Hide photography in Shompole Wilderness

Exclusive hide photography in Shompole Wilderness, Kenya

Join FocusRAW to one of East Africa's most exciting and untouched wilderness areas – Shompole Wilderness in southern Kenya. Here, in the dramatic Rift Valley near the border with Tanzania, open savannahs, bushlands, riverine forests and the shimmering landscape around Lake Natron come together.

This is a trip for you who want to get truly close to Africa's wildlife. Not through stressful game drives or long days chasing the next subject, but through long, concentrated sessions in specially built photography hides where the animals come to you themselves. The result is an intense, focused and deeply photographic experience – with the possibility of images at eye level, in controlled light and with a closeness that is difficult to achieve on a traditional safari.

Shompole Wilderness encompasses over 140,000 hectares of privately managed wilderness area. The reserve is run in close cooperation with the local Maasai population, which makes the place both genuine and sustainable. Tourist pressure is very limited, the animals move naturally and the environment still feels truly wild.

There are 21 predator species here, most of Africa's large mammals – with the exception of the rhinoceros – and over 435 bird species. For the nature photographer this means an unusually rich combination of large mammals, nocturnal species, birds of prey, small birds and more rare subjects.

A trip built for serious hide photography

This trip is tailored for photographers who want to work methodically and get the most out of every situation. Only four participants + guide per hide, which provides a calm, personal and flexible atmosphere with plenty of room for each photographer.

During the trip we stay and photograph several nights in specially built hides at active waterholes. The hides are constructed specifically for photographers and placed with great care for light, background, subject variation and distance. Here we photograph without glass in front of the lens, with open photo hatches and effective net camouflage that ensures the animals are not disturbed.

The water reaches all the way up to the hides and many subjects come in at very close range, often around 9–10 metres from the camera. This makes it possible to create images with a low angle, a strong sense of presence and a completely different expression than when photographing from a vehicle.

One of the great strengths of Shompole is the ability to work with the light. Depending on the hide, time and situation, we can photograph in front light, side light and back light. This opens up everything from graphic silhouettes at dawn to dramatic night images and detail-rich portraits with directed lighting.

Plains Hide – large mammals and open landscapes

Plains Hide lies in an open savannah landscape and is particularly strong for larger mammals. Here elephant, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, impala, waterbuck and wildebeest may come in to the waterhole, often in very photogenic situations.

Predators such as lion and leopard also move through the area, and during the night there is a chance of several nocturnal species. Civet, spotted genet, porcupine and other more difficult-to-photograph animals may appear in the darkness.

The hide is also very interesting for bird photography. In the evenings large flocks of guineafowl can gather at the waterhole, while the mornings often offer doves, sandgrouse and other activity in the first light.

Kichaka Hide – shyer species and a more intimate feel

Kichaka Hide lies in denser and more bushy vegetation, with higher grass and a different character than Plains Hide. Here the images often take on a more intimate and mysterious feel, and the location is particularly interesting for shyer and smaller species.

Among the possible subjects are caracal, African wildcat, honey badger, bat-eared fox, civet and genet. The number of animals may sometimes be lower than at the open savannah hide, but the species list is very exciting and the potential for unusual images is great.

Kichaka Hide is also excellent for birds and smaller mammals, and the variation between the two main hides gives the trip a broader photographic expression.

Bird Hide – relaxing photography at the camp

In the camp area there is also a smaller bird hide. It is a fine option during the daytime, especially when you want to photograph at a calmer pace or use the time between the night sessions for lighter image-making.

Here there is the opportunity to work with small birds, details and more low-intensity situations without leaving the camp.

Comfortable hides for long sessions

Since the photography takes place from late afternoon to the next morning, the hides are built so that you can spend many hours there comfortably. Each hide has five beds, a toilet, wifi as well as food and drink for the night.

A local field guide and at least one photographic leader from FocusRAW are always with the group. The transport to the hides is part of the experience: we walk a short stretch down to the river, cross by boat and then continue by Landcruiser to the respective hide.

Sessions normally begin around 16:00 and we return to the camp around 10:00 the next morning.

A typical day in Shompole

After a night in a hide we come back to the camp in the late morning. There brunch, rest, sleep, image work or a review of the night's images await. In the middle of the day there is time for recovery, since the nights can be both long and intense.

In the afternoon we gather for coffee or high tea before it is time to prepare the equipment and head out towards the next hide session. Dinner is eaten in the hide, and after that the photography continues through the evening, the night and the dawn.

The trip is intense, but the rhythm works very well: strong photo sessions during the most interesting hours of the day and much-needed recovery in the beautiful camp by the Ewaso Ng’iro river.

The camp is small and personal, with only seven tents. It feels both comfortable and wild – a place where you are close to nature without having to compromise on safety and recovery.

Description of the hides:

Waters Edge: The furthest part of the water edge is TEN meters and it is TWELVE meter across. The water comes right up to the Hides.
Lighting: There are THREE types of lighting all DIMMABLE. 1. FRONT lighting, 2. SIDE lighting with adjustable height, and the 3. is the BACK lighting that gives great silhouettes and enhances the dust.

Getting there from the camp: Please note that the Plains Hide is 4.7kms (3miles) away from the camp on the other side of the river and you need to drive there. Firstly, there is a five minute walk to river where you will cross in a boat, that is pulled across the river with a rope. Once across, the vehicles will be waiting for you. it is a drive 15 minute drive.

Once inside the Hide we open up the windows (there is NO GLASS between you and the animals). There is netting to camoflage you from the animals seeing you.
You can spend an afternoon and evening there, or an early morning or like most people you can stay the whole night in the hide.
There are 4 beds, fans, flushing loo and Starlink internet! We provide gimbals and bean bags (please bring your own camera mounting plates).
Mammals seen at Plains Hide