Meet The Pro: Villiers Steyn

In this episode of the Pangolin Podcast, host Toby Jermyn welcomes South African wildlife photographer, safari guide, and educator Villiers Steyn. Villiers shares his journey from pursuing a background in nature conservation to becoming a full-time YouTuber through his brand, the Safari Expert. 

Here is a link to a gallery of Villiers' images: https://pangolin.smugmug.com/SmugMug-Website/Website-Pages/Meet-the-Pro-Villiers-Steyn

In the podcast, Villiers discusses his top four favourite photographs, including the technical challenges behind capturing a herd of elephants drinking under the Milky Way and the beauty of a tigress in an Indian jungle. Villiers also provides insight and advice for aspiring wildlife photographers on how to succeed in the industry. 

If you are interested in joining us on safari, then click here: https://bit.ly/4c0xhXn

Connect with Villiers: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSafariExpert
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesafariexpert
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesafariexpert
Website: https://www.thesafariexpert.co.za

Guest Image
https://www.pangolinphoto.com/sabine-stols
Sabine Stols https://www.instagram.com/sabine_stols/

The Pangolin Podcast was produced and edited by Bella Falk: https://www.passportandpixels.com

Pangolin Photo Safaris
Africa's premier photo safari operator and lodge owner.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Join our growing community of wildlife photography enthusiasts by signing up for the Friday Focus newsletter which Is full of camera gear advice, photo tips, and safari specials around the world.

https://link.pangolinphoto.com/Pod-Community

We are Pangolin Wildlife Photography, based in the Chobe, Northern Botswana. When we are not making videos for our channel, we host our guests and clients from all over the world on our Wildlife Photography safaris throughout Botswana and the rest of Africa—and sometimes beyond!

Learn More about our safaris here: https://link.pangolinphoto.com/BZ-Safaris

Transcript

Toby says:
Hello and welcome to another brand new episode of the Pangolin Podcast.
I’m your host, Toby Jermyn. Thank you very much for joining me.

In each episode, I invite a professional wildlife photographer to imagine themselves in a remote location. Along with their camera gear, they are allowed to bring five photographs to hang on the wall of their humble dwelling. Four of these must be their own work, and the final image is one they admire by another photographer.

If you’re watching on YouTube, you can see the images as we talk. For audio listeners on other platforms, there is a link in the description to a gallery.

On today’s show, we’ll be talking about ambition, commitment, and what it really takes to succeed. As my guest puts it: how badly do you want it?

My guest today is a South African wildlife photographer, safari guide, and educator, best known for making the African bush accessible and exciting to a broad audience. With a formal background in nature conservation and years of experience guiding guests in some of Southern Africa’s top reserves, he combines scientific insight with a storyteller’s eye behind the camera.

Through his brand, The Safari Expert, his YouTube videos and social content help travellers and photographers understand animal behaviour, improve their images, and fall in love with the day-to-day reality of life in the bush.

Villiers Steyn, welcome to the show.

Villiers says:
Hey Toby, thank you so much. It’s great to see you, and thank you for having me on the podcast.

Toby says:
It’s an absolute pleasure. I’ve been a big fan of yours for quite some time. We’ve known each other for a while, so it’s about time we had you on the show, wasn’t it?

Villiers says:
Absolutely. I’ve really enjoyed this series, and it’s clear that viewers have too. Kudos to you and the team for what you’ve achieved with your YouTube channel — 111,000 subscribers and counting is extraordinary.

Toby says:
You know, we started this because of COVID. I like to look back on that time with slightly rose-tinted glasses. It was difficult, but it gave us time to grow an audience, which is very cool.

Now, the premise of the show is that you select four images of your own. You have a large portfolio — how easy or difficult was it to choose?

Villiers says:
I’m so glad you asked that question, because I wanted to thank you for costing me two or three full days in the office going through hundreds of thousands of images.

The challenge isn’t just finding images that look good — it’s about choosing images that really speak to me personally. I narrowed it down to about 20, then five, and finally my four. And I’ll be honest, I changed my mind a few times along the way.

The most difficult part, though, was choosing the fifth image — one by another photographer. That meant spending a lot of time scrolling through the work of photographers I admire.

And because I live in Hoedspruit — which has roughly a one-to-one ratio of photographers to non-photographers — choosing someone local could be socially awkward.

Toby says:
Hoedspruit must have the highest density of wildlife photographers anywhere.

Villiers says:
We joke that we could field our own football team of wildlife photographers — and even if half of them got injured, we’d still have enough substitutes.

It’s a wonderful community. I moved here about 12 years ago when the town was still very underdeveloped, and now it’s a completely different place. Interestingly, we bump into each other less than you’d expect because everyone travels so much.

Image One: Elephants Under the Milky Way

Toby says:
Let’s start with your first image. Tell us what we’re looking at and how this photograph came about.

Villiers says:
The first image is a photograph of a herd of elephants drinking under the Milky Way.

As someone who leads a lot of photographic safaris, you’re usually photographing things as they happen. You don’t often get the luxury of conceptualising shots. But during the post-COVID period, when safaris were paused, I had the time to do exactly that.

