Beautiful Botswana - A Hackberry Farm Nature Photography Workshops Field Report
- Russell Graves
- Aug 24
- 4 min read
There's still a faint glow from the sun sinking westward as I settle around the crackling fire. Overhead, stars begin to dot the southern hemisphere sky in a pattern different from that to which my northern hemisphere mind is oriented. The smell of woodsmoke dances across the remote bush camp while in the distance, I hear lions, hyenas, and jackals speak to one another over a natural party line that's a millennia in the making.
Today has been a busy one: multiple safari drives, scores of animals spotted, and thousands of pictures taken. The totality of it all gives us permission on the Beautiful Botswana nature photography workshop to stop and slow down for a bit. Â
To say that Botswana is beautiful is an understatement. The country is wild yet elegant; sublime and exalted; rugged and, well, beautiful. For years, I've been traveling here with guests and helping them discover the magic of all that Botswana offers. It's a mesmerizing elixir made up of our guests, the people of Botswana, the impressive wildlife sightings, the austere landscapes, and the well-appointed lodges we visit. Â
To outline each incredible wildlife sighting would take a volume of words to tell each story. The truth is that each and every day, the sunrise brought forth a new adventure and incredible things to witness.
One morning, we leave the lodge in Dinaka to head out and explore the area in our Toyota Land Cruiser. With minutes, we find one of the big, dark-maned lions of the Central Kalahari Desert. He's a big, mature lion that's as immense a specimen as I've ever seen. Watching him slink through the grass reminds me of the title of a book I read long ago. The book's name is Death in the Long Grass, chronicling Peter Capstick's adventure in the wilds of Africa. From the lion's posture to his swagger, it's clear that he is truly the king of these desert plains.
For thirty minutes, we trail him in the sweet morning light. He follows a couple of females - one of which is nearing her season - and constantly checks her for her willingness to breed and continue his progeny on this patch of spare landscape.
He walks, stops for a minute, and poses in the soft light. Meanwhile, cameras click with a frenzy behind me as our guests bask in the moment.
The entire scene is so unforgettable.
Each day unfolds like this one: We depart camp with an anticipation of things unseen and are then completely enthralled by the natural world unfolding before us. It's a world unspoiled and raw, ours to capture on digital media and in our hearts and minds.
Long after this trip is over, the images taken and the imprints of the experience on our collective souls will endure.
A few days earlier, we ran headlong into the wind on a skinny-water boat in the Chobe River. The Chobe River, which runs between Namibia and Botswana, is world-famous for elephants. But we see much more than that. Flanking us are cape buffalo, waterbucks, crocodiles, and bird species too numerous to count. Â
Hippos stare at us curiously as we stop to photograph them. They "yawn" as if they are bored with our presence, but they linger, and so do we: eager to capture moments like this that define the Botswana experience. A few minutes after the hippos, we sidle the boat along the bank and look up.
Resting on the shoreline are a small pride of female lions and a young male. The male's posture and body language suggest that he knows his role in the feline hierarchy. One day, he'll be king. While the females lounge, he stands vigilant and surveys the river bottom. Soon, however, curiosity gets the best of him. Â
Along the river's edge, a monitor lizard casually walks down the bank and stops in front of our boat just mere feet away. The young male sees the lizard, and I can't tell if he thinks the reptile is lunch or just a plaything. Either way, the lion leaves his post and stalks down to the river.  The lizard sees him and flees. Undaunted, the lion still walked to where the lizard stood. Now he's probably ten feet from our boat and poses for memorable photos.
"We may never see a lion that close again," I tell my guests. My prediction was premature because, camp after camp and a couple of bush flights later, we're even closer to an enormous male lion in the Okavango Delta.
Try as I might, I can never accurately describe the feeling of being in Botswana and seeing all we saw. The photos we take and words I write help paint a picture of the experience, but it's one of those places you have to visit. Â
Soon, our ten-day adventure is over, and the guests depart for home. I am, however, staying behind to welcome another group. When it's my time to go home, I'll know that part of me remains behind. You can't help but feel an emotional connection with the people, the landscapes, and the wildlife of such a remarkable place.
Beautiful Botswana… May you never change.
Stay tuned for more images and a new chronology of our second trip to Botswana this year.
We're gearing up for more incredible excursions to Botswana and Africa in 2027. If you'd like to be the first to learn about these itineraries, LET US KNOW!
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