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The following is a testimonial by Jim Norton.  This past June, Jim and three of his friends joined me in Tanzania on an African photo safari.  This was Jim’s second trip to Africa, having visited the continent previously to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.  Jim is a professional food and commercial photographer based in Toronto and it was a pleasure having him on the trip.  As I quickly discovered, commercial photographers are constantly challenging themselves to see in creative ways and Jim was no exception.  I thoroughly enjoyed the unique perspective of Jim’s photography and how it contrasted from my own photographic style.

As a professional photographer, I often feel that we are wired to do things in our own way, and a stubbornness that our way is the best practice.

Chris’s enthusiasm and knowledge of the environment travelled and untraveled is such that if forces you to rethink what you think you should and should not expect.

His advice and guidance truly allowed me to expand my opportunities in an environment that is not average by any means.  Even though travellers may have different levels of experience, knowledge and direction, Chris eagerly approached all of us in a professional and gracious manner appropriate to our personal needs.

Where I as a professional photographer may not have needed as much advice or guidance with technical details, he was sure to provide detailed information on how to improve all aspects of my skills to my greatest advantage.

And in turn, I watched him guide others who might not have had the greatest technical skills improve their knowledge and abilities beyond their own expectations.

Jim Norton

The image was taken one afternoon in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.  As the sun neared the horizon, we watched a herd of elephants start their daily movements away from the river.  As they passed between our Landrovers I captured this image.  The photographer on the other side of the elephant is Jim.  The image was captured using a Canon 1D mark 4, 120-300mm Sigma lens (set to 168mm), at 400 ISO.  The lens was handheld.

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Below is a testimonial from Chas (Charles) Millen, a talented amateur photographer from Australia who recently attended one of my Tanzanian Photo Safaris.  The image above shows Chas sharing a digital video with a group of Massai children during a visit to their boma.  The kids had seen digital images before, but it was clear from their reactions that video was something new.

Dear Chris,

After signing up for your photo safari in Tanzania I was extremely excited about what was in store for me.  This was to be my first ever time photographing wildlife on a large scale!

From an overly enthusiastic amateur photographer’s point of view, you were a huge help for me in the early stages of preparation for the trip & also during the trip.  Offering me advise on appropriate gear that would yield me the best results possible & optimal camera settings to improve my chances of capturing those amazing moments that we saw so many of.  I had such a rewarding time in places like the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater & Tarangire National Park.  With so much wildlife, it really gave me the opportunity to grow as a photographer & learn some new skills to push my abilities further.

Upon finishing my safari with you Chris you will recall me saying how much I wanted to return for another safari in the future.  It was a truly amazing experience, complimented by an amazing support crew of charismatic guides, friendly camp staff & amazing food at the end of each action packed day of wildlife photography.

Every day was an adventure & I saw something amazing on every single one of those days.

Thank you for the great experience Chris & I hope to head out on safari with you again in the future.

Yours Sincerely,

Charles Millen

Australia

See some examples of what I was able to achieve on safari with Chris by checking out my Flickr page.

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The following is an e-mail from Rob Fiocca, a Canadian based commercial and food photographer who attended my Tanzanian Photo Safari (and yes, Rob is one of the people in the Landrover shown above).

Dear Chris:

Our recent photo safari together in Tanzania was one of the best experiences in my life.    Meeting the Tanzanian people especially our guides Kileo, Robert chama and the crazy Mohamed.  Starting with the nature refuge onto Northern Serengeti, Central Serengeti, the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater and into Tarangire National Park.  The witnessing of animal behaviour was one of the most fascinating parts of the trip.  The sounds of the animals howling and singing at night almost as if it were a symphony of sounds from the hyenas to hippos to lions, wildebeest, etc.

In terms of the photographic part of it, it was a pleasure spending our trip with you.  You were extremely hospitable, available at all times to answer questions, to help guide us in our quest to achieve the perfect photograph.  You were always trying to help us technically when we needed the help.  You had a wonderful knowledge of animals and birds which helped us understand their behaviour.  In short, we could not have asked for a better photographic guide.  I hope that we will have another opportunity to be on another safari together, so please keep us informed of your adventures in the future.

All the Best,

Rob Fiocca