Meet our Mentors

Zaheer was a prominent businessman in the security industry for over a decade. After leaving the company in 2017 he sought to pursue his passion for wildlife photography.

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In 2018 he completed his FGASA and began freelancing and hosting photographic safaris. Zaheer is the heart and soul of the Zali brand and it is with his knowledge and insight of business and a passion for Wildlife that has allowed him to be so successful in this highly competitive industry.

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As a prominent figure on social media Zaheer has managed to capture the world with many of his images going viral. Zaheer’s knowledge of photography is phenomenal and as such he heads up the team at Zali photo.

I am 23 years old. My grandparents worked in Kruger and my mom grew up there as well, so Kruger and the bush has always been in my family and I have been going since I was only two years old and that ignited a love and passion for wildlife like no other. I started taking photos when I was about 12 years old with a normal “mik en druk”. As the years went on my photography started to progress and with this my passion just became more and more.

I am know a qualified and photographic guide, mostly in Kruger as this is the place I know like the back of my hand.

If you have any questions or want advice regarding photography or about a photo or about Kruger or anything, always feel free to personal message me on whatsapp (0798606048) or dm me on my instagram (@deon_wildlifephotography).

People tend to take this industry very seriously which is fait but I just want to say that you should never compare yourself or your photography to anyone. We are all on our own photographic journeys and just enjoy it! You will learn and become better as you go and this will shape you into the best photographer you can be, just trust the process and take your time, there is no rush!

Having been introduced to nature, wildlife and conservation through the likes of both Irwin and Attenborough documentaries and supplemented with frequent family trips to the Kruger National Park, it’s no surprise that a deep-set love and respect for all things wild would find itself etched into John’s very being from his period back in diapers already. A qualified Apprentice and National bird guide through the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) and LLB graduate at the University of South Africa, John’s fearless pursuit for all things wild has seen him travel to various corners of the globe in an attempt specifically target quenching his seemingly unquenchable thirst for all things avian, biodiversity and conservation. Among the comprehensive list of destinations he’s travelled to feature the likes of Antarctic waters, parts of Europe, Israel, Australia, China, USA, South East Asia (Singapore), Indonesia (Bali, Sulawesi, Papua), Australia, Mauritius and the vast majority of southern Africa. Fresh out of school, John became only the sixth ever person to record 800+ bird species within southern Africa’s boundaries within the space of a calendar year, doing so by the age of 19 and claiming the record for the youngest person to ever successfully achieve this massive milestone (2014). John’s ‘big year’ and subsequent travelling/twitching has also given his regional list the opportunity to grow at a truly exponential rate which now sees it in excess of 870 bird species.

Conservation is at the forefront of John’s main mission in life which is to help protect and conserve the worlds wildlife whilst sharing it with others. He has formed part of three historic bird race teams (2017-2019) to have participated in the globally acclaimed Champions of the Flyway bird race for conservation which addresses the unnecessary (and often illegal) slaughter of birds on migration across the globe, his team’s participation raising a combined amount of over R300,000 over two years for the respective BirdLife International partners involved.

Having a keen interest in the criminal and criminal procedure field of law, John hopes to use his legal background and experience to help him bring about much needed change when it comes to the environment and how we as a race deal with wildlife crime.

Passionate, driven, focused, dedicated, and enthusiastic, John takes pride in helping others and acting as a voice for the voiceless.

Karolina was born and raised in Sweden and first stepped foot onto South African soil back in

2016. As with many, she instantaneously fell in love with the wildlife. Two years later, she made one of the biggest leaps of her life, and moved to the country in pursuit of her dreams.

After completing her nature guide training that same year, it was evident that her new-found knowledge complemented her passion for nature and this is where Karolina’s journey truly began. Her experience of learning about the bush sparked the fire growing in her heart, and she was quickly fascinated to capture the wonders of South Africa’s wildlife.

Her main mission with her story is to inspire others to follow their dreams and to bring a little piece of Africa into your home. She believes in the necessity of conservation through education and raising awareness, and believes her work can bring you that understanding.

By capturing a variety of animals, she hopes to paint the picture of the diversity of wildlife and the importance of each and every single role these individuals play.

