Highly-respected photographer and long-time contributor to Travel Africa, Greg du Toit shares one of his favourite photographs.
‘The buffalo hunt’
Searching for the so-called ‘real Africa’ has been a theme throughout my life. As a young boy reading David Livingstone’s journals, I left high school and immediately set out in search of its wild heart, eventually finding myself living in a tent on the edge of a remote stretch of the Rift Valley.
Spending three months sitting at a waterhole to photograph truly wild lions, I felt I had found ‘my Africa’. Although this is where my memoir Wilderness Dreaming ends, my journey as a wildlife photographer was only just beginning. What followed were two decades spent visiting the continent’s wildest pockets in pursuit of capturing its untamed spirit through my lens.
Fast forward to a time when a super-pack of wild dogs in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park began regularly hunting buffalo — something almost unheard of at the time. The dry heat, dust and enchanting forest set the stage, and after a couple of years dreaming of this moment, I finally captured the shot.
To me, this photograph offers a glimpse into the past — a snapshot of the wild Africa I have always dreamed of.
Nikon Z9 camera, Nikon Z 100–400mm lens, f/5.6, 1/800 sec, ISO 3200.
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Greg also took the picture we used on the gatefold cover of Issue 111, which was dedicated to helping you make better photographs. We are always looking for ways to give readers a fun, immersive experience and to explore the opportunities that come with holding a printed magazine in your hands.
For us, Greg’s photograph was ideal for this purpose. The baby reticulated giraffe (photographed in Laikipia, Kenya) is a strong image on its own, but the full story of the moment reveals itself when you fold the cover out.
“After a long drop to terra firma, the mother licked her baby clean, then stood above as it gained the courage to try to stand for the first time,” Greg explained. “Within an hour it was on its feet, and the mother led her off into the bush.”
To see more of Greg du Toit’s work, buy his wildlife prints or learn about his guided photo safaris, click on these links:
