When you drive through the Kruger National Park or any other one for that matter, you see these guys "camping" out next to the watering holes with their fancy cameras and long lenses. You think of them as people with enormous patience, dedication and endurance while waiting for the perfect shot.

Dan Prata, Director facilities services at Facilities Management, is one of them. His photos are works of art; they are entirely in a class of their own. 

His love for photography goes back years ago when he still had to borrow his dad's 35-mm camera. "You will shoot 24 photos, and if you are lucky, one would be the perfect shot," says Dan, who now embraces the world of digital photography fully with state-of-the-art photography equipment that he takes on his journeys to national parks across the country. "It is more expensive than playing golf," says Dan about having to sacrifice some hard-earned savings for photography equipment. ​“Photography is the only language that can be understood anywhere in the world." - Bruno Barbey

Returning from his first trip to the Kruger National Park, Dan realised that he needed better equipment to get the good shots. And since then, he has built up a magnificent portfolio of wildlife, watersport, motor- and bike racing; you name it! Please do yourself a favour and look at his google link here and see for yourself. At home, Dan has more than 180 DVD's full of photos, as well as some online streams.

Although he has won a photo competition before (with the photo of the rhino's), he is not keen on competing. "I do photography to share it with people," says Dan, who started two Facebook pages where he showcases some of his photos. The one is to raise awareness of rhinos, Rhino Diary (https://www.facebook.com/groups/238460009649781 ) and the other is a birding site, Intaka Photographers (https://www.facebook.com/groups/294800758121275 ). 

Back in the nineties, he started taking photos of his mates wave skiing and in 2005 after injuring his elbow at a contest he could no longer take part professionally. It was here on the dunes that he began to develop his talent. "I bought a new camera, and then it all started."

Dan says Ralph Hattersley said: “We make photographs to understand what our lives mean to us." This has always remained with him and is his inspiration in continuing to try and get the perfect shot.

So, every year Dan and his wife Ronel pack their car and drive to the Kruger. Here they wake up early, pack the picnic and photography gear and head to a watering hole. They would spend most of the day there, photographing and reflecting on life.

"Seeking quiet time and reflecting on life," says Dan. During the rest of the year Dan and Ronel look for any opportunities to do sport or other photography and also plan short photographic road trips. 

As the saying goes: a photo tells a million stories, so too does a million photos tell us much more about Dan than the person you phone to fix a problem on campus. He is a man of many hidden talents, and photography is just one of them.