Shompole Conservancy - Creative Wildlife Photography Expedition, Aug 2027

After returning to Shompole Wilderness Camp at approximately 8:30 AM, we settle down for a well-deserved heavy brunch. Having spent the entire night photographing, the remainder of the late morning and afternoon is deliberately kept free for rest, image backup, battery charging and preparation for another night in the hides.

At approximately 4:30 PM, we head out for our second overnight hide photography session. Our group will once again have exclusive access to one of Shompole’s photography hides, with the hide allocation depending on availability. Wherever possible, the objective will be to experience the other hide so that participants can photograph within two different habitats and explore a wider range of photographic opportunities.

The Plains Hide and Kichaka Hide offer very different environments. While the Plains Hide provides spectacular ground-level perspectives and open views of visiting wildlife, Kichaka is located within a woodland and tall-grass environment that may offer opportunities to encounter some of Shompole’s smaller and more elusive species, including African Wild Cat, Serval and Caracal, subject entirely to natural wildlife movement.

Once again, we carry our dinner, preferred drinks and plenty of coffee and settle in for the entire night. Participants will continue working closely with the mentor, refining creative techniques introduced during the previous session while experimenting with different shutter speeds, movement, available light and compositions.

We photograph throughout the night and continue into the changing morning light until approximately 8:30 AM, after which we return to camp for brunch and rest.

After returning from our second overnight hide session, we enjoy another heavy brunch at Shompole Wilderness Camp followed by a relaxed afternoon. Participants can rest, recharge batteries, back up images and prepare themselves for the third consecutive night of hide photography.

At approximately 4:30 PM, we head out for our third overnight photography session. On this night, we will have shared access to the hides, allowing us to choose the hide we wish to access depending on availability, recent wildlife activity, prevailing conditions and our photographic objectives.

This final overnight session provides an opportunity to build upon everything learnt during the previous two nights. Our mentor will continue to guide participants while encouraging greater experimentation with slow shutter speeds, ICM, zoom bursts, motion blur, low-light techniques, environmental compositions and creative visual storytelling.

We once again carry dinner, preferred drinks and plenty of coffee and remain inside the hide throughout the night. Photography continues into the early morning, when the changing direction, colour and quality of natural light creates a completely different photographic experience from the evening and nocturnal sessions.

We continue photographing until approximately 8:30 AM before returning to Shompole Wilderness Camp for brunch and rest.

After three consecutive nights of immersive hide photography, we return to Shompole Wilderness Camp in the morning. After breakfast and completing our check-out formalities, we begin our road journey back to Nairobi.

Upon arrival in Nairobi, we will be transferred to Hotel Argyle Grand or a similar hotel for our final overnight stay. The remainder of the day is at leisure, giving participants time to relax and recover after an intensive and rewarding few days of wildlife photography at Shompole.

Overnight stay in Nairobi at Hotel Argyle Grand or similar.

After breakfast, complete the hotel check-out formalities according to your flight schedule.

The hotel will provide airport drop services to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your onward flight.

This marks the end of our Shompole Wildlife Photography Expedition and an unforgettable experience of photographing African wildlife through three immersive overnight hide sessions in one of Kenya’s most distinctive wilderness landscapes.