Dale Morris

I thought I should write to you of the amazing trip we had to the Omo Valley with Dale.

The trip was well organised and we were well taken care of.

Dale was a wonderful leader. He was generous with his knowledge and we learnt a lot from him. He was kind, considerate and a lot of fun!

The local arrangements with Dinknesh were excellent too, the drivers were very pleasant and Melkamu in particular was fantastic.

It would be remiss of me not to also mention Kirsty, who was always responsive and efficient.

You can be sure we will be recommending ORYX to our friends!

Our Uganda photo tour was absolutely fantastic!
We weren’t bored for a minute, and everyday we encountered new unforgettable, once in a life time experiences.

Our guide Ham did an unbelievable job in looking after us and ensuring that our experience was as awesome as possible. He really went out of his way and deserves a notable mention in making it the trip it was.

The Gorillas were the highlight of the trip, and truly surpassed our expectations. Although the Gorillas were the highlight, everything else we did was incredible too, from hiking and spotting the forrest elephants in Bwindi to chasing Chimps in Kibale and watching the tree climbing lions and a giant Forrest hog in Ishasha, and not to mention the incredible birding every where we went!

Thanks so much for setting this up for us, we loved it and will most definitely recommend ORYX Photo Tours and the trip again!

Just a brief message to express our gratitude for all you (Kirsty) did in setting up this unforgettable photo tour. Dale was awesome, and went out of his way to ensure Judy and I were comfortable and constantly amazed at the natural wonders we encountered. Judy was sharing her I Phone pix on Facebook in real time, which have been shared and re-shared by hundreds of her friends. We were so close to the animals, that she had to keep telling everyone they were her phone pix, and not Canon Full Frame telephoto images! You were correct in suggesting this tour as a first time African adventure. Londolozi Founders Camp was spectacular, and the personnel there were outstanding. I can’t wait to start post-processing my photos, and will be happy to share them with you. All the best!

We arrived home two days ago after a most incredible and wonderful South Africa photo tour. The highlight of our trip was the Kings Camp safari but everything was fabulous!! We really appreciate Dale for so many reasons. He was excellent in teaching us, being personable, sharing his knowledge, expertise and passion for wildlife photography. We learnt so much. It has been busy trying to catch up after our vacation but this weekend we hope to start applying some of the ‘editing’ that Dale taught us. We would highly recommend this experience and DALE!! An absolutely wonderful experience!! We really hope that we can do something similar in the future and would definitely be calling ORYX Photo Tours (and Dale).”

I had a super time and lots of fun with Dale and Marius but I do need to thank Nicolette and Kirsty for answering all of my questions in such a prompt and efficient manner. Their emails were always informative and cheerful. Ethiopia and Rwanda are not the easiest locations so the support was much appreciated. In fact without it, I probably would not have travelled with ORYX Photo Tours. I look forward to another ORYX photo safari at some point in the future. Fondest regards and, again, many thanks!

The trip was really excellent and ORYX has some really great guides with Dale and Kirsten. They kept an eye on all the logistics and worked nonstop to get up early and get us on location. If there’s a good photo shot to be had, they both always made sure we had plenty of opportunity to get the pictures we want and many helpful suggestions for making better shots, weather it’s an alternative angle or tweaks to the camera. Some tour guides tend to get caught up in the moment and shot a lot of pictures themselves but they never shot photos themselves unless to test the lighting or if we were all done and I appreciate this because it’s hard to resist in such a location. The local guide was also excellent and I peppered him with questions about the people, the language and the culture and learned a lot. Would I do another trip with them and Oryx? Definitely!

I just wanted to thank ORYX for organising the Madagascar photo tour for 2017 which was led by Dale Morris and Kirsten Frost. Both were exceptional and exemplary guides who really demonstrated a passion for teaching photography and for being totally committed to ensuring the best possible experience for all the tour participants. It was my first tour with ORYX Photo Tours and certainly my best tour ever. I was so very impressed with the high level of professionalism and integrity which both of them demonstrated.

Dale patiently taught me how to use my macro lens and flash and this introduction opened up a whole new and exciting world for me! I never knew that macro-photography was so interesting and it is only just the beginning! He was constantly trying to find the best angles for all the tour participants to photograph the lemurs. He taught me how to use my wide angle lens to take the lemurs from a low angle with a sunburst effect! He taught me how to get down and dirty on the ground to obtain wonderfully low angles for photographing the narrow ring tailed mongoose and the nightjar. He taught me how to pan fast moving subjects. He taught me to take note of the background when taking photos. He even set up a mini studio in the forest for photographing the colourful frogs and magnificent chameleons. Everyday brought a new learning experience!! I was so grateful for some of the images which I obtained – something I never dreamt I would ever achieve. Dale even introduced me to fine art photography and night photography of the majestic baobab trees, and suddenly, the artistic potential of photography became so exciting! Dale has my highest respect as a guide. He was able to control the pace of the tour, ensuring that all participants were well taken care of. He has the innate ability to anticipate problems and, in fact, overcame all the problems with the internal flights in Madagascar, remaining calm, unflustered and in complete control throughout. He even anticipated that the final internal departure flight might be a problem (it was eventually cancelled) and, in so doing, he averted a disaster by alerting ORYX which then chartered a flight for our group. This speaks volumes for the entire ORYX Photo Tours team led by Marius, who must be a visionary leader to have hand-picked such a good team.

