CHASING LIGHT – HIDES & TRIBES 2028 with Ben McRae

BOOK BY JULY 31 AND RECEIVE A $800 DISCOUNT!

At the heart of every compelling photograph is light. It shapes mood, reveals texture, and defines form long before the subject is fully understood. It drifts, shifts, and fades, subtly transforming the emotional weight of a scene in ways that are often felt before they are seen. 

This safari has been thoughtfully designed around light as the guiding thread, placing it at the center of every photographic decision. As the journey unfolds, each location builds naturally on the last, allowing you to refine your understanding of light, composition, and visual storytelling while creating photographs with greater intention, depth, and emotion.

We begin in Samburu, where carefully planned tribal encounters and wildlife experiences provide the perfect environment to build your confidence with these techniques, one step at a time. Working with communities we have photographed and built relationships with over many years, alongside thoughtfully designed game drives, you will learn to recognize and use light with greater intention through portraiture, environmental storytelling, and wildlife photography. 

As we move into the spectacular Mathews Range, the pace slows, and our focus narrows. Craggy peaks, shaded riverbeds, and the traditional Samburu and Rendille villages nestled beneath these mountains provide a remarkable setting for our creativity to run wild. Here, we will refine our use of light, explore composition with greater intention, and discover that many of the strongest images are envisioned long before the shutter is released. Throughout our time together, I will share the thought process and experience that transform a simple portrait into a piece of art worthy of hanging on your wall.

This location has also been chosen for the creative flexibility it offers throughout the day. Rather than retreating during the harsh midday light, we will transform our accommodation into a simple mobile studio, welcoming members of the local communities to create portraits while experimenting with multiple strobes and speedlights, subtle rim lighting, and other creative techniques. These sessions will deepen your understanding of light and give you the confidence to apply those skills naturally when we return to the villages to create environmental portraits.

Our journey south then heralds a new chapter in our understanding of light. The lessons learned throughout the expedition, how light shapes form, creates depth, and evokes emotion, now come together in one of Kenya’s finest photographic hides. Here, wildlife approaches on its own terms, often just meters away, while carefully positioned lighting systems, each individually controlled, allow us to shape the scene with extraordinary precision. Dramatic side lighting, subtle rim light, and softly illuminated scenes provide a level of creative control rarely possible in the field, transforming the hide into a studio in nature. As darkness falls, we will often find ourselves working into the small hours of the morning, creating images that will stand apart from anything you have photographed before.

This is far more than a photographic safari. It is carefully handcrafted for photographers who already understand the fundamentals of working with light and believe it is the foundation of every compelling image, to give you the opportunity to create photographs that are not only more compelling but also more intentional and meaningful. It is a truly unique experience, unlike anything else offered in Africa.