A Night In Shompole Hide - Mark A Fernley 2025

A night in Shompole Hide?

Tucked away in the remote southern reaches of Kenya, on the edge of Shompole Conservancy where the open savannah gives way to the rugged cliffs of the Great Rift Valley, lies one of Africa’s most unique wildlife photography experiences - the Shompole Hide.

From the outside, it’s almost invisible. Just a low, earth-toned structure blending perfectly into its surroundings. But step inside, and you’re met with a photographer’s vantage point unlike any other: eye-level with a permanent waterhole that draws wildlife from miles around. The hide is built so close to the action that when a lion pads silently to the water’s edge or an elephant lowers its trunk to drink, you feel as if you could reach out and touch them - though of course, they have no idea you’re there.

This concealment is the magic of Shompole Hide. Here, there’s no engine noise, no sudden movements, no human presence to disrupt the moment. Just natural, undisturbed behaviour - exactly as it’s meant to be seen. By day, it’s a magnet for everything from flocks of sandgrouse to towering giraffes. But as the sun sinks and the floodlights come to life, the waterhole transforms into a stage for Africa’s elusive nocturnal cast: hyenas, genets, and, if you’re lucky, big cats on the hunt.

Purpose-built for photographers, the hide is equipped with comfortable seating, camera supports, and an open-front design that allows for an uninterrupted shooting angle mere feet from the water. You can work for hours without shifting position, adjusting quietly between wide landscapes and intimate portraits as the drama unfolds. It’s an experience that blends patience, anticipation, and a front-row seat to some of the most raw and authentic wildlife encounters Kenya has to offer.

I arrived at Shompole with my photography group in the late afternoon, the Rift Valley light already softening into warm gold across the conservancy. The air was still, broken only by the sound of doves and the rustle of dry grass in the warm breeze. After weeks of game drives across Kenya, there was a different kind of anticipation in the air - this wasn’t about scanning the horizon or racing to a sighting. This was about settling in, letting the wilderness come to us on its own terms.

We unloaded gear directly into the hide, the cool shade offering relief from the heat of the day. Each photographer quietly claimed a spot along the open viewing front, adjusting stools and camera supports until everything felt just right. Tripods were extended, beanbags positioned, and lenses checked - from wide-angles ready to capture a giraffe bending down to drink, to the long telephotos prepared for the shy nocturnal visitors we hoped would appear after dark.

Once everyone was settled, we began setting up the hide’s studio lighting - a system of carefully positioned, low-intensity floodlights designed to illuminate the waterhole without disturbing the animals. The key was even, natural-looking light that would allow us to shoot at lower ISOs and maintain rich detail, even in the dead of night. I adjusted the angles to avoid glare or harsh shadows, making sure every corner of the water’s edge was softly lit. For many in the group, this was their first time shooting nocturnal wildlife under professional lighting, and the transformation was instant - what had been a dark, quiet pool now glowed like a stage set, waiting for its cast to arrive.

Before the first evening session, I gathered the group for a quick briefing. We went over low-light settings, silent shutter modes, and the importance of keeping movements slow and minimal once the animals arrived. In a hide, every detail matters - the sound of a dropped lens cap or a quick shift in position can spook wildlife and end the moment before it begins. Everyone knew that for the next three days, patience would be our greatest tool.

We’d be spending long stretches in here, so the Shompole team had stocked the hide with snacks, drinks, and a hearty evening meal to keep us going through the night. There’s something almost surreal about tucking into dinner while listening to the soft pad of hyena paws outside or the gentle splash of a zebra drinking just metres away. It’s the kind of experience where even a sip of coffee feels heightened - every sense alert, every sound a reminder that you’re sharing the night with wild Africa.

As we settled in, the reality sank in: this wasn’t just another stop on our safari. For the next three days and nights, this hide would be our world - a front-row seat to one of Africa’s most raw and intimate wildlife stages.

With everything in place, we settled into a rhythm of quiet anticipation. The hide’s floodlights were dialled down to their lowest setting, just enough to cast a faint glow over the waterhole without announcing our presence. The night air was still and heavy, filled only with the occasional call of a nightjar or the distant bark of a zebra.

In the first few hours, the waterhole drew a steady stream of visitors. A pair of Cape buffalo came in first, their heavy hooves crunching softly on the dry earth before lowering their massive heads to drink. Not long after, the elegant shape of a giraffe appeared in the floodlight’s reach, its long neck bending in that careful, splayed-leg posture to reach the water. Later, a lone jackal trotted in, pausing for a quick drink before disappearing into the darkness as quickly as it came.

