Meet The Pro: Mark Dumbleton

In this episode of the Pangolin Podcast, host Toby Jermyn welcomes South African wildlife and landscape photographer, Mark Dumbleton. Based in Hoedspruit, Mark is best known for his powerful images of African wildlife and dramatic natural scenes. With nearly two decades of experience, he combines a deep love of the wilderness with a strong emphasis on teaching, helping photographers around the world capture and edit stronger images through his YouTube channel, online courses, and guided photo safaris.

Connect with Mark:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MarkDumbletonPhoto 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markdumbletonphoto 
• Website: www.markdumbleton.com

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

View a gallery of the images discussed in this episode:
https://pangolin.smugmug.com/SmugMug-Website/Website-Pages/Meet-the-Pro-Mark-Dumbleton

In the podcast, Mark discusses the stories behind four of his favourite photographs and one he admires by another photographer. He shares insights into the technical challenges of capturing these moments, his philosophy on visual storytelling, and the significance of having his work featured on the cover of the 2023 coffee-table book "Remembering Leopards".

Guest Image
Mark selects a breath-taking image by photographer Greg du Toit as one he deeply admires.
https://www.gregdutoit.com/
https://www.instagram.com/wildernessdreaming/

Greg’s podcast episode
https://pangolinpodcast.buzzsprout.com/2527088/episodes/18460408-meet-the-pro-greg-du-toit

Mark’s Lightroom course
https://www.markdumbleton.com/the-wildlife-edit-course

Hannes Lochner’s episode
https://pangolinpodcast.buzzsprout.com/2527088/episodes/17715389-meet-the-pro-hannes-lochner

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Introduction to the Pangolin Podcast 
• 01:09 Guest Introduction: Mark Dumbleton 
• 03:14 Choosing the Perfect Wildlife Photos 
• 04:11 The First Image: After the Feast
• 13:20 The Second Image: Dramatic Mara 
• 17:39 The Third Image: Marauding Buffalo
• 22:58 The Fourth Image: A Close Call With Death
• 27:53 Advice for Aspiring Wildlife Photographers 
• 32:36 The Final Image (Greg du Toit) and Conclusion  

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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.

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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

Chapters

• 4:11:00 1st Image: After the Feast
• 13:20:00 2nd Image: Dramatic Mara
• 17:39:00 3rd Image: Marauding Buffalo
• 22:58:00 4th Image: A Close Call With Death
• 32:36:00 Guest Image: Greg du Toit

Transcript

Introduction

Toby:
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, and along with their camera gear, they’re allowed to bring five photographs to hang on the wall of their humble dwelling. Four of these must be their own, and the final image is one they admire by another photographer.

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

On today’s show…

I was actually in the Kruger National Park with a 500mm prime, and I had lions hunting zebra straight towards my car. So with a 500mm prime, there’s no changing that focal length at all. So the lions started running, and they ran straight to my car. The lion was on the back of a zebra, maybe 10 metres from my car, and I had zero images from that trip.

My guest today is a South African wildlife and landscape photographer based in Hoedspruit. Best known for his powerful images of African wildlife and dramatic natural scenes, with nearly two decades behind the camera, he combines a deep love of the wilderness with a strong emphasis on teaching. He helps photographers around the world capture and edit stronger images through his YouTube channel, online courses, and guided photo safaris.

His work has been widely published, earning recognition in major photographic competitions, and includes the cover image for the 2023 coffee table book Remembering Leopards.

Welcome to the show, Mark Dumbleton.

Opening Conversation

Mark:
Thanks very much for having me. I really enjoyed the intro. I must just say, the Remembering Leopards cover is one of my greatest achievements and something very close to my heart. Living in Hoedspruit, we basically live amongst leopards, so that was just the cherry on top of my career, so to speak.

Toby:
It’s a stunning series as well. We had Margo, who produces the series, on the show before. It’s really worthwhile, and the competition for the cover is pretty fierce, isn’t it?

Mark:
Yeah. When she told me I got the cover, I didn’t know what to say. It was very emotional, and just being part of that project means a lot to me. To actually get the cover, and it being my favourite animal, was amazing.

