Questions and Answers with Jandre Germishuzien

We caught up with Jandre Germishuzien, the photographer in our latest video, ‘Behind the lens: Capturing Namibia’s majestic beauty’, to ask him a few questions about his career and some of his favourite achievements to date.

Introduction, who are you and what do you do?

I’m Jandre Germishuzien, a passionate landscape and wildlife photographer and the owner of Go Gravel Photo Safaris. My journey revolves around capturing the raw beauty of nature and sharing it with the world.

As a photographer, I specialize in bringing to life the stunning landscapes and incredible wildlife that many only dream of seeing. Whether it’s a sunset over a savannah or a lion in its natural habitat, my goal is to tell the stories of these remarkable scenes through my lens.

Owning Go Gravel Photo Safaris allows me to combine my love for photography and adventure. I organize and lead photo safaris, guiding fellow enthusiasts through some of the most beautiful and untamed places in Africa. These trips are not just about taking pictures; they’re about experiencing the wild in its purest form, learning new techniques, and creating unforgettable memories.

Every photo safari is an opportunity to connect with nature, improve your photography skills, and meet amazing people who share the same passion.

How did you become a wildlife photographer?

My journey to becoming a photographer has been quite an adventure. It all started as a hobby —something I loved doing in my free time. I initially worked in a corporate environment and even owned a business for a couple of years. Then came a turning point: I had the chance to guide a small group of people around Namibia.

Initially, I thought this trip would be a one-time escape from the daily grind, a chance to unwind and enjoy the beauty of nature. But while I was out there, surrounded by the stunning landscapes and incredible wildlife, it hit me. Being out in nature, capturing those moments through my camera, was what I truly wanted to do with my life.

That trip was a revelation. It made me realize that photography wasn’t just a hobby—it was my passion and calling. So, I made a bold decision. I sold my business and decided to actively pursue photography full-time. It was a leap of faith, but I knew it was the right choice. Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to capturing the beauty of the world and sharing it with others.

What is the most rewarding thing about your job?

The most rewarding part of my job is seeing Namibia through the eyes and lenses of my clients. Witnessing their reactions and emotions as they experience the beauty of Africa reignites my own love for Namibia every time. Every tour I lead is an adventure and an experience, not just for my clients, but for me as well.

Yes, the photos we capture are incredible and speak volumes, but there’s something more profound about being in Africa. This place does something to your soul. It has a way of grounding you and making you appreciate life on a deeper level. Breaking away into nature helps me stay connected to what truly matters.

Which piece of work are you most proud of?

The body of work I’m most proud of has to be my collection of aerial images. I discovered aerial photography later in my career, and it’s been an exhilarating way to capture the world. The aerial perspective lets you see things in a way that few people can describe. You only truly grasp the vastness and complexity of a landscape when you see it from above.

Aerial photos tell a story that precedes humankind. They give you that “wow” moment when you see the intricacies of a landscape and how an ecosystem comes to life. This perspective has made me appreciate nature even more than I thought possible. It’s a powerful realization that everything below me existed long before I did and will continue to change and thrive long after I’m gone.

What advice could you give to a young photographer looking to follow in your footsteps?

My advice to young photographers is simple: find a mentor, never give up, and don’t get caught up in the idea that equipment is everything. Some of my favourite images were taken on older model cameras. Looking back, I used to chase the latest camera and lens trends, but the reality is that when you’re starting out, you need to make do with what you have.

Stay humble and take every opportunity to broaden your knowledge and connections. The journey is just as important as the destination. Every photo shoot, every interaction, and every piece of feedback is a chance to learn and grow. Keep pushing forward and remain passionate about your craft. One day, all your hard work will pay off.

What is one piece of kit you couldn’t live without?

When it comes to photography, my absolute essentials are my telephoto lens and a sturdy tripod. Our landscapes are vast and expansive, so having the reach of a telephoto lens allows me to capture the intricate details from a distance. And when I’m spending hours at one location, especially during different light phases, a tripod is a must for ensuring sharp and consistent compositions.

As for my wardrobe, I swear by my Nosi Life pants and shirts. These pieces are lifesavers, especially in harsh climates where sun protection is crucial. The fabric is unbelievably breathable, keeping me comfortable even in the most challenging conditions. Plus, the integrated lens cloths are a game-changer for any photographer, ensuring my lenses stay clean and ready for that perfect shot.

