Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! Today is the final, frantic countdown for many of us, and while the rest of the world is probably struggling with wrapping paper and last-minute grocery runs, here in the bush, the only thing frantic is the pace of the rainstorms building up in the west.
For all of those of you who have glanced through the viewfinder of your camera in the South African Lowveld during the mid-summer months, as the bead of sweat probably runs down your forehead, thanks to the thick blanket of humidity, a thunderstorm brewing on the horizon, you will internally be grateful for that humidity and rain has transformed the landscape and your scene into an unapologetically vibrant landscape.
After months spent in the golden, brittle tones of the dry season, the reserve has simply been repainted. We are currently navigating a sea of emerald green, the kind of colour you see in pictures and struggle to believe is true.
Such a picturesque setting, with several giraffes all waltzing through the clearings around Fluffies pan, with the magnificent view of Stwise in the background.
The end of December means different things to different people. For me, with two little ones running around the house, it means navigating the joyful chaos of misplaced tinsel, Christmas decorations being catapulted through the living room and trying to keep a straight face when explaining to a four-year-old why only reindeers can fly.
It’s an exciting time for that reason, certainly, but the general atmosphere of anticipation and energy in our household right now seems strangely mirrored in the bush itself. Everything is charging up, ready for the next flash of lightning or the next downpour. Impala lambs and wildebeest calves are zooming around. The wild flowers are out in abundance.
For anyone holding a camera, this seasonal transition is nothing short of a gift. The standard advice about ‘golden hour’ being the best time to shoot seems almost redundant right now. Yes, the golden light is incredible, but no matter what time of day or what the subject is, there is just beauty everywhere, immersed in such rich, delicious colours.
It has been magical having the Tsalala Female lion back on Londolozi of late and sightings of her have really highlighted just how stunning she is.
The resulting contrast, the impossibly warm golden backlighting on a foraging elephant, set against that intense, saturated green, or the golden coat of the Shingi Male with a bokeh grass, the kind that makes for images that require very little post-processing. It’s the kind of objective, honest beauty that makes my job so much easier. You just point the lens and let the bush do the editing.
While out on a birding adventure in the southwestern grasslands, we stumbled across this large elephant bull, heavily in musth, but his demeanour was remarkably relaxed as he continued about his own business feeding without the slightest concern with us being around.
But the best time of the day and the real show happens as the day winds down. The high moisture content allows the clouds to stack up low on the horizon, catching the setting sun and transforming the western sky into a dramatic canvas, always the perfect moment to stop whatever you are doing or wherever you are and take a few seconds to just appreciate the magic.
The last of the sun’s rays lit up this tall column of clouds as the rest of the landscape was falling into darkness.
If you’re out here with a camera right now, the simple advice is to stop worrying about composition for a moment and just pay attention to the light. It’s doing all the heavy lifting for you.
And for all of those of you who do celebrate Christmas, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and an enjoyable Festive Season. If you are travelling, travel safely and cherish all the special time with family and friends. Sending you the warmest of wishes from Londolozi, and hope to hear some amazing stories of your festive seasons.
Happy Christmas, Sean. Lovely photos of Ronnie’s dam, the morning glory, and – of course – Tsalala.
Hello Sean, Merry Christmas! 🎄 Beautiful photos! Thank you for this blog “Summer Season” it was interesting to read!
Thank you for the great job you have done this year, all blog articles…all beautiful photos… I look forward to 2026✨ to hear what happens at Londolozi! 🌟
Merry Christmas to all of you! ❤️🐾
Merry Christmas Sean, and to everyone at Londolozi! Thank you for these wonderful photos, and for all the posts year long which I so love to follow. If I can’t be at Londolozi in person, this is second best. Thank you!
Hi dear Sean, have a Merry, jolly Christmas! All pictures and tales are so much appreciated, here it’s very windy and cold, none the less birds have been settling yo plan their nests, first blackbirds and crows… there are winter flowers and berries that makes Christmas real. The Shingi male is going to be ,,”best model of the year “! Wonderful Tsalala, beautiful elephant, impala, giraffe and the breathtaking landscapes….
Merry Christmas, Sean and Londolozi. Your photos bring the bush a little closer to this side of the world.
Hi Sean. Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family. May you have a wonderful festive season, full of joy, love and lots of laughter. Your images this week are so special, I loved the one of the Tsalala female. Your last image of the sun’s rays is stunning. Once again Merry Christmas to you and your family. Be safe.
Merry, happy Christmas to you and your family, Sean, as well as to all the Londolozi family. We’re looking forward to seeing you all in anniversary year ‘26!
Happy holidays Sean! You’re absolutely correct – one cannot take a bad photo in summer given the lighting and the verdant landscape everywhere. But of course if Tsalala is around, then the picture is definitely going to be spectacular. See you in April….