frequently asked questions (FAQ) 

Certainly! Because the groups are so small, there is room to help everyone at their own level. I have experience with participants who’re holding a camera for the very first time and with participants who take professional photographs themselves; everything is possible!

We really take our time everywhere. We wait for the best light, we wait for interesting action and we wait for that one special moment. The nice thing about working with your camera for a whole week is that you make really big strides in a short time. And you often learn something from the questions of the other participants.

When we are taking photos, I usually joining too. That’s because I enjoy doing it, but it also helps me to see what you may be encountering. That way I can immediately tell you how to solve certain things. For example, I often tell you what my settings are at a certain moment, what I focus on, what I expect to happen or what composition I choose.

And even though I’m taking photographs, my ears are always open, so you can really ask me anything: how to do something, what setting I recommend, where to find that setting on your camera, why a certain thing doesn’t work, and so on.

As said before: I try to meet everyone’s personal needs!

Almost all trips involve little walking and little physical exertion. We mainly sit in the vehicle, because of the distances and safety. Sometimes there are long days and short nights because we want to make as much use of the most beautiful light as possible, at sunrise and sunset.

Some countries are simply more expensive: accommodation, entrance fees to the parks and, for example, fuel simply cost more than in other countries. This is partly related to how popular countries are for tourism.

Yes, that is certainly possible. It does mean that your partner sometimes has to be a little more patient and listen to a lot of conversations about photography. But if he or she is okay with that: absolutely welcome! Photography is not mandatory.

You can definitely join us! Just realize that it may cause some frustration if, for example, your camera does not have much zoom. Especially if you occasionally see the photos of the other participants. Compact cameras, like all cameras, come in so many types and qualities. But whatever camera you bring, you are always welcome!

All trips state the minimum number of participants required for the trip to be confirmed. Sometimes it’s three, usually it’s six. Because the accommodations often want certainty some time in advance, the decision is always made a few months before departure. This means that you still have enough time to book another trip for the same period.

As soon as the trip gets the green light because there are enough participants, you will receive the first invoice. Your participation is only final after payment.

I am a photographer, not a travel organization or tour operator. WOW Safaris and Backroads Africa have all local contacts and are used to arranging trips, booking them, taking options on accommodations and so on. They also have contacts with local guides. That’s why I like to make use of their expertise!

You must take out your own travel and cancellation insurance. And also check whether you need to arrange anything extra for medical expenses. I myself also have separate equipment insurance that provides worldwide coverage, but that is not always necessary.

In all countries the local guidance is English-speaking. In principle, this is also the case with my guidance, unless a group or car consists of only Dutch people, in which case I switch to Dutch. The groups are sometimes only Dutch/Flemish, but sometimes also more international in nature. The language will definitely be adapted to this!

In any case, it is nice to take a good zoom lens with you, think of at least 200 mm. But for landscape photos, a wide angle is not an unnecessary luxury. You can possibly work with a (rented) extender. You will probably hardly use a macro lens, unless in and around the accommodations.

Enough (fast) memory cards is always important. But it can also be nice to take a laptop with you, possibly with an external hard drive so that you can make a backup immediately. Moreover, you can also view your photos on the laptop and perhaps edit something already. Experience shows that you always take more photos than you thought you would at home. Animals are active and that means that you often take many more photos of the action than, for example, of a landscape or a cityscape.

That’s certainly possible! If there is a need in the group for such a short workshop, I will schedule it. Possibly also for part of the group. Based on my own photos or those of a participant, I will tell you more about what I pay attention to when selecting the best images. And I can show you how to turn an excellent photo into an even better one or how to turn a photo that you thought was a failure into something beautiful.

They can take this into account in all accommodations. Vegetarian, lactose or gluten free, a certain food allergy: please let us know in advance and we will take this into account as much as possible.

I am not a doctor, so I cannot and may not give you advice about that. The choice about this is very personal and is really up to you. I would like to refer you to your local doctor or travel hospital for this.

In Africa the nights can be cold and the days very hot. Clothing that you can put on and take off in layers is therefore the most practical. And for a really cold morning, a windproof jacket or a warm beanie is sometimes not an unnecessary luxury. Some accommodations also have a swimming pool, so swimwear might also be a good idea!

If I could predict that in advance… 🙂 But yes, it can rain, even in Africa. In Namibia or the Kalahari that chance will be somewhat less than in Kenya and it usually does not rain all day. But it is wise to be prepared for this: a cover for your camera and a waterproof jacket for yourself are a good idea.

No, I don’t and WOW Safaris and Backroads Africa don’t either. If you have a specific question about a specific flight or arrival time, you can always send me a message. I can always think along