Toby:
The last time I saw you was a couple of months ago in Hoedspruit at that event where we got everybody together. You mentioned you were planning to get out into the bush for photography. Did that happen?

Mark:
Luckily, living in Hoedspruit, it’s only a 45-minute drive to the Kruger National Park. I have done a couple of day visits and had one dedicated trip to film an “in-the-field” video for my YouTube channel. People really connect with that type of instruction. It’s one thing explaining photography in the studio, but another to be in the field looking at a lion live and talking through camera settings. I got a few nice images from that trip, but mainly I’ve been back in the studio since then.

Image One – Lioness and Cub

Toby:
The premise of this show is that you’ve gone back into your archives to choose four images. You’ve been photographing for about 20 years, so I imagine you must have terabytes of images. Were there one or two that came to mind straight away?

Mark:
To be honest, they almost immediately sprang to mind. Ironically, the first image we’ll talk about is probably one of my oldest photographs. It took me about five years to realise the merit of that image. Three of them came to mind very quickly, but there were other images I had to exclude. After almost 20 years of photographing multiple times per year, it’s hard to choose just four images.

Toby:
Let’s start with the first image. Tell us about it.

Mark:
This is an image of a lioness covered in blood with one of her cubs standing just underneath her. She’s also missing a tooth. The image is from 2008, and I didn’t see its potential for at least five years. When I rediscovered it in my poorly organised Lightroom catalogue, a huge story jumped out at me.

The lioness was feeding on a giraffe, and the cub sat beside her. The bush was very green and thick because it was taken in mid-summer. I spent three or four hours with these lions, and, amazingly for Kruger, I was alone for almost an hour.

Interestingly, this image went viral on Instagram at one point, and a blog shared it with a completely fabricated story, saying the lioness had killed another lion while protecting her cub and lost her tooth in the process. That wasn’t true, but it shows the power of photography. If people can create their own story from an image, that’s success in wildlife photography.

Toby:
Had you seen this lioness before? Losing a canine must be painful and debilitating. Do you know how she lost it?

Mark:
I honestly don’t know. I arrived at the kill about half an hour after they took down the giraffe. There were only two lionesses there—no males, no big pride. They may have chased the giraffe down an embankment. I’ve had many people ask about the missing tooth, but I simply don’t know. That mystery adds to the appeal.

Toby:
It certainly adds to the story. Here we have a lioness who, with perhaps her sister, has taken down a fully grown giraffe. That’s extraordinary.

You mentioned you only edited this image years later. Do you often go back to older images and re-edit them with new techniques?

Mark:
Definitely. It’s partly due to improvements in software, but mostly my understanding of editing and storytelling. Originally, the background was bright neon green, which made the image feel too happy. As I developed my editing style, I darkened the exposure and reduced the green saturation to create a more fitting mood for the scene.

Toby:
Would you say your style has changed over time?

Mark:
Absolutely. Early in my career, I used strong contrast and heavy colours. As I matured, I moved toward a more subtle approach, bringing in mood and darker tones to represent the struggle for survival in the African bush.

Image Two – Elephant Mother and Calf

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

Mark:
This is a mother elephant and her calf under a dramatic, stormy sky in the Maasai Mara. I hung my camera from a monopod to get a low angle and used a cable release. I pre-focused where I expected the elephants to walk and used a narrow aperture for maximum depth of field.

I like how the elephants are small in the frame, emphasising the massive sky. They’re also facing opposite directions, which gives a sense of uncertainty or isolation. The raw file was flat, so I added contrast to the sky to emphasise the environment.

Toby:
The balance between the dark sky and the lighter foreground is striking. Was that difficult to capture?

Mark:
There was natural light on the foreground, but I darkened the immediate foreground slightly. Bright areas at the bottom of an image can be distracting, so I darken them to guide the viewer’s eye into the scene. I also darkened the edges slightly to create a vignette effect.

Toby:
You’re well known for editing content and training. Editing is becoming so advanced that some people feel it’s no longer photography, especially in competitions. What’s your perspective?

Mark:
Photography is an expression of creativity. I don’t fake scenes, but I do adjust colour and contrast. If someone heavily manipulates an image, I believe they should disclose it. Unfortunately, public perception now is that everything is AI or Photoshopped. Through my in-field videos, people can see my images are genuine. Editing is simply using modern tools to express creativity.