In summary, it really has been a singular honor and a privilege for me to have travelled with both Dale and Kirsten. I hope to do so many more times in the near future. Thank you once again for making one of my childhood dreams to visit Madagascar come true. I praise God from whom all blessings flow.

I have been on many tours around the world and yours was the best!

It was an excellent photography tour. We are thrilled with the images we are now in the midst of sorting. We got all of our targets and have some wonderful photos. It’s a tough place but ORYX Photo Tours and especially Dale and local guide Nono handled everything with aplomb.

I am back home after an inspiring photography tour with ORYX once again. As before the practical arrangements were flawless, and the guiding superb. First time I travelled with Dale, but it came as no surprise that he is first class. Thanks to ORYX Photo Tours and to Dale for a great experience!

The trip was one of the best photo tours I have had in recent years. Although the landscape was challenging as well as the ability to get clear shots of the animals in the rainforest, your representatives in the field made the trip. The organization you hired in Madagascar were first rate. The ability to meet the challenges of Air Madagascar as well as the other bumps on the road were outstanding. Do not lose this group. Dale Morris is a real pro. Not only did he organize the photoshoots to optimize our ability to get the right shots, but his expertise in the field as it related to the more technical aspects of photography (flash, exposure comp, lens selection etc.) made the trip. Do not lose him. I would have no trouble recommending ORYX Photo Tours to my camera friends in Toronto, and I look forward to dealing with your organization in the future.

Without ORYX Photo Tours and the local help it would have been impossible to travel in the country. The help was exceptional in dealing with the changes and I never worried we wouldn’t get to where we wanted to go. Dale works very hard to ensure everyone has the best possible angles for shooting and helped me with flash settings and tips at the start. Shooting in Madagascar is different than other destinations I have been to and the assistance in getting started was appreciated. I appreciated the fact that Dale, while taking shots got us in position first before “firing”. That doesn’t always happen with guides, especially when there is a special moment. Thanks again for an introduction to the wildlife of a very unique and challenging country. I’m sure most first time travelers to Madagascar don’t have such a rewarding photo experience!

Thanks, the Madagascar photo tour was excellent. Got some great photos, and also learned a lot from Dale on techniques very useful in Madagascar, macro and night photography. Discussing with other guests, I think we all expected to be put in good photography locations to see what we could do, but the effort Dale put in teaching us all new techniques was beyond expectations.

This photo tour completely exceeded my expectations and was exactly what I was looking for for Madagascar (wildlife all day, every day). You were all extremely responsive, professional, and courteous.

Accommodations were all nice and the food was always good. Internal flight delays were handled so smoothly by you that they didn’t have an impact on the trip overall.

All of the local guides were great, especially Nono.

Dale was definitely the best photographer-guide I’ve ever travelled with. His photos were gorgeous and he was incredibly generous, patient, and enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge. He kept us entertained all day with new photographic opportunities, and involved us in experiments with new techniques, usually with amazing results. As a guide he had excellent natural leadership ability, and as a person he was warm, friendly, interesting, genuinely nice, and fun to be with.

Everything we did was so much fun, and I will always have wonderful memories of this trip. Would definitely travel with ORYX Photo Tours again.

Thanks so much!

We had a GREAT time with Dale. Everything was as expected as we have learned to expect the unexpected. We would go with Dale and ORYX Photo Tours without any hesitation. We have NOTHING to complain about. Olive learned a lot of things from Dale. How not when you get such a crazy guide.

Thank you for another great photo safari! It was a fantastic time in India, and although I’m very glad to be home, I already miss it.

It was great getting the opportunity to meet the other clients, and Dale did a wonderful job as our guide and I really appreciate all of his hard work and dedication both in and out of the field, and I loved his willingness to engage in personable conversations at the dinner table. He was very willing to listen and learn about the world through someone else’s perspective. He also taught me some new tricks with my camera that I had no idea about, but they made life so much easier.

Thanks again for everything!

We are writing to provide some feedback on our short trip to India with ORYX Photo Tours, to visit several game parks with Tiger spotting a priority. We  had a small group of 4, ably led by Dale Morris, a genuinely friendly and helpful leader. Dale is a skilled and award winning photographer whose enthusiasm for photography was infectious.  Dale was a delight to travel with and ensured that everything worked as planned.  We managed to see quite a few tigers and also enjoyed the classic sights of the Taj Mahal.

Dale Morris was an excellent tour leader. Apart from being a very pleasant person, he also went out of his way to share his wealth of knowledge on photography with us. We started the tour with our photos looking like normal holiday snap shots, and ended up taking some pretty professional images. Thank you Dale for your patience and willingness to help us.

Andries and I would like to thank the ORYX team for a memorable India photo tour. The tour was exceptionally well planned. The only hassle we as guests were left with was to try and get the best photo of a tiger. We can only but highly recommend ORYX Photo Tours and will not think twice about using their services again in future.

My photo tour to Ethiopia was simply phenomenal! I enjoyed every moment of it! If only I could press restart and relive it all again.

