News for the ‘Safari Travel’ Category

Composition in African Wildlife Photography

In this article I describe three typical types of African Wildlife compositions and the features that make them successful.  My goal is to get you planning ahead, analyzing the scene in front of you, and consciously using your knowledge of composition to achieve the best rendering of the exciting animals you will see on safari.

Looking through my catalogue I can put most of my images into three categories images: animal portraits, animals with environment or landscape, and groups of animals

Animal Portraits

These images have one center of interest; the animal. All other elements that can be distracting are eliminated and all the viewer’s attention is on the animal, its textures, and eyes.

Setting the Camera for the Portrait

When setting up for animal portraits try to include the following camera techniques

-       Include an uncluttered background of solid color. Best way to achieve this is by blurring out the background so it is monochromatic and has little texture leaving the subject in sharp focus.

-       Use apertures such as f2.8 f4.0 or f5.6

-       The background should be at least 2 feet behind the subject

Placement of the Subject in the Frame

Most portrait subjects will be too large in the frame to worry about Rule of Thirds placement (more on that below). If there is space around the subject, it should be in front of the subject or in the direct that the subject is moving or looking.

Get close and fill the frame – cropping can be done after the fact to add impact if the aspect ratio is not flatter or you just were not sure how to frame the shot.

Other Elements that add to the Portrait

Light and shadows enhance interest. Light from the side reveals texture and gives the 3D pop effect. Shadows can play down less important features. Light can create leading lines that help viewers discover all the details of the portrait.

Some external elements can enhance the portrait almost like props: a bit of fresh kill, flights buzzing around the head, a bit of the branch gripped in a talon.

The carcass bits in this image add to the portrait explaining the look of bliss on the lion’s face and tail attitude

Animal in its Environment or with a Landscape

The goal here is to show the animal interacting with its environment.  In these images there can be more than one center of attention. The smaller the animal is in the frame, the more importance lies in the composition and its success at getting the viewers attention on the subject

This image not only describes the shape of the young lion, but it’s hunting conditions and challenges.  The eye goes from lion, then up and across the open space.

Place Elements Using Rule of Thirds

Position the subject in one of the strong points of the  Rule of Thirds grid.

The subject should be walking, looking, or flying into the centre of the frame. If it is larger than the frame, there should be more space infront than behind it.  As the subject gets smaller the importance of correct placement increases.

Lead the Viewer Around the Scene

Leading the viewers eye to the subject,  especially when the subject is smaller relative to the  rest of the image is achieved through careful composition.

Make the subject easy to spot : in contrast to the background

Look for and use leading lines: these are straight or curved lines that lead from a corner or edge of the frame to the subject (rivers, paths, tree branches).

Present a Story. Begin to think in terms of a still image as a story with  a beginning (where the viewer’s eyes go first), middle  (what they will notice next), and end.  Think about what other elements should be in the image to complete this movement and discovery.

Leave some active space for the subject to move into.  Space also helps tell the story: it leaves the viewer space to use imagination to fill in off camera elements that complete the story . Space is good for anticipating and catching future action: leave the subject room to spring.

Light can serve as a leading line drawing a path from the light source to the subject.   The shadows that will result tell us what is not important.  If shaded items are important, consider using HDR techniques or open these areas in postproduction.

Resizing and Cropping is part of the toolbox. Don’t forget about vertical shots and consider how vertical can enhance the composition (emphasizing trees and giraffes).  Cropping can be done after the fact , but adding space back in to improve a composition is much harder so don’t squeeze your animal in a landscape images too much in camera or you will be removing creative flexibility.

Depth and Vanishing points tell a story. Use depth to place story elements such that viewers are drawn into the 3d scene. Depth and the correct lens can create movement, record proportions and distances. An element in the background can make the whole composition more interesting as long as it is part of the story and not a distraction (a lion moving toward the viewer  or shade tree with a carcass  in the background).

Animal Groups

These images are not tight enough to be portraits and do not show many elements of the environment. The center of interest is the group rather than any particular one animal.

