KENYA WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARIS
Kenya, nestled in East Africa, is one of the most iconic destinations in the world for wildlife photography. Its diverse landscapes—ranging from the arid savannas of the Maasai Mara to the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya and the shimmering lakes of the Rift Valley—create a dynamic canvas for capturing Africa’s most charismatic wildlife.
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is Kenya’s photographic crown jewel. It’s a prime location to witness the Great Migration as it spills over from Tanzania’s Serengeti, offering dramatic predator-prey interactions, river crossings, and golden-hour scenes that few destinations can rival. Beyond the Mara, Kenya’s lesser-known gems—like Amboseli National Park, with its herds of elephants backdropped by Mount Kilimanjaro, or Samburu National Reserve, known for its rare northern species—provide photographers with a rich variety of subjects and settings.
Kenya is not just a safari destination; it’s a land where every frame tells a story—of survival, beauty, and the deep connection between nature and culture. For wildlife photographers, it offers endless opportunities to create meaningful, impactful imagery.
2026 GROUP PHOTO SAFARIS IN KENYA
INTERESTED IN A PRIVATE PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPERIENCE IN KENYA
Elevate your portfolio with a custom-designed photographic safari through Kenya’s most iconic and untamed landscapes. Enjoy the freedom of private vehicles, pro-level mentorship, and elite accommodations—all tailored to deliver an extraordinary photographic journey.
BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT KENYA
Kenya offers incredible photographic safaris year-round, each season bringing unique advantages.
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
= best overall
= great for specific encounters
= not recommended
January and February fall within the “green season,” offering quieter parks, vibrant landscapes, and dramatic skies. Game drives remain dry and productive, making this an ideal time for photographers seeking space and rich color. Best for big cat photography.
March to May is the long rainy season, with fewer tourists and lusher environments. While some remote areas may be harder to access, this season offers moody skies, birding opportunities, and exceptional value for those willing to embrace unpredictable weather.
June to September is peak safari season—dry, cooler, and marked by the Great Migration in the Maasai Mara. Wildlife viewing is outstanding in all Kenyan destinations during this time of the year.
October is a transition month, where the country is very dry, however rain can fall at any moment. With these dry conditions, hide photography is at its peak due to limited water sources prior to the rains.
November to December brings short rains and fewer crowds. Landscapes begin to green again, and wildlife remains active, offering a sweet spot for photographers who value a balance of accessibility, beauty, and solitude.
TOP LOCATIONS IN KENYA FOR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE
Masai Mara National Reserve is one of Africa’s most iconic wildlife photography destinations. Located in southwestern Kenya, the reserve is world-renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and exceptional wildlife sightings, making it a must-visit for photographers seeking to capture the essence of African wildlife in its natural habitat.
The Masai Mara is particularly famous for its abundant predator populations, including lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Its vast open savannahs and riverine forests create the perfect environment for both classic wildlife portraits and dramatic action shots. During the Great Migration, the reserve becomes a spectacle of life and death, with millions of wildebeests and zebras crossing the Mara River, often risking their lives to avoid crocodile attacks. This is one of the most incredible wildlife photography events on the planet, offering photographers unparalleled opportunities to capture the raw power of nature.
In addition to the migration, the Masai Mara is home to an incredible diversity of species year-round. Elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, and antelopes are often seen grazing in the open plains, while predators like lions and hyenas are never far behind. The abundance of wildlife, combined with the dramatic landscapes, allows for an array of photo opportunities, from wide-angle shots of the Mara River to intimate close-ups of predators on the hunt.
The photographic opportunities in the Masai Mara are not limited to the migration. With its stunning vistas, golden light, and varied habitats, the reserve offers something for every photographer. From capturing big cat behavior to photographing birds of prey soaring above the savannah, every day in the Masai Mara presents new and exciting opportunities to document Africa’s incredible wildlife in action.
For wildlife photographers, Masai Mara National Reserve is a place of boundless potential, offering some of the most spectacular wildlife encounters in the world. Whether you're chasing the Great Migration or photographing predators in their prime, the Mara delivers an exceptional experience for those looking to capture the heart of the African wilderness.
AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK
Amboseli National Park, located in southern Kenya near the Tanzanian border, is one of Africa’s most iconic landscapes for wildlife photography. With the snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro towering in the background, the open plains and seasonal swamps of Amboseli create a dramatic setting for photographing large herds of elephants, hippos, buffalo, and an array of birdlife.
The park is especially famous for its elephants, and among them is Craig, one of the last remaining super tuskers on the continent. With tusks that nearly touch the ground, Craig is a living legend and a prized subject for wildlife photographers seeking to capture the majesty of these rare giants.
Spotting and photographing Craig is a highlight for many, and Amboseli remains one of the best places in Africa to photograph elephants at close range, often walking through open terrain or cooling off in the marshes.
The light in Amboseli is particularly rewarding for photography—golden sunrises, dusty afternoons, and vibrant sunsets provide striking conditions for capturing unforgettable images.