Editing Techniques Discussion

Toby:
How long do you typically spend editing an image?

Mark:
Anywhere from a couple of minutes to about 20 minutes. Sometimes, if I’m experimenting creatively, I might go too far. I often use Lightroom’s snapshot feature to save different editing stages and revert to earlier versions if necessary.

Toby:
Do you have a favourite Lightroom trick?

Mark:
Yes. I often warm up the white balance and then add blue tones into the shadows through colour grading. It creates a nice colour contrast and adds depth to the image.

Image Three – Fighting Buffalo

Toby:
Welcome back to part two of the Pangolin Podcast. Let’s move on to your third image.

Mark:
This image shows two buffalo fighting during the dry season in the Kruger National Park. I was sitting at the only waterhole in the area. These two males were hanging around for a while before suddenly fighting. The entire fight lasted about five seconds, but the dust and backlighting from the rising sun created an incredible scene.

I liked how one buffalo’s face is visible while the other is obscured, suggesting dominance. The diagonal horns add visual strength. I cropped a small area of the frame to ensure the entire scene was filled with dust, simplifying the composition.

Toby:
Buffalo are notoriously difficult to photograph in an interesting way. Did you enhance colour in this image?

Mark:
Not much. The raw file was very drab. I added slight saturation in the highlights and a subtle blue tone in the shadows to create colour balance. This was probably a five-minute edit. When you get it right in camera, editing becomes simple.

Toby:
Where did you learn your editing skills?

Mark:
I’m entirely self-taught. I used to live in Johannesburg, far from the bush, so I spent nights experimenting with editing and studying wildlife photography to understand why certain images worked.

Toby:
What are common mistakes beginner editors make?

Mark:
Overusing the clarity slider, oversaturating colours, over-sharpening images, and not removing noise before sharpening.

Image Four – Zebra Scar

Toby:
Let’s move on to your fourth image. I’ll admit this is my favourite. Tell us about it.

Mark:
This is a close-up image of a zebra with a lion scar running down its side. I love the dynamic composition of intersecting diagonal lines from the zebra stripes and the claw scar. It represents the battle between life and death. The zebra escaped, but the scar remains as evidence.

The zebra was standing on a tar road in Kruger. I used a long lens to isolate the section I wanted. The image is almost uncropped. It’s simple—just the zebra’s skin and the scar—but it tells a powerful story.

Toby:
Zebras are incredibly resilient animals. When did you capture this image?

Mark:
About five or six years ago. I’ve looked for the same zebra again but never found it. Showing the harsh reality of life in the wild is something I strive for in my photography.

Gear Discussion and Closing Story

Toby:
We haven’t discussed your gear. What are you currently shooting with?

Mark:
This zebra image was shot on a Nikon Z6 with a 200–500mm lens. Now I use a Nikon Z8 with a 180–600mm lens.

In 2023, I was in Kruger with a 500mm prime lens when lions hunted zebra straight toward my car. The lion jumped onto the zebra just 10 metres away, and I captured zero images because I couldn’t adjust the focal length. After that day, I vowed never to rely solely on a prime lens. For me, versatility is more important than slight optical improvements.

Obviously, not many photographers share the same interpretation when it comes to zoom lenses, but the Nikkor 180–600 is really impressive. With today’s high-resolution cameras, it’s not far off a prime lens.

Don’t get me wrong — I’d love a big 400mm f/2.8. But working from a vehicle, especially when doing a lot of self-driving, versatility becomes essential. Having something slightly smaller and flexible helps me capture more shots overall.

Toby:
That’s the reality, isn’t it? If you invest in a very expensive prime lens, you often also need an experienced driver who can reposition the vehicle extremely quickly when action unfolds.

Okay, brilliant. We’re going to take another short break now. When we return, Mark will share an image taken by another photographer he admires.

Toby:
Welcome back to the final part of this episode. We’ve asked Mark to choose a photograph taken by another photographer that he admires — and perhaps wishes he had taken himself. So Mark, please introduce the image and tell us who captured it.

Mark:
This is an image of a lioness drinking at eye level. It was taken by Greg du Toit. I’ve known Greg for a very long time, and this photograph has always stood out to me.