Combinations of 3’s work well and have a harmonious balance. Symmetry  such as all looking the same direction or each in an opposite direction gives a balanced feel.  Odd numbers, odd shapes, triangles are more visually interesting and should be included.  This is a chance to show different poses and sides of the animal all at the same time (front, ¾, and side view all at once).  Mixing sizes (juveniles and adults) of animals  or species is  interesting content.

See the Negative Space. Negative space is the outline created by subject(s) as if it was viewed as a silhouette. African animals are perfect subjects for their interesting shapes.  Catch poses and groups that are creating an interesting shape and place them against neutral backgrounds for strong compositions.

Composition Does not Stop after the Shoot

Once back in front of the computer you can still enhance composition.  The following are all useful tools for furthering your compositional goals.

-       Use creative cropping: You may wish to make several versions of an image each with a different crop.

-       Use tonal adjustments to enhance the impact of the subject, downplay distractions, and otherwise lead the viewer as you intended through contrast and proper lighting.

-       Use color adjustment in a similar manner to lighting to  announce the subject (perhaps through saturation) and downplay secondary elements (desaturate or limit color variation and texture).

-       Use Blur to fade out distracting detail.

-       Clone or Heal elements that are really distracting and can not be cropped out.

Learn to quickly analyze a scene for story, interesting elements to include, what not to include, textures to highlight, light direction, and movement.  Good composition is mostly achieved in the field as you plan the shot and read the animal.

Edited: May 15th, 2012

A New Lodge for our Final Days

After a nice breakfast on the sunny deck of Bona Ntaba we transferred to another lodge on a big 5 reserve nearby. Instead of tree houses we were staying in traditional rondavuls with thatch roves. We were treated to large bush lunch and an evening game drive. Many white rhinos were about and gave us great views and photo opportunities. The hippos were crawling out of the water to start their evening feeding and making noises. Our dinner was very nice and relaxing with a surprise ending: a porcupine feeding by torchlight.

The next morning we were surprised to find that our morning walk would be escorted by cheetah! At mid day we had a yoga session by the pool with deeper practice in all areas including headstands. Our evening drive was full of lions with the large male roaring right close to the vehicle. The female and her 3 cubs were feeding on a kill. To complete our cat sightings we had a chance to see a leopard in action.

On our walk this morning we were escorted by lion cubs and we also had a close encounter with a caracal kitten – so cute and boisterous!. Unfortunately after breakfast it was time to depart for Johannesburg and the airport. Some of us are returning home and others are traveling on to more adventures. The food, staff , and wildlife here was terrific and we feel we have experienced some very special moments on this trip.

Edited: May 11th, 2012

Educational, Relaxing, and Boisterous

This morning after breakfast we drove to the base of the mountains to Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre where we learned about the conservation challenges facing African Wildlife. The Centre takes in many injured wildlife species and is able to release most back into the wild either on their own reserve or a suitable park. Those not able to go back will have a permanent home and job as ambassadors for their species. We had a chance to see a cheetah up close and to feed some of the recovering vultures.





After we were finished learning about the lions, leopards, honey badgers, rhinos, and wild dogs, we had a wonderful and relaxing lunch at The Garden of Eden. Their gardens really were an oasis on this warm day.

When we returned to the lodge we had some time to relax, enjoy those outside showers in the tree tops or catch up on journals. Again we were able to enjoy the quiet late afternoon on the deck during our practice and mediation.

As it was getting dark we assembled to go on a bushwalk. With lights and cameras we ventured deep into the bush off the trails. To our surprise we were really walking to an authentic South Africa bush braai complete with tribal dancers. Everyone had a great time trying to keep up with the energetic and rhythmic young dancers and musicians.

It was a great night, but our last at Bona Ntaba. We transfer to parts unknown (but nearby) for our last 2 nights.

Edited: May 9th, 2012

Safari on an Elephant

Today we had a wonderful opportunity to experience the bushveld like an elephant . We rode on the backs of elephants are the whole herd took a walk through the reserve. The babies walked and played along side and the wildlife was calm in our presence. The handlers told us the story of how this herd was rescued from death at a logging camp as well as some interesting facts about elephants.

After breakfast we had time to test our skill with some archery.

