When on safari, it’s easy to imagine a special moment involving something as elegant as a leopard or as impressive as an elephant. In reality, it often involves a fleeting moment with one of the more common and overlooked species. It may be an interaction between baboons, an impala under a heavy storm or taking a moment to listen deeply to the birds singing their morning chorus.

On this trip to Kruger National Park in early March 2023, all dirt roads were closed as the edge of the passing Cyclone Freddy made them undrivable. It was far from ideal and meant being restricted to the long tarred roads between camps. This called for some improvisation and looking at scenes from a different photographic perspective.

In this case, when a number of zebra heads appeared over the rise ahead, I knew I had to stop at a distance and let something unfold. Low hanging clouds draped this dazzle of zebras as they walked down what was to them an easy pathway. It’s moments like this that make a safari special, and remind you to let things happen rather than taking the tunnel vision approach of searching for that big moment you’ve imagined. Yes, those moments are fantastic, but not when it comes at the cost of everything in between. Perhaps it’s also something to remember in everyday life. Let things happen.