For the last few weeks I have been judging the Birdlife Australia photography awards: https://www.birdlifephotoaward.org.au/judges-2026. The competition is a partnership between. BirdLife Australia and BirdLife Photography. It has been awesome...
During winter last year, Eileen, Joshua and I spent a fantastic weekend at Benvie Gardens in the Karkloof. While there I had a wonderful conversation with a man who had...
Welcome to my latest newsletter! Firstly, thank you so much to everyone who viewed, shared and provided feedback on the blue swallow documentary. And an even bigger thank you to...
Hooray! Today is an exciting day for us as we launch our documentary called “Into the blue – hope on fragile wings”....
Happy, happy new year to you (even though I realise it is February already)! I hope it is a truly blessed 2026 for you and your families....
I felt to share some of my latest images; from the last couple of months, with you as well as some of my recent news and YouTube videos. I hope...
Richard Flack joins me to discuss how he has put less pressure on his own photography lately and how many of his favorite images are all from near his home....
Thanks so much to Mountain Getaways for selecting my photograph of a White-starred Robin as this month's front cover and for allowing me to write an article on one of...
I joined Ray Hennessy to discuss bird portraits. We start the conversation with what is a bird portrait then discuss ways to make bird portraits better using different methods such...
Hwange Safari Lodge lies within its own private concession and is a 20-minute game drive from the main gate of Hwange National Park, given you aren’t held up by sightings...
I can’t believe that just happened to me” is a phrase that races through my mind when I experience the wonder of birds and every now and then get to...
27-29 JUNE 2025 - Join us for an inspiring weekend at Montusi Mountain Lodge, where luxury meets creativity....
I love the creative process and recently had the privilege of speaking at an Art festival (to the exhibiting artists) at Halliwell Country Inn in the Natal Midlands about the...
Ray Hennessey and I recently started a youtube series on his channel called the "Art of Wildlife Photography". We came together because of a shared love of birds, photography and...
My image of a Black-bellied Bustard taken in Nambithi Game Reserve a few years back was commended in Bird Photographer of the Year 2024. With over 23,000 entries and being...
I love the creative process and recently had the privilege of speaking at an Art festival (to the exhibiting artists) about the wonder of creativity and how to set the...
I hope this finds you wonderfully well! I can’t believe it is March and in a few days time I will be 46 years old. Mentally I feel in my...
A very Happy New Year to you! I hope 2025 is a year of open doors, which are meant for you to walk through and wonderful moments in nature! I...
I often teach the importance of being intentional when you are looking to tell stories as a photographer. There are many things to consider when it comes to intentionality. One...
Last month we had one of the biggest snowfalls in the history of the Natal Midlands (and it was meant to be the start of our summer). We have been...
I hope this finds you wonderfully well!? It is amazing to think that this is issue number 34 of my newsletters. Thanks so much to everyone who has been part...
Award-winning South African photographer Richard Flack ponders the purpose of bird photography and argues that aspiring photographers should never underestimate the power of their contribution. This is a question I...
Welcome to issue 33 of The Flack’s Photography newsletters. I hope it finds you happy and healthy! At the end of last year I was invited to be the photographer...
One of the highlights of 2024 was attending an “art in bird photography” conference in Adelaide. The conference hosted over 200 passionate photographers from all over Australia. Thanks so much to...
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When I left the corporate world, Eileen and I decided to open our hearts wide and explore what it would look like to dream big. At the centre is our...
2023 was an extraordinary year for the Flack family. After leaving the corporate world I was not 100% sure what we were going to do next. I just knew it...
I have recently returned from an exciting trip to the southern parts of Malawi, where I had the privilege of travelling to the Thangadzi River Conservancy and the Elephant Marsh...
Taking paths less travelled and biding your time reveals hidden wonder in this birding mecca....
I recently wrote an article for Nature TTL on the power of colour in photography. Thanks again to Will, Erin and the team for having me. "Home decor experts, graphic designers,...
The winners of the Nature's Best Photography International Awards were announced today and I am incredibly honoured to be amongst them; having my image of two doting Purple-crested Turacos being...
I am excited to be part of the South African Photographer of the Year judging team for another year! This competition stands for so much of what I love; South...
I am soon to set off on an incredibly exciting trip to southern Malawi to carry out a photographic project for a new lodge. Besides the adventure of meeting new...
I hope this finds you happy and healthy! We have just passed through the heart of winter in the Natal Midlands and are beginning to see the signs of spring. Each...
Welcome to my 28th bird photography newsletter! In this next issue I thought I would take you on a journey to one of my favourite bird photography destinations in Africa; the...
A surprise encounter with a pair of courting turacos delivered a winning shot. ...
How to take your photography to the next level is a question often asked in today’s media-saturated world....
Welcome to my first newsletter of the year! Happy, happy 2023! The more time I spend on planet earth, the more thankful I am for nature, for wildlife, for passions...
In a world of social media and “likes,” it’s easy to have your confidence behind the camera knocked. So building your confidence in nature photography is important to do to...
My image of two Crested Guineafowl titled “That’s the spot!” was chosen as one of the 25 images for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year ~ People’s Choice Award. ...
Thank you so much for subscribing to my newsletters! The feedback, encouragement and engagement over the last 25 editions has been far more than I could ever have hoped for....
The title of this could read ‘my best’ places for bird photography in Africa. Depending on how you define bird photography...
