What got you started in photography, Marius?

I started my career as a professional safari guide almost 12 years ago at the tender age of 18. What was supposed to be a ‘gap’ year turned into my profession. About 4 years ago I decided to buy my first DSLR to capture the remarkable wildlife I observed on a daily basis and like they say the rest is history.

Tell us a little about your business and how you got started.

After more than 10 years being based at some of the most glamorous safari lodges in South Africa, I wanted to spread my wings and concentrate on private guiding. Adam Riley contacted me and after our first meeting Oryx Worldwide Photographic Expeditions was born. We now lead both scheduled as well as tailor-made photographic expeditions to some of the worlds most scenic and remote locations. Offering our clients hands on photographic tutoring from some of the world’s most promising wildlife photographers. All our expedition leaders are award winning and published throughout the world. Furthermore we are all guides and passionate conservationist.

Do you have a typical customer?

Our customers vary from people in their 20’s to people in their 70’s, our tours cater to anyone, be they professional or beginner, that would like to improve their photographic knowledge and have the opportunity to capture potential award winning images. All Oryx tours are limited to only 6 participants and one Oryx leader; we also use only destinations that offers our clients the best possible photographic opportunities. For this privilege, our clients do pay more but it is worth every cent.

What’s a customer to expect when they come to see you?

Our tours are created for photographers by photographers and we only provide our clients with the best. For tailor – made expeditions we create tours around our customers photographic needs, budget, length etc.

When is your busy season?

Due to Oryx operating worldwide we do not have a busy season as we are busy throughout the year. All tours, be custom or scheduled, are perfectly timed for when nature can provide the best photographic opportunities.

What do customers need to do to get ready to enjoy the experience?

Ensure all your camera equipment is in working order, study the area you are going to, so when we meet you as a client, you can let us know what you would like out of your tour.

What is your favorite subject to photograph?

The Leopard. I spent more than 6 years guiding photographic safaris in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve (South Africa), world famous for the best leopard photography on the planet. I was fortunate to spend thousands of hours observing the shy and elusive felines. My leopard images were published in portfolios in BBC Wildlife Magazine (the worlds biggest natural magazine), Africa Geographic and BBC Knowledge Magazine.

What has been your most exciting moment taking a photograph?

Photographing the highly endangered Mountain Gorilla in both Rwanda and Uganda.

Tell us about a dangerous situation you have been in while taking a photo.

Due to my guiding background I am all about safety, for both the animal and myself. I will never jeopardize safety in the name of an image.

What’s the best part of your job?

Traveling the world photographing the most iconic mammals on earth. Getting to meet new people and assisting people to improve their knowledge about photography.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

Spending vast amounts of time at airports.

Is there something you have yet to photograph, that you would like to?

Polar Bears.

What’s the most exciting place you’ve ever traveled to?

Antarctica. It is the last true remaining wilderness in the world.

You do quite a bit of traveling for your work. What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten and implemented that makes it easier?

Pack only what you need, both personal and photographic gear.

How can prospective customers get in touch with you?

They can email me at moc.yhpargotohpxyronull@suiram or moc.yhpargotohpxyronull@ofni. I can be reached through the Oryx site or my personal site. I also have Facebook pages for both the business and my personal work.

Thanks Marius

My suggestion is to pack your junk in the trunk and get it on over to any of these sites that Marius uses to promote his personal photography and the ones he snaps on the expeditions with Oryx. I know that after you have seen what he has to display here, you realize there is more to come. You’re not far off the mark. He’s currently in Madagascar and the images he has been posting on the Facebook page are one of a kind. Keep up the good work Marius. You’re leading the way.

To read the full interview feel free to click on the link below:
http://blog.fotolo.co/2011/show-your-wild-side-oryx-worldwide-photographic-expeditions/

His first stop is the African country of Zimbabwe, where he will be visiting Sango in the heart of the Save Valley Conservancy. Stretching from the Bikita Hills in the West and across nine major habitat zones to the Save River in the East, Sango is situated in the largest privately owned wildlife conservancy in the world, and provides visitors with 60 000 hectares (600 km²) of untamed Africa. Here Marius and his guest will use open Land Rover safari vehicles to seek and photograph 2 of Africa’s most highly endangered species, the African Wild Dog and Black Rhino.

Sango’s very diverse landscapes also set the stage for an impressive avifauna, with over 300 species regularly recorded on the property. Year-round, it is a bird photographer’s paradise, with bird diversity in the summer months augmented by the arrival of many migrant species. Birds of prey are perhaps Sango’s star attractions, with no less that 34 species being present, as well as eight species of owls! Among the birds they will search for and hopefully photograph at Sango are the magnificent Martial Eagle, Boulder Chat, Collared Palm-Thrush, Grey-headed Parrot, stunning Racket-tailed Roller and White-breasted Cuckooshrike.

From Zimbabwe Marius then travels to Tanzania and Rwanda, where he will visit the stunning Ngorongoro Crater with his long time guests and friends, Chris and Rachel Garden. He then returns briefly to South Africa before heading to Antarctica, where he will be leading a Rockjumper birding tour through this hauntingly beautiful landscape.

Watch this space for regular updates and sneak previews of what promises to be plethora of awesome images captured on his adventures over the coming few months!

Oryx is extremely proud to be associated with such talented photographic leaders! We encourage you to view the exciting range of expeditions that they will be leading in 2011. You can peruse these on the destinations page.

We wish Greg, Elliot and our other leaders all the best, and Oryx looks forward to announcing many more such achievements in the years to come.

The park has provided a refuge for over 34 such elephants from all over Thailand since it was established in the 1990′s. Thus far, Jack has managed to raise an incredible $13,500 NZ! Co-founder of Oryx – Worldwide Photographic Expeditions, Marius Coetzee is proud to have played a small role in assisting to raise these funds by donating 9 of his best elephant images to Jack’s parents to sell at fundraising events, as well as by the fundraising website www.elephantphotofundraiser.com . In Marius’s own words, “I feel privileged to have played a small part in such a wonderful cause, especially since I have spent so many happy hours in the African bushveld in the presence of these gentle and majestic creatures.”

To visit the Elephant photo fundraiser website, go to www.elephantphotofundraiser.com

Oryx has also teamed up with some of the world’s most promising young wildlife photographic leaders. They are not only award-winning photographers who have been widely published throughout the world, but are also extremely knowledgeable naturalists and field guides who have dedicated their lives to capturing truly breath-taking, inspiring and evocative images. Nothing gives them greater pleasure than sharing their knowledge and passion, and leading unforgettable expeditions to destinations handpicked for the phenomenal photographic opportunities that they provide.

We offer a wide variety of tours that are suitable for both beginner, amateur and professional photographers alike; whether as set departure expeditions, or as tailor-made departures to fit your particular photographic needs or travel desires. The focus of these tours will not only be to capture great images, but also to examine the finer details of photography. Oryx’s leaders will guide you through correct exposures, perfect ISO values, shutter speeds for varying conditions, subjects and shooting styles, the art of digital processing and much more besides. Time on these tours will also be allocated to reviewing each day’s images in order to obtain a clearer understanding of photography and its techniques. Whether exploring the Okavango Delta in Botswana or the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia, Oryx provides you with the opportunity to not only take back innumerable memories of the world’s premier wildlife photographic destinations, but also to learn the techniques required to do so from the best leaders in the game.

We look forward in exploring the natural world with you through our lenses.