Whether you’re tracking elephants across the plains or composing wide shots with Kilimanjaro looming in the distance, Amboseli offers some of the most powerful and timeless photographic opportunities in all of East Africa.
SHOMPOLE CONSERVANCY
Shompole Conservancy is a private wildlife reserve located in southern Kenya, bordering Tanzania. This remote conservancy offers a unique and serene experience for wildlife photographers, with a mix of savannah and acacia woodlands that are teeming with both predators and prey. The conservancy is known for its rich diversity of species, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, zebra, buffalo, giraffes, and more, all set against a stunning backdrop of rolling hills and vast plains.
A standout feature of Shompole Conservancy for photographers is its photo hide, strategically placed to offer unobtrusive, up-close views of wildlife. From the hide, photographers can capture intimate moments of animals as they go about their daily routines—whether drinking from waterholes, interacting with each other, or in action during predation.
This hide allows for incredible opportunities to photograph wildlife in a way that is both natural and undisturbed, providing a front-row seat to some of Africa’s most iconic animals.
The combination of stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife, along with the quiet, undisturbed environment of the photo hide, makes Shompole Conservancy an exceptional destination for photographers seeking authentic and intimate wildlife experiences.
LUMO CONSERVANCY / TSAVO NATIONAL PARK
Lumo Community Wildlife Conservancy is one of Kenya’s best-kept secrets for wildlife photographers—a privately managed conservancy bordering Tsavo West National Park, offering access to abundant wildlife, wide-open spaces, and crowd-free photographic experiences. Situated within a critical migration corridor between Tsavo West and the Taita Hills, Lumo provides an ideal setting for capturing intimate wildlife encounters away from the high-traffic tourist routes.
The conservancy is home to large herds of elephants, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, and eland, with healthy populations of lion, leopard, and lesser kudu—a particularly elusive species rarely seen elsewhere. With fewer vehicles and no time limits on sightings, photographers can spend longer in the field, allowing for more thoughtful compositions, natural animal behavior, and uncluttered backgrounds.
What truly sets Lumo apart is its dedicated wildlife photography hide, positioned at a waterhole frequented by a wide range of animals. Here, photographers can shoot from eye level, often capturing elephants, zebra, antelope, and even predators coming in to drink—all from the comfort and concealment of a low-impact setup. It’s the perfect environment for crafting unique, close-range and wide angle shots, especially in the soft light of early morning or golden hour.
With stunning sunsets, open horizons, and a strong conservation ethos, Lumo offers a quieter, more intimate experience that’s tailor-made for wildlife photographers. Whether you’re waiting silently in the hide or tracking lions through the open plains, Lumo delivers rare photographic opportunities in a remote, wild setting—just a short drive from Tsavo’s dramatic landscapes.
SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE
Samburu National Reserve, located in northern Kenya along the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, is a standout destination for wildlife photographers seeking rare species, dramatic backdrops, and a distinctly different feel from the southern safari circuit. With its rugged hills, doum palms, and arid terrain, Samburu offers a raw, elemental beauty that is both visually striking and creatively inspiring.
This semi-arid reserve is home to the “Samburu Special Five”—grevy’s zebra, beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, and Somali ostrich—all of which present unique photographic subjects not easily found elsewhere in Kenya. In addition, leopards, lions, and cheetahs are often sighted in the reserve, as well as large herds of elephants moving between riverine woodlands and open plains.
A major highlight for photographers is the Larsen's photographic hide—a purpose-built, ground-level structure overlooking a waterhole that draws in a variety of wildlife throughout the day. From this concealed vantage point, you can photograph animals at eye level, capturing intimate details, clean backgrounds, and natural behavior without disturbance. The hide is particularly productive during the dry season, when water becomes scarce and wildlife concentrations increase dramatically.
The light in Samburu—warm, directional, and often accompanied by striking skies—makes it a haven for photographers who enjoy working with bold tones and contrast-rich environments. From wide shots of elephants silhouetted against the sunlit ridges to close-ups of a gerenuk stretching upright to feed, every frame tells a textured, authentic story of life in the north.
For those looking to break away from the beaten path and photograph some of East Africa’s most iconic yet overlooked species, Samburu offers a rare mix of wildlife density, compositional drama, and exclusive photographic access through its innovative hide and unique landscape.
EAST AFRICA IS OUR EXPERTISE
At Untamed Photo Safaris, East Africa isn’t just one of many destinations—it’s our entire focus. While others offer photographic safaris around the globe, we choose to specialise solely in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. That dedication gives us a depth of knowledge others simply can’t match.
Led by professional wildlife photographers and guides Mark and Jaren Fernley, we live and breathe this region year-round. We know the terrain, the light, the patterns, and most importantly, the wildlife—how they move, hunt, and behave across the seasons.
This intimate, on-the-ground expertise means we don’t just take you to the action—we anticipate it. That’s the difference a true specialist makes.
