A Night in Shompole Hide

A Place That Stays With You

There are certain places in Africa that never truly let you go. Shompole Hide, deep in Kenya’s southern Rift Valley, is one of those places for me. I have spent countless nights in hides across the continent, from Botswana’s watery channels to Uganda’s thick forests, but Shompole draws me back in a way no other place does. It is not because I know what to expect - in fact, quite the opposite. I return because each night writes a new story. Sometimes elephants rumble in under the weight of moonlight, their shapes glowing silver in the dust. Other times leopards glide in like shadows, silent and deliberate, to drink at the water’s edge. And there are nights when lions appear so close that you can hear the depth of their breathing. It is this unpredictability, this promise of the unknown, that keeps Shompole alive in my imagination and always pulls me back.

Sharing the Hide With Guest in Shompole Hide!

On this night, I was not alone. I had a group of guests with me while guiding one of my ultimate Kenya Photo Tours with Untamed Photo Safaris, many of them experiencing a hide for the first time. For them, the evening was laced with anticipation and mystery; for me, it was an opportunity to share a place that has taught me more about wildlife photography than almost anywhere else in Africa. We arrived in the late afternoon, the Rift Valley bathed in molten gold. Unlike the restless pace of a game drive, where the rhythm is dictated by chasing horizons, hide photography demands patience and composure. The work is slower, quieter, and infinitely more rewarding. You do not go in search of wildlife here - you wait, and you allow it to come to you.

Setting Up for the Night

Inside the hide, my guests settled into position, extending tripods, placing beanbags, and checking the familiar weight of their lenses. I always encourage variety, because a waterhole offers a stage for every kind of frame. A 24–70mm or 24–105mm lens allows you to capture the environment and the sense of place around a subject, such as an elephant and Giraffe. A 70–200mm gives flexibility for both portraits and mid-range compositions, while primes such as a 300mm f/2.8 are perfect for isolating detail, particularly when the light fades and wide apertures become essential. We also paid close attention to the lighting. Shompole is equipped with carefully placed floodlights, one of its greatest assets. I explained to the group that good lighting in a hide is not about flooding the scene with brightness. It is about balance - revealing just enough detail while preserving the atmosphere and mystery of the night. As the sun dipped, the waterhole began to glow softly, like a stage waiting for its cast.

Lessons in Low-Light Photography

Before darkness fell, I talked the group through the technical side of shooting in such conditions. Low-light hide photography is as much about discipline as it is about creativity. I recommended shutter speeds in the range of 1/80 to 1/150 seconds - slow enough to capture available light, but fast enough to freeze the moment when behaviour unfolds. Apertures should remain wide open at f/2.8 or f/4, and ISO should not be feared. Modern full-frame cameras handle 3200 to 4000 with grace, and the reward is sharper, more vibrant frames. Silent shutters are essential, as at Shompole the animals pass close enough to hear even the smallest noise. Most importantly, I stressed discipline: no sudden movements, no whispered chatter, and no distractions. In a hide, the wild is listening. I also encouraged them to think beyond the obvious. Not every image has to be a tight portrait of the subject. Reflections in the water, the use of negative space, and frames that tell a story all elevate the work beyond the expected.

The Leopard Appears

The first few hours passed with a steady procession of visitors. Buffalo lowered heavy heads to drink, a giraffe folded its long legs into a posture both awkward and elegant, and a jackal darted nervously in and out of the light. Then, out of the darkness, she appeared - a leopard, fluid, deliberate, and utterly silent. Even after years in the field, the sight still sends a rush through me. For my guests, it was pure electricity. I whispered to them to begin wide, capturing her reflection on the still water, and then to move tighter as she lowered her head to drink. “This is your moment,” I reminded them softly. “Animals are never still, except when they drink.” Their cameras clicked in near silence, freezing droplets mid-air, each bead of water glittering like glass at 1/100 of a second. Her rosettes shimmered under the floodlight, her whiskers etched in silver. When she finally vanished into the night, the hide fell quiet except for the sound of pounding hearts and the soft glow of review screens.