I am 18  years old and from Gauteng. I have had a passion for wildlife my entire life and took up photography in July 2019I am also a SANParks Junior Honorary Ranger in my 4th year. Some of my other hobbies include golf, cycling and more recently birding. 

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My favorite animal to photograph is the leopard because of their unique mysterious personalities, beauty, as well as their elusiveness. My favorite destination without a doubt is the vast tract of diverse bushveld, the Kruger National Park, for reasons that could fill an entire book.

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Our wildlife is under continuous threat, and so by photographing these animals in the wild, I can create everlasting memories as well as create awareness to hopefully make an impact on people by showcasing our beautiful wildlife especially to my peers.

I hope to carry this passion throughout my life and hopefully inspire many others along the way.

I am 22 years old and from Gauteng.Photography has been a way of life right from the start - from the time I could first hold a camera! Growing up as the son of a professional wildlife photographer basically meant that there was no escaping it!

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Over the years, photography has taken me all over the globe, seen me meet some truly incredible people (Prince Harry for instance) and made me find a deeper connection to our natural world.I have been fortunate to have placed in some prestigious wildlife photography competitions, with Winning the Overall Youth Category for the Nature’s Best Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and Runner up in the 51st Wildlife Photographer of the Year’s Youth Category as personal highlights.

My goal with nature photography is to cultivate a feeling of appreciation with the viewer. Photography serves as a method to show millions of people who cannot experience nature first hand the beauty thereof. People look after things they appreciate, and if they can appreciate nature, they will look after it.I owe my successes to my mentor and father - Wim.

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My name is Adarsh Nagda, I am 14 years old and from Nairobi Kenya.

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When I moved to Kenya, I instantly fell in love with the country's rich wildlife, especially in Nairobi National Park - just 15 minutes away from my house. I saw my first ever wild lion pride on the road at Nairobi National Park, and borrowed the family camera to take photos. Soon after, I got my first DSLR and went to many different national parks in Kenya, taking photos of the unique wildlife every destination.

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My photographer friends inspire me in photography and I really enjoy going on wildlife photography or birdwatching trips with them. I also love helping in conservation such as cleaning up national parks, or getting involved with local conservancies to educate the local communities on why wildlife is important with my friends.

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Leopards are my favourite subjects to photograph. They are elusive creatures, so when you get to see them in the wild, it is truly a special sighting. I also love trying out new photography skills.

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Masai Mara Game Reserve is definitely in my Top 3 safari destinations that I've been to in Kenya. The big cat sightings I've witnessed at the Mara have been truly amazing, and I've experienced many of my best sightings in the Mara. I loved the Porini Hide in Ol Pejeta Conservancy. We viewed lots of different game species - especially hundreds of elephants from a close distance, herds and herds kept on passing through, drinking water and mud-bathing. Enasoit Conservancy's waterhole also holds a special place in my heart. 

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My current gear is the Nikon P950, 2000mm My future aspirations are that I would love to develop my wildlife photography into a career in the future, and present for other National Geographic or wildlife related shows, like my show Team Sayari.

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You can follow my journey on Instagram @adarsh.nagda

My name is Benjy Loon, I am 16 years old and from White River, Mpumulanga.

I started casual photography when I was very young with taking photos of the encounters I saw but simply to capture a memory. It was only in 2022 that I got into it properly. I loved capturing a moment in time that you'll never see again, so trying to get the mood and setting in just an image is something that can be highly valued later. I love showcasing the natural world and photography is the best way for that.

My main inspirations are 1, my dad, who is a conservationist himself and I have followed in his footsteps in that regard, and 2, Rangers I've known for years who also have a passion for capturing nature as well as conserving it.

Elephants my favorite animals to capture on camera as they are so interactive with each other and they never seem to have a dull moment. Big cats, as everyone knows, that iconic stare that really connects you with the animal are also great to photograph but also the underrated animals like insects and general game as they often go unappreciated.

Growing up in the Sabi Sands I have always had a soft spot for the place that I call home. I love the open areas as well as the koppies to take photos as they both lead to great images. My favorite place of all is on the Sabi river where every animal will come down for a drink of water or refuge by the trees which never disappoints with photos.

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I currently use the Sigma 150-600mm contemporary, the Canon 18-150mm and the Canon M50 mark 2.

