The first thing that stuck me upon arrival into South Africa was its size. Whilst it’s easy to under-estimate the landmasses of, say, the United States or Australia; no-one really tells you how big South Africa is until you get there.
As with most countries in Africa, shooting is made all the more difficult because of the diversity of both landscape and wildlife on offer. If you elect to cram in a visit to one of the many game reserves during your stay then this will present a serious gear issue. Successful wildlife photographers will often laugh in the face of the wide-angle lenses and Velvia 50 of landscape photography. Instead, their life is one of ridiculously fast - and expensive - zoom lenses coupled with an increasing array of digital paraphernalia.
Packing for a trip requires ingenuity; for example, replacing the trusty 24-105mm and 100-400mm with a monstrously heavy 28-300mm. However, once there you’ll soon wish for every other piece of photographic equipment under the sun (I would have happily given up a first born for a 600mm prime on a couple of occasions). After several frustrating - and frankly hilarious - attempts at shooting wildlife, I resolved to focus upon my natural affinity with landscapes…
As I immersed in to the land, I quickly found myself thinking how I could quite happily wait days, if not weeks, for the correct landscape shot but find a mere 20 minutes of waiting for a non-cooperative leopard the most frustrating of experiences. Although I came up with a rash of explanations to explain this lack of patience, I feel it’s an issue which I may never truly resolve!
When not shooting, I found the topic of bar conversation quickly turning political. From the apartheid legacy to the controversial national view on HIV, you could almost sense the entire country engaged in a period of intense inner dialogue.
I believe that nature can provide a perfect source of reflection in such times and it was with joy that I shared my serene pictures of the country to its people. From the majesty of the Kruger through the Drakensberg and onto the jewel of Cape Town via the coast, I would argue that there are more things that unite people (for example the threat of global warming) than push them apart.
Photographically speaking, there are numerous remote areas that demand a return visit. You never know, if I could somehow coincide a future trip with the 2010 World Cup then maybe I would be willing give that elusive leopard shot another try...
Jaspal Jandu Photography is pleased to announce that it will be providing a series of classic images for the major new ITV series on Britain's Favourite View. Both the Bamburgh Castle and Wast Water scenes will accompany the series as it attempts to uncover Britain’s most treasured viewpoint from a list of 16. 