Dale, was really a great guide. I could not have asked for more in someone taking our group to such ends of the earth. He was very knowledgeable and hands on in making sure EVERYONE had a great experience and that we each made the types of pictures we were after. I can honestly say, his guidance sent my photography to new levels. I’m such a better photographer now. Even the feedback he delivered helped raised my game and the results are proof of his commitment to excellence. I would photograph a subject and he would be over my shoulder looking at my camera settings and my images. He would offer to rethink the image or adjust the light. And instantly the picture would become better. He also challenged me to think about new angles and to play around with composition. I’m so thankful for him. I really am! I not only became a better photographer under him, but I made a friend in Dale. I’ll never forget this experience or him. As I told Dale, coming to Africa this way was a dream come true. He took my dream and exploded it. He made my entire experience better than I could have ever dreamed for myself.

Our local guide/fixer, was also fantastic. He kept his cool during tense moments with the Surma people. He was very knowledgeable about any and everything Ethiopia related. I even called him a walking history book! There is no question he can’t answer about Ethiopia or it’s beautiful people. What a wonderful guy.

Also, I’ve got to say a very special thanks to YOU. Nicolette, throughout the last year you have been simply amazing. You’ve answered all of my ridiculous questions and quelled my concerns. Thank you for being the glue that holds all of this together. THANK YOU!

I can’t wait to show off my work to my friends, family, co-workers and the world. I have tons and tons of brilliant shots. I think I’ll take a few of the best and enter contests and have them printed. After posting just 3 photos from my trip, I’ve got two enquires about purchasing prints. That’s never happened before and I’m thrilled to see what will come next!

I had a wonderful time with Dale, he has a great personality and really worked hard to help us get good images. He clearly cares about client satisfaction, demonstrated great patience and did everything in his power to make everyone comfortable.

All in all, he was a great photo tour leader — and coupled with the top notch service of your ground team, it was an enjoyable experience overall. The camp setting was also done very well — we felt like they really took great care of us and kept us safe, while not jeopardizing an authentic experience.

I’ve been on about a dozen photo tours and this was definitely one of the best organized and best led trips. Especially impressive given the challenges of the location.

Dale did an amazing job dealing with both the expected / inherent difficulties and I’d gladly travel with him again!

I’ve been to seven countries on the African continent, and many other countries around the world, and I have to say that this trip ranks among the top as one of my best trips ever. I liked the length of time we spent at each of the locations, which gave us the best chance for wildlife viewing of the wolves and geladas (our viewings were so much better than I could have imagined). I’m partial to mammals, so this itinerary was perfect. I really enjoyed the company of the other guests too.

But I have to say, what made the difference was probably having Dale as a photo tour leader. Not only is he a fantastic photographer, he has so much knowledge on animal behavior. And I like that he also has a background in conservation. He is obviously passionate about animals and the environment, which is so important on trips like this where we are viewing an endangered animal like the Ethiopian wolf. I am also a very novice photographer, but he wasn’t pushy about instructing me. He was always ready and willing to provide feedback and tips, but he always made it my choice if I wanted to try something new in the moment or at a later time, so I wasn’t overwhelmed. He also was a very patient instructor and didn’t talk down to me when I didn’t get something at first. I do think my photos from this trip are much better than my usual because of him. I wouldn’t hesitate to book another trip with ORYX Photo Tours with Dale as the leader.

I second all of what Shobha has said. We had such an amazing time. The Dale-Melkamu combination was fabulous, as were all our drivers. We always felt well taken care of and safe.

Dale was not only generous with his knowledge but also his lenses. He truly has a wealth of information and we really learnt so much from him.  His wicked sense of humour was also much appreciated :)

Thank you as well the ever efficient Kirsty!

We hope to be doing more photo tours with ORYX in the not too distant future!

I thought I should write to you of the amazing photo tour we had to the Omo Valley with Dale. The trip was well organised and we were well taken care of. Dale was a wonderful leader. He was generous with his knowledge and we learnt a lot from him. He was kind, considerate and a lot of fun!

The local arrangements were excellent too, the drivers were very pleasant and Melkamu in particular was fantastic.

It would be remiss of me not to also mention Kirsty, who was always responsive and efficient.

You can be sure we will be recommending ORYX Photo Tours to our friends!

We had an absolutely wonderful time on Pantanal photo tour in Brazil, with great service and a truly amazing time.

Dale was great and I would like to commend him in particular as he taught Clarissa and I so much on that trip and enabled us to take some good shots despite our cameras.

We loved the accommodation and the best food was on the boat and the first stop where the accommodation was fair but situated in the best spot with excellent food!

The wildlife of the Pantanal photo tour, as well as my tour extensions provided fabulous wildlife spectacles and photographic opportunities!

In particular I would like to thank Dale Morris for his contribution in the Northern Pantanal. He was most constructive in terms of his helping with my photography. I had been impervious to advice in the past but Dale was truly able to guide me and it shows in my images of our time together. He made himself really available to all of us; he had designed the program so we went from highlight to highlight; he was always wryly self-effacing, considerate and courteous. I’m not sure whether the wildlife behaving so well was also a credit to Dale!

My thanks to the ORYX Photo Tours!

We want to thank the entire ORYX Photo Tours team for providing an absolutely fabulous photo safari. We would particularly like to credit Dale and Giuliano for their care and attention in making this such a memorable holiday. We are especially pleased that they managed to convince the jaguars to show up for us on six of the nine outings on the river portion of the trip. You can rest assured that we will be recommending the ORYX Photo Tours to all of our travel and nature photography friends.

