Jay Roode

Jay Roode Photographer | Travel and conservation writer | African Safaris

Aerial Art - This circle reads almost like a zen ensō, except its made by someone doing donuts in a quadbike rather than...
19/06/2026

Aerial Art - This circle reads almost like a zen ensō, except its made by someone doing donuts in a quadbike rather than a monk with a brush.

It genuinely pains me to see tyre tracks in protected areas of the Namib. Off-road driving through such fragile ecosystems destroys lichen fields that have taken centuries to develop, and damages the countless creatures living beneath the sand.

This image was taken in the fishing area north of Swakopmund, where vehicles are permitted. But from what I've seen during my flights, far too many people ignore the signage and drive off-road anyway. It's incredibly selfish and thoughtless behavior, and it's heartbreaking to see people treat one of the world's oldest and most delicate deserts with so little respect. Exploring Namibia is a privilege, not a right.

Minimalist Photographers Namibia from the Roadside Namibia Tracks & Trails

Landscapes that defy description. Otherworldly and vast — and yet, look closely: this is the Pro-Namib a few months afte...
18/06/2026

Landscapes that defy description. Otherworldly and vast — and yet, look closely: this is the Pro-Namib a few months after the rains, when the Stipagrostis grasses stand tall and pale, blonde stems dancing in the breeze. They pool between valleys and ridges, stretch across plains, reach toward purple horizons. The dunes don't disappear in this season. They're just held — suspended in gold and white, softened at the edges, breathing.

www.jayroode.com

NamibRand Family Hideout ProNamib

When grasses, forests and all things green are stripped away, leaving only bare rock and desert, something unexpected ha...
12/06/2026

When grasses, forests and all things green are stripped away, leaving only bare rock and desert, something unexpected happens: the land becomes legible.

Mountains, valleys, riverbeds and rock formations reveal themselves as a record of processes unfolding over millions of years... long before our brief moment on Earth.

This is what makes Namibia so extraordinary. Here, you feel yourself against the backdrop of deep time.
From above, that record becomes visual. The lines, textures, patterns and subtle colours of sand and rock compose masterpieces that are often invisible from the ground

For more stories, photography tips, travel inspiration and fine art prints, subscribe to my newsletter at www.jayroode.com.

And keep your eyes peeled for my aerial photographic safaris launching in 2027.

Namibian Scenery Namibia Helicopter Services

What appears at first to be a scattering of tiny dots across an empty landscape is, in reality, thousands of zebra and w...
10/06/2026

What appears at first to be a scattering of tiny dots across an empty landscape is, in reality, thousands of zebra and wildebeest moving across the vast expanse of the Makgadikgadi. Seen from the air, the scale of the pans challenges our sense of perspective. The animals seem impossibly small, while the landscape stretches endlessly towards the horizon.

Yet every year these herds undertake one of Africa's great journeys, guided by instinct and ancient pathways etched into memory over countless generations. They move across a landscape that, to the casual observer, appears lifeless and unforgiving, driven by the promise of water, grazing, and survival.

Aerial photography has a way of reminding us how small we are in the grand scheme of things. But it also reveals something remarkable: that even the smallest figures in the largest landscapes can be part of something extraordinary.

The Makgadikgadi migration is not just a movement across the pans. It is a testament to endurance, instinct, and the timeless rhythms of the wild.

www.jayroode.com

africanwildlife

A continuation of my feature on Botswana's Makgadikgadi Pans in this month's edition of Travel Africa.These images were ...
09/06/2026

A continuation of my feature on Botswana's Makgadikgadi Pans in this month's edition of Travel Africa.

These images were photographed over Sua Pan, where the Nata River spreads into one of the largest pans in the Makgadikgadi system. From above, the landscape seems abstract—an ever-changing canvas.

Yet this stark and seemingly inhospitable wilderness is one of Africa's great ecological treasures. The Sua Pan forms part of the internationally important Nata Bird Sanctuary, a Ramsar wetland that provides vital breeding habitat for flamingos, pelicans and countless migratory bird species when the rains arrive.

What appears empty at first glance is, in fact, bursting with life. Water, salt, light and movement combine to create one of the most extraordinary natural spectacles on the continent.

A place of immense scale, surprising abundance and endless beauty.

From my eight-page feature, Breathing Space, in the latest edition of Travel Africa.

www.jayroode.com

A continuation of my feature on Botswana's Makgadikgadi Pans in this month's edition of Travel Africa.These images were ...
08/06/2026

A continuation of my feature on Botswana's Makgadikgadi Pans in this month's edition of Travel Africa.

These images were photographed over Sua Pan, where the Nata River spreads into one of the largest pans in the Makgadikgadi system. From above, the landscape seems abstract—an ever-changing canvas.

Yet this stark and seemingly inhospitable wilderness is one of Africa's great ecological treasures. The Sua Pan forms part of the internationally important Nata Bird Sanctuary, a Ramsar wetland that provides vital breeding habitat for flamingos, pelicans and countless migratory bird species when the rains arrive.

What appears empty at first glance is, in fact, bursting with life. Water, salt, light and movement combine to create one of the most extraordinary natural spectacles on the continent.

A place of immense scale, surprising abundance and endless beauty.

From my eight-page feature, Breathing Space, in the latest edition of Travel Africa.

www.jayroode.com


Travel Africa Botswana Tourism Helicopter Horizons Natural Selection

Liquid silver. Endless space. A lone wildebeest.This image forms part of my eight-page feature in this month's Travel Af...
08/06/2026

Liquid silver. Endless space. A lone wildebeest.

This image forms part of my eight-page feature in this month's Travel Africa magazine, exploring Botswana's magnificent Makgadikgadi Pans from above.

As thousands of wildebeest and zebra move across this ancient landscape, moments like this remind me why the Makgadikgadi remains one of Africa's most remarkable places.

Africa

Some landscapes seem to slow the world down.The Makgadikgadi Pans of Botswana are one of those places—a vast expanse of ...
05/06/2026

Some landscapes seem to slow the world down.

The Makgadikgadi Pans of Botswana are one of those places—a vast expanse of ancient salt pans where earth, sky, light and silence converge in ways that are difficult to describe and impossible to forget.

I'm honoured that a collection of my aerial photographs from this remarkable wilderness has been featured in an eight-page portfolio, Breathing Space, in Travel Africa magazine's latest edition (Issue 112), pages 94–101.

My thanks to the editors for providing a space to share this story from above.

I hope these images convey even a fraction of the wonder I felt while photographing one of Africa's most extraordinary landscapes.

Travel Africa Helicopter Horizons Natural Selection Botswana Tourism

Travel Africa Magazine - Edition 112 is all about Breathing Space - those landscapes that seem to slow the world down.Th...
05/06/2026

Travel Africa Magazine - Edition 112 is all about Breathing Space - those landscapes that seem to slow the world down.

The Makgadikgadi Pans of Botswana are one of those places. A vast expanse of ancient salt pans where earth, sky, light and silence converge in ways that are difficult to describe and impossible to forget.

I'm honored that a collection of my aerial photographs from this remarkable wilderness has been featured in an eight-page portfolio, Breathing Space, in Travel Africa magazine's latest edition (Issue 112)

My thanks to the editors for providing a space to share this story from above.

I hope these images convey even a fraction of the wonder I felt while photographing one of Africa's most extraordinary landscapes.

Travel Africa Natural Selection Helicopter Horizons Botswana Tourism

Address

Johannesburg

Telephone

+27834150021

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Jay Roode posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Jay Roode:

Shortcuts

Share

Category