By Roxanne Reid
If you’re really keen on wildlife photography, especially in Botswana, you may have heard of Wilderness Safaris guide and photographer Ona Basimane. His photos have appeared in publications like Peolwane, Discover Botswana and Travel Ideas, and he was a guest speaker at the Wild Shots Wildlife Photography Symposium in South Africa in 2013 and 2015.
If you’re really keen on wildlife photography, especially in Botswana, you may have heard of Wilderness Safaris guide and photographer Ona Basimane. His photos have appeared in publications like Peolwane, Discover Botswana and Travel Ideas, and he was a guest speaker at the Wild Shots Wildlife Photography Symposium in South Africa in 2013 and 2015.
Ona grew up in Maun in the Okavango Delta, with areas like Moremi Game Reserve and the Makgadikgadi not far away. Such places kindled his love for wildlife during childhood trips. When he left school he worked as a research assistant with the Botswana Predator Conservation Programme and later as a guide in the Delta.
Then in 2010 he got a job in the Central Kalahari with Wilderness Safaris, and that’s when he bought his first camera – the beginning of a new phase in his life.
Then in 2010 he got a job in the Central Kalahari with Wilderness Safaris, and that’s when he bought his first camera – the beginning of a new phase in his life.
After two years in the Kalahari, he transferred to DumaTau Camp in the Linyanti and today he’s part of the company’s guide training team, helping to train and mentor young guides. He also leads specialist photography trips for Wilderness Safaris, putting to good use his knowledge of wildlife behaviour and his eye for a good photo opportunity. (All three photos below are Ona’s so you can see how well that works in practice.)
Tips for photographers
So what are his two top tips for someone planning a photo safari to Botswana?
‘First, you need to know your camera well,’ he says. ‘Knowing the limitations of your camera gear is useful too. It’s no use shooting wildly and being disappointed when you get home because your lens wasn’t long enough or wide enough to get what you hoped for. If it’s new camera gear, it helps if you’re open to learning how to use it effectively from the guide or even from fellow travellers.’
You should also be clear about what you want to photograph. If you’re in an area that offers good predator-prey interactions, focus on that. By contrast, it’s no use hoping to get prize-winning shots of water birds if you’re visiting an area like the Central Kalahari where few of them live.
So what are his two top tips for someone planning a photo safari to Botswana?
‘First, you need to know your camera well,’ he says. ‘Knowing the limitations of your camera gear is useful too. It’s no use shooting wildly and being disappointed when you get home because your lens wasn’t long enough or wide enough to get what you hoped for. If it’s new camera gear, it helps if you’re open to learning how to use it effectively from the guide or even from fellow travellers.’
You should also be clear about what you want to photograph. If you’re in an area that offers good predator-prey interactions, focus on that. By contrast, it’s no use hoping to get prize-winning shots of water birds if you’re visiting an area like the Central Kalahari where few of them live.
‘The second important thing is to anticipate what an animal will do next,’ says Ona. That way you can be in the right place at the right time, with the right camera settings for the action when it goes down. Obviously, your guide can be hugely helpful in reading the signs.
He has lots of tips for guides too. For instance, if your guest wants to get a shot of reflections in the water, you need calm weather when the water is like glass. ‘Mornings in winter here tend to be windy, causing ripples that aren’t great for reflections,’ he says.
He has lots of tips for guides too. For instance, if your guest wants to get a shot of reflections in the water, you need calm weather when the water is like glass. ‘Mornings in winter here tend to be windy, causing ripples that aren’t great for reflections,’ he says.
He and his fellow guides try to help people of all levels of proficiency. ‘Sometimes someone has just bought a camera at the airport. Sometimes they are professionals who know what they’re looking for but despite their expertise, some areas may be completely new to them. We guides are out here every day so we can help.’
Ona is never happier than when he sends a guest home with pictures that are focused and sharp. ‘Then they can edit them and share them with family and friends – and hopefully come back again,’ he grins.
* This is part of a series called Voices of Botswana, which shares the stories of some of the people we met on our Botswana adventure. You can find them all in the people category of this blog.
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za. I do not hold copyright of Ona Basimane’s photographs.
Ona is never happier than when he sends a guest home with pictures that are focused and sharp. ‘Then they can edit them and share them with family and friends – and hopefully come back again,’ he grins.
* This is part of a series called Voices of Botswana, which shares the stories of some of the people we met on our Botswana adventure. You can find them all in the people category of this blog.
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za. I do not hold copyright of Ona Basimane’s photographs.