My First Wildlife Photography Adventure in The Gambia

In September, I embarked on my first trip to The Gambia, a small West African country renowned for its incredible biodiversity and welcoming culture. This was also only my second visit to Africa, after travelling to Egypt in January 2025. Although I had initially planned to capture dramatic infrared landscapes along the Atlantic coast, a simple mistake with my equipment completely changed the course of my photography during this trip.

When Plans Go Wrong: From Infrared to Wildlife

Before leaving Switzerland, I carefully planned to use my R72 infrared filter to photograph the dramatic clouds sweeping across the Gambian coastline. I ordered what I thought was the correct step-up adapter, envisaging ethereal black-and-white seascapes to complement my portfolio of landscapes from Geneva.

In the face of this setback, I decided to pack light and bring equipment that could withstand The Gambia's challenging conditions. With humidity levels sometimes reaching 90%, I was glad to avoid the risk of exposing my main camera, a Sony A7III, to moisture damage.

The NX500's Limitations in Wildlife Photography

While the Samsung NX500 is compact and weather-resistant, it presents significant challenges for wildlife photography. Its autofocus system is slow and struggles to track moving subjects. There is no eye-detection autofocus and noise becomes visible at ISO 1600. In the dense, shadowy forests of The Gambia, where light is often scarce, these limitations could easily be deal-breakers.

However, I have learned that constraints often breed creativity. The technical challenges I faced forced me to approach wildlife photography differently to most photographers with modern, fast-focusing cameras.

Discovering Bijilo Monkey Park

With the help of My Gambia - a local tour operator that specializes in authentic Gambian experiences - we organized a visit to Bijilo Monkey Park. This lush coastal forest reserve, located just minutes from popular tourist areas, serves as a sanctuary for several primate species and offers visitors an intimate wildlife encounter.

The park is home to two main species: Temminck's red colobus monkeys (Piliocolobus temminckii) and green monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus). What makes Bijilo special is how comfortable the monkeys are around humans - they often approach visitors directly, providing unparalleled opportunities for close-up photography.

The monkeys at Bijilo are so used to visitors that they come right up to you, eager to take peanuts or bananas from your hand. This provides a rare chance to take close-up photos of wildlife that would be impossible in most other places.

Adapting My Approach: Storytelling Over Documentation

Drawing on my experience of wedding and event photography, I approached wildlife photography with the same fundamental principle: that every shot should tell a story rather than merely document a moment. This mindset was crucial when working within the limitations of the NX500.

Anticipating the Action

In order to overcome the camera's sluggish autofocus and noticeable shutter delay in low light conditions, I developed a technique based on anticipation of the action. I would press the shutter button almost a full second before something interesting was expected to happen, in the hope that the timing would align with the decisive moment.

This technique required careful observation of the monkeys' behaviour patterns. I spent time watching how they moved and learned to recognise the subtle signs that preceded interesting actions, such as the slight lean before a jump, the focused gaze before reaching for food and the social interactions that created compelling compositions.

Working with Natural Light

The forest's dappled light presented both challenges and opportunities. Although the low light pushed the NX500 to its limits, soft, filtered sunlight provided beautiful natural diffusion, enhancing the textures of the monkeys' fur and their expressions. I learned to position myself so that the light fell naturally on my subjects, rather than trying to overcome the camera's high ISO limitations.

The Results: 25 Images I'm Proud Of

Surprisingly, this unconventional approach worked even better than I had hoped. In about an hour at Bijilo Monkey Park, I took around 80 photos. After careful selection and editing, I was left with 25 images that I was genuinely proud of.

The images captured more than just portraits of monkeys; they told stories of social interactions, playful behaviour and quiet moments in the forest. Some showed the monkeys' curiosity about human visitors, while others captured their natural behaviour when they thought no one was watching.

What Made These Images Work

Looking back at the shots I kept, it is clear that several factors contributed to their impact.

Patience over speed: Instead of relying on rapid-fire shooting, I waited for meaningful moments and took the time to compose my shots thoughtfully.

Behavioral storytelling: The most engaging photos captured the monkeys' specific behaviours, such as feeding, grooming, playing and interacting with each other.

Technical adaptation: Working within the camera's limitations resulted in a more considered and deliberate approach, which ultimately improved the quality of each frame.

Lessons from an Unplanned Adventure

This experience taught me valuable lessons that extend far beyond wildlife photography. Sometimes, the best opportunities arise from setbacks, and creativity thrives within constraints rather than in spite of them.

What started as a frustrating equipment mishap turned out to be one of the most rewarding photography experiences of my year. It reminded me that the best photos often result from unexpected situations that force us to adapt and think creatively.

Despite its limitations, the Samsung NX500 proved that skill and patience can overcome technical constraints. Although modern cameras with advanced autofocus systems might have made the technical side of things easier, the fundamental requirements for good wildlife photography would not have changed: understanding your subjects, anticipating their behaviour and being ready for those decisive moments.

Advice for First-Time Wildlife Photographers

Drawing on this experience, I would like to offer the following recommendations to photographers considering their first wildlife photography adventure:

Start with approachable subjects: Parks such as Bijilo, where animals are accustomed to humans, provide an ideal environment in which to learn the basics of wildlife photography, free from the pressure of fleeting opportunities.

Study animal behavior: Take the time to observe before you start shooting. Understanding the patterns of movement and interaction will help you to anticipate the most photogenic moments.

Work within your equipment's limits: Instead of fighting against your camera's limitations, develop techniques that work around them. Sometimes, limitations can lead to more creative solutions.

Focus on storytelling: The most memorable wildlife images tell a story about an animal's behaviour, environment or relationships, rather than simply showing what it looks like.

Gratitude and Future Adventures

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to My Gambia for organising such a memorable day at Bijilo Monkey Park, and for showing us other beautiful parts of The Gambia. It was their local expertise and passion for showcasing the country's natural beauty that made this unexpected photographic journey possible.

This experience has opened a new door in my photographic journey. Although I still primarily focus on portrait, event, and landscape photography, I now appreciate the unique rewards of wildlife photography, such as the patience it requires, the behavioural insights it provides, and the profound connection it fosters with the natural world.

What started as a setback with my infrared equipment opened the door to a whole new photographic discipline. Sometimes, meaningful growth comes not from executing perfect plans, but from adapting creatively when those plans fall apart.

The Gambia will forever hold a special place in my photographic journey, not only because it was where I took my first wildlife photographs, but also because it reminds me that the best adventures often begin when we say "yes" to unexpected opportunities.