Travel
Travel photographer Jonathan Gregson on floating down the Kazinga Channel for the National Geographic Traveller (UK) December 2023 issue.
ByJonathan Gregson
Published January 18, 2024
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Tell us about this image.
This particular shot was taken in the Kazinga Channel, Uganda. Hippopotamuses can open their jaws almost 180 degrees and an adult’s open mouth can span up to 4ft. They’ll display their tusks in this way either when they’re yawning or if they want to intimidate a perceived threat — their tusks are a powerful warning to potential attackers. Hippos have the most powerful bite of any land animal, but thankfully this one was just a bit sleepy, allowing me to illustrate its unique jaw structure.
How did you achieve the shot?
I find tripods too restrictive for wildlife photography, so for this shot I fitted my camera with a 100-400mm zoom lens and rested it on a small beanbag on the edge of the boat. The long zoom allowed me to remain a safe distance from my subject, while the beanbag meant that I was able to quickly shift position when action occurred. Once everything was set up, I began looking from hippo to hippo to see if any of them might venture a yawn. I missed several opportunities before capturing this one in full stretch.
What was one of the major challenges you faced?
Spending up to 16 hours a day underwater, hippos aren’t easy to photograph. Most of the time, you only get to see their nostrils and eyes poking above the waterline, and when approached they generally disappear. But, being on a small boat — the ideal way to approach aquatic wildlife without disturbing it — we were able to silently drift with the current and photograph the hippos without causing them any distress in the slightest.
What attracted you to this particular assignment?
I’d fallen in love with Uganda on my first visit. It’s such a diverse destination for wildlife photography, so I jumped at the chance to return. I was especially keen to photograph the freshwater habitats of the Kazinga: the thousands of pied kingfishers that skim its surface for insects, the lilac water hyacinths that bob in the shallows and the elephants and buffalo that congregate at its fertile banks.
What elements of the area did you seek out for a successful shot?
The key to successful wildlife photography is working with good local guides. A skilled guide will be able to locate fauna within vast areas of savannah or forest using knowledge honed over many years — a skill I remain in awe of to this day. Trust between photographer and guide is essential in keeping both the photographer and the wildlife safe.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in wildlife photography?
Photographing animals in their natural habitats can be intensely rewarding but requires a huge amount of patience. Try and relish the hunt for wildlife as much as the challenge of capturing it when it’s suddenly there in front of you. As always, packing the right kit is essential. Use a camera with a motor drive so you can take rapid sequences of photographs, and always bring a long lens. Take lots of memory cards, as the more images you take, the more likely it is that you’ll find that perfect shot. That said, try to avoid taking 100 photos of the same thing at slightly different angles. Edit decisively — choose the best image and forget the others.
Published in January/February 2024 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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