Shop Jandre’s kit – Nosilife

What do you love about the great outdoors?

What I love most about the outdoors is the thrill of exploring new, untouched places. Nature always has something fresh to offer, keeping life exciting and dynamic.

Escaping the typical 9-5 grind is a real luxury. Out here, I can live in the moment without the usual distractions. It’s a chance to clear my mind, recharge, and appreciate the world around me.

In the peacefulness of nature, I find a lot of clarity. It’s a place where I can reset and rediscover what truly matters, overall time spent outdoors has gives me the opportunity to lead a more fulfilling life.

What is your favourite thing about Namibia?

My favourite thing about Namibia is how untouched it is. The country is filled with vast, expansive desert landscapes but also hidden rivers and estuaries that remain unseen by the masses. The pristine beauty of the country makes it a photographer’s dream.

What also makes Namibia truly special is its ever-changing landscapes. No two places look the same, and your entire perception of an area can shift dramatically within minutes as you travel. One moment you might be surrounded by towering sand dunes, and the next you could find yourself surrounded by grasslands. This constant variation keeps every journey exciting and offers endless opportunities for capturing stunning, unique photos.

Photographing Pumas: Winter Adventures to Wild Patagonia

Flying over the Andes Mountain Range from Santiago to Punta Arenas at sunrise is a sight – and a feeling – I will never forget. The majestic snow-covered landscape filled me with awe. It’s a never-ending wilderness – from the glaciers and frozen rivers to the towers of Torres del Paine, it is truly spectacular from start to finish.

This was the start of the Tusk Photo Patagonia Pumas tour that promised a week of puma tracking and a few days of landscape photography in and around Torres Del Paine National Park, Chile. Adventure travel at its finest.

After a few days in Punta Arenas, we headed to Torres Del Paine via Porto Natales. It was a public holiday, and everything was closed in Porto Natales, but I’d love to get back there to explore this quaint little town. We eventually ended up in Cerro Castillo, the town where we would stay over while chasing pumas.

Tip: If you get to the town, make sure you head over to the coffee shop—a lovely curio and coffee shop full of wonderful goodies to take back home with you.

In winter, the owner’s dogs cuddle up on the chairs at the fireplace and must be photographed even more than the pumas. Chilean food and wine are really tasty, as are the beers and the Pisco Sours, a local drink made from grapes. We were spoilt with delicious breakfasts and dinners and received packed lunches in the field.

Tracking Pumas

The puma tracking experience takes place on a property next to the National Park, Estancia Laguna Amarga. Here, you are allowed to alight from your vehicle with a guide.

After years of puma/people/livestock conflict, the owners of Amarga realized the importance of conservation. That’s when they converted the farm to an ecotourism operation, protecting these beautiful wild cats and welcoming visitors from across the world.

The national park has pumas. However, you must stay in your car at all times except at designated viewing points. But everyone is allured by tracking the cats on foot.

What to expect

Our daily routine would be to have breakfast around 6-7 a.m. and then head out to the farm. It only gets light around 9 a.m., so days are short, and you need to be in the zone at first light. Pumas are located primarily by sight, so our tracker would leave ahead of us and drive to the highest points in the park, scanning for pumas in the valleys.

Once he located them, he called the driver guide, and we quickly headed to the area. Once we stopped, you took everything you thought you would need for the sighting. In our case, we took all our cameras and lenses as the sightings are dynamic and could change at any minute.

Wildlife

Our days were filled with searching for pumas, which was not always easy, and spending time with these beautiful cats. At times, we’d be lucky enough to have them pass right by us, and other times, a bit further away. Other species we enjoyed viewing were the herds of guanacos (the pumas’ main prey), massive condors, and other birds.

Landscape

Then there were the landscapes—in Torres del Paine, it doesn’t matter which way you look; there’s a mind-blowing view in any direction. We spent a few days concentrating on landscape photography, and the untouched beauty of the park did not disappoint. Snow-covered peaks, light blue glacier water, and the most magical light at dusk and dawn are a recipe for good shots. Well, there, you get it all the time.

