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Luisa M Vink

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Amateur Wildlife Photographer 🇿🇦

22/10/2026

From little lion cubs to almost grown-up lions!

During my visit to Addo Elephant National Park in August, I was lucky enough to spend some time with Kala and her four youngsters, who are looking more like subadults than cubs these days!

It’s incredible to see how much they’ve grown since I first photographed them back in January (photos 5.6.7).
Watching their journey unfold has been such a privilege. 📸

I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these four, and for all the new life making its way into Addo, including a few surprises still waiting to be revealed.

Camera: Nikon South Africa D850
Lens: SIGMA South Africa 150-600 contemporary
Location: Addo Elephant National Park

20/10/2026

📸 Birds in flight: a skill I’m still trying to master!

Photographing birds in flight is no easy task, and I still have a lot to learn. But a couple of weeks ago, while visiting Addo Elephant National Park , I managed to capture this Yellow- Billed Kite in flight! Even more exciting? It was my first time seeing one this close.

I’ve also started using the Merlin Bird ID app, and honestly, birdwatching is becoming a real-life Pokémon game. Gotta catch ’em all!

Feeling incredibly lucky to have so much wildlife right on our doorstep here in the Eastern Cape.

Camera: Nikon South Africa D850
Lens: SIGMA South Africa 150-600 Contemporary
Location: Addo Elephant National Park

12/10/2026

📸 What you see on social media isn’t always what you see in the wild. 🦏

As a wildlife photographer, I’ve been guilty of this too.

We share beautiful close-ups taken with 400mm or 600mm lenses, but rarely show how far away the animals actually are.

I was lucky enough to spot this magnificent black rhino bull in Addo Elephant National Park . Even with my 600mm lens, the distance and thick bush made the perfect shot impossible. The video with an iPhone 16pro shows the reality behind the photo.

🌿 Wildlife photography should inspire conservation, not disturbance for the perfect shot.

Sometimes, respecting wildlife from a distance matters more than the photograph.

Camera: Nikon South Africa D850
Lens: SIGMA South Africa 160-600 Contemporary

04/10/2026

Have you ever heard a bird predict the rain?

Meet the Burchell’s Coucal, one of South Africa’s most recognisable birds — and the bird many of us know simply as the “Rain Bird.”

Its deep, bubbling call is traditionally associated with approaching rain and is often heard around periods of high humidity and rainfall.

But here’s another interesting fact: although the Burchell’s Coucal belongs to the cuckoo family, it doesn’t follow the famous cuckoo strategy of leaving its eggs in another bird’s nest. It raises its own young.

Usually hidden among thick vegetation, getting one sitting completely in the open — with that incredible red eye and chestnut plumage — is always a photographic treat.

Location: Addo Elephant National Park
Camera: Nikon South Africa D850
Lens: SIGMA South Africa 150-600 contemporary

Do you call it a Burchell’s Coucal or a Rain Bird? And have you noticed them calling before it rains?

20/09/2026

This weekend looked a little different through my lens! 🐾📸

Those who know me know how much time I spend training my own dogs. Now in their 6s and 7s, Riley and Skye have slowed things down a little and currently stick to hoopers, but I still love supporting the dog sport community whenever I can.

This weekend it was time for the Port Elizabeth Cluster Dogsport Weekend 2026, and instead of being on the course, I had the camera in my hands.

Agility and dog jumping were on the memory card this time, capturing the speed, focus and incredible connection between dogs and their handlers. 🐕💨

Plenty of photos to come!

17/09/2026

The past few days have brought plenty of rain to Port Elizabeth, but with it came a few special visitors to my garden. 🌧️🐦

The Cape Sparrow is a familiar face, but this week I was lucky enough to welcome two first-time visitors: a Bronze Mannikin and a Fork-tailed Drongo.

And the best part? Being able to photograph them naturally, right in my own backyard. Moments like these are a lovely reminder that wildlife photography doesn’t always require travelling far. Sometimes, nature comes to you. 🤍

Camera: Nikon South Africa D850
Lens: SIGMA South Africa 150-600 contemporary

WildlifePhotography

15/09/2026

These photos will never be my best work from a technical photography perspective. In fact, they are probably some of my weakest.

Yet they are among the most meaningful images I have ever taken.

This photograph was captured in October 2025, just one day before Josie passed away. Looking back now, it may have been one of the very last moments all three lionesses were together with the two Kalahari boys.

Since then, so much has changed.

Duffy passed away in June this year, and by a twist of fate, I was fortunate enough to see her just a week before she died. Today, Dawn remains in the central section of Addo Elephant National Park as one of the original lions introduced to the park in 2003. Meanwhile, the two younger lionesses now rule the north, raising four cubs that are almost a year old.

For many Addo followers, these are not just lions. They are individuals whose stories we have followed for years. We’ve celebrated their victories, worried during difficult times, and felt the loss when their journeys came to an end.

That is why this image means so much to me.

It is more than a photograph. It is a moment in time that can never be repeated.

I feel incredibly grateful to have witnessed part of their story and to have spent time with them during the final chapters of their lives.

Location: Addo Elephant National Park

13/09/2026

It’s easy to forget how lucky we are to have this wild place only 40 minutes from home. 🐘🌿

Addo Elephant National Park is always special, but after such a wet winter, the landscape feels completely different. Greener, fuller and absolutely beautiful.

📍 Addo Elephant National Park | Addo Elephant National Park, Eastern Cape
📷Nikon South Africa D850
🔭 150–600mm Contemporary

01/06/2026

It’s been a while since I last went out with my camera.

Since moving to South Africa, winter sunsets have become my absolute favourite, and this photograph is a perfect example of why. It’s also a reminder that sometimes being in the right place at the right time can create truly unforgettable moments.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would capture such a beautiful scene, with an elephant crossing the landscape beneath the moon and surrounded by the soft colours of an African winter sunset.

never ceases to amaze me.

📍
Camera: D850
Lens:

17/04/2026

Small moments matter just as much as the big sightings… and proves it every time.

I spent 10 minutes quietly watching this tiny bush Karoo rat going about its day, feeding on fruits, grooming, and moving through the bush with so much character. These little guys are the only rodents in Southern Africa known to build large oval “lodges” at the base of shrubs using sticks, twigs, and grass.

It’s a reminder that incredible wildlife stories aren’t only about the giants. Sometimes, they’re right at your feet.

Camera: D850
Lens: 150-600 Contemporary

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