Lions in the Darkness

Later, the atmosphere shifted once more. Shapes began to form at the edges of the light—two, then four, then six lions. They approached the pool silently, lowering their heads together in perfect unison, their reflections rippling across the surface. Then a larger shadow emerged: a male lion. Unlike the pride, he did not come for water. Step by deliberate step, he moved directly toward us until he stood barely a metre from the hide. The sound of his breathing filled the air—low, steady, resonant. I whispered again to my guests to focus on the eyes, to breathe, and to let the detail come to them. The frames that followed were unforgettable: the coarse mane catching the glow of light, the intensity of his gaze, and the fine spray of moisture glinting on his whiskers. For many, it was the image of a lifetime.

Photo Hide - Back Lighting

Backlighting has a way of transforming an ordinary wildlife scene into something extraordinary—especially around a waterhole at night. When a subtle beam of light is placed behind an animal, it doesn’t just illuminate the subject; it sculpts it. The rim of a mane, the edge of an ear, the arc of a horn—all glow with definition.

In African night-hide photography, this effect becomes even more dramatic when dust rises into the air. Elephants shuffling at the edge of a pool or lions padding silently across dry earth stir up particles that catch the light, glowing like embers against the dark. The result is both atmospheric and powerful, creating images that feel more like fine art than documentary.

Instead of simply recording what the eye sees, backlighting at a waterhole allows photographers to explore mood, texture, and energy. It invites creativity, encouraging us to think beyond exposure and sharpness and toward storytelling. Each glowing silhouette, each haze of illuminated dust, becomes a reminder that light is not just a tool in wildlife photography - it is a subject in its own right.

The Long Vigil

The rest of the night unfolded in waves. Elephants appeared, their sheer scale amplified by the hide’s low perspective. Another giraffe bent awkwardly to drink, its reflection stretching like paint across the pool. Buffalo came and went. A serval streaked across the scene, too quick for most to capture but thrilling nonetheless. Later still, a hyena slunk into view, its every movement betraying unease. We worked in shifts—some remaining at the viewing slots, others resting, sipping coffee, or scrolling through frames. Even in the quieter moments, anticipation never left us. At Shompole, silence is never emptiness—it is a prelude. By dawn, our eyes were heavy, our memory cards full, and our spirits renewed.

Why Hides Transform Photography

Every time I return to Shompole, I am reminded of why hides are so transformative for photography. Shooting at eye level brings a sense of intimacy that is impossible from a vehicle. Animals behave naturally, unaware of our presence. And most of all, time becomes your ally. Unlike a game drive, where you move constantly in search of the next encounter, a hide allows you to wait, and patience is rewarded with extraordinary moments. In a hide, you stop chasing wildlife and let it come to you, and that is when the most powerful stories unfold.

Guiding Photographers Through the Experience

For me as a guide, Shompole is not just about the encounters but about education. The hide provides the stage, but my role is to help my guests step into the performance. I refine exposures, suggest framing, anticipate behaviour, and encourage them to experiment—wide shots that set the scene, close-ups that capture intimacy, and symmetrical compositions that create drama. My greatest satisfaction is when the leopard finally arrives, or the lion steps close, and my guests are not fumbling with their cameras but are ready, confident, and prepared. They leave with more than photographs—they leave with new skills, new confidence, and a deeper understanding of wildlife photography itself.

A Night That Lingers

That night was not my first in Shompole, and it will not be my last. Each visit brings a new rhythm, a different cast of animals, and new lessons to share. For my guests, it was a night of firsts—their first nocturnal leopard, their first lions close enough to feel their presence, their first test of stillness and patience. For me, it was another chapter in a story I never tire of telling. Shompole Hide is not simply another stop on safari; it is a masterclass, a place where the art of waiting becomes the key to unforgettable images.

An Invitation to Join Us

If you are serious about wildlife photography, come and join us at Untamed Photo Safaris. Spend a night in Shompole Hide with us, and you will understand why this place holds such a deep place in my heart and you will understand why this place holds such a deep place in my heart.

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