Our Wild Nature Photo Travel workshop to Zululand, South Africa, in May 2027 is now sold out – thank you. This is one of three workshops we are running in Africa in 2027. The second will be a small-group private aerial trip to Namibia (visiting multiple camps via private aircraft), and the third a small-group experience in Tanzania for the migration. Full details are available on our website at www.jholko.com/workshops
Over the last two weeks, I have continued to receive incredible feedback on my newly released short film, Guardians of the Forest. A joint collaborative passion project with mt friend Chris Nemes from White Space Films. Thank you to all of you who took the time to watch and share your impressions and comments; it is hugely appreciated. A small updated sample below. Both Guardians of the Forest and Ghosts of the Arctic will be screened at the giant Xposure photo festival in Sharjah next month (February 2026). If you are attending please come and say hello and share a coffee.
The photograph of the month for 2026 comes from one of my previous expeditions to Zululand in South Africa. The chance encounter for this photograph was pure serendipity, as I had been sitting in an overnight hide waiting for Elephants or potentially a Lion or Leopard to come past for an evening drink at the watering hole; none of which ultimately eventuated on that evening. With the sun beginning to rise and a thick fog blanketing the landscape, I was hopeful there would be an opportunity to catch something before the fog burned off for the day. As luck would have it, I was just about to pack up when this Impala ran through the frame. The opportunity existed for just the briefest of moments before the Impala was again out of frame behind the ridge. It was a timely reminder to both always be ready and to expect the unexpected. It was also a prime example of having exposure tested and set, just in case action was needed at the spur of the moment (as in this case). Shot with the 70-200mm f2.8, this was an obvious candidate for a panoramic image in post production and became my favourite from this visit to South Africa.
I have just published episode 138 of my Wild Nature Photography Podcast. In this episode, I review the year 2025: My travels, equipment, and thoughts on the year that was. This podcast also includes my book pick of the year (Bird Photographer of the Year Volume 10), equipment selection of the year (The Canon RF 100-300mm F2.8L & the Tilta Cage for the Canon EOS R1), and favourite photograph from 2025 (Peek-a-Boo – Included below). 2025 was also the year I shot, produced and released Guardians of the Forest with my good friend Chris Nemes. All up, it was an extremely productive year full of travel, fantastic shared experiences and wonderful photographic opportunities. Thank you to all of you who made it such a fantastic year. Podcast 138 rounds out Season five of the podcast and kicks us into Season 6. Onward and upward!
My time in Australia has already come to an end, and as soon as I finish this post, I am leaving for Melbourne airport, where I will make my way to Mongolia for both my Pallas Cat and Snow Leopard expeditions. The last two and a half months have gone by in a blur (Christmas makes this whole period crazy), and it is now time to hit the road again. I am very excited to return to Mongolia in Winter to photograph these two amazing wild cats: the Pallas Cat and the Snow Leopard. For the Pallas cat, we will be based in the far eastern steppe region of Mongolia. For the Snow Leopard, we will be based in the northwestern region. For these two workshops, I will spend the better part of a month (January) in Mongolia.
I had full intentions of doing a detailed packing list and a podcast on this departure, but time has gotten away from me, so in lieu of that, I am squeezing in this quick packing post. For these two trips I am packing 2 x Canon EOS R1’s with two spare batteries. I am taking a selection of lenses, including the 20mm f1.4, 14-35mm F4L IS, 100-300mm F2.8L IS, 600mm F4L IS and an RF 1.4 Teleconverter. Although this leaves a gap from 35mm to 100mm, I find I use this focal range very little when working with wildlife and tend to be either at the longer or wider ends. All of this will fit in my SKB Roller case and Gura Gear Chobe. In the field, I will use my Lowe Pro 600mm Trekker for hiking with the Snow Leopard. For the Pallas cat, we tend to shoot very near the 4-wheel drives, so equipment doesn’t need to be carried very far. I am also packing my DJI mini-drone, binoculars, and, of course, plenty of cold-weather clothing. See you in Mongolia for New Year’s! And P.S: The 2025 retrospective podcast I will be recording and releasing from Mongolia.
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