Next we visited a preschool and dropped off a donation of pencils, rulers, and markers to enhance the sparse resources of the school. The children sang for us and we showed them some yoga poses which they tried to imitate. Laura demonstrated a handstand and walkover to their amazement. The children and our group really enjoyed our visit.

Back at the lodge it was time to unwind and reflect through a moving mediation and practice session as the sun went down.

Edited: May 7th, 2012

A Relaxing Day full of Scenery

After some early mornings and lots of animal viewing we were ready today to do something more relaxing and slow paced. Our day started with an uplifting yoga session which brought us all closer to performing handstands. After a large breakfast of eggs, oatmeal, fruit and toast we headed out toward the Blyde Canyon to travel on a boat. The boat captain told us about the trees, natural history, and special rock formation in the canyon. We had a view of the famous “three Rondovals” formation from the boat. Everyone had a very relaxing ride.

After we enjoyed a lunch at a quiet South African Style café at the base of the mountains. Heading back toward our lodge we stopped at a lovely pub perched high above the Olphants river and enjoyed some drinks. We took in the sunset back at the lodge and finished with a satisfying meal.

Edited: May 7th, 2012

A day in Africa’s Largest Park

Our second full day was spent in Kruger National Park. We had a very early start at 5am in order to get into the park as early as possible and maximized the chance of seeing nighttime predators still actively moving about. The vastness of Kruger makes it impossible to see more than just a fraction of the park. Elephants and zebra seemed to be the theme of the day.

At midday we enjoyed a stop at one of the very nice rest areas. Here we did some gift shopping and found a shady tree under which to have a practice session. Some of the other park visitors looked on in curiosity, and some girls attempted to imitate the poses. As Laura lead us in practice, were able to work deeper and progress.

Back in the safari vehicle we found an elephant family wandering down to the almost dry river to get a drink and some mud.

I had a first ever encounter with a brown headed parrot.

Back at the lodge we were in time for the sunset and on this special evening: the moon rise. The spectacular full moon (the largest moon of the year due to it proximity to the Earth) Lighted our evening meal of yet another traditional South African favorite recipe. With some wonderful local red wines our evening was complete, though most of us were nodding off at a very early hour.

Edited: May 6th, 2012

A Brilliant Start to our Yoga Safari

The path you travel to South Africa is a long one, but in some ways this journey helps you realize that you have come to a different place far in distance to your home. Our guests arrived after many hours of travel and began to experience the special wonders of our part of South Africa: the mountains, sunset, wildlife, and lifestyle.

Today we began with a Big 5 Game drive and witnessed 4 out of the 5. We were right up close to elephants who were resting in the dust and moving off to a cool place to snack away the day. A quartet of lions including a young male were already bedded down anticipating a warm day. A pair of white rhino also let us get really close – it is a very special treat to be so close to these threatened animals. A herd of buffalo with some young calves completed 4 of the big 5. Perhaps tonight we will see a leopard coming out to hunt when we return to the reserve.


After a large breakfast and a rest, Laura lead a session with the mountain view in the background. Though it was a hot afternoon, the movement helped remove the travel aches and revitalize. We had a short time to relax over high tea and venture out again into the wildlife reserve to see what we can find and to watch the sunset.

We look forward to another evening meal under the stars and full moon and in front of the fire.

Tomorrow we will visit Kruger National Park – one of the largest parks in the world. What we will see is always a surprise to anticipate.

Edited: May 4th, 2012

Some Favorite Safari Images

[caption id="attachment_1240" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Photography Workshop and Safari in South Africa"][/caption]I have so many great images from this past safari and the volume of images is taking a while to sort through. I have pulled out a few of my favorites to present here.

Edited: May 1st, 2012

More Big 5 Reserve Photography

Today we were on a different big 5 reserve. We had wonderful encounters with more white rhinos and plenty of big cat action.

During a morning bush walk we our guests made good use of their monopods: they are easy to walk with and quick to set up for a shot.

Our first leopard sighting! We also had a fun night shoot for porcupines.
The next morning, our last morning, ended big with a cheetah on a fresh kill.

