Barbara Seiberl-Stark’s stay at Kavinga included many great sightings, including leopards and a sunrise with seven playful lions she’ll never forget. However, it was the warmth, knowledge and understanding of the Kavinga team that had the biggest impact. Here’s her story from camp, and a selection of her favourite photographs.
Barbara recently joined us at Kavinga Safari Camp as part of her first-ever trip to Africa. She arrived with two cameras, a selection of lenses, plenty of anticipation, and a little uncertainty. “I was a little unsure of what to expect. However, this was immediately dispelled by the incredibly warm welcome we received on arrival. You could tell that the team’s friendliness came from the heart.”
Her first leopard sighting – right at camp!
Shortly after Barbara arrived at Kavinga, Poppy, a female leopard, was spotted stalking two Egyptian geese through the bush near the pan. The geese caught Poppy’s scent and fled into the water before anything could happen, and the leopard slipped away. Barbara never saw her again during her stay – a fitting start to a trip full of never-to-be-repeated moments.
Elephants around camp
“Elephants, elephants, and more elephants…there is no shortage at Kavinga. Especially in the afternoons and evenings, small family groups passed through camp, different generations moving together.”
What struck Barbara most wasn’t just their presence but their behaviour – the relationships between adults and calves, and the personalities that emerged the longer she watched.
Did you know lions climb trees?
Day three brought the lions Barbara had been hoping for. They found the pride on one of their game drives, and once again it was the interactions between animals that held her attention.
“We even saw one lionness attempt to escape a persistent fly by climbing up a very small tree. I think I managed to capture her distinctly ‘pouty’ expression that followed her less-than-elegant landing after she fell out of the tree!”
A skilled guide that understood what she needed
Game drives also gave Barbara room to photograph more than just the big game. “Our guide Liam was so understanding and happy to let us sit, enjoy, and photograph the things we wanted to, including the beautiful landscapes.” That same patience extended to birds. As a keen bird lover, Barbara was delighted by his eye for birdlife, and at the variety of birds they saw during their stay.
Whether it was a sweeping view or a species worth pausing for, Liam seemed to read what she needed as a photographer as easily as he read the animals. “He could read the bush like a book and always willingly explained his assumptions and thoughts.”
What is a night drive at Kavinga like for photography?
After sundowners, guests and guides are equipped with torches for the night drive back to camp – and the safari changes character. Unlike during the day, night drive sightings depend on people spotting animals’ eyes reflected in the lights, or catching movement in the darkness.
One evening, a radio call led Barbara’s group to head guide Blade, who had located Ushingi the leopard with her prey. Another night, they found themselves in the middle of a hunt: young lions chasing a genet, which escaped just in time. “We were really in the middle of the action, rather than just watching.”
The morning that stole the show: the Kavinga Pride at sunrise
One sighting stood out above the rest for Barbara. Lions were roaring before dawn, and a short drive from camp the team found the whole pride of seven lion playing in the riverbed at sunrise – one lion splashing through the water, the others scattered in every direction.
“The only problem was knowing where to point the camera. I’m sure some good moments got away from me, but you simply have to pick a hotspot and stay with it.”
Barbara happened to have her camera on the lion in the water when the moment came – and it’s her favourite photograph of the trip.
The group stayed with the pride for an hour and a half.
“The best morning in the bush ever…”
Behind the camera: gear and advice
For photographers planning their own trip to Kavinga, we asked Barbara to break down what worked for her – and what she thinks people should know before they go.
Her kit: Two full-frame camera bodies, paired with a 300mm f/2.8 prime, a 70–200mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom, and a 10mm f/2.8 ultra-wide. “For me this worked perfectly and I did not miss anything.”
Her biggest technical challenge: Low light on the drive back from sundowners. “It was a bit tricky to take pictures when we headed back from the sundowners to the camp when there was almost no light at all,” Barbara explained. The spotlights worked well for viewing, but photography was another matter entirely. Her solution: push ISO and shutter speed as high as she dared for moving animals, and take the shots she could get.
Her advice for first-time-visiting photographers: “If photographing is the main thing you want to do there, then be sure to know how to use your equipment well. Scenes change quickly and you have to react very fast to get the best shot.”
A big thank you
A huge thank you to Barbara for so generously sharing her images and reflections with us – and to our team for making her trip what it was.
If her photographs have you dreaming of your own trip to Kavinga, contact Kimi, our bookings manager, to start planning your visit.
You can see more of Barbara’s fantastic work on her Facebook page.