Hi there,

At the end of last year, I had the chance to visit Africa twice - exploring Zambia and Botswana. It was an unforgettable experience, packed with amazing wildlife encounters and endless photography opportunities. I even almost lost my camera!

I’m slowly making my way through all the photos (haven’t even opened the videos yet!), and in today’s email, I want to share a few of my favorite shots from these trips. Every single day brought something new, but if I had to pick the most memorable moment, it would be photographing dozens of African fish eagles hunting in a lagoon full of hippos, crocodiles, and countless species of wading birds. It was absolutely breathtaking!

Besides classic portraits, I also tried to capture Africa’s wildlife in a different way—playing around with long exposures, wide angles, and close-up details.

I’ve published a new gallery from Africa on my website, featuring many more images in higher resolution. Feel free to check it out HERE!

How an elephant nearly crushed my camera

Near our camp in Botswana, there was a muddy waterhole where elephants came daily to cool off. I wanted to capture them with a wide-angle lens. While they were away, I set up my camera near the water’s edge, covered it with a cap and stepped back to a safe distance with a remote trigger in hand.

After an hour, a massive elephant appeared from the left, slowly making its way straight toward the watering hole… on a direct path to my camera. My heart pounded. Step by step, it came closer. Ten meters. Five. One. Half a meter. I held my breath. Then, with incredible precision, it lifted its foot and placed it right on top of my camera.

For a split second, time froze. The weight of the giant pressed down ever so slightly, as if testing what lay beneath. Then, it lifted its foot and started inspecting the camera with its trunk. Finally, deciding it wasn’t anything interesting (phew!), the elephant moved on.

After a good mud bath, the elephant left, and I retrieved my camera. It was so hot from the African sun that I could barely touch it. Thankfully, the remote trigger had worked, and the images were safely stored on the card. And that’s how I managed to photograph an elephant from just 10 cm away!

New photography workshops – Botswana 2026

I’ve just opened registrations for an exciting trip to Botswana in February 2026, together with Artur Stankiewicz (with whom I co-led last year’s trip). The 2024 safari was very successful, filled with incredible wildlife encounters and amazing photo opportunities.

If you want to experience a similar adventure, I’d love for you to join us! This will be a truly special trip where I’ll show you how to capture Africa’s wildlife in a unique and unforgettable way. More details HERE.

Want to improve your wildlife photography?

If you’re looking to take your nature photography to the next level, check out my wildlife photography ebook guide - packed with tips, examples, and techniques to help you get the best shots of animals.

Also, the last few copies of my 2025 calendars are still available:

• Amazon Wildlife 2025

• European Wildlife 2025

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Thanks, and see you next time!

Mateusz