Highlights from 2022

2022 was an incredibly busy year for our photography leaders as they led tours across the globe, taking you in search of the world's finest wildlife photography encounters. Here we feature a few of those wonderful moments and some of the exceptional imagery.

Arctic Fox Photography Bret Charman, Iceland

Coming down the steps of Kviar Lodge, I'm surrounded by a winter wonderland. All around me is white, well except for the deep blue of the fjord in front of me, and of course, the blue morph Arctic fox. The foxes here are particularly special as they stay brown throughout the winter months. This might not sound ideal, but trust me when I say there's something magical about these little canids. Laying on the snow, getting eye-to-eye with one of these charismatic foxes is beyond a treat. A young female fox approaches my group and with a snow bank between us, she just peeks over the top. All that surrounds me is white, except for a small brown fox with the most intensely coloured, mischievous eyes. I was smitten. I still am. The photos weren't too bad either. I'll be back.

South Luangwa Photo Safari Ben Sutcliffe, Zambia

As the new year begins it provides an opportunity to look back on the highlights of 2022. There's one moment that instantly comes to mind as the highlight of the year and that's when I was leading a group in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park and we were lucky enough to spend a considerable amount of time with some lion cubs. These cubs were probably no more than three months old, so they still had the kitten-like playful streak in them. Their mum was constantly attempting to keep them in order and keep them away from the vehicles. But as with many young animals, their curiosity got the better of them and they nonchalantly strolled up to our vehicle to give it a closer look. This of course made for some great images and some even better memories.

Skomer's Perfect Puffins Kevin Morgans, Skomer Island

The UK is packed full of wonderful wildlife, from the rugged Scottish Highlands to its beautiful coastline. But for me, the highlight of each year has to be the return of the puffins. Seeing these charismatic seabirds once again light up our coast with their colourful beaks, comical waddles, and inquisitive nature will never fail to put a smile on your face. Skomer is ideal for any photographer looking to capture magical images of puffins, or simply a place to sit back, relax, and watch the birds as they go about their daily routines. But Skomer offers so much more than just puffins. Each spring, the island becomes a bustling seabird metropolis, home to countless breeding birds, such as guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, and choughs, to name a few. And, if you're lucky, you may even encounter short-eared owls hunting over the meadows.

Brazil's Big Five Photo Safari Emma Healey, Brazil

On one of our Brazil photography trips in October, we saw an anteater on the other side of the field, so we stopped and got out of the vehicle, standing on the road photographing it. It was coming towards us and the sun was setting behind us, casting a beautiful golden light on to it so we went under the fence and edged into the field to a clear position. Fully expecting her to retreat once she spotted us, the wind was in our favour and we all sat still and silent. She continued moving forwards, finally coming within around one metre of us. It was far too close for most of our lenses and was one of those times that you just look on in awe, holding your breath, hoping that you continue to remain hidden. We did just this and she walked straight past us, so close that you could hear her breathing and sucking the termites out of the holes.