South African penguins at Boulders beach

South Africa Snapped: Cape Town Captured on Camera

March 13th 2020 was a landmark moment in Exodus Edits history: our first-ever departure! The exciting debut of Exodus Edits saw nine lucky Edit’ers travel to Cape Town to enjoy epic wildlife, divine wines and delicious food on the Cabernet & Capers in South Africa adventure.

We thought we’d mark the occasion by interviewing Lucas, an amazing photographer who explored South Africa with his trusty Nikon!

First up, what did you think of South Africa?

It was awesome! The people are really friendly, and the weather was amazing. We had the opportunity to try some really unique food while we were there as well. Dishes with stuff like water buffalo or crocodile were available but I was pretty unadventurous, so I stuck to chicken burgers and stuff that I already like. At first, the rest of the group were a bit apprehensive but once they tried it, they couldn’t get enough of kudu and crocodile.

What was your favourite activity or part of the trip?

Seeing the penguins was definitely the best part of the trip, it was so cool to see all of them waddling around the rocks. We were able to go kayaking while they swam around us and hung out on the nearby shore. We were able to spend a lot of time with them since the experience was spread across two days. I was really happy about that since it’s what sold me on the trip to begin with.

South African penguins at Boulders beach

I hear you’re a keen photographer, did you enjoy exploring South Africa with your camera?

We spent quite a lot of time out in the wild during the trip, so I had some great photography opportunities. There were incredible places to take photos, like up on Table Mountain, which overlooks Cape Town. I was also able to get some great shots while we were wine tasting in South Africa’s Wine Region and during the trip I was lucky to capture shots of a lizard, baboons at the Cape Point old lighthouse, turtles, Egyptian geese and three ostriches.

Baboons at Cape Point Old Lighthouse

Do you have any particular highlights of the trip from a photography point of view?

Photographing the penguins, was a definite highlight for me. I’ve never encountered them in their habitat before, so it was a brand-new experience. The closest that I’ve come to it is when I took some great photos with wild goats in Morocco on the Exodus Travels Mount Toubkal trip.

South African penguins walking out of the sea

I’ve learnt that you normally take photography at night so how did it differ on this trip when you were mostly exploring during day light?

Honestly it was a little hard to take any night time shots as Cape Town is so bright that it counteracts my usual methods. Despite that, I was able to get a few night time shots that I’m happy with. It gave me the chance to spend more time on daytime photography, which is another challenge entirely.

Simons Town at night

Any tips for anyone planning on exploring South Africa with their camera?

If you’re going there for daylight photography, the guides are always ready to help you out by stopping and letting you take photos wherever you like. There are some amazing views to help you perfect your landscape photography. So yeah, I’d say that the guides are excellent people and they’re always happy to help you, so don’t be afraid to ask.

You can find more of Lucas’ amazing photography on Instagram @beastofbrenin

If you’d like to meet the penguins and stretch your photography muscles in South Africa, join us on our Cabernet & Capers in South Africa