I had been talking at length with Michael and Sue before they travelled with me in October 2018. I knew I was going to enjoy the company of two very experienced naturalists who have, among many other things, edited the conservation magazine for the University of Illinois for many years. They are also authors and have published several books, the latest of which, Curious Encounters with the Natural World is well worth a read and I am grateful for the copy they gave me! They were astute and enthusiastic travellers and we had a great safari…as is always the case with guests who embrace everything that comes along! It’s a pleasure to share Michael’s write-up here, and to show off some of both their photos.
“My spouse (Susan Post) and I have traveled extensively over the last decade, mostly on photo tours that had an ornithocentric bent. That is, we spent much time chasing and seeking birds to photograph. We had been to Africa three times before and considered ourselves, more-or-less, experienced wildlife photographers. We first learned of Edward Selfe through Travel Africa Magazine. We were intrigued by his simple statement that he lived in the bush year-round and had a unique perspective on the massive amounts of wildlife found in South Luangwa National Park. Upon contacting Edward, we soon developed an “internet friendship” as he answered all our question promptly, and actively engaged us while we contemplated a photo safari to Zambia. Our decision to travel with Edward as our guide was also significantly influenced by a promise of a large carmine bee-eater colony! My favorite area of wildlife photography involves mass spectacles, while Susan relishes the challenge of birds in flight.
In most of our photo tours, our guides were simply there to make sure that we were in contact with the available photogenic subjects, and they, too, were often new to the areas we visited. We often “learned together” about what to photograph and where to find it. With Edward, the scenario was totally different. In the first afternoon, we learned several new photographic techniques that had somehow escaped the notice of experienced nature photographers. Such things as moving the focus point around the viewfinder to make sure the appropriate part of the subject was in focus, using aperture priority for wildlife, photographing moving animals to achieve pleasing, blurred backgrounds, and even night photography with a spotlight (no flash needed), soon became second nature to us. We also learned the utility of manipulating the ISO rating, something that we both had been reluctant to do on previous photo excursions.
After twelve days in the field with Edward, with seldom a dull moment, we had experienced African wildlife at its very best. Edward’s skillful guiding allowed us intimate portraits into the daily activity of animals, as well as opportunities for wide views of the African fauna in the context of their natural settings. The latter was an area of wildlife photography that we seldom are able to explore in our home state of Illinois, USA. To conclude, hats off to you, Edward, for perhaps the most productive and rewarding wildlife photography experience that we have had, and we highly recommend an Edward Selfe photo safari to anyone interested in delving deeply into the wild heart of Africa.
It’s a pleasure to host such a review and I’m looking forward to meeting Michael and Sue again in 2020 when we will explore the Bangweulu Wetlands (looking for Shoebills), the Mutinondo Wilderness and the remote nature of Kasanka. Of course, we’ll be ending up in the Luangwa Valley and we have space for 2 other guests who would like to explore these much less-visited areas with us. Get in touch.
