How do we roll on Zimanga?  That’s easy. It’s a game of hide and seek. When we’re not concealed in hides on southern Africa’s dedicated photo blinds reserve, a champion of low-level wildlife photography, we’re heading out on drives in search of the best photographic opportunities across the property.

It was the same on our return to the reserve for our first visit of 2025. The contrasting approach enables our photographers to capture a broad selection of subjects in different settings using a variety of photographic approaches and with scope to get creative along the way. The aim: taking our wildlife photography to the next level. It’s a fun game. And as we play we build portfolios, connections and stories.

Occasionally a curve ball upsets our game plan – but only to good effect. The benefit of a specialist reserve is the ability to pivot quickly when stuff happens and there’s potential for a super shot outside our set schedule. As on our very first evening when, just as we arrived back for dinner a group of lions (new young males introduced earlier in the year) turned up unexpectedly right on our doorstep. Time for an impromptu, after-dark backlighting session just as some of our folks were about to step into the shower. Doors were rapped on. ‘Come now, grab your cameras! We might be able to spotlight these lions that are vocalising right by us’

Our side-hustle was a win. Our meal wasn’t spoiled and when we did sit down for appetisers there was the added satisfaction of knowing we’d just pulled off some dramatic rim-lit shots of a male lion’s majestic profile. Mastering a low-key technique some of our guests had not previously attempted on day one meant we were already ahead of the game.

When it comes to ‘hiding’, the Scavenger Hill blind is one of several on Zimanga designed by award-winning European photographer and hide specialist, Bence Máté. Located on a plateau overlooking distant mountains against which raptors soar, the location is a scenic empty stage awaiting the actors. Drama always feels close when we slip into this hide in the dark just before sunrise. It’s designed to bring in carrion-eating species, both feathered and furred, and has been a source of explosive action for our groups for nigh on ten years.

From this season the ante at this hide has been upped even more. Lighting installed just below the lip of the horizon, where your background drops perfectly away so subjects can be more easily isolated, allowed our photographers to get some eerie backlit shots. The unmistakable outlines of two spotted hyenas that arrived on the scene soon after our arrival produced moody portraits of these crepuscular characters before sun-up, whetting appetites for the arrival of first light and all the vultures.

The action that followed was fast and furious across all four sessions (two per group) with vulture numbers ranging from a handful (often easier to work with because the scene is less chaotic) to around 70 one morning. Both our groups were extremely lucky and got not just black-backed jackals chasing into the scrum of vultures, but also the less often seen, more vulpine, side-striped jackal. This year is the first time we’ve seen both species at the hide at the same time – and only the third time ever we’ve had the side striped species visit us.  In addition to white-backed vultures, the most common vulture species we see there, we also had hooded vultures on one session. But by far the biggest surprise of all at this hide had to be the morning one of the new young lions pitched up. Another thrilling first for us on Zimanga.

The night hides (quieter than we’d have liked following excessive summer rains in the region) did in fact produce some quite decent shots for our patient photographers. You need to be in it to win it so, with the proviso that our nights would not be as busy as in drier years, we settled into our nocturnal sessions expectant, yet realistic.

The headliners at these hides in the end made the long waits worth it. Elephants (daytime and after dark) giraffes and rhinos (daytime only on this occasion) came by to drink; putting in some weighty performances.  Just three metres from our noses folks agreed being so close to such iconic megafauna (you’re sitting right below them) was quite the experience  – even before you lift a camera to your eye. Buffaloes came in the dark for both groups and everyone got some classic, dramatic shots of them against that velvety black background for another win.

But the best night-time images had to be the elephants. One group had a big bull visit at sunset when the sky was wonderfully violet, pink and purple. Meanwhile at another night hide, not one but two bull elephants came to drink on separate visits in the brief, but beautiful, blue hour – before it gets totally dark. The inky colours are truly photogenic, but the time window to make these intriguing pictures is very short-lived.

Where the night hides are mainly all about taking colour away to isolate your subject completely, the lagoon hide allows us to celebrate a wonderfully beautiful palette of rainbow and pastel shades in our bird photography with subjects set off against a pleasing backdrop (and foreground) of out of focus colour. This dual-aspect hide provides more opportunities to try backlighting (as well as classic front-lighting) and we switched sides as the inspiration took us, as the light changed and, of course, according to where our subjects came in.

Fun and productive as the hides are sometimes you just have to come up for air. Being out and about on the reserve proved the perfect antidote to the busy times we were ‘hide-bound’. Fresh air, bumping about off-road, cutting across the grasslands to photograph a bird or a mammal that’s piqued our interest, perfecting flight shots with colourful small birds or large raptors, pushing through thornbush to frame iconic game, getting down to low to increase the potency of our shots – there’s a freedom, flexibility and flow to a game drive.

The chance to get off the vehicle when it was safe to do so; getting down low to photograph subjects like cheetahs, rhinos or giraffes gave our shots an edge that’s often not possible in many game parks. Our guests many times found themselves crouching low, often using flip screens, to shoot subjects through out of focus foreground foliage or to isolate the perfect shape against a sunset sky when shooting silhouettes.

This year there was much excitement on drives around the new young male lions and a pretty, but still shy, female cheetah recently introduced onto the reserve. While we were there we were fortunate to witness some interesting behaviour from an established coalition of two male cheetah brothers when one went off to spend time courting an older female. Having seen how closely bonded these boys are when photographing them earlier in the trip it was both fascinating and concerning to hear the plaintive ‘chirring’ of the brother who was left alone as he constantly contact-called his MIA brother. Each afternoon we found them, when they were not full, was the precursor to yet another memorable evening photographing these beautiful cats off the vehicle until there was not a drop of usable light left.

But it was the porcupine spine-adorned young male ‘dudes’ that provided us with perhaps the most absorbing and intriguing photo sessions on this visit. The group dynamics as they made better acquaintance with the rather feisty resident females was eventful to say the least. This included a rather ‘roar-caus’ morning where the bigger young males were rather nervously mating with the somewhat aggressive females. The unusual behaviour and vocalistations  more than hinted that everyone was clearly adjusting to the new situation they found themselves in. (We’re speculating the females were in what’s known as a false oestrus which happens sometimes in pride takeovers, or when unknown males are around, as a means of submission and to help keep the peace.)

It will be interesting to see how their relationship develops as the males become more dominant and grow into their new manes and manor. Luckily we’ll be back next year for more games of hide and seek to find out.

A successful photo trip is not just about hide sessions and game drives – it’s a coming together of everyone to help it run smoothly and make it fun. Thanks to Sumiso, Happiness and Bongi back at our homestead for all their wonderful food, warm hospitality and the perfect housekeeping throughout. Our excellent rangers Calvin and Frikkie kept us plied with subjects and photo tips and positioned us perfectly throughout. Thanks as well to the unseen help behind the scenes from all the Zimanga people for another memorable visit.

Last, but not least we must bow and curtsey to our lovely photographers. Ringing applause to each one for bearing with us. Thanks to BM and MS for the surprise top-notch chocolate in the night hides and the bigger surprise announcement you are finally joining us on the dark side re the backlighting! Merci beaucoup aussi to our deux French sharp-shooters VH and PH, thanks to KH for the ready smile and delightfully positive spin on everything and to fellow tea enthusiast JR. We very much appreciated every brew you conjured up to keep us going in those night hide sessions. Thanks all for joining us in the hide and seek.