If you’ve read Greg’s book, you’ll know the story behind the image. He reportedly spent about 18 months sitting in a waterhole waiting to photograph wild lions. That level of dedication immediately resonated with me.

What makes this image even more remarkable is that it was shot on film. It’s incredibly authentic. In some ways, digital photography has reduced that raw authenticity. But this image is entirely genuine — 100% film.

Greg literally sat submerged in a waterhole to mask his scent, risking illness and personal safety. It’s extraordinary commitment.

Toby:
As we record this, Greg’s episode of the podcast will actually be released just before this one. If you missed it, there will be a link in the description where Greg shares the full story — including how he almost became lunch.

I think you’re absolutely right. Photography today can sometimes feel easier. Many hides now feature air conditioning and one-way glass. Greg physically immersed himself in a waterhole waiting for lions. That’s true dedication.

Do you enjoy hide photography? Are there hides near where you stay?

Mark:
Yes, there are. I visit Kings Camp quite frequently. They have a really nice underground hide. It’s comfortable and incredibly productive for photography.

However, I personally spend a lot of time self-driving in the Kruger Park. There’s tremendous photographic potential when exploring independently.

I do love hides, though. I’m the kind of photographer who will stay until the early hours of the morning. I have serious FOMO — I never want to miss a moment.

Toby:
There’s always something coming, isn’t there? You always think, “Just ten more minutes.” Suddenly it’s three o’clock in the morning.

Mark:
Exactly. And I especially enjoy night hides. Sitting quietly, listening to the bush, hearing hyenas or possibly a leopard calling — it creates incredible anticipation and atmosphere.

Toby:
We’re seeing more and more of these eye-level wildlife images now. Originally, this type of lioness photograph was revolutionary. But photography is evolving rapidly, and opportunities are expanding. It’s becoming harder to create truly standout photographs.

Mark:
It definitely is. I was reminded recently of an interview with Hannes Lochner. He spoke about conceptualising photographs rather than chasing typical or cliché wildlife images.

As photographers mature, they often begin focusing on creating imagery that hasn’t been seen before. That’s something I’m working toward in my personal projects. Even capturing one truly unique photograph would be incredibly rewarding.

Toby:
Absolutely. He visualises, sketches ideas, and somehow brings them to life. It’s an incredibly clever skill.

If you’d like to follow Mark’s personal projects, we’ll include links to his social channels in the description. Please make sure you subscribe to his YouTube channel — but only after subscribing to ours first. And we’d love you to leave comments about the images Mark shared today, particularly your thoughts on editing and photography software.

Toby:
Okay Mark, we’ve nearly reached the end of our time together. But before you go, we have the signature Pangolin Podcast question.

You are invited to live in a humble dwelling for eternity, photographing wildlife, with your chosen images displayed on the walls. Where would your dwelling be located?

Mark:
I would choose a home on the banks of the Shingwedzi River in northern Kruger.

That area is extraordinary — incredible trees, a unique atmosphere, and abundant wildlife, including the Big Five. I would also build my own private underground hide where I could experiment with creative photography concepts. I would be perfectly happy living there for the rest of my life.

Toby:
Not exactly humble — but it sounds perfect!

Mark, thank you so much for joining us on the Pangolin Podcast. We truly appreciate your time.

I might see you soon in Chobe. You’re joining Villiers in May on the houseboat with a group of YouTubers, which should be great fun. Everyone should definitely subscribe to all the channels involved.

Mark:
Thank you very much for having me. I’m looking forward to it. We’ll see you in Chobe next year.

Toby:
Thank you for listening to another episode of the Pangolin Podcast. We hope you enjoyed it.

As always, we’d love to hear your comments and feedback, so please leave them below. If you’re listening to the audio version, we’d really appreciate a star rating or review.

If you don’t want to miss future episodes or wildlife photography content, make sure you subscribe to the channel.

Finally, don’t forget to sign up for the Pangolin Photo Safaris Friday Focus newsletter by visiting pangolinphoto.com or scanning the QR code on your screen.

I look forward to seeing you on a Pangolin Photo Safari soon.

The Pangolin Podcast was hosted by Toby Jermyn and produced and edited by Bella Falk.

Thank you.