The Nature’s Best “African Wildlife Photo Awards” announced the winners and highly honoured images of the 2022 competition in Nairobi, Kenya yesterday! My image of two Crested Guineafowl; titled "That's the...
Welcome to issue 25 of the Flack’s photography newsletters. Eileen, Joshua and I have just returned home after an incredible three weeks in Kenya. After three years of Covid cancellations we...
Earlier this year I was asked to be one of the judges for the inaugural South African Photographer of the Year. I am honoured to join such an esteemed panel of...
It was difficult to know where to start this newsletter given that my trip to Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda was three years in the making and one that I had...
Bird Photographer of the Year is the world’s leading bird photography competition with over 20,000 entries received in 2022. The competition is in its 7th year and celebrates the world’s...
My image of a Malachite Sunbird, which was taken in my neighbour’s garden in Balgowan, was highly honoured in Nature’s Best "Mkapa African Wildlife Photo Awards" in the “Backyard” category....
Entering photographic competitions can have many benefits both for the birds and the contributing photographers. Firstly, photographic competitions provide a medium through which we can celebrate birds and drive awareness...
Welcome to issue 23 of The Flack’s Photography newsletters! Having been away from home for a month it is such a blessing to be back in Balgowan and surrounded by...
I hope this finds you healthy and happy! In my last newsletter (Creativity in Bird Photography), I eluded to a new vision for habitat shots or “birds in their environment...
When I started photography it was all about the bird. I wanted to take close ups of all birds, but especially rare ones, and soon hoped to get brilliantly sharp...
Welcome to my 20th newsletter and the fifth since the start of my break from the corporate world. It has been such an incredible privilege to take some time out...
A very happy 2022 to you and your family! Welcome to issue 19 of my bird photography newsletters! I believe that one of the key secrets to improving your bird photography...
I enjoy most genres of bird photography but if pushed to pick a favourite it would have to be “Habitat Shots” or “Birds in their Environment” images. For me, these...
Experimenting with light has been an essential part of my creative journey. I love light – and not just beautiful morning and afternoon light but all types of light; from...
I was going to write a newsletter on Benvie Gardens and breeding Orange Ground Thrush (which I will do in time) but I have just got back from an incredible...
Welcome to Issue 16 of the Flack’s photography newsletters. I hope that it finds you in good health and out birding! Some of my bird photography moments have been head and...
Eileen, Joshua and I shared our first anniversary in the Natal Midlands at the end of August. It is hard to believe that we have been away from Johannesburg for...
I hope you are warm, well and getting chance to explore the magical outdoors!We celebrated our first autumn in the Natal Midlands with the discovery of a breeding pair of...
I trust this newsletter finds you happy and healthy! With lockdown restrictions lifted in South Africa, Eileen, Joshua and I got to have a wonderful Easter break in the Cape. We...
It is hard to believe that this is Issue 12 of the Flack’s Photography newsletters and we are already one year down the line. Born during the Covid-19 lockdown months...
Welcome to issue 11 of the Flack’s Photography Newsletters. I truly hope it finds you happy and in good health! On the 11 of January I was kindly asked if I...
Welcome to issue 10 of The Flack’s Photography newsletters. I hope that it finds you safe and in good health!To all our regular subscribers, thanks so much for all your...
I hope you had a wonderful festive season with family and friends, and that you are well rested for the year ahead.I started my holiday with an incredible visit to...
Welcome to issue 8 of the Flack’s Photography newsletters! Thanks so much for your continued support and interest! I have really appreciated all the kind emails and encouragement I have received...
Welcome to issue #7 of The Flack’s Photography newsletters. I don’t know about you, but I am seriously missing adventures in far off lands, and hence I thought I would focus...
This issue marks a special day for the Flack family. We have finally made the move from Johannesburg to the Natal Midlands, and as you read this we will be...
When I first started taking photographs of birds I was focused on getting close-up portraits; the closer the better. At first this was incredibly difficult, as I was using Eileen’s...
I hope July's newsletter finds you safe, happy and healthy! With the continued impact of the coronavirus being felt around the world and the tourism industry taking some of the heaviest blows,...
Welcome to our 3rd issue of the Flack’s Photography newsletter. Thank you so much to everyone who wrote in. It was great to receive so many encouraging messages from birders,...
Thanks to everyone who subscribed and provided feedback on our first issue of the Flack’s Photography newsletter. It was great to receive some encouragement as well as useful advice! I also...
Welcome to the first issue of The Flack's Photography Newsletter! I am looking forward to hearing your feedback on the content, as well as what topics you would like me to...
With only a few days to go before my flight to Beira, the excitement was palpable. It was almost time to search for the Holy Grail of African birding –...
The photographic genre of birdscape, habitat or ‘birds in their environment’ images surely ranks as one of the most difficult to master. In essence, these are photographs in which the...
The current array of cameras and lenses available to photographers often means that a great in-flight photograph or a detailed close-up of a shy species is not necessarily sufficient to...
Bird photography is a tonic for my soul and the photographs I take form part of a memory bank of special people, places and occasions. Seven years ago I started...
Africa currently has a number of ‘best birding destinations’, but Cameroon is probably quite low on the radar at present. That could change, as this Central African country supports almost...
Long ago, before the civil war, Mozambique had a well-deserved reputation as a hunting destination and the Coutadas (from the Portuguese word for hunting concession) in the centre of the country...