Africa Through the Viewfinder

Media intern Christoff Els speaks with EcoTraining Videographer Willie van Eeden and student David den Hartog about framing African landscapes and wildlife through your camera’s viewfinder. 

Willie van Eden

“As photographers and avid nature & wildlife enthusiasts, we always have some locations on our bucket list we want to visit one day. Places like the Serengeti, Chobe and the Delta in Botswana, Hwange National Park, Mana Pools in Zimbabwe, Makgadikgadi Pans, the list goes on and on. All of them are dream locations for any photographer.

“I have been in the privileged position to visit quite a few of the above-mentioned places and what a joy it has been to visit these remote and pristine wilderness areas that Africa has to offer. The people, wildlife and biodiversity in each area is absolutely breathtaking.

The Maasai Mara is the one place every human on earth has to see at least once in their life. It’s one of the most pristine and beautiful places I’ve ever had the privilege to visit. I will surely be back one day. It changed my life and I am glad that I could’ve had the opportunity to freeze this frame making me remember this scene for the rest of my life.”

David den Hartog

“At first it’s a rush of panic that usually has me muttering to myself like a lunatic. I usually have a battle with my camera bag trying to get the damn thing out, all the while silently begging the bird not to fly off. My brain rattles as I check my settings and look through the viewfinder to see those bright yellow eyes staring back at me. 

“It is a wonderful thing — seeing the picture before you take it in your mind and hoping it turns out the way you want it to. I hear the soft click-click of the shutter and I feel a smile creep onto my face when I see the pictures on the screen. Then I put the camera down and enjoy the pearl-spotted owlet sitting stock steady on the branch.

“I’ve learnt to do this now, to enjoy the sighting with my own eyes instead. Then it flies away with barely any sound and I turn to see my friends smiling along with me like a bunch of crazies.”

Read the full interviews here.