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I would like to be involved in wildlife and nature wherever I end up in life. Ideally I’d like to take a gap year before university to get a job as a guide or tracker to be immersed in the bush and able to take photos.

Follow me on my journey on Instagram @benj.photos_

My name is Andrew Rider, I am 22 years old and from Johannesburg, Gauteng.

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I was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. When I was younger I used to travel to the bush all the time.

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As I got older, I realised I really has a true passion for all wildlife, not just the bush and started out doing my scuba diving instructors license and became a qualified yachtie. I was supposed to leave for Monte Carlo in march 2020 and the day my flight left for Monte Carlo, Covid Lockdown began. I was trapped. Knowing Ive always had a true passion for the bush, I decided to do my field guide qualifications and haven't looked back since. This is funnily enough where I fell in love with photography and it helped me finally realise what i truly want to be, which is one day to becme a well knowm professional wildlife photographer and videographer. 

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You can follow me on my journey on Instagram @andyswildlife

My name is Alex Werth, I am 20 years old and I am from Cape Town, Western Cape.

I’ve always loved photography and finally decided to buy myself a DSLR at 17. After discovering that my dad had a Sigma 150-500mm stashed away in his cupboard, I tried wildlife photography for the first time in the Kruger and never looked back. My favorite photographers include Mark Dumbleton and Gavin Thurston. They are huge inspirations to me.

My favourite animals to photograph have to be hyenas. I really love capturing hyenas, because they’re misunderstood and very underrated. My favorite places to take wildlife photography are definitely the Kruger and the Kgalagadi. I absolutely love the Satara area of Kruger for its open plains (S100 is the BEST!) and crocodile bridge for the stunning camp. The kgalagadi on the other hand is just stunning. The sightings tend to be quite far away sometimes, but it’s nothing a teleconverter can’t solve. The landscape and especially the sunsets are gorgeous.

I am currently using the Sony A7riii. In the future I aspire to do marketing and content creation for hotels and lodges. Thus, I’m currently studying business administration in Germany. In my spare time I invest in stocks and hope that they will one day pay for a lodge of my own.

Follow me on my journey on Instagram @alexwerthza.

My name is Luzaan Large, I am 24 Years old and from Tzaneen, Limpopo.

Wildlife has always been close to my heart and for as long as I can remember, I visited Kruger National Park. Growing up in Phalaborwa, with the Kruger at my doorsteps, was where my love for animals all started. About 2 years ago I borrowed a friend's camera as we went to Kruger for the weekend. From that weekend on, my love and passion for wildlife photography started. Each year my passion grew more and more that I am now certain this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

My inspirations in photography and nature conservation are most certainly Villiers Steyn , Deon Kelbrick , Zali and Moosa Varachia

When asked what my favorite subject is to photography, I must say to be totally honest, it has to be Leopards, there is just something about their spots and their ability to hide.

Kruger National Park is my absolute favorite game park and my favorite place to stay is Berg-en-dal. The weather is always cooler down south.

I am currently shooting with a Canon Eos 77D and a Sigma 150-600mm lens. My dream job would be to go into Field Guiding and produce Wildlife Documentary Films.

You can follow my journey on Instagram @luzaan_wildlife_photography

My name is Chad Baird, I am 20 years old and I am from Umdloti, Durban.

Since I was a very young, I've frequently visited my godfathers game reserves and always enjoyed taking photos here and there but my passion for it was only truly sparked in 2021 when I started my guiding course at Bhejane Nature Training. I would be spending every day out there in the bush and I didn't have anything to capture what was around me besides my phone. I wanted to be able to show the people in South Africa who can't visit game reserves, the beauty that is all around them in their own country. This is when I borrowed my brother’s camera for the first time and eventually, I started my Instagram account after some persuasion from my girlfriend.

Marlon du Toit is a big inspiration to me simply because he's doing exactly what I would one day like to do and doing so well too. I also learn a lot from the information he provides on his various platforms and it helps me grow as a photographer.

I do love trying to photograph birds because it's more of a challenge to catch them sitting still and to then get a decent photo of them. Other than Black Rhino will always be right up there in my favorites, that's if you even see them. I love going to the Berg to photograph the different bird species there, I love the variety there compared to what you find on the coast. Hluhluwe/ Umfolozi Game Reserve is also highly underrated for photographic opportunities. I currently shoot with a Nikon D5000 with a 100-400 mm lens. I also make use of my GoPro hero 7 and of course my phone.

