My name is Jandré and I am full-time photography guide in Namibia. I have studied nature conserving and guiding in South Africa and I have spent most of my life in the south of Namibia. Namibia for me, is definitely the country in Africa with the most diverse nature scapes in Africa. It has landscapes and wildlife that all fall in the majestic category. Everything is desolate, big or on a scale that leaves you speechless. Seeing the sunset over any African vista, drink in the hand, good company by your side, the sound of a barking gecko or a pride of lions announcing the transition from day to night, that is the magical allure of Africa; knowing that in that vista of nothingness, life goes on as it has for millennia. It is what lured explorers like Livingstone, and it is the experience that keeps bringing people back to Africa time and time again.
I think of guiding not as a career but as a deed of generosity where I can give guests the best experience imaginable and share small acts of teaching and explaining. Having guests remember certain moments and experiences for the rest of their life is something I strive for and is all the reward I need. Although, I have been guiding for almost 10 years now and sometimes you simply don’t find the animals you are looking for and people are hoping to see.
We had been searching the whole day, it was scalding hot, and some of the guests were getting irritated. I almost gave up, but I knew one more secret spot where they sometimes go to find food. At the end, just before the sunset, we were rewarded by a herd of seven elephants right next to us feeding themselves on the Acacia trees in the riverbed. I switched off the vehicle, and we sat for about 45 minutes in complete silence, watching these magnificent animals.
Besides living all these wonderful moments and landscapes in my everyday life, I enjoy photographing them as well. Yet, I prefer quality over quantity. So many times you see hundreds of the same photo and you blindly scroll past it. I want to have that one photo that makes scrolling past it impossible and make someone stop and admire the picture, the colors, the aspects and compositions of the photo.
I have learned countless things from my guests. Something small like fixing the zipper on your camera bag to approaching a once in a lifetime photo opportunity. I always try to understand all the different forms of photography and how each photographer thinks about and creates ´the perfect photo´. No one is the same, and each photographer has a special trick that he uses to get the best photo, and that is what I enjoy learning.
Andy Rider is a passionate wildlife photographer and filmmaker based in South Africa, dedicated to capturing the raw beauty of nature while raising awareness about conservation. Inspired by legends like Steve Irwin, his journey began as a field guide, where he honed his skills and developed a deep respect for ethical wildlife photography.
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