A Kgalagadi wildlife showcase in one book

FAIRLAND – A passion for wildlife photography showcased in one book.

November 16, 2018

Reuven Blignault 1 minute read

Ed Aylmer has been a wildlife photographer in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Botswana for the past few decades, and after taking his passion up full time after retirement, he has released a new book showcasing his experiences.

The new book, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: A Harsh Paradise, shows that the landscape of the Kgalagadi provides some fantastic opportunities to capture images of its thunderstorms, wildlife and spectacular night-time skies.

Besides being a photographer’s paradise, Kgalagadi is a desolate and harsh environment, and the book looks at the survival of various creatures that make the Kgalagadi their home.

Ed Aylmer’s new book Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: A Harsh Paradise, and his Canon 7D Mark II and 600 prime-lens used to take the pictures in it.

A page taken from Ed Aylmer new book showing photographs of a desert fox. Photo: Ed Aylmers.

Aylmer said, “I wanted to showcase all the different creatures that exist there, from small barking geckos to majestic lions. The environment is so uncluttered and open that photographic opportunities are available around every corner.

“There are over 300 species of birds there, and only about 86 of them are residents, with the rest being migratory. It is also very famous for its birds of prey.”

The book is Aylmer’s second book on the Kgalagadi, with the first being published in 2014.

The new book has been completely updated with an increase in size and quality and contains four years of additional photographs.

Aylmer wrote, photographed and designed all the content in his book.

A page in Ed Aylmer’s new book shows a photograph of a vulture. Photo: Ed Aylmer.

“Photography takes a lot of patience. But at the end of the day, the feeling of capturing a truly gorgeous moment is something truly amazing.

“This book is truly a symbol of what I love to do. I travel to the Kgalagadi twice a year, and I am actually due to travel there again soon. I am so proud that I have been able to put this together and I hope it’s received well. I also hope the book will inspire people to travel there and see it for themselves.”