I'm going to start guiding soon but one day I do plan to have a tour company that will offer guided photographic safaris throughout Africa.

Follow me on my journey on Instagram @chadbaird_photography

My name is Coenraad Berrange, I am 25 years old and I am from Pretoria.

I’ve always camped with my parents in the bush since a very young age and it started a deep love for African wildlife. Prior to one trip to Pilanesberg my parents bought be a Canon Powershot and that’s where my love for wildlife photography started. After finishing school, I decided to do field guide training with NJ More Field Guide Collage as a gap year. I also did a 6-month internship with Marataba Safari Lodge and by then I was shooting with a Canon 7D and my dad’s Sigma 50-500. During this time my photography improved a lot, but I took a step back when I went to study at NWU Potchefstroom.

After finishing my B.Sc. Hons. in Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology I started working with Wildlife ACT as a wildlife monitor. This allowed me to follow my dream of working in Wildlife Conservation! Now my daily life consists of looking for priority species (cheetah, lion, leopard, elephants, etc.). With many magnificent sightings, I’ve been able to really focus on wildlife photography and love sharing the special moments I get to experience! I am currently doing this on Nkomazi Game Reserve, in Mpumalanga.

Currently some of my favorite photographers are Peter McKinnon and Shaaz Jung. In conservation, I’ve met many people that are doing great work and I look up to them, difficult to single a few out.

My favorite subjects to photograph are probably leopards. Just absolutely love finding and spending time with leopards. It’s truly my happy place. I’ve had some of my best sightings on Manyoni and Nkomazi. As for places, I think that Kruger has to be my favorite. For now, Pilanesberg is in second place. Hope to explore other places such as Kgalagadi and Botswana in the near future.

My current camera set up is the Canon EOS Rp with a Canon 100-400 mk2 lens.

I hope to further my career in conservation while improving with my wildlife photography. I want to be part of meaningful conservation work where I can have an influence in the protection of species at a higher scale. Other than conservation, I really want to make my wildlife photography count for something and be able to generate income from it. I also want to travel more to wild places with large protected areas. Botswana is first on my list and I’m starting to plan a trip in 2024.

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Follow me on my journey on Instagram @coenraadbrr

My name is Elih Upfold, I'm 18 years old and I am from Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal.

My photographic journey started 2 years ago when I decided to set up a hide in the garden to photograph Green Twinspots, I shared the photographs on my Instagram account and the photo was reshared by the birding life page - this gave me the confidence I needed to create more content I enjoyed and share it on my feed.

Some photographers I look up to would have to be my dad (Guy Upfold), as well as Hugh Chittenden. Both have had major roles in the content and creation of the Roberts Bird Guides of Southern Africa. They are photographers and birders I have looked up to since I started birding and have played part in learning and pursuing my interests as a photographer and birder. Having access and relations to the experts has always been a great help in learning and encouraging my interests.

My favorite subjects to photograph are mainly birds but I have broadened my content to most wildlife in general as well as landscape photography to sharpen my skills as a creator.

I have been lucky enough to live near Dlinza forest in Eshowe as well as Ntumeni forest where I have spent many hours photographing, birding and learning. Birding has taken me places I would not usually go and I have found hidden gems near me where I can test my skills and learn from mistakes in Photography while in the field. Finding these hidden local gems has been an exciting part of the experience for me to thoroughly explore my home grounds.

My go to setup is the Canon 70D, I have recently started to challenge myself by going back to the basics and using shorter lenses in order to learn not to rely on my equipment but rather the work put into my photographs, this being said I try to stick with shorter lenses such as the canon 24mm-70mm or even the Canon 10mm-22mm making the photographs so much more rewarding along with that extra work to often produce a better photograph as opposed to a simple click from a distance with the Canon 100mm-400mm lens I used to use more often.

I am currently working as an electrician and I am about to start my theory end of April 2023 to use as a stepping stone to New Zealand. I'm hoping to start my studies as a maintenance engineer in New Zealand later this year and then to end up in Australia at a later stage.

Follow me on my journey on Instagram @elihupfold001