About the Author

Matt Rochford

Ranger

Growing up in the small coastal town of Mtunzini afforded Matt a childhood of endless adventures and the freedom to explore the rich diversity of animal and plant life in the area. He thus developed his passion for wildlife at a young age. ...

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16 Comments

on Why I Love Wildlife Photography

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Thank you for these incredible photos.
We are due back in South Africa from Australia to Londolozi in May this year for a month and these photos make it so worthwhile coming back each time. We are counting the number of days until our return…93 and counting.
Each day the first thing my husband and I do is go to your Blog for all the news and updates – you are all doing an amazing job and we thankyou all 🙂

Senior Digital Ranger

outstanding work. These photos are truly unforgettable I can’t wait to come back!

Matt, your photos are terrific. Thanks for sharing them.
And thanks for helping me edit my photos in the editing studio.
We loved our time at Londolozi.

What beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing.

Matt, so beautiful. How lucky you are to live in that extraordinary world and how lucky we are that you share it with us.
When I am home and I look at my images, I have many of the same thoughts you expressed so perfectly here. Friends wonder why Chuck and I return to Londolozi every year …….and we think…..How can we not ?

Your photos are wonderful, Matt.
I’m also a dedicated photographer of wildlife. Nothing is so rewarding than being able to relive the experiences you had in the bush again and again at home. It takes you back to the most amazing times of your life.
And it is a pleasure to show the photos and videos to friends who enjoy them. I only do it when I know that they will be really pleased to see them. If this is the case it also transfers a bit of the experience and pleasure I had in the bush myrself to other people and the understanding of nature as well.
So all the time I am spending behind my camera on a game drive or walk is extremely well-spent time.

A wonderful collection of photos Matt.
Lana, a whole month!
You are very fortunate.
I am at Tree Camp this June for 10 days, and I consider that I am lucky.

Wonderful photos, Matt, and your thoughts about the allure of wildlife photography echo mine – one of the many ‘magnets’ that draw me back to Londolozi time after time.

Excellent list. I agree!

Hi Matt, while I don’t feel any excitement when looking at a predation or hunt but the anxiety and terror the prey must feel, I sympathise with you for, in order to write down ethograms, I have to spend hours filming and taking many oh-so- many pictures. By this way I write down any movement or action the animals do. Preferred one single animal out of a species, maximum two. Otherwise you lose – but you always will!- several behaviours. It may be in the cold icy wind or hot sun, but being a spectator of their lives and the environment is absolutely fantastic. One of the latest video of my year I do like is a stern flying above a deep.blue sea and watching closely at me, still, in the wind… a magical thing. Of course, emotions and personal impressions are not to be part of the ethogram, it stays in my heart and mind….

Hi Matt, your photo’s are awesome and each one tells it’s own story. Did you Rangers have a photography course, because each one you take beautiful photos. I am still experimenting photography and I live in a reserve where there are a few wild animals. How do you determine the F stop for your foto’s. Loved the leopard photo’s and the tiny cub leopard is gorgeous.

Matt, each of the photographs tells a different and new story. They are spectacular! Thank you for sharing, I really liked the eagles in flight knowing how hard it is to capture them on film.

Terrific photos Matt! I understand completely how you feel each time you head out on a drive or walk, carrying your camera with you and hoping that there will be a moment to remember to capture on your sensor. I live in a region where Sandhill Cranes stop by on their migratory route south of the US border and a few of us photographers drive to the delta hoping to find and capture a few photo. Nearby there is a bird refuge area that attracts egrets, stilts and a few varieties of ducks and spending time out there is relaxing reinforces my love of nature whilst allowing me to be creative with my shots – color/black&white?! So looking forward to more African experiences soon!!

Hot dog! Some of these pictures are amazing. I love doing macro photography, specially of insects and bugs. Unfortunately for me, the high contrast photos hurt my eyes and I can’t see them very well. Do you still keep the original photos in colour?

Master Tracker

Lovely photos Matt

These stunning photos are very encouraging to us amateur photographic enthusiasts Africa is magic, I wish I lived back there.

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