Wildlife photography often finds its strongest expression in moments of atmosphere rather than sheer variety, and few places deliver that quite like the African bush. Harsh sunlight, drifting dust and fleeting golden hours transform even familiar scenes visited multiple times into something with a unique perspective by the photographer.
For community member Friedrich von Horsten, the pursuit of African wildlife began with a borrowed Minolta SR-1 and a roll of Agfachrome slide film on a trip to Gorongosa National Park. Over the years, he’s developed a deep appreciation for the natural world and built a great deal of patience to photograph it.
This story is part of our What’s in your bag? community spotlight series. The series showcases the diverse gear and photography of our community, and shares their stories of how that gear helped them to capture the perfect shot.
Have your photography featured on the DPReview homepage! Find out how.
Meet Friedrich von Horsten
Home base: South Africa
Favorite camera and lens: The Nikon Z6III with a versatile telephoto setup.
Typical photo scenes: Friedrich focuses on African wildlife and landscapes. From the dry intensity of Hwange National Park to the elephant-rich floodplains of Chobe National Park and the vast ecosystems of Kruger National Park, his photography is rooted in misty mornings and dusty sunset encounters that reveal the essence of the wild.
“My first 36 shots were duds, but one picture of a sable antelope silhouette on a misty morning in Gorongoza, Mozambique, looked like a painting. That made me decide that was what I wanted to do – shoot African wildlife and landscapes in special light that showed the essence of Africa – harsh light, dust, vibrant wildlife.”
 |
| The most striking feature of the Serengeti is those vast plains dotted with all kinds of animals. In this case, elephants stand out beautifully against the grassland.
Nikon D7200 w/ Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G IF-ED @ 220mm | F8 | 1/500 sec | ISO 400 |
What’s in Friedrich’s bag
- Primary cameras: Nikon Z6III and Nikon Z50
- Other cameras: Nikon Z6
- Lenses: Nikkor Z16-50mm kit lens, Z50-250, Z24-120, Z100-400, Z180-600
- Support gear: Friedrich keeps things simple, carrying only essentials like spare batteries and chargers. By avoiding extra equipment, he stays mobile and ready to respond instantly to changing light and wildlife behavior.
- Camera bags: A medium Lowepro bag that offers enough space for core gear while remaining compact and easy to handle for long hours in the field.
 |
| Friedrich’s camera bag
Photo: Friedrich von Horsten |
Any other interesting gear you take with you?
“I typically shoot maybe 3,000 pictures on a 2-week trip, since I only photograph what I really like. The Z6III on electronic shutter is another story – 16 fps is too much for me, so I don’t take hard drives, laptops, etc.”
“I also love to chew dried fruit while watching sightings at dawn. Every time I have a good lion sighting, I stop at the next picnic spot and eat a huge mango to celebrate. Some people spend hours preparing bush meals, but I would rather spend the precious hours in the bush, and then rest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. around the pool or in my chalet in winter.”
 |
| Reticulated giraffe in Buffalo Springs, northern Kenya. The lush green and dark clouds were part of the wettest rainy season in 20 years, causing us to evacuate our accommodation that day.
Nikon D7200 w/ Nikkor AF-S 70-20mm f/4G ED VR @ 72mm | F8 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 800 |
How do you adapt your setup to different situations?
“I shoot manually with auto ISO, and start the morning at 1/125 @ F5.6 until light improves. Auto ISO is vital in Africa, where light conditions vary widely from shade to sunlight.”
“My absolute favorite setting on mirrorless cameras is the magical focus/control ring. I use it for exposure compensation, so twirling the ring left instantly darkens the frame, and twirling to the right instantly lightens up subjects against bright backgrounds. Imagine being able to instantly see the final result without having to wait to develop a film, when you only discover two weeks later it was underexposed!”
What’s unique about photographing African wildlife?
“In Southern African parks, we always stop approaching vehicles, and quickly share our best sightings and ask what they have seen, especially if you stop the same people during another visit next year.”
“My greatest joy was to teach school kids photography, so for 17 years I did local photography outings over weekends, and at least 2x week-long annual outings to more exciting destinations like Sossusvlei, Fish River Canyon, Namib Desert around Luderitzbucht, Swaziland, Addo elephant national park and Tiger Canyons where John Varty has free-roaming Asian tigers in African savannah. What an experience! We drove at least 60,000 km on rough roads in a Toyota Quantum school bus with 14 kids and 2 teachers during this time.”
 |
|
Soaking wet lionesses doing a tug-of-war over a dead warthog in Samburu, Kenya Nikon D600 w/ Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED @ 48mm | F6.3 | 1/2500 sec | ISO 1250 |
“My greatest joy was to teach school kids photography, so for 17 years I did local photography outings over weekends.”
“Africa has amazing places like South Luangwa in Zambia for leopards, Serengeti and Masai Mara for vast landscapes and huge herds. Elephants are my favorite animal, so I spend a lot of time in Hwange and Chobe.”
“My favorite annual trip is to the Hwange Annual Game Count around the end of September, where groups from all over the world get together, and each group spends 24 hours at a designated waterhole in the bush during full moon. Some counts deliver close to 1,000 elephants. The exciting thing is to be there in the dark, all on your own, in a small vehicle, surrounded by wild animals that come right up to you in the moonlight.”
 |
| Iconic African sunset with elephants and baobab trees at Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
Nikon D600 w/ Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED @ 85mm | F5.6 | 1/400 sec | ISO 320 |
What inspires you to press on with your photography?
“I love sharing my favorite spots with people who don’t know Africa well yet. Photography on this continent opened my eyes to the intricate designs and patterns that an amazing Creator made for our delight. It is a fabulous excuse to get excited about all creatures great and small, as well as stunning light and magical moments. Imagine the joy it brings to others when they share your happy moments!”
“In Kruger Park South Africa there is a WhatsApp called Latest Sightings — not popular with park officials because it causes congestion at sightings that have been reported, but very good to do research BEFORE your self-drive safari to know latest whereabouts of wild dog dens, leopard cubs etc.”
“I do research on waterholes in dry parks like Hwange in Zimbabwe, to determine popular approaches by elephant herds.”
“Google Earth is also excellent for planning safaris – I do research on waterholes in dry parks like Hwange in Zimbabwe, to determine popular approaches by elephant herds to the waterholes. You then choose pans like Dom or Nyamandlovu where most elephant herds approach from the west in the dry season. This gives excellent opportunities at sunset with backlighting and dust.”
Friedrich really enjoyed writing the content for this spotlight article and would be grateful for you to join him in the forums. Thanks, Friedrich, for being featured!
If you’d like to share your photography setup, tell us about your main camera, lens choices, key settings and strategies. Your photos and story could be featured in the next article!
Editor’s note: This article continues a series, ‘What’s in your bag?’, highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself and your photography by filling out this form. If you’re selected for a feature, we’ll be in touch with next steps.
Submit your photos and story to be featured in ‘What’s in your bag?’