Nestled on the south bank of the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe, Mana Pools is a part of wild Africa unlike anywhere else. It’s a place that the traveler experiences rather than simply visits. Over six visits to Mana over the years I’ve come to appreciate that great images take time to achieve in a park where most sightings are enjoyed on foot. Unlike other parts of wild Africa, the road system for vehicles is quite limited which increases the time needed to get the shot, but also allows for great angles and unique perspectives.

A Low Perspective

The image (above) of one of Mana’s iconic wild dogs was taken from ground level as I sat 40 metres away from the pack in silence. We had tracked the pack on foot one evening to a dry riverbed far away from the road. As we sat studying the sleeping dogs, our guide mentioned that they would start moving around sunset to greet each other and play before setting off on the hunt. Sure enough, after an hour of waiting, the alpha female rose to greet the rest of the pack and I was able to get this image as she locked eyes with me while guiding the rest of the dogs out to hunt.

Mana’s Magic Light

Mana is well known for the superb light filtering through its forests during the late dry season. This light, caused by haze from fires in Zambia, dust kicked up by wildlife, and the unique canopy of the forest creates magic at dawn and dusk, particularly in September and October. It took me five years to find the perfect subject framed in Mana’s albida tree forest with this type of magic light. Finally, in September 2024 all the elements came together and led to my award-winning image, ‘Forest Walker’ (below).