Tip: We were lucky to have little wind, but remember that the wind can become strong—stronger than you can imagine—so take care to anchor your tripod in windy conditions (and watch your car door when opening it).

What to Pack

Your daily carry

Ensure you have a comfortable backpack to carry your extras. For our first sighting, we hiked a couple of km over a few hills, following a female puma and her two playful cubs against the backdrop of a snowy landscape.

As with most things in life, it’s good to be as strong and fit as possible so that you’re ready for whatever may come your way. Most of the time, sightings are easy, and you don’t move too much, but there are times when you need to trek a bit—and the more snow, the tougher it can be to move through the snow.

Photographic equipment

In terms of camera equipment, I took lenses from 16-35, 70-200, 400 and 800mm and carried and used all of them (next time, the 24-70 goes along). Animal-in-environment shots are first prize, and getting the Torres Towers in the background is on everyone’s agenda. As I mentioned, the scenes are dynamic. One minute, you’re sitting around photographing with your 400mm, and the cat gets up and walks right past you – so having your gear ready and with you is paramount to your photographic success.

Clothing

We were expecting cold weather, and over the two weeks, we experienced temperatures between -9 degrees Celsius and +11 degrees Celsius.

As with most colder weather destinations, the key is layering, as the temperatures can rise quite a bit at midday, allowing one to get rid of one layer. I ended up always wearing my warm jacket but, at times, removed the second layer.  As one stays out all day it is good to head out each morning being prepared for whatever may come your way. Your most important barrier in protecting yourself is against the wind. If you can keep the wind off your body, you have won 90% of the battle!

If you want to visit this fantastic location, this is what I suggest in terms of clothing for a winter Patagonian trip:

Head

Body

1. OUTER LAYER & WARM LAYER 1st & 2nd LAYER (or just 1 combined)

This will be your waterproof/windproof jacket. You can choose from two options:

2. THIRD LAYER – FLEECES

Take a variety of fleece tops full zip or half zip to wear under the jacket. 

3. LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS/TSHIRTS

Wear these under your fleece.

4. BASELAYER 

Preferably Merino, as it helps with moisture & odour – this traps the warmth near your skin.

Hands

A thin-liner glove with a heavier insulated outer wind- and waterproof glove will do the trick. Since gloves will be on and off all the time, try getting a glove clip or carabiner to clip your gloves to your belt loop so that you don’t lose them.

Also, get hand warmer pads if possible (only for the middle of winter when colder).

Legs

Depending on how cold affects you, you have various options:

Feet

Adventure like no other

Patagonia is wild and has an untouched beauty that must be seen and experienced to fully appreciate it. I personally love photographic trips where one can actively pursue the target species on foot, and I would recommend this to any adventure seeker with a love for wildlife. Heading to the park for some summer hiking may just be in the cards, too.

Photos and text: Jackie Gouverneur

How To Choose Your Daily Carry

All of our Topo Designs day packs feature laptop sleeves, highly durable, highly water-resistant materials, and classic go-anywhere styling. So, how do you choose which one makes sense for you? 

To help, we’ll walk you through some of our best EDC (Everyday Carry) options, pointing out some of the key features, highlighting best use cases, and adding a dash of personal experience.

This guide was originally published on topodesings.com .

Step 1: Front loader or top loader?

Topo Designs pack lineup is designed so that most top loaders have a front loader counterpart and vice versa, so this can be an easy way to narrow things down.

Generally speaking, front-loading packs tend to work best for people who prefer a sleeker look or anytime gear straps (the two lengths of nylon webbing that close with buckles) will get in your way more often than they’ll help you. In other words, indoor or casual outdoor use.

Top-loading packs typically feature top flap pockets, gear straps, cinch closures, compression straps, and/or multiple external attachment points, which dramatically increase their storage capability. They tend to work well when you have awkwardly shaped gear items (think fishing rods, tripods, climbing ropes, snowshoes, etc.) that are best carried outside your pack or if you’d like to access certain items without even opening your pack. In other words, frequent outdoor use.

Keep in mind: both front and top loaders work well for work, travel, and outdoors, so it really does come down to personal preference.

Step 2: What else will you be using your pack for?

