https://www.facebook.com/293395094063728/

Rob Smith Photography

Name: Rob Smith Photography
Address: Plettenberg Bay, ZA
Telephone: +27836023303

Home
South Africa
Plettenberg Bay
Rob Smith Photography

Call Directions Contact the business

Moments in Time That same spirit of exploration has shaped my photographic eye.

From the banks of the Kafue River in Northern Rhodesia in the 1960’s to the rugged beauty of Plettenberg Bay today, my photography has been guided by nature. Growing up on a farm with my older brother, we explored the African bush, absorbing its sights, sounds, and scents - experiences that began a lifelong passion for capturing the natural world. Whether capturing an evening’s light on the Robberg Peninsula, the poise of an animal in the African bush or taking in the stillness of a Knysna indigenous forest, my images attempt to reveal both the beauty and the intimacy of the natural world. My work has been widely celebrated, with publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Getaway, GO and AfricanBirdlife publishing images. AfricanBirdlife recently named my photograph of mating Half-collared Kingfishers as one of the best published by the magazine the past two years. I've ben fortunate to have many fine-art images hang in homes in South Africa and across the world, collected by those who share my reverence for Africa’s natural world.

29/10/2026

Southern Double-collared Sunbirds on Robberg. Such a colourful little bird, more so when the male is in full mating mode with his pectoral tufts all aglow.

30/09/2026

I've been photographing this pair of Half-collared Kingfishers on the Piesang stream since 2024. They produced two clutches of chicks over that first summer, and have survived impossible conditions since then.

Early this year the birds survived a severe drought. The stream dropped to barely a trickle, and I can only imagine how little food was left for them to catch ~ fish, crabs, tadpoles, whatever they could find. Then in March floods arrived and nearly took their nest.

This week I found them again. The male was feeding his mate a fish on a perch close to the nest. I've never seen this mating ritual before in all the time I've watched them, and had little time before it was over. I think the female might currently be sitting on eggs again.

A technical note for anyone curious: it's dark in the surrounding forest where these photos were taken and getting a decent photo would have been near impossible at an ISO of 24,500 before the arrival of DxO's noise reduction software - the reason these photos exist at all.

12/09/2026

As Spring settles into this part of the southern Cape, I'm excited about the prospect of watching and photographing a pair of Half-collared Kingfishers I've discovered in a section of the Piesang River. September & October is when they are very busy mating, feeding each other and raising their chicks. I haven't found this pair's nest but have seen them hunting in a particular spot on the river. These photographs were taken in a location better suited to photography than the forest in which the other pair lives & which I've photographed extensively. The new spot is, however, surrounded by thick, knee deep tidal estuary mud and water. Risk and reward😊

04/09/2026

I revisited a small pond surrounded by fallen trees and branches in the Muldersdrift area a few weeks ago. I had previously seen a pair of Malachite Kingfishers there and with Spring approaching, thought I may catch sight of them again. The small pond was, however, almost covered in a layer of some sort of water plant, resulting in few fishing opportunities for the kingfishers. As the afternoon's light softened, a small flock of Tawny-flanked Prinia started to catch insects in mid-flight. I, simply, could not catch these fast-flying little birds in flight, and settled for photographing them as they perched.

24/08/2026

For bird-lovers, pick up a copy of the latest African Birdlife magazine on shelves today. The very best nature magazine, which, under the editorship of Ant Crone produces the highest quality stories and imagery.

23/08/2026

As Spring starts to show itself in the southern Hemisphere and birds celebrate it's arrival, some photos of various bee-eaters I've photographed over the years.

30/07/2026

Little Egrets continue to provide endless photographic opportunities for me. Returning each day to the local river mouth where a pair lives and hunts, just before and after sunset, offers endless unique photo opportunities. In this instance, the bird's stark white plummage set against a dark background of lighter converging reeds and the bird's bright yellow foot caught my eye. The bird's reflection is almost inconsequential to the image.

10/07/2026

Birds in their environment.

24/06/2026

A Cattle Egret comes into it roost as dusk descends

09/06/2026

Trees of Kruger on display in Bay Decor, Plettenberg Bay. Printed on fine-art paper & framed with a black frame. Beautifully displayed by Janet and her team.

Address

Plettenberg Bay

Telephone

+27836023303

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

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