Then, almost without warning, a shape emerged from the black - fluid, deliberate, unmistakable. A leopard. She moved with the effortless grace only a big cat can manage, padding straight to the water’s edge.

Cameras came to life in hushed bursts of silent shutters. Most of us reached for our 70–200mm lenses to frame her in context against the glowing water, while a couple of guests, switched to 300mm primes for tighter portraits. The low light made the first few frames soft and atmospheric, the leopard’s reflection rippling as she lowered her head to drink.

Once she settled, I slowly increased the lighting on the front and sides of the hide. The transformation was immediate - the soft shadows gave way to rich detail, the delicate pattern of her rosettes glowing against her golden coat. You could see every whisker, every drop of water clinging to her muzzle. It was one of those rare moments in wildlife photography when the preparation, the patience, and the equipment all aligned perfectly.

For several minutes she drank, pausing now and then to glance into the darkness, ears flicking to sounds we couldn’t hear. And then, as quietly as she had arrived, she melted back into the night - leaving behind the kind of image that makes hours of waiting feel like nothing at all.

For anyone photographing in a setting like this, the challenge is always balancing enough light with the need to keep images sharp. In the Shompole Hide, once the leopard settled to drink, I recommended the group work with a shutter speed between 1/80 and 1/150 of a second - slow enough to draw in the available light, but still quick enough to freeze those subtle head movements. We kept the aperture wide open at the lowest possible f-stop on each lens, whether that was f/2.8 or f/4, to let in every bit of light we could.

ISO inevitably needed to climb, and for this sighting, we pushed it to around 4000. On modern full-frame cameras, this still produces clean, detailed files, and the slight grain that does appear adds to the atmosphere of a nocturnal image. With these settings and the careful use of the hide’s adjustable lighting, we were able to capture the leopard in all her detail - from the fine texture of her whiskers to the individual droplets falling back into the water.

One of the advantages of photographing a drinking animal is that, for those few moments, it often remains perfectly still - giving you the best possible chance of a tack-sharp image, even at slower shutter speeds. The muscles relax, the head lowers, and the eyes often soften in that quiet, vulnerable moment. It’s a pause in an otherwise restless animal’s movements, and for a photographer working in low light, it’s pure gold.

The only movement is usually the tongue as it scoops the water - quick, deliberate laps that might blur slightly at 1/80 of a second. But this is the kind of blur that works in your favour. It adds a subtle sense of motion and life to the image, showing the act of drinking rather than a static pose. That flicker of movement can catch the light in a way that makes the scene feel more alive, especially when paired with the stillness of the rest of the body.

With these settings and the careful use of the hide’s adjustable lighting, we were able to capture the leopard in exquisite detail - every whisker outlined against the soft glow, the delicate pattern of rosettes across her shoulders, the glint of her eyes as she glanced up mid-drink. Even the droplets falling back into the water caught the light, freezing into tiny beads in mid-air. It was the perfect balance of sharpness and motion, and the kind of image that tells the full story of the moment, not just the subject.

After the leopard melted back into the darkness, the hide settled into a quieter rhythm - but none of us were ready to call it a night. In a place like Shompole, the next incredible moment could arrive at any second, so we worked in shifts to keep watch. Two or three people would stay on high alert at the viewing slots, scanning the edges of the floodlight’s reach for the first hint of movement, while the others rested, reviewed images, or grabbed a quick snack.

The hours blurred together in a mix of strong coffee, whispered updates, and the constant thrum of adrenaline. Every sound outside - the snap of a twig, the crunch of hooves on dry earth, the low rumble of a distant growl - had us leaning forward, eyes locked on the darkness. Excitement hung in the air, a shared awareness that we were witnessing a side of Africa few ever get to see: the secret life of the savannah after midnight.

Even during the slower spells, the energy never dipped. Each of us knew that at any moment, the silence could break with the arrival of a new visitor - and that anticipation alone was enough to keep us wide awake long past the hour when we’d normally be asleep.

This is where the night truly erupted into one of the most unforgettable moments of my career. Out of the shadows, shapes began to form - first two, then four, then six lions, moving silently towards the waterhole. The air seemed to thicken as they approached, their golden coats glowing faintly under the low lights. One by one, they lowered their heads to drink, the rhythmic lapping of water the only sound in the still night.

