Tom and I celebrate great photos from photographers on our workshops by selecting a Photo of the Month. For September we chose an image from our South Africa: Big Cats Workshop. The image was taken by Joan Carroll near the Ngala Safari Lodge. Joan is a well rounded photographer from Texas. You can view her other work here.
Congratulations to September 2026 ‘s featured photographer – Joan Carroll
The Story…
We were following these two leopards through the brush. When you are doing that each vehicle gets a different view at a different time. For this one grooming session they were right in front of us. We had full face views of the two animals.
They groomed for a long time. We kept taking pictures. I bet I have a thousand frames from this session. It is a dynamic situation. I was using the 400mm 2.8 lens and it is a challenge for me to hold it steady. I kept taking photos knowing that some of them might not be perfectly in focus. The animals did not move so it was easy to stay with them.
I used both the 100-400 and the 4002.8 during this session. I hesitated to change to the 800mm because I did not know if we would be there long enough. I did not want to change lenses when the vehicle is moving.
When selecting this image, I was looking for an interaction where you could see at least one face with the eyes open. There were several where the son had his face behind the mother or the eyes were closed on both cats. I also liked the tongue out.
September 2026 Photo of the Month
EXIF Data:
Camera: Nikon Z9
Lens: Nikon 400mm 2.8
Aperture: f3.5
Shutter: 1/500th second
ISO: 900
Manual Mode, auto ISO
About Photographing in South Africa
I have been thinking about this a lot. It was meant to be a trip for big cats. All the Africa trips are so different. We did not stop as much for birds on this trip. Some of the typical animals were more in the brush, like the elephants, zebras and giraffes. In Tanzania they were more out in the open. This meant I had to do a lot of branch removal when editing photos.
The accommodations were amazing. It was a totally luxurious experience. They were really comfortable and the food was great. The wide open spaces at Kirkman’s Kamp and the more vegetated spaces at Ngala Safari Lodge were totally different. I like staying in one place when possible, like the workshop in Kenya. It would be hard to pick between the two lodges in South Africa, so it is good we had two.
The guides were really good. They are personable, knowledgeable and professional. We really appreciate that.
Joan’s Tips for Photographing on an African Safari
1) I had just been to Alaska to photograph Black Bears. I was frustrated that I had not paid close enough attention to settings. I tried to pay much more attention to settings on this trip, especially aperture. Sometimes I do not change fast enough when there is quick action.
2) Be mindful about framing. Make sure you have as much of the animal as you want in the frame. Be careful about leaving out feet and the end of a tail.
3) Having the 400 2.8 was really an advantage. I could use it during low light when other lenses did not perform well. The quality of the images with this lens was outstanding. On my first African safari I had the Nikon 500mm 5.6 pf. If it is your first trip to Africa consider renting a fast lens like the 400mm 2.8. You will get better images.
4) I had to work at holding the camera steady. Resting my elbow on my knee or using my foot propped up to stabilize helped with the weight of the lens.
On Joan’s Horizon:
Germany for Christmas Markets
Peru
Kenya
Lake Clark Bears
Antarctica
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Tom and Cree