Do you travel often for work? Do you coordinate your pack as part of your #ootd? Does it need to blend into a corporate work environment, or are you more concerned about its functionality for your outdoor sport(s) of choice on weekends? Some questions to think about as you consider your options.

Step 3: Get to know our packs.

DAYPACK TECH

It’s a good urban commuting bag and definitely a good travel bag because of the extra moisture protection with the weather-resistant zippers. If you work in a city and ride your bike to work, this will be perfect for you. Not having gear straps means it’s easy to get in and out of and looks sleek while on. It’s got an external laptop sleeve, expandable water bottle pockets, and with weather-resistant zips and 1000D nylon across the exterior for durability, it really has no weaknesses. Plus, it has an axe holder. You know, just in case.

Shop Daypack Tech

DAYPACK CLASSIC

This is kind of an all-around, all-purpose option. It won’t be quite as dialed for work because it lacks some of those work-specific features, but it may transition a little better to outdoor use because of it. It also gives you way more color options to choose from. It’s a little smaller, but unless you need to carry bulky items, it’s just the right size for any usual day activities, and it’s very sleek.

Shop Daypack Classic

ROVER PACK TECH

Similar to the Daypack Tech. The only difference is if you prefer a top loader or a front loader. The Rover Pack Tech is handier when traveling because you have that top pocket for easier access to essentials and the gear straps for a neck pillow or extra layer, which also provides an extra layer of security because there’s more than a zipper people have to get past.

It’s a bit more spacious than the Daypack Tech if you need a little extra room for lunch or need the rectangular shape to accommodate pack bags. (Or if you don’t need the extra room, side compression straps give the option to cinch it down.) The compression straps are really useful – you can, for example, stash two fly rods in the water bottle pockets and strap them down with the compression straps.

Shop Rover Pack Tech

ROVER PACK CLASSIC

It’s so hard to choose between the Tech and the Classic. But we love Classic even as a work carry. There are tons of different colorways to choose from, so it feels really individual. When going to happy hour after work, it can be more of an accessory to your outfit than just a utility item.

The nice thing about the internal laptop sleeve (versus the Tech’s external one) is that it can be used to carry a hydration bladder on the trail. The pockets aren’t hyper-specific, so you can use them for whatever you need them for. It’s also more compact than the Rover Tech or even the Daypack, so it’s great for smaller bodies.

Shop Rover Pack Classic

GLOBAL BRIEFCASE

The Global Briefcase has a compartment for your laptop and notebooks and a compartment for just stuff – layers, chargers, photo/hobby equipment, etc. It holds everything you may need except for a water bottle. You have to put your water bottle inside or just carry it. It’s definitely a work-first pack. The cyclists love it for biking to work because the backpack option means it doesn’t swing around, the load is really compact, and the big pockets on the front make essentials super accessible. (They fit small Accessory Bags perfectly.) It’s also great for travel because of the pass-through sleeve that attaches it to your roller when you’re in the airport and then doubles as a daypack when you’re on your trip.

Having options for how to carry it is Global Briefcase’s big feature (you can wear it as a backpack, messenger-style, or carry it like a briefcase). If you’ve really packed it out or have a long walk, it gets too heavy for one shoulder, so being able to switch to backpack mode is key. Also, this may seem like a small thing, but when you’re taking a car to a train to a plane, it’s really nice to have the grab handles for those really short distances. You can even slip one of them onto your arm and carry it like a tote so you’re still hands-free.

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MOUNTAIN CROSS BAG

Mountain Cross Bag is a shoulder carry bag on steroids. Similar to Global Briefcase, it also has a compartment for your laptop and notebooks and a compartment for other items you may need on a daily basis. On top of that, however, it has two bottle holders, which the previous shoulder bag is missing. Together with plenty of pockets for organization and loops to attach other great (or just accessory bags for more organization space), it makes the Mountain Cross bag the perfect travel accessory.

Another cool feature is the shoulder strap, which can be adjusted and swapped around, turning the bag into a crossbody carry or waist bag. That way, you can easily carry it over the shoulder or around your waist on a walk in the city, on short trails, or on a bike. The look of the bag is not as sleek as a global briefcase, but you’ll love it also as your work carry.

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There is more in store than we could list here. To choose the perfect carry for you, browse all our backpacks and shoulder bags here.