Namibia is a very pleasant country with no traveling problems in the areas we visited.  Food, petrol and accommodation are freely available and moderately priced i.e. cheap compared with the UK.  The only annoying factor is that the national parks do not open until sunrise and close at sunset and these are the very times a photographer wants to be on location and set up.

August is the peak of the tourist season and accommodation at the three rest-houses in the Etosha National Park is often booked over a year in advance.  The main disadvantage of not staying in the park is that you miss the spectacle of the wildlife visiting the waterholes at night under floodlights.  Camping would have been the solution but we had not hired this equipment with the car and furthermore neither of us liked the idea of fiddling with camping equipment after a long day in the field.  You can, of course, use the facilities offered  by these places during the day and they did prove good locations for photographing birds particularly Namutoni, which is located at the eastern gate eg. Grey Lourie, Lilac Breasted Roller, Red Billed Francolin, Drongo, Blacksmith Plover.  Plenty of good accommodation is available outside the park which is cheaper.  On entering the park it is advisable to buy a map which locates the waterholes and then it is a question deciding a route for the day and cruising between the waterholes.  The ones we found most productive and also the more attractive holes photographically were Aus, Rienfontein, Goas, Aroe and Twee Palms.  

All photography is done from the car using the Canon 500mm UIS with the 1.4 and 2.0 converters, these were essential for the birds and for some of the waterholes which are at a little distance from the parking spots.  However, I did find the Canon 100-400mm zoom extremely useful for capturing the larger mammals and the fighting which often took place at these crowded waterholes.  Without any difficulty numerous opportunities exist for Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Oryx, Impala, Lion, Black Black Jackal, Wildebeest, Black Rhino, Kudu, Chanting Goshawk, Great Kestrel, Black Shouldered Kite, Lappet Faced Vulture, White Backed Vulture, Lilac Breasted Roller, Northern Black Korhann, Ostrich, Crowned Plover and Glossy Starling.

Walvis Bay - Cape Cross, 22nd - 27th August 2002

The drive from Etosha to Walvis Bay takes about 6 hours and passes through some magnificent landscapes, although opportunities for wildlife photography are limited on route, with the exception of the ubiquitous Chanting Goshawk.  This is where we hit our first problem, the weather deteriorated on our first day and remained grey and overcast for the next 3 days.  We assumed this was coastal cloud, which does frequently occur at Walvis Bay and Cape Cross.  However, we later learnt that this had covered much of southern Namibia and was most unusual at this time of year.  When the weather finally cleared the spectacle of flamingoes, waders, herons, egrets pelicans was absolutely breath-taking and must rate as one of my favorite locations to photograph birds.  The road which circles the lagoon allows good opportunities for shots of flocks of birds and individuals both in flight and feeding.  At this site I used the Canon 500mm UIS with both converters.  For flight work I hand-hold this lens for maximum flexibility and shot at the fastest shutter speed possible.

Sossuslvei, 28th - 30th August 2002

No wonder landscape photographers flock to this marvellous location, there can be few places in the world that exude such atmosphere and character.  The drive from Walvis Bay took a good six hours and, unless camping, accommodation at one of the lodges is relatively expensive but extremely good.  Unfortunately, the park does open until sunrise and then it is still about a 30 minute drive to the famous dunes.

This is where we encountered our second problem, speeding along this road to reach the dunes I failed to see some deep holes  in the road, fortunately the only damage was to one of the rear suspension struts which fell off.  The best photography is over  by 0830 and can restart at about 1600.  The problem of late entry into the park can be overcome by camping, which is located within the gates and then you can make your way to the dunes early.  I used two lenses, the Canon 24-85mm zoom and the 100-400mm zoom.  My advice would be to stop before the famous dune 44, which is ruined by people climbing it, and walk approximately 1km to the untouched dune 43.  I preferred to stand back from the dune and use the 100-400mm zoom, which I found maintained the perspective better.  In conclusion, Namibia is to be highly recommended as a must for wildlife and landscape photographers.

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