The Pantanal photo safari was excellent. The wildlife sightings every day were amazing, beyond my expectations. Other arrangements such as for food and accommodation were all good quality, for a very comfortable trip. Dale was great as the photo tour leader, he made sure everyone knew how to use their equipment for every situation, and made sure we were in the right place for best photo opportunities. Giuliano was also terrific, not only for his local knowledge in finding the wildlife, but also with his understanding of best photo opportunities.

Dale was an excellent guide. His enthusiasm is infectious and knowledge of the wildlife and environment is outstanding. He was a pleasure to be with and we all gained from his photographic expertise. We would travel with Dale on another ORYX photo tour without hesitation.

Dale was tour leader on our recent ORYX photography tour to the Pantanal of Brazil. His love of nature and passion for photography were obvious and the knowledge and experience he shared with us were a huge part of making this an outstanding and unforgettable trip. His photography lessons and advice nudged us into new ways of taking and composing photos and led to the best collection of photographs we have ever taken on any trip. He was a real asset to this Pantanal photo tour and his lessons will be remembered and applied. And he also tells great stories.”

We had a wonderful time on our Pantanal photo safari with Dale and Guiliano. They were a really good match; flexible, thoughtful, understood all our interests and needs. The Pantanal and both young men exceeded our expectations. Dale was tremendously helpful and so enthusiastic. He is also just a terrifically interesting person with a wide variety of life experiences for one so young. He is a pleasure to be with. We found him to be a very good teacher, seeming to know what level of information each participant might need. I think he found the right balance of teaching and just being there and soaking it all in. He helped me be much less intimidated by my camera.  The whole experience was first rate, thank you very much!

Dale is an excellent travelling companion and teacher, and we had a lot of fun on our Pantanal photo tour. Giulliano was a great host, and very patient with us all.

First I want to thank you for all the quick responses to our questions and for your help in getting us organized. This was one of the greatest photo tours we have taken. The wildlife was spectacular and I got better pictures than I ever have before, due to Dale’s teaching. I admit to being lazy and intimidated in the past and though I have excellent equipment, I never went beyond the programmed and automatic functions. Dale convinced me to start using other functions and to consider the subject from other angles and completely changed the way I will do things in the future. I learned a lot. Everything was well done and the house boat was especially wonderful; it was a 5-star experience with friendly people, wonderful food and skilled boat drivers. We will certainly recommend ORYX Photo Tours to all our friends.

I want to reiterate Sue’s comments about the extraordinary quality of our Pantanal photo safari.  Having Dale and Giuliano as our mentors on this trip made it just outstanding.  Accommodations were also excellent, especially the houseboat. Just to reemphasize: Dale’s photographic expertise and teaching skills were outstanding, matched by Giuliano’s naturalist’s skills and rapport with all of the personnel and staff we encountered at the various venues.  Our friends and co-tourists on the trip were equally impressed, and we are still drinking caiparinhas and savouring wonderful memories.

Dale is an excellent photo tour leader and really shined despite Borneo’s challenges. Of course the orangutans and pygmy elephants make it all worthwhile but the jungle is dense, light limited, terrain sometimes difficult, heat and humidity overwhelming, and unexpected downpours always to be expected. Dale made sure we were prepared and made it all fun. He did his best to make certain we would all come home with some great photos. I look forward to traveling with him again next year!

We had a great Borneo photo tour! Dale was his usual professional, helpful & wonderful self, and the local guide was most helpful. The other tour participants were very nice people and all in all, it was a very good trip.

We are back home after the beautiful experience we had on our Borneo photo tour! All the locations, especially the Kinanbatang River and the Danum Valley were great! We enjoyed having Dale as our guide, as well as the other travelers in our group. ORYX Photo Tours’s organisation was top class!

Our Borneo photo tour was wonderful in every way!

Your local guide was a real “gem”, I must tell you:

Although never boastful, he was personally responsible for three special wildlife sightings that drew many other lodge guests and their guides to each scene.

The first sighting was of a beautiful/mature alpha male orangutan, already bedded down in his nest along the Kinabatangan River near Sukau Rainforest Lodge. He first sighted him (only slightly visible with binos) in the nest late one afternoon. We made a plan to returned to the sight at first light; hoping for a photo op as he exited the nest. We quietly/patiently watched for over an hour – waiting for him to rise. Meanwhile he radioed the lodge to report our sighting. The other guests raced over and were rewarded with a fantastic/lengthy photo op; as the orangutan lazily rose and slowly ate vines for breakfast – all at close range within the same tree he had nested in overnight.

The second sighting was of a Tarsier on a night drive in Danum Valley near the Borneo Rainforest Lodge. Without any eye-shine, he spotted only what he described as an odd small “lump” on a tree trunk just off the road. He immediately stopped the driver, leaped out and confirmed – it was a Tarsier! Again he radioed the lodge. Other guests that had searched for days for the Tarsier were rewarded with an awesome photo op. After fully satisfied with photos; everyone quietly left the Tarsier right where it was first sighted – undisturbed.

The third sighting was of tiny bioluminescent mushrooms in Danum Valley. We had first photographed the mushrooms at the Crocker Range near the Rafflesia Centre, but only during the day. He explained the bioluminescence of this particular mushroom. Hoping for a night shot, we searched hard for it throughout the rest of our trip. On the last night in Danum Valley, he was the one who found them! They were glowing brightly right in front of the lodge. None of the local guides at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge had spotted them. These amazing/unique mushrooms were right under their noses all along!