A good friend of mine, Ian Owtram, owns Antares Bush Camp, about an hour north of Hoedspruit. When he converted the camp from a guide training facility into a lodge, he built an underground hide. He invited me to help set it up so photographers could create something special.

The hide faces south-southwest, which means that in winter, you can capture the Milky Way. That’s when I realised there was an opportunity to photograph elephants drinking beneath it.

Toby says:
Did you spend the night in the hide?

Villiers says:
Many nights. I grew old in that hide.

You can overnight there, although it’s not as remote as people imagine — the waterhole is walking distance from the lodge. There’s a daybed inside the hide, which helps.

On my first night, I photographed a male lion under the Milky Way. It was exciting, but the lion was very small in the frame because of the wide lens. That’s when I realised elephants would work far better.

Toby says:
This is a very technical photograph. How did you manage the exposure for both the Milky Way and the elephants?

Villiers says:
That’s what made it difficult. I used a 16mm wide-angle lens and pre-focused during daylight hours on the far edge of the water. Once set, the camera stayed in manual focus, triggered remotely.

To expose the Milky Way, I needed a 30-second exposure at ISO 6400, wide open at f/4 — with the hide lights off. But if you expose elephants for that long with lights on, they blow out completely.

So this is a composite — but taken moments apart. I exposed the stars first, then when the elephants arrived, I used a long exposure and briefly flicked the hide light on and off for a split second to freeze them.

I repeated this until I had clean frames, then blended them in post-production. What you see is very close to what my eyes saw that night.

Toby says:
I love your transparency about how this was made.

Villiers says:
For me, photography is about first knowing what you want to create, and then figuring out how to make it happen. That problem-solving is half the fun.

Image Two: Tigress in Ranthambhore

Toby says:
Let’s move on to your second image.

Villiers says:
This is an adult female tigress walking through a rocky stream in Ranthambhore National Park in India. It’s my favourite of the four.

I first visited India in November 2018. What struck me most before going were the sounds — peacocks, deer alarm calls — so different to Africa. I told myself I couldn’t return without capturing what I’d describe as The Jungle Book.

This image did that for me.

Toby says:
It feels wild and perfectly framed.

Villiers says:
It wasn’t luck. We positioned ourselves intentionally, anticipating her path. When she stepped into that frame — the branch above, the water below — I knew exactly what I wanted. I shot continuously to capture the perfect stride.

India offers some of the most incredible wildlife photography opportunities in the world, and it’s far wilder than people expect.

Image Three: Elephant and Flowers

Toby says:
Let’s look at your third image.

Villiers says:
This is a vertical shot of an elephant holding yellow devil’s thorn flowers, taken in Mashatu in February 2022.

These flowers appear for only about two weeks a year, depending entirely on rainfall. When they bloom, the landscape transforms — it’s like custard poured over the plains.

This image simply makes me happy.

Toby says:
You have a background in travel writing, don’t you?

Villiers says:
Yes. I started in Mashatu while doing my Master’s degree on leopard movements. After that, I spent about eight years as a travel writer, living out of my Hilux and exploring Southern Africa.

What I do now on YouTube is essentially visual travel writing — storytelling combined with practical information.

Image Four: Wattled Starling

Toby says:
Your fourth image is very different.

Villiers says:
It’s a photograph of a male Wattled Starling — and it’s the most personal image of all.

When I was a child in Hwange National Park, someone showed us a photo album filled with wildlife images. One image of a Wattled Starling stopped me in my tracks. I thought it couldn’t be real.

That moment planted the seed for my entire career.

It wasn’t until February 2023 — decades later — that I photographed my first male Wattled Starling with a wattle. This image completes the circle for me.

Advice for Aspiring Wildlife Photographers

Toby says:
What advice would you give to someone who wants to do what you do?

Villiers says:
Follow your passion — but understand it’s not easy.

Photography alone rarely pays the bills anymore. You have to diversify: YouTube, courses, stock, guiding, ebooks. I now have around 12 income streams related to wildlife media.

If you’re entrepreneurial, willing to learn, and open to sharing knowledge, it is absolutely possible.

Most importantly, it comes down to how badly you want it. Nothing falls into your lap. You have to put in the hours.

Final Image: Another Photographer’s Work

Toby says:
Finally, the image by another photographer.

Villiers says:
This is a stunning photograph of a jaguar in the Pantanal, taken by Sabine Stols. The light, composition, and atmosphere are exquisite.

It represents an experience I deeply want to have — and one day, I will.

Closing

Toby says:
Villiers, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Before you go — where is your humble dwelling going to be?

Villiers says:
Mashatu Game Reserve, along the Majale River. It already feels like home.

Toby says:
Perfect. Thank you so much for joining me.

And thank you to everyone listening. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and sign up for the Pangolin Photo Safaris Friday Focus newsletter at pangolinphoto.com.

The Pangolin Podcast was hosted by me, Toby Jermyn, and produced unedited by Bella Falk.

Thank you.