We were firing off frames almost in sync, cameras clicking in hushed bursts. The reflections in the water were perfect, their eyes occasionally lifting to glance in our direction - though, hidden in the darkness of the hide, we were just part of the landscape.

Then, from the opposite side of the clearing, a separate shape emerged - a large male, unmistakable even in the low light. He moved with slow, deliberate steps, his mane catching the faint glow as he closed the distance between us. Unlike the pride at the waterhole, he wasn’t interested in drinking. Instead, he came straight towards the hide’s left side, each step measured and unhurried, until he was no more than a metre away.

We could hear his breathing, deep and steady, as he paused, scanning the waterhole from a vantage point that put him almost eye-to-eye with us. The rush of adrenaline was overwhelming. Every one of us was frozen in place, cameras gripped tight, hearts racing - and yet somehow, the discipline held. No one moved too quickly, no one made a sound, and in those tense, electrifying seconds, we all got the kind of photographs you dream about but never expect. The detail was incredible: the coarse texture of his mane, the intensity in his eyes, the faint trace of moisture on his whiskers catching the light.

As a night in Shompole Hide wore on, the sightings kept coming in waves, each one adding to the sense that Shompole was revealing all of its secrets in a single sitting. Not long after the lions moved off, the ground seemed to tremble as a small herd of elephants appeared, their silhouettes towering against the darkness. They moved with surprising silence for their size, the soft splash of water the only clue to their presence as they drank and sprayed themselves in the cool night air.

A giraffe followed later, stepping cautiously into the pool of light, its long neck lowering in slow motion until its mouth touched the water. Its reflection stretched impossibly long across the surface, a perfect subject for those with wider lenses still mounted.

The pace didn’t slow. Cape buffalo returned, their heavy frames catching the light in a way that made them look even more formidable in the darkness. A serval made a fleeting appearance, darting in and out of the light with quick, graceful bounds - too fast for many to photograph, but thrilling to witness. And then came the unmistakable shape of a spotted hyena, slinking towards the waterhole with that curious mix of wariness and confidence, pausing to drink before vanishing back into the night.

By the time the eastern horizon began to pale with the first hints of dawn, our memory cards were heavy with images and our minds buzzing with the knowledge that we’d just experienced something truly rare - a full spectrum of African wildlife in one unforgettable night, all from the quiet concealment of the Shompole Hide.

Bat Eared Fox - Shompole Hide

Black Backed Jackal - Shompole Hide

Why a Photo Hide Changes Everything in Wildlife Photography — and Why to Experience It with Untamed Photo Safaris

Photographing from a well-designed hide is a completely different experience to working from a safari vehicle. In a car, even the most cautious approach can sometimes cause animals to shift position or move away, and you’re often limited to a higher shooting angle. A hide removes both of those challenges.

Because it’s positioned at ground level and fully concealed, wildlife doesn’t see you as a disturbance. They behave naturally - drinking, interacting, or resting - without the constant awareness of a nearby engine or human presence. This results in images that feel more authentic and intimate, with behaviours you might never see from a moving vehicle.

The low, eye-level perspective a hide provides is also a huge creative advantage. Instead of looking down on your subject, you’re photographing from the same height, which instantly adds impact and connection to the image. Reflections on water are more striking, background blur is smoother, and the composition feels more personal.

Another key benefit is time. In a vehicle, you often have to move on due to park regulations, distance to the lodge, or simply because the wildlife has left the area. In a hide, you can wait for hours - even all night - without needing to reposition. This patience pays off, allowing for rare encounters like the leopard, lions, and serval we saw in a single evening at Shompole.

When you join Untamed Photo Safaris, you’re not just getting access to world-class hides - you’re guided by professional photographers who know how to make the most of them. We handle the technical advice, help you prepare your gear for low-light conditions, and share composition tips that transform good sightings into exceptional images. Whether it’s adjusting the lighting for a leopard’s approach or anticipating the moment a giraffe lowers its head to drink, we ensure you’re ready to capture it.

For serious photographers, it’s the perfect combination: comfort, concealment, and an unmatched perspective - paired with expert guidance that makes every moment count.

Join us in the Shompole Hide here in Kenya, Be the photographer you dream to be with photo hosts Mark Fernley and Jaren Fernley

Experience The Hide