Africa in pictures – Nature photographer Ole-Arne and Africa

“For a photographer, Africa is paradise – the motifs are lined up right in front of you…”

Ole-Arne Schlytter lives and works in Oslo, Norway. In his spare time, he is a passionate nature photographer, and it has been a dream for him to visit Africa since he was a boy.

His dream was fulfilled when, as a UN soldier in Lebanon in the 1980s, he had the opportunity to visit Egypt, and thus his first encounter with the African continent. Since then, he has visited Africa several times, including Tanzania in 2014 and South Africa in 2017 with Africa Safari.

There is a big difference between being a nature photographer in Scandinavia and a nature photographer in Africa. In Scandinavia, the animals are afraid of people. They hide when you approach them with your camera, so you have to establish hiding places to get the right pictures. In Africa, it’s quite a different story, explains Ole-Arne.

“This is the biggest difference. In Africa, the safari car is hidden, and the animals are not afraid of it. They go about their business, completely unperturbed…”

My favourite picture

Ole-Arne’s countless images of animals and birds from the national parks in Africa testify to his passion for nature. He has taken a lot of great photographs, but some of them have a special place in his heart.

He finds it difficult to choose the best one, but his love of cheetahs is perhaps what decides the matter. This photo of two cheetahs, a male and a female together, is one of the images that mean the most to him in any case.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2014

“In the southern part of the Serengeti (Ndutu), we came across a couple of cheetahs lying down, relaxing. They were lying next to each other, the male with his paws over the female. They were licking each other and purring loudly (as cats do when they are enjoying themselves). It was really touching to see.
…

The photo was taken when the male has stood up, while the female is still lying on her back with her paws in the air. It looks as if she’s smiling.
…
It is great to experience the social interaction – something I really appreciate having experienced.”

In Africa, the experiences just keep coming

Another great experience fresh in Ole-Arne’s memory is from his and his wife’s recent trip to South Africa in February 2017. From the safari car in the Kruger National Park, they encountered two elephants fighting one another.

“…[We] met an angry elephant fighting with another elephant, pushing the trees and plants around them down. The losing elephant withdrew, but the angry elephant continued on his way, shaking his head and blowing through his trunk, while pulling at the trees and stamping his feet…”

Kruger National Park, South Africa, 2017

“It was quite a sight to behold, and it was really impressive yet frightening to experience the power and strength of the elephant. It is a magnificent, beautiful animal, which demands great respect…”

“I trusted our guide 100%. He moved the car whenever the elephant got a little too close. He also stopped all the civilian cars to warn them about the angry elephant.”

South Africa or Tanzania?

Ole-Arne has been on safari with Africa Safari in both Tanzania and South Africa. Both are wonderful destinations if you want to photograph, or just see animals that you only find in Africa.

According to Ole-Arne, the biggest difference between the two destinations is that Tanzania – and the Serengeti National Park in particular – has very open plains and savannahs, making it easy to see the animals, even from a distance.

Depending on the season, you may also be lucky enough to experience the great migration, when wildebeest, zebras and gazelles migrate from the Serengeti in Tanzania to Masai Mara in Kenya.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2014

In other Tanzanian national parks, such as Tarangire and Lake Manyara, as well as the Kruger National Park in South Africa, the parks have more trees and bushes where the animals can lie hidden.

But regardless of the destination, Ole-Arne believes:

“The experiences just keep coming, no matter what you choose … What’s more, both countries offer a wealth of culture and history, each in their own way…”

Why Africa Safari?

Ole-Arne first travelled with Africa Safari back in 2014.

For him, the possibility of having a private safari car has been an important element (surcharge applies). It allows you to make stops. Something that’s important when the goal is to take really good pictures.

Ole-Arne also says:
“Africa Safari is really competitive price-wise, and offers a wide range of departure dates, which is something I appreciate.”

Although he has visited Africa several times, he is far from finished. He is, for example, considering going back to South Africa later this year to experience other colours in the nature.

“[I] will probably never tire of Africa. There are amazing new experiences every time. Especially since nature photography has become one of my passions…” … “”It is also a goal for me to visit Kenya in the future.”

You can see all of Ole-Arne’s amazing photos on his website here.

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