Every January our guiding team compares notes: where did the light behave, where did the herds gather, and which corners still feel undiscovered? This year's report draws on 300+ guided departures across four continents.
1. The Serengeti, Tanzania — still the benchmark
The short rains pulled huge herds south early this year, and the southern plains delivered calm, close encounters with cheetah families. For photographers, February and March remain the golden window: soft morning light, green grass, and newborns everywhere.
2. The Pantanal, Brazil — jaguars, guaranteed-ish
No place on earth offers better odds of a wild jaguar sighting. Boat-based shooting along the Cuiabá River keeps distances respectful and backgrounds clean — green water, golden banks, and a very unbothered cat.
3. Svalbard, Norway — the patient photographer's prize
Polar bears demand long lenses and longer waits, but the payoff — a bear crossing blue-white ice under midnight sun — is the single most requested print in our studio this year.
Kit notes for 2026
Travel light: a 100–400mm zoom now covers 90% of safari work, and mirrorless eye-tracking has ended the era of missed focus on moving cubs. Bring twice the storage you think you need.
Shoot it with us
Our Serengeti departures include a pro photographer host on every seat.
View The Safari