Tzaneen amateur wildlife photographer, Derek Evans tells of his experience
A Tzaneen "hobby"photographer is showing that wildlife photos takes knowledge and skills. He has spent many hours honing is skilled eye through the lens.

From an early age photography was Derek Evens’ way of capturing his imagination.
But it was only with the advent of the affordable digital photography era that he jumped at the opportunity to capture what have become his signature wildlife images.
Derek, an amateur wildlife photographer, grew up in the Mooketsi valley and went to Duiwelskloof Primary School. A farm boy at heart, he was always drawn to his lush surroundings. “I got my first camera shortly after I matriculated from Capricorn High School,” he says. In later years, when he returned to the valley, he spent many hours in Kruger National Park nurturing his keen eye of the veld through his lens.
He has been employed with ZZ2 since 1994, but seriously started honing his photography interest from 2005 with his first digital camera. “I regard myself a “proficient” hobby photographer and totally self-taught. I was never able to attend any courses and relied on reading articles, photography blogs and internet searches on subjects I wanted to learn about. Self-learning is the long road but in anyone’s ability to do if you are passionate about the subject,” he says.

“One lesson I have learned over the years is to study animal or bird behaviour to capture the best image. I recently returned from Kruger and understanding lion behaviour, I was able to position myself right in the path of two approaching lionesses. “The pride pulled down a buffalo at 07:00 that morning, we arrived at 10:30 and the temperature was 32 degrees. The kill was at least 200 meters away from the road and in an open area with no shade. There was a waterhole with shade 500 meters from the kill. I made the deduction they would need water and shade shortly. I traversed the area and found a game path leading from the direction of the kill and in the direction of the water. The two lionesses followed the path, headed straight towards me and passed a few meters from my vehicle to a bit of shade close by,” he says.

Patience is the one trait a wildlife photographer must have. “When in the Kruger Park and you get to a sighting, take your time. Observe, look for behavioural traits and wait. You are bound to get something different in your image. Stay with your subject until it has moved on. I have taught myself not to rush off in search of the elusive cats, they will come with time. Work with what you have in your current frame.”

For prospective amateur wildlife photographers, he has the following life advice. “Never let an opportunity pass you by. It’s like a flowing river, once the water has passed you it’s gone forever. From the difficulty of getting up at 03:00 to get to a destination to catch the morning light or not stopping for a sunset because you are pressed for time, teach yourself to just do it.”
Derek and his wife Anne love to visit the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. “Images from the Kgalagadi with the uncluttered backgrounds and clear unpolluted skies are by far my favourite. Although the lowveld bush and the diversity in the greater Kruger Park are in by blood, the Kalahari was an eye opener.”
Follow Derek on Facebook at DerekEvens.Photography on Instagram @derekevens.