Sunset Landscape Picture

I took this sunset landscape picture while handholding my camera on the roof of a speedboat on the Okavango Delta. Not very clever, but as you can see very lucky! We were camping at Xakanaxa in the Moremi Game Reserve of Botswana. The guy driving the boat obviously had a lot of experience, because he knew exactly where to take us to get the best sunset view.

The perfect sunset? Surely. The perfect picture of a sunset? Not quite. Looking back on this opportunity, I realize the need for a tripod there. I had to stop down the lens quite seriously, to about f/22. This would have ensured the reflection on the water right in front of us was sharp. Any case — cool shot, and lesson learned.

I am a big fan of the Northern Botswana region (as you most probably know by now!) and therefore I try to go there often. On our June 2005 trip we didn't see many of the popular predators, but normally this reserve is one of the best places in the world to view Africa's wildlife. We still made the best of the privilege of being in such a wonderful reserve and enjoyed photographing the landscapes, antelopes, elephants and bird life.

Nature photography requires a patient observer and sometimes this will mean that you can plan an expensive trip and go to some far-off location and not get to see what you went there for. Take it as a good hard lesson in patience (a virtue that needs to be practiced) and move on. Oh, and stop complaining about it! We are privileged to be able to see all these things other people will never see... Just being there is more than enough reason for joy!

If you would like opportunities to take pictures like this one, scratch around in my Africa Safaris section and start planning a trip! It won't happen unless you plan for it.