By Aimee Braniff Cree
**WITH FULL PERMISSIONS**
THIS PHOTOGRAPHER waited twelve years to capture picture perfect reflections of each wild African species that visited his favourite watering hole.
Images taken during a series of painstaking stakeouts in a wildlife hide show lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras and more as they stop for a refreshing drink at the watering hole and throw an incredible mirror image of themselves against the water.
All of the images were photographed at just the right moment before each animal took a sip and disturbed the reflecting waters at Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana.
Photographer Mike Dexter (37) from Durban, South Africa captured this incredible array of animals in Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana on his Canon EOS R6 II and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS III.
His experience comes from establishing Africa’s first wildlife hide back in 2011.
“If you want a perfect reflection you need perfectly calm conditions,” said Mike.
“Your best opportunity for capturing that mirror image effect is just as, or just before, the animal starts drinking because once its lips touch the water or its tongue starts lapping you get ripples disturbing the surface.
“All of this wildlife are the usual suspects at the watering hole but you still need luck and patience.
“My favourite has to be the lioness drinking, making eye contact. It is exactly the image that I have hoped for in 12 years.
“Seeing lions at the Mashatu hide was always a dream for me but it was one that evaded me throughout the two years that I lived there and then continued to do so even though I lead photo tours there on a regular basis.
“That changed this year when I was in the hide with a group of guests. It was an incredible moment, partly because I had waited for it, visualised it for so long and partly because, well because you are at eye level with lions with nothing between you.
“It was a group of seven in total and they were totally relaxed even though they very much knew that we were there.”
ENDS
