Namibia is a traveller’s utopia: wild and rugged yet riddled with self-drive potential; a country so captivating and brimming with adventure, wildlife, epic landscapes and ancient culture that it quickly pervades your itinerary, stretching it thin. Two weeks become three; one visit becomes two. Before you know it, Namibia has wrapped you in its sandy embrace and won’t let go.

Author Will Gray gives an inside guide to his new book Photography Weekends Britain It wasn’t easy selecting just 25 locations on which to base the photography weekends in this book. There were some destinations that simply had to be covered, such as all 15 of Britain’s national parks, and photogenic cities like London, Edinburgh and Cambridge. I was then left with the dilemma of filling the remaining chapters with photography hotspots such as the Dorset coast, north Norfolk,

The seals were pupping at Horsey Beach, but I couldn’t take my eyes off these year-old youngsters play-fighting in the frothy sea. It’s one of the few shots I got where the seals weren’t completely covered in foam.

Namibia gives you glowing dunes, empty deserts, skeletal trees, abandoned towns and some of the clearest night skies anywhere on Earth. It’s a playground for minimalists, wildlife lovers, astro shooters, landscape photographers… or anyone who loves a striking backdrop.

Over the past 35-odd years as a photographer, I've accumulated a fair amount of gear (camera bags are my weak spot 🙄). But there are certain accessories I wouldn't be without – and they don't necessarily cost a fortune. Here are my top 10 gift ideas for the photographer in your life...

What do I need to pack for a photography holiday in Namibia? Be sure to bring a warm jacket with you for early mornings and evenings, which can be cold during June (winter in Namibia). Sturdy footwear with good grip and ankle support is essential as you will often be walking in soft sand or over uneven ground.

Photography holidays have become increasingly popular among travellers who want more than just sightseeing – they want to capture the world through their lens while improving their skills. But what exactly is a photography holiday, and how do you find one that suits your needs?

Remember: it’s not your camera that’s stopping you from taking better pictures...

Ever wondered how to capture those evocative landscape images where the surface of the sea appears as a soft grey mist?

The key to capturing the Northern Lights with your camera is to be prepared. Right place, right time, right gear right settings

Just out: The Best British Travel Writing of the 21st Century book. From riding the Reunification Express across Vietnam to tracking snow leopards in Ladakh, the book features 30 stories published in British media over the last two decades. I'm delighted to join some of my favourite writers (like Emma Thomson and Adrian James Phillips) in this collection. My piece on sea kayaking in New Zealand, originally published in Wanderlust magazine, takes me back to 2004 – a memorable

William Gray slips into plankton-rich seas around the Ningaloo Reef of Western Australia, hoping for a glimpse of the world's largest fish This article was originally published in The Sunday Telegraph Snorkelling with whale sharks “Jump in – go for it!” These were words I never expected to hear in the vicinity of a large shark. Odder still was that I found myself wearing a wetsuit, mask and snorkel. I’d been told whale sharks were harmless, but so are buses until they run you

William Gray embarks on an expedition voyage in Svalbard, sailing along the west coast of Spitsbergen onboard the schooner Noorderlicht in search of walrus, whales, seabirds and polar bears. This article was originally published in The Sunday Telegraph Spitsbergen voyage It only takes a brief tutorial and a few blistered palms to get us underway. As the tawny sails bloom overhead, the Noorderlicht cants dramatically and begins to sing with the wind – rigging chiming against t

William Gray tries his hand at mushing and discovers there's a lot more to dog-sledding than first meets the eye when he sets off on snowy trails through the boreal forests of Swedish Lapland This article was originally published in The Sunday Telegraph Husky sledding in Lapland There is a dreadful silence as we watch Jen descend the training slope. The huskies chained nearby stop barking and some even look away. I see her back stiffen as she fights to control the sledge, but

William Gray braves rough seas on a voyage to the Isles of Scilly to discover that the 'subtropical outpost' takes the brunt of whatever the Atlantic decides to hurl at the British Isles This article was originally published in The Sunday Telegraph Messy. That was the weather forecast and that, undeniably, is what we’ve got. No wonder there’s a grim silence on board the Scillonian III. The ship’s commentary, waxing lyrical about Mousehole and Wolf Rock, is obviously pre-recor

From puffins, snipe and Arctic terns to seals, orca and humpback whales, William Gray picks the best places to see wildlife in Iceland, the Land of Fire & Ice. Brooding ice caps, steaming volcanoes, wave-gnawed cliffs and black-sand beaches... Iceland's most famous natural wonders tend to be gritty and geological. But there's more to the country's hotlist than half-baked landscapes and dramatic coastlines. Iceland is also a magnet to cetaceans and seabirds, particularly durin

Kenyans have been refining the safari for long enough to ensure that the needs of families are well catered for – this was, after all, where

It’s the latest buzzword, but what does ‘mindfulness’ actually mean in the context of a safari holiday?

William Gray’s time on Heron Island nurtured a fledgling dream to become a photographer and writer.

From fervent religious festivals to feisty cuisine, William Gray introduces his children to India

Most people heading to Queensland drive the Sunshine Coast, but head inland to find ancient landscapes, remote gorges and rare wildlife

From bat swarms and birding bonanzas to leopard encounters and little-known migrations

I'm really thrilled that these four images were shortlisted in the 2018 Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition. From top to bottom, they show zebra kicking up dust at dusk in the Limpopo region of Botswana, a seal lion asleep on a beach of crushed coral in the Galapagos Islands, hippos dozing in Kenya's Masai Mara and a cheetah on the southern plains of the Serengeti.

It goes without saying that photographers love images. But it can sometimes be frustrating to come across an interesting photograph that has nothing more than the photographer's name and a brief caption. Numerous questions immediately leap to mind: What was the photographer's inspiration? What camera and lens did he or she use? Why that viewpoint? What time of day was the picture taken, and were any filters used? What about post-processing? What did the photographer think of