Chasing Light in Mana Pools: A Photographer's Journey Into the Wild

There are places that challenge you as a photographer—not because they're difficult, but because they're overwhelmingly beautiful. Mana Pools is one of them. Tucked along the lower Zambezi River in northern Zimbabwe, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a dreamscape where wildlife, water, and ancient forests meet in a rhythm that feels unchanged for centuries.

Arriving in a Landscape Painted With Light

My first morning in Mana Pools began with the soft glow of dawn drifting through the albida trees. Their tall, sculptural trunks create natural cathedrals of light, and it's there—under those arches—that the magic of Mana really begins. The air felt cool, thick with birdsong, and every few minutes the distant grunt of hippos echoed from the river.

As a photographer, I couldn't help but scramble for my camera before I'd even had a sip of coffee. Mana Pools has that effect—moments appear quickly, and if you're not ready, they slip away.

Walking With Giants

One of the most thrilling things about Mana Pools is that much of the park is explored on foot. There's an intimacy in walking at eye level with elephants that's hard to describe. I watched as a tall bull named Boswell stretched upright on his hind legs to reach pods from a tree—an iconic Mana Pools sight and an incredible photographic challenge. Capturing the power and delicacy in the same frame felt like a gift.

Every walk brought new surprises: a pack of wild dogs trotting single-file through the trees, a herd of impala glowing gold in the morning sun, and the sudden rush of adrenaline when a lion roared somewhere just out of sight.

The Zambezi's Golden Hour

Evenings were my favorite time to shoot. As the sun dipped low, the Zambezi River transformed into molten glass, reflecting silhouettes of elephants drinking along the shoreline. Canoes glided by, birds dipped across the water, and for a few minutes each day, the entire world seemed to soften into warm, gentle hues.

I set up by the river almost every sunset, switching between wide shots that captured the landscape's vastness and tight frames that highlighted texture—the curl of an elephant's trunk, the ripple of water, or the delicate dust drifting through late-afternoon light.

Lessons From the Wild

Mana Pools teaches you to slow down. To wait for the right light. To stay present. There's no rush here—just a steady rhythm of life playing out naturally around you. Every photograph I captured felt like the result of patience, respect, and deep admiration for this untouched wilderness.

Leaving, But Not Really Leaving

When it was time to go, I felt that familiar ache of leaving a place that gets under your skin. Mana Pools is more than a destination—it's a feeling, a mood, a reminder of how wild and beautiful the world can still be.

I left with memory cards full of images, but more importantly, with moments I'll carry long after the last photo is edited.

Watch above my 4K movie about Mana Pools