In The Moment

As a teenager, Joe Welman started experimenting with his dad’s old Pentax Spotmatic camera, spending his monthly allowance on Fuji Provia 100 film and lurking around the local pond near his home in Secunda using all sorts of makeshift blinds and hides to stalk birds.

- Lynne Fraser

Despite his efforts, however, he simply couldn’t produce images that matched the quality of his wildlife photography idols – Frans Lanting, Vincent Munier, Koos van der Lende…

That changed when Joe landed a dream job as a ranger in the famousMalaMala Game Reserve, part of the Sabi Sand concession within the Kruger Park. His four-year posting also coincided with the boom in digital photography. For the first time, he could get instant feedback on the screen and his technique improved exponentially.

Still, having been raised on film, Joe is obsessed with the discipline of planning and framing; getting as close as possible to his final desired image in the field without relying on software to save a shot. “Tome, the art in photography is to recognise the potential of a scene and to capture it in an authentic manner,” he says.

A story of sorrow MalaMala Game Reserve

Working as a guide in a game reserve, you get to know the back stories of the resident predators quite well. A lion isn’t just another lion any more.

At one point, this lioness’s pride was 22 individuals strong, but disease and clashes with other prides diminished the group to one. Just her.