We could not be more pleased with the itinerary and your attention to every detail.

Thank you Rainer & ORYX Photo Tours!

You have all been great to work with and the Borneo photo tour was amazing.

Everything was well planned and organized, the lodges were very pleasant, and the local guides were excellent. We saw every animal on the list and got great photos. I hope you know how lucky you are to have Dale, because he’s a star among photographer tour leaders.

He’s not only an extremely talented photographer for wildlife, macro, landscapes, and people, he’s a fountain of interesting knowledge about flora and fauna, and he has an innate ability with animals that’s a big advantage when photographing them. Even if we don’t see what we’re looking for while searching for wildlife, he can always find something cool and unusual to photograph in an interesting way, so it’s fun all day long and never boring. When it comes to non-photography guide-related tasks, he takes charge and is competent in every way.

Thanks again for everything and I look forward to traveling with ORYX Photo Tours again in the future.

Nancy and I had an absolutely fabulous time travelling and photographing with Dale on our Borneo photo tour. We came home with some spectacular images of primates, and with so many of them it’s going to take us weeks to get through them all and process all the ones we want to. We were very impressed with all of the arrangements ORYX Photo Tours made to assure that this was a very high quality trip. The ground agents, the lodges, the local guides, the transportation, were all absolutely first class.

Thanks again for such a superb trip. We hope to travel with ORYX Photo Tours again soon!

In every respect, we truly did have a wonderful time in Antarctica. I do not know where to start… comprehensive and regular communication from the time of our initial enquiry, the friendly tone of all your emails, your promptness in responding to our enquiries, your care and concern.

The experience on Akademik Ioffe: this was our first cruise and it exceeded all expectations. The professionalism and friendliness of all staff, service, amenities, activities, conservation principles, amazing variety and healthy choices at every meal, a surprise birthday cake from Bob for me on 5 January (every birthday was celebrated with a personalised cake with a candle! – so thoughtful), fellow passengers from all ages and stages!

Graham learnt so much from Dale, not only about his camera, but also about new and varied angles for photographing wildlife! This was also our first photographic tour and we look forward to many more. Graham’s passion for birdwatching and photography was more than fulfilled– he has so many amazing shots and our bird count tally was increased by 50 new species!

It is difficult to relate to others what you experience in Antarctica – the stillness, purity, abundance of wildlife, pristineness, the ocean in every shade of blue, the privilege of being there…

I will recommend our photo tour experience with you all in a heartbeat!

Thank you again for helping us to achieve this bucket list item in such a memorable way.

I recently got back from my Antarctica photo safari and it was absolutely spectacular. Out of about 10 photographer-guides I’ve traveled with in the past, Dale is the best overall. He’s a wonderful teacher, has almost no ego, and is always concerned about his clients getting great shots. I never fail to be impressed by his talent in photographing animals and landscapes, his technical ability, attention to detail, and aesthetic sensibility. He’s highly attuned to the animals and their behavior, which is one reason why his photos are so successful. My photos are much better when I travel with him.

I loved the Akademik Ioffe ship and staff. The mostly Canadian staff and Russian crew were excellent and exceeded expectations in professionalism and competence. The food was very good, with many courses and options, and different every single day. The cabins were comfortable with stunning antarctic views. The staff planned activities all day long to fill up the downtime days so we were constantly entertained and the 3 weeks flew by. There were other options for Antarctica, but I’m so glad I chose this one and it’s a memory of a lifetime!

I arrived home safely at midnight on the 16th and was so busy at work that I’m just finding the time now to write to you. I only have positive things to say about the photo tour as Antarctica was a fantastic experience, Dale was perfect (as always) and the rest of group very easy to get along with.

It’s late in Geneva and I’ll be brief: there is no doubt that I will join another ORYX photo tour, I don’t know when, but soon I hope (and with Dale again for sure).

Borneo is an incredible country. Thanks to our guides, we were able to find some amazing animals; far more than most groups that don't have all that guide support. Our last full day at Danum was one of the best photo experiences of my life.

I had the pleasure of attending the 2019 ORYX Borneo Photography Tour. It was a trip that far exceeded my expectations, with every day full day of activities and new experiences. The trip was well organized by ORYX Photo Tours and expertly run by our guide Dale Morris. You can not find a more experienced or enthusiastic guide than Dale. He makes every day unique and fun filled. The weather was hot and humid but this did not deter us. We saw a great variety of wildlife from tiny insects to pygmy elephants. The Orangutans were the highlight of the photo safari. We had multiple encounters up close and personal. We stayed at four unique lodges. Each lodge offered a different variety of wildlife. The rooms were very nice and the food was very good and plentiful. It was fun trying some of the local foods and the many different fruits. I have traveled extensively and this trip will go down as one of my ultimate favorites. Thank you ORYX Photo Tours and Dale for an experience I will never forget.

Late in 2019, I joined a wildlife photo tour in Madagascar, superbly organized by ORYX Photo Tours and terrifically led by Dale Morris. I had intended to post this review earlier, but the once-in-century challenges of 2020 got in the way.

ORYX Photo Tours was well-organized, flexible and responsive throughout my interactions with them, starting with my first inquiries about the trip through the trip itself and on to my immediately following trip to the remote Omo Valley photo tour in Ethiopia. (I gather that this combination of photo tours presents the toughest "bifecta" in their catalog in terms of travel challenges, but their arrangements were excellent; I survived and thrived!)