We had a wonderful 10 days and I very much enjoyed the company of our guests Gene and Richie. I wish them the best and hope to see them on a future safari.

Edited: April 27th, 2012

Creative Black and White Treatments

With the right image, black and white and monochrome effects can take the image to levels more striking and full of impact than color.  African animal portraits are often perfect candidates for experimentation and statement through black and white.

Black and white can envoke the classic and romantic notion of African safaris, but there  are some attributes that make some images better fuel for black and white than others.

Low Color Contrast:  Many animals have coloration that blends them into their surroundings and to be successful they must use this effectively.  An image of a lion in dry grass can be flat, but when treated in black and white, shape and texture that was previously washed out comes to life.

Neutral Color Subject: Elephants and rhino are more or less grayscale naturally and it is hard to make them pop out as a subject when surrounded by flashier colored skies and vegetation.  In monochrome they can stand out.

Animals with texture: Fur detail, skin texture, whiskers, and face features are often more apparent in a black and white. Details lost to our eyes because of color variations are easier to interpret.

Images with color or lighting issues: In many cases images with great composition and content that suffer from some lighting  or severe color cast problems can show better in monochrome.

Below I present 3 creative ways to use monochrome each of which goes beyond the desaturate slider.

Enhanced High Contrast Portrait

This style is characterized by  detail presented in an aged, almost studio style with a historic feel.

Features of this style include:

Portrait style subject with lots of texture and detail

Burnt edges

High contrast subject

Dark textured background

Start with a portrait with a neutral background.  Use Photoshop to clear elements from the background then open in Lightroom Develop Mode.  This technique works easily in PS using layers and masks, but I will work on this in Lightroom.

Mostly desaturate the image and add high contrast using the Tone Curve.  We want a dark background so lower the Exposure a little bit and add a pretty large Vignette.

Use the Graduated Filter tool to further darken from the edge in. Setting Exposure down while keeping Contrast high and Highlights way up will keep some texture in the darkened areas.  Drag several graduated filters out from the edges to frame the subject.

Now we need to finish darkening the background and add a “spotlight” onto the subject so it pops.  Use the adjustment brush with a large feathered brush set at a low flow to darken background around the subject.  Decrease the brush size to get in close to the subject while leaving a slight halo effect around.

Click New to start an adjustment brush to brighten the subject.  Paint all over the face and use the sliders to intensify the effect.  Add final touches like a crop, Dodging effect on the eyes and nose and it is finished.  Use Split Toning to add a color tint to the monochrome.

Duo Tone /  Split Tone

A duo tone image is one in which is printed in 2,3, or 4 colors. It is a way to get subtle richness to a monochrome image.  Lightroom supports using two tones (under Split Toning). The control allows you to set one tone for the Highlights and another for the Shadows and then lets you control  the balance between the two.  In Photoshop  the Duotone option lets you choose up to 4 colors.

In Lightroom, desaturate and correct the contrast of the image.  Under Split Toning , select a highlight color or use the Hue slider to set the Highlights. Saturation will control how subtle the effect is.   Next select a color for the Shadows.  Play with the saturation sliders and Balance until you are happy with the results.

In Photoshop, open the tonally corrected image either already in black and white or in color then convert to grayscale.  Make sure the image is in 8bit mode then the option under Image – Mode – Duotone will be available.

In the control box you can browse through  the preset to get ideas or find one you like.  Make your own or begin with a preset and modify it.  To switch to 3 tones or 4 change the value in the Type box.  The curve will control which range of tones is affected.  The possibilities are endless.  When you find one you like you can save it for easy reuse.

Hand Tinted Effect

Start with a image and convert it to black and white.  For this technique I prefer a conversion to black and white that is lower contrast.  I like the Lightroom preset called Creamtone” .  It uses a range from a dark in the the gray-green range and a light tone in the beige range.  Open the image for editing in Photoshop to finish the hand tinting.

For this effect you will want to use just a few highlight colors applied to areas that are part of the subject.

In Photoshop, create a new layer for each color you will use.  Create the layer and rename it for the color.  You will want to keep the original luminosity fo the image as you add color so a good