SAFARI PHOTO HIDE PHOTOGRAPHY
AFRICAN NIGHT WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
Night hides have become one of my favourite ways to experience wildlife. Sitting in silence, waiting through the hours of darkness, you never quite know what might appear at the water’s edge. It could be the cautious steps of a serval, the sudden arrival of a herd of buffalo, or the quiet, deliberate movements of a lion coming in to drink.
This gallery is a collection of images captured from three different photographic hides across East Africa. For the sake of protecting these special locations and the wildlife that depends on them, I’ve chosen to keep the hides themselves anonymous. What matters here is not the place, but the experience - the stillness, the anticipation, and the unforgettable moments when the night comes alive.
Through these images, I want to share with you a glimpse of what my guests and I often witness on safari with Untamed Photo Safaris. It’s a perspective rarely seen: intimate, low-angled, and raw. These photographs are not just about wildlife, but about the patience, respect, and quiet thrill that defines night hide photography.
View Mark A. Fernley’s blogs and step into a world of wildlife photography that goes far beyond the frame. Explore in-depth stories, technical insights, and field-tested techniques as Mark takes you through real African wildlife photography adventures. From the savannahs of Kenya to the forests of Uganda, each post offers inspiration, practical learning, and a personal look into how he captures the dramatic moments that define his work. Dive in and be inspired to elevate your own photography.
Join Mark A. Fernley on a photographic safari in East Africa and become the wildlife photographer you’ve always aspired to be. Learn directly in the field with a professional who specialises in behaviour-driven wildlife photography, low-angle work, and teaching guests how to think and shoot like a pro. From reading light and anticipating movement to refining composition and mastering your camera settings under real safari conditions, Mark guides you through every step. Whether you’re a beginner or building a portfolio, you’ll return home with stronger skills, unforgettable experiences, and images you’re truly proud of.
Join Mark A. Fernley on a Pro Photo Hide Experience at Shompole Wilderness and capture wildlife like never before. Step into one of East Africa’s most immersive photographic environments, where you’ll shoot eye-level encounters from a specialised underground hide designed for intimate, behaviour-driven imagery. With Mark guiding you through technique, lighting, camera settings, and creative decision-making, you’ll learn how to elevate your work from simple sightings to powerful photographic stories. Whether you’re looking to refine your portfolio or experience Shompole’s wildlife from a completely new perspective, this is the ultimate opportunity to grow your skills and create striking, close-up wildlife portraits.
Backlighting at the Shompole Hide transforms ordinary encounters into unforgettable photographic moments. As the sun drops behind the waterhole, a soft rim of light forms around the animals that gather to drink - outlining horns, whiskers, dust, and movement with a dramatic golden edge. At eye level, this effect becomes even more powerful. Every step kicks up particles that glow, every silhouette sharpens, and every behaviour feels heightened under that warm halo. For photographers, it’s one of the most rewarding lighting conditions the hide offers, turning simple scenes into striking, atmospheric images that feel alive with depth and energy.
The Shompole photography hides offer two very different experiences that complement each other perfectly for wildlife photographers. The Shompole Plains Hide sits low in the open landscape and brings you eye level with the wildlife that moves freely across the plains. Elephants, giraffes, zebra, and predators often pass within close range, allowing for calm, natural behaviour to unfold without disturbance. It is an ideal place for slow, patient photography where intimate angles and quiet moments shape the story of the day.
A short distance away, the Shompole Kichaka Hide provides a completely different photographic opportunity. Built beside an active waterhole, this hide is designed for night photography with a full studio lighting setup that creates a clean and controlled environment. Lions, hyenas, elephants, and other nocturnal species visit through the night, often approaching only a few meters from the lens. The combination of low angle access and powerful lighting allows for crisp detail, dramatic contrast, and striking portraits that cannot be achieved in standard safari conditions.
Together, these two hides create one of the most unique photographic experiences in East Africa, offering a blend of daytime intimacy and night time creative control that is difficult to find anywhere else.
From a photographer’s perspective, a normal safari and a photographic safari are two very different worlds. On a typical safari, you enjoy the sighting and move on. But on a photographic safari, I slow everything down and turn each moment into a learning opportunity. We work with the light, anticipate behaviour, refine composition, and position ourselves for the strongest possible images.
I guide you through every decision the way I make them in the field — why we wait, when to shoot, what settings matter, and how to build a story from a single encounter. You don’t just come away with better photographs. You leave with sharper instincts, a trained eye, and a deeper understanding of wildlife from a photographer’s point of view.