Dale is a terrific photo tour leader. He is an excellent photographer and teacher of photography (separate talents that don't always come packaged together in one person). He is highly knowledgeable about the locations and their available wildlife subjects where he leads tours (in this case the highly idiosyncratic world of Madagascar wildlife and often very challenging photographic conditions). Just as important, Dale is fully committed to meeting the needs and aspirations of his photo tour clients, including making sure the tour is fun and enlightening for everyone. Here's one example of his commitment. There was another cycle of our tour scheduled right after ours with another ORYX tour leader. When that tour leader had passport difficulties and could travel to Madagascar, Dale agreed to stay on (and away from his family) for another three weeks to take care of that later group.

I would, without hesitation, take another photo tour with Dale Morris and ORYX. Hopefully, we'll emerge from this pandemic and that will be possible again soon!

We had an excellent Pantanal photo safari! We liked the itinerary and felt it was paced well. Dale Morris was a fantastic guide again (as we had him on our Madagascar photo tour). A big part of why we chose a Pantanal photo tour this time was because of how much we enjoyed touring with Dale. If we didn't live on other ends of the earth, I think Dale would be a great friend of mine. He's adept at photography, provides constant feedback on whatever we are shooting, and is knowledgeable about so much wildlife and ecology matters. He cares very much about the experience of the group and is always working for "the tribe" while traveling.

My second photography tour with ORYX Photo Tours was as great as the first one. It was one of the most colorful holidays I’ve ever had! Madagascar was awesome! The hotels were lovely, the food really good, the beers were cold and cheap. The photo opportunities are innumerable, varied, colorful and it was great fun getting up close and personal with chameleons, tiny frogs and dragonflies. The lemurs and sifakas are just the best thing to watch and photograph, there are so many different ones, and yet they are all so very very cute.

A very big compliment to Dale Morris. He is the first person in 6 years who could convince me to switch to back button focus. He showed us a lot about spot metering and over- and under exposing, which was very necessary in the forest with all the dappled light.

Many thanks to you all, I believe you will see more of us!

Once again ORYX Photo Tours and Dale Morris have certainly excelled in organisation, photography skill development, finding the right places, at the right time to shoot and making sure everyone is being catered for.

Safety is at the forefront of Dale's mindset, for his clients ,while under his guidance and that was truly appreciated.

He is able to subtly and gently encourage those, where once may have feared to go, with development of their camera skills and wildlife .

You come away from your travels with a wonderful collection of photos that you are extremely pleased with.

Thanks ORYX and thank you to Dale!

This Madagascar photo tour provided a fascinating array of photo opportunities from the various types of lemur to chameleons, frogs, geckos, flying foxes, insects and rural life in Madagascar. Dale Morris was ever on hand with tips and advice for improving photos.

I recently completed a trip to Namibia with ORYX Photo Tours.  This is my 6^th photography tour with ORYX and I have at least 2 more planned.  The beauty of this tour was the diversity of locations.  We were in the desert with sand dunes, 900 year old camel thorn trees and desert wildlife; by the sea with seals and pelicans inches from us on the boat, climbing granite escarpments to a rock arch; and then a classic wildlife photo safari in the bush.  This photo safari offered the most diversity of any trip I have taken.

Dale Morris, our photo tour leader, who seems to know everything about everything, couldn’t have been more helpful with all things animal, mineral, etc.  He expanded my photographic horizons in terms of composition, camera setting, lighting, etc. I wish I could take all of the credit for the great images my friends have marveled at, but he is a huge part of them.

As usual, accommodations and food are excellent.  The local guides were very helpful.  I did a fabulous hot air balloon trip at sunrise and other members of the trip did a great helicopter tour.

The photo tours by ORYX are seamless from the time you land at your destination to the time they return you to the airport for your trip home.  They are an excellent value for the dollar and provides experiences the ordinary traveler would not have.  I can’t say enough good things about ORYX Photo Tours and their staff.

Svarlbard was epic! The scenery was fantastically beautiful – with vast white snowy mountains and awesome glaciers. Sailing into the drift ice and pack ice and every sort of ice in between down the fjords under the midnight sun was very special! The guides were great in their dedicated pursuit in looking for the Polar Bears and the crew on the Origo were super friendly and attentive. A great group – a lot of laughs, extraordinary scenery and wildlife – making it a superb adventure! I would highly recommend a Winter Svalbard photo expedition to anyone!

Thank you for organising!

Dale Morris was our ORYX photo tour leader on a recent tour to the Pantanal in Brazil. This was either my 5th or 6th trip with Dale, and I have 3 more with him in the works. It is hard to imagine there could be a better guide than Dale. He is extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife, a miracle worker with his camera and advice, and he can do some great animal impressions. You will be in excellent hands should you decide to travel with ORYX and Dale. I highly recommend him regardless of your level of photographic expertise.

