Our New and Exciting Wildlife Photography Hides
Read all about our new and exciting wildlife photography hide located on a stunning private conservancy in Southern Kenya.
This remarkable wildlife photography hide is something most wildlife photographers would die for. Located about four hours south of Nairobi and near the border of Tanzania, the Shompole Hide is located in a private conservancy and gives all of you wildlife photographers the chance to capture incredible images. The hide is spacious enough to host a large group of photographers, but you know that we at Untamed like to keep our photography groups small to provide a more exclusive and personal experience for a guests. With a maximum group size of six guests, we split the group in two, making this our most exclusive photo safari yet!
THREE GUESTS = ONE PHOTO HOST
The hide is situated underground, where only about 1/4 of it is above ground level. The hide is equipped with comfortable chairs and gimbal heads for each guest. Built right beside one of the only waterholes in the area, this is a prime location to photograph wildlife from a mouse-eye-view! The hide also has curtains/blinds that hide any movement happening inside the hide to ensure the wildlife is not disturbed by our presence.
So what makes this photographic hide so unique?
The underground hide was created by two wildlife photographers who aimed to get creative with the wildlife that thrived in the Shompole Conservancy. They designed the hide to allow our photography guests to spend the night and photograph the nocturnal wildlife of the area in action. Beds have been installed in the back of the hide to allow guests to get a bit of sleep while their photo host looks out for photographic opportunities.
You must be thinking how do you photograph wildlife at night here?
Well, spotlights have been installed around the hide and will be positioned by your photo host each night. This will ensure that your images will turn out differently each night you spend in the hide. The hide contains sockets for charging and a great amount of space for maneuverability.
Getting Low
When it comes to a photographing wildlife here in Africa, it is all about getting lower than the animal itself. As wildlife photographers, we all aim to bring creativity to the table and we can do this by making the animal or subject that we are focusing on look larger than life. This is done by getting low or by using lenses that imitate the person behind the camera getting lower than the animal.
When in a safari truck, this low perspective can get challenging at times, but most of the time we can overcome this with the use of a telephoto lens. The telephoto lens can actually reduce the effect of looking above the animal to an eye level view. Having said this, getting lower than the animal in reality is the key.
The use of this underground hide will make that ideal situation come true. This photo hide will get you more than lower than the animal itself, therefor giving you the opportunity to capture those iconic low angle wildlife photographs. The hide is situated next to an active waterhole where wildlife thrives. Local African Lions, Stripped Hyena, Buffalo, Zebra, Baboon and much more visit the waterhole during the day (and night) and provides our wildlife photography guests with ample photographic opportunities.
Gear to bring!
The gear you bring will typically depend on your budget, so below you will find a variety of lenses at all price ranges. Zoom lenses (Category A) are great for beginner/intermediate photographers or photographers that are looking for a lens that can be used in a large range of wildlife scenarios.
Category A
We at Untamed Photo Safaris recommend bringing at least two lenses or maybe even three to get the best out of your underground, over night hide experience. A telephoto such as a 100-500mm or 100-400mm will be great for most attending wildlife photography enthusiasts.
Canon RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1L IS USM Lens
Photo by: WEX PHOTO VIDEO UK
Sigma 60-600mm f4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sport Lens for Canon EF
Photo by: WEX PHOTO VIDEO UK
Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM Lens
Photo by: WEX PHOTO VIDEO UK
Category B
For any prime lens users, a 400mm or a 500mm (Canon for example) will be suitable for capturing the action around the waterhole that dominates this hide. Prime lenses tend to be much more expensive, however, they do provide photographers with an f/4 or even f/2.8 capability. This makes for incredible results!
Canon RF 400mm f2.8 L IS USM Lens
Photo by: WEX PHOTO VIDEO UK
Canon EF 200-400mm f4 L IS USM with Internal 1.4x Extender Lens
Photo by: WEX PHOTO VIDEO UK
We Are Getting Closer Than Usual!
When it comes to close range wildlife at the hide, you may quickly find that a 24-105mm lens (Canon for example) will be ideal for capturing those landscape photographs, getting multiple animals in the same frame. These lenses can also certainly improve the towering effect of those African giants when in the hide.
Canon RF 24-105mm f4L IS USM Lens
Photo by: WEX PHOTO VIDEO UK
JOIN US AT SHOMPOLE HIDE: August 6-12, 2025
Are you ready to visit the hide with Untamed? If so, Mark A Fernley and Jaren A Fernley invite you to join them on an exhilarating underground hide photo safari here in Kenya on August 6-12, 2025. This 7-day tour will take you into the world of wildlife photography and allow you to experience the underground hide along with Kenya's natural wonders. We are here to help you get the shots you desire!
