Exploring African parks and reserves, mapping, wildlife photography in Southern Africa since 1995
“Tinkers” – Andy and Lorrain Tinker, a husband and wife team, started the business in 1995; Andy has a diploma in fashion photography and Lorrain is a medical doctor – but their passion has always been wildlife and photography. Over a glass of red wine, they decided to pursue their dreams to move out of the rat race in Johannesburg and to specialize in maps, guides and souvenirs for tourists visiting reserves in Southern Africa.
Lorrain continued her medical career in Johannesburg until Andy was up and running with the new business. In 2006 she put a hold on her medical career and the Tinkers relocated to White River, with a small baby and 3 cats to start a fantastic new adventure.
Still residing in White River with their son, Jamie, and daughter, Jade, and a mini zoo of dogs, cats and other rescued species, they are continuing full ball producing more maps and updating existing books.
The maps and guides are produced from scratch. When on a trip, the early mornings and late evenings are when Andy cashes in on the soft light to photograph wildlife and landscapes and during the day he records the roads, GPS points of pans, waterholes, hides, picnic spots, bush camps and lodges etc.
Once the park / tourist attraction has been photographed and all the GPS data captured, design of the map and guide begins. The books’ layout makes use of colour coding for easy reference. Invaluable advice is offered of the best morning and evening game drives from gates and camps, taking into account the distance/time, position of sun and areas where certain species seem to congregate. Included in the booklets are stunning images that have been taken along these routes. There are tips and advice as well as hundreds of illustrated birds and animals with check boxes, for the identification and recording of ones’ sightings. Using these books enriches the experience of the best the parks have to offer and increase the chance of spotting the big 5 and another animals.
“We are living the life we love, and hopefully increasing an awareness about wildlife and conservation in our Southern African reserves. We hope to aid visitors by enriching their experiences using our knowledge of the parks”
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