I very much enjoyed my time on the 2022 Pantanal photo tour as I had when I was on the one in 2017. Both times Dale Morris was our the guide and photo expert. As always, Dale was a gem, and he was clearly happy and enthusiastic to be leading a tour after many months of COVID lockdown. I must add that the tour was made particularly enjoyable and educational with the participation of Sergio Freitas, PhD who served a most excellent and affable Brazilian language/logistics facilitator and fauna biology expert. This year (2022) was much drier than 2017 with vastly less water along the Pantanal highway, but even so, we had plenty of wildlife photo opportunities. All the lodge accommodations were very good, and the Brazilian food was plentiful. Our first lodge was particularly comfortable and provided twice per day drives in open safari-like vehicles that provided wonderful transits of the varied environment of the lodge's vast property. On the first day at this lodge - to everyone's surprise, we came upon a jaguar resting next to the dirt track. This was the first of more than a dozen (17?) different jaguars seen on the tour. All but the first of jaguars were seen and photographed on the Rio Sao Lorenco river and several of its tributaries during the last five days of the tour. Our time on the Jacare - our boat hotel - was very pleasant in spite of the extremely atypical weather. Instead of 100F and bright sun on the river, we experienced several days of 50F with driving rain! It was certainly a macho/macha test to have rain pelting our bodies as we hunkered down in our open 4 meter uncovered boat as it sped at more than 30 mph along the river to get to our next jaguar photography opportunity. All in all, the outboard boats we rode in were very comfortable, stable and astonishingly fast. Our boat driver was highly skilled both on our sprints and in holding steady while maximizing our photographic opportunities. To sum up, my friend Alison and I very much enjoyed the 2022 Pantanal tour. It was well planned and conducted with successful innovations adapted to the weather. The other participants were very friendly, courteous, and interesting to talk to. I have not counted up the number of separate species that I photographed and videoed, but there were a lot. I did get lots of good shots and video clips of my favorites - giant otters, a loping giant anteater, jaguars, and even two pairs of long-legged seriemas in a loud, pre-dawn territorial battle.

My first trip to the Pantanal with ORYX Photo Tours and Dale Morris was terrific. Dale and the wonderful local guide Sergio Freitas knew nearly everything I asked about the local wildlife, and if they didn't, they found out. Dale and Sergio went out of their way to find reclusive and camouflaged animals, able to do so through knowing the animals' behavior and the Pantanal itself so thoroughly. The tour was well-planned -- except for the weather, which dropped fifty degrees F one night and brought torrential rain. (We dried out in a few days.) Food was plentiful and delicious, the lodges and the boat hotel were comfortable, and the group of photographers were companionable and pleasant. I was using a new camera and shooting in manual for the first time. Every now and then, as I aimed at a potoo or a coiled anaconda, Dale would whisper, "If you use this ISO and that shutter speed, and stand exactly where I am standing now, Alison, you will get an excellent shot." And lo! he was exactly right: I'd get a sharp photo with open eyes and no stick coming out of the animal's head! I enjoyed the trip to the Pantanal very much, and would urge anyone to travel with Dale Morris.

In August 2022 I joined ORYX Photo Tours's Brazil Pantanal Photo Tour. Our photo tour leader was Dale Morris, who I have taken several trips with, and he always does a top-notch job. He is constantly in the background making sure of every detail, so guests have the best time and safest trip. I enjoy his imagination. He frequently thinks of ways to take a photo, so an ordinary image becomes something really unique. This trip was great and so was the guide.

Several of the recent testimonials have detailed the trip activities so I will talk about our wildlife experience. We saw and photographed many different birds, Caiman and Capybaras but our time with the Giant Otters and Jaguars was very special. We had several encounters with a Giant Otter family. There were five members of the family led by the female matriarch. They would cruise near the riverbank hunting for food and constantly play fighting with each other. They are voracious eaters eating up to 10% of their body weight a day and with a male reaching 6ft and 70 lbs. that is a lot of fish. They are powerful swimmers, and it was amazing how fast they could swim even against the river current. We watched their antics for several hours and enjoyed getting a view of their family interactions and daily life.

When we were on the houseboat, we spent our days in a small boat searching for Jaguars. We were rewarded with seeing 14 different Jaguars watching and photographing them in several different activities. Some of the Jaguars were resting in the shade on the riverbank and one was lying on a dead tree branch that extended out over the river. This young juvenile was no more than 30 feet from our boat. We observed two young males interacting with each other showing a special bond they shared. We watched several as they patrolled their territory. We spent over a half hour observing one Jaguar as he hunted along the riverbank. He moved so quietly through thick vegetation and over dead tree branches finally pouncing into the river catching a Caiman. Jaguars bite down at the base of the Caimans skull crushing the skull paralyzing and killing the Caiman. He then carried the 60-70 lb. Caiman along the bank and with a powerful move climbed up the steep bank. Photographing the Jaguars was fantastic but getting a view into their lives was indeed very special.

This ORYX photo tour was more than I could have expected and has given me memories I will cherish forever.

Our photo tour to Borneo was a wonderful experience. Dale was a fantastic guide, and ensured they we were able to maximise any opportunities we had to see the unique wildlife that Borneo has to offer. It was an extremely challenging photographic experience, but with Dale’s guidance we were able to photograph animals, particularly gibbons, in low light situations, even though they refused our requests for a pose, and then tried to hide amongst the branches. With Dale’s expert tuition my photographic skills improved, especially when the lighting was not the best, and the animals were their most active. I have some absolutely amazing shots of the Orangutans! For extra tuition, I would recommend sharing a beer with Dale at the end of a hot and humid day’s outing.

Dale Morris was my guide on my first Brazil and ORYX Photo Tours adventure for jaguars, caiman and lots of colorful birds of Pantanal. He’s a down to earth guy, which I really liked and is also fantastic. He help us a lot with the composition, light, helped us process pictures in Photoshop, and was always cheerful and professional.

