Wildlife photography 'hides' teach the virtue of patience
CNN
Home to several photography "hides," South Africa's Zimanga reserve, run by Charl Senekal, is now considered one of the continent's foremost destinations for wildlife photographers.
(CNN) — At the lagoon in KwaZulu-Natal, eastern South Africa, nightfall covers the Zimanga Private Game Reserve in a dark blanket. The only light comes from a new moon, slowly drifting across the cloudless winter sky, which paints the perfect backdrop for what lies in wait. Mixed in with nature's soundtrack is a beeping alarm, which sets off a quiet rush for photographers to get in position -- ready for something to happen in an instant.
"A great photograph is but a split second in time, with no second takes," says Charl Senekal, wildlife photographer and director of Zimanga Destinations, managing the private game reserve.
Senekal's love for both wildlife and photography stems from his childhood, when his father purchased a new Minolta camera. "He brought this beautiful camera home, and he opened the box and I immediately annexed it," Senekal says. "He had to buy himself a new one."