It is often said that a photo can (or should be able to) speak for it self but often some background information can add something to the experience – below I invite you backstage on selected photos

This photo was a huge challenge for me. It was a race against time in many ways. Being near a waterfall of this size means working not only with the actual water falling towards lower grounds but also with all the water in the air – depending on location you either get soaking wet in seconds, occasional showers or feel like you are being tugged into the mist.

I arrived just before sunrise at Victoria Falls so apart from the technical aspect of not getting my lens covered by waterdrops I was in a race against the sun. I had to find a spot where light, water and the sight of the falls was just right.

I wanted to do a long exposure so I also had to fiddle with my tripod – and I admit it is not a piece of equipment I use a lot, I prefer to take my photos handheld whenever possible.

Did I remember to tell you that the sunrise at this latitude is very short compared to Denmark? Well it is!

I ended up with a few shots that I was happy with and this is one of them – and in contrast to one of my normal goals; for the photo to resemble reality – this is the idyllic version. You can see the water rushing but everything seems peaceful making it hard to believe that I was surrounded by the sound of thunder. Hence the nickname Mosi-oa-Tunya:  the smoke that thunders.

Preparation and knowledge is often the way to success and that day I probably turned up to the assignment a bit naive. I had accepted a volunteer assignment at a animal welfare organization and was supposed to shoot some charismatic photos of their shelter cats.

I didn’t go as I expected even though I know about cats as well as photography of wild animals. Or maybe that’s exactly why it didn’t go as planned; because cats are not alike and rescue cats can differ even more from a well-integrated domesticated cat. The cats were in a state between wild and tame and walked around in an enclosure. The cats had varying interest and motivation to stay out in the open and I wanted some shots of the cats without too much of the wired fence showing – that combination made my options limited.

It was yet another great example of the fact that you must work with what you have got instead of working towards what you thought you wanted.

The light teased me quite a bit as well, mind you; I was locked up in the enclosure with the cats which limited my options to move to a place that could have given more optimal conditions.

My favorite photo from the session ended up being this cat that I named Mr. Grey just for the sake of the story – because in darkness all cats are grey. Take a look at how it is gazing towards brighter times with determination I its eyes.

It was truly more difficult to catch this moment than it would have been with a lion on the savanna.

Most people do not think of action shots when talking about tortoises. But this cool leopard tortoise got me to say the following words out loud (in both desperation and awe): “It’s too fast!”

It was a tortoise on a mission and it did not give me much time to fiddle around with my settings. I can honestly say that I have a bunch of photos of this particular leopard tortoise that is JUST out of focus but I also have what I feel is one of my best actions shots – a sprinting leopard toirtoise!

Seeing animals up close is always interesting but seeing wild animals up close will always give me a bigger thrill – knowing that they can appear and disappear at their own will just makes it more satisfying.

I did not see this Spotted Bush Snake in South Africa at first – I just heard something. I did not hear the snake itself but I heard the movement of some leaves.

It moved really fast up and down and in between the leaves – only giving me a few seconds once in a while to focus and take the shot when it paused in a ray of sun. What a feeling being so close to a creature with such fascinating anatomy!

Oh, and just to clarify – I made sure to check with a professional regarding the safety before approaching the slender beauty. It is as harmless as it is beautiful.

This photo was a huge challenge for me. It was a race against time in many ways. Being near a waterfall of this size means working not only with the actual water falling towards lower grounds but also with all the water in the air – depending on location you either get soaking wet in seconds, occasional showers or feel like you are being tugged into the mist.

I arrived just before sunrise at Victoria Falls so apart from the technical aspect of not getting my lens covered by waterdrops I was in a race against the sun. I had to find a spot where light, water and the sight of the falls was just right.

I wanted to do a long exposure so I also had to fiddle with my tripod – and I admit it is not a piece of equipment I use a lot, I prefer to take my photos handheld whenever possible.

Did I remember to tell you that the sunrise at this latitude is very short compared to Denmark? Well it is!

I ended up with a few shots that I was happy with and this is one of them – and in contrast to one of my normal goals; for the photo to resemble reality – this is the idyllic version. You can see the water rushing but everything seems peaceful making it hard to believe that I was surrounded by the sound of thunder. Hence the nickname Mosi-oa-Tunya: the smoke that thunders.

Preparation and knowledge is often the way to success and that day I probably turned up to the assignment a bit naive. I had accepted a volunteer assignment at a animal welfare organization and was supposed to shoot some charismatic photos of their shelter cats.

I didn’t go as I expected even though I know about cats as well as photography of wild animals. Or maybe that’s exactly why it didn’t go as planned; because cats are not alike and rescue cats can differ even more from a well-integrated domesticated cat. The cats were in a state between wild and tame and walked around in an enclosure. The cats had varying interest and motivation to stay out in the open and I wanted some shots of the cats without too much of the wired fence showing – that combination made my options limited.

It was yet another great example of the fact that you must work with what you have got instead of working towards what you thought you wanted.

The light teased me quite a bit as well, mind you; I was locked up in the enclosure with the cats which limited my options to move to a place that could have given more optimal conditions.

My favorite photo from the session ended up being this cat that I named Mr. Grey just for the sake of the story – because in darkness all cats are grey. Take a look at how it is gazing towards brighter times with determination I its eyes.

It was truly more difficult to catch this moment than it would have been with a lion on the savanna.