I would like to thank you (Nicolette) and the ORYX team for all the work in putting together the Borneo trip. I have a little understanding of all the effort it takes in booking tours and arranging all the guests and making sure all their unique requirements are met. Covid-19 just made it so much more complicated. Thank you, it was a job well done and appreciated.<br aria-hidden="true" /><br aria-hidden="true" />Also I would like to thank and acknowledge Dale Morris. He was a superb tour and photography lead, taking care of the little needs of individuals or of the group to ensure our trip ran smoothly - whether it was an issue with a room or any other minor thing he could help with. <br aria-hidden="true" /><br aria-hidden="true" />Under Dale's expert photography tutelage, our photography skills increased remarkably over the ten or so days, learning new techniques eg: macro and flash photography, improving the way we utilised our cameras, and constantly reinforcing the need to check camera settings and think about our compositions. Dale worked tirelessly trying get us into the right place/position atthe right time so that we could capture those special images.

<br aria-hidden="true" />We also enjoyed Dale's engaging company and sharing our meals and downtime and will look forward to travelling with Dale sometime in the future.

<span style="color: black;">It was while on my first private ORYX photo tour with Dale Morris in Londolozi, South Africa, that the idea of a Madagascar photo trip germinated. It took three years, but I finally got to experience another trip of a life-time with Dale in that magical place, photographing all my targeted species in the impossibly finite time window I had given ORYX. </span>
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<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0px;"><span style="color: black;">Where to start?  I cannot thank Nicolette and Vanessa at ORYX enough for their patience in putting together this amazing tour. For those who are unaware, Madagascar is no easy place to plan predictable travel! The fact that all the moving parts - interior flights, hotels, safe food, competent drivers, comfortable vehicles, local guides, boat trips, park access, etc. - came together for a perfect experience is a testament to their expertise and competence. Once I told Dale what I wanted to do, the ORYX team got it done.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0px;"><span style="color: black;">A special shout-out to Nonotinamalala – “Nono” – Dale’s right-hand man in Madagascar, who used his wizardry with Air Madagascar and countless other contacts to ensure smooth sailing – or hiking – or flying – or driving. It was fascinating to watch them work so well together to get the job done.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0px;"><span style="color: black;">Once I landed in Tana, Dale made sure I was comfortable and ready for the journey ahead. From our time in Kruger, I knew I would be in good hands. He is an amazingly talented photographer, but, just as important, is able to expertly share this knowledge of wildlife and photography with his guests while in the field, guaranteeing the best photos possible. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0px;"><span style="color: black;">While I have been on over 30 photo expeditions all over the world, I always know I will learn new techniques from Dale, and he sure did not disappoint on this trip. Handling the challenges of Madagascar, attending to the desires and needs of his clients, and ultimately delivering the goods while maintaining a sense of humor and professionalism is no small feat!</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0px;"><span style="color: black;">My passion for wildlife photography tends to be species driven – the ultimate headache for tour leaders, as we all know that in nature, nothing is promised. I have to say that, with a little luck and a lot of Dale’s expertise, I was able to come away with stunning images of EVERY ONE of the critters on my Madagascar bucket list.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0px;"><span style="color: black;">OK, Dale, where to next?</span></p>

This was a great photo tour. The accommodations were excellent for the locality. Dale and Daniel were excellent tour leaders. I really appreciated Dale's personality and willingness to accommodate all members of the tour. He gave us excellent photo advice and was always looking to put each guest into a good spot to see and photograph the wildlife. I know that some guests had physical mobility issues which made even relatively easy hiking difficult. Dale did his best to accommodate these individuals. The drivers who transported us from place to place were excellent as the roads in Madagascar are amazingly poor. I would gladly do another trip with Dale.

Our Madagascar tour was everything and more than I imagined it would be.  I appreciated all the help and information I received from both you and Dale prior to the trip.  All my questions ranging from travel arrangements to appropriate photo gear to bring were answered efficiently. The itinerary was well thought out, and the accommodations were nice.

The local guides were excellent. They were knowledgeable about the wildlife for which we were looking. I was amazed at how good our guides were at spotting these animals. Before the tour, I had noticed that hiking trails in one of the regions we were going to visit were listed as potentially steep and slippery, and I asked about the physical requirements for hiking. I was told that the physicality would be moderate. In reality, I found the hiking we did to be on the easy side of moderate.  Although I only used a sherpa for our last segment, their availability to carry gear eased the strenuousness for those who were more physically challenged. The attention to detail on this tour was excellent.

I cannot commend our ORYX tour leaders more for their guidance in making this trip successful. They did their best to accommodate the needs of each of the six diverse individuals. Dale was a wealth of information. I learned a lot about the ecology and wildlife we were seeing from him. While some tour leaders spend time getting their own good shots, the members of our group always came first on this tour. Dale was constantly finding windows and angles from which each person could get good shots of our subjects. He also encouraged us to leave our narrow comfort zones and try new techniques. I personally learned how to use a flash in combination with a wide-angle lens to obtain very interestingly, different views of some of the lemurs. I had never used a flash previously, and Dale took the time to teach me how to use one. He also taught me how to take motion photos.  It was fun to try some new techniques that I would have never attempted without his encouragement. While he has great technical skills, Dale is personable and very fun. He made the tour so enjoyable that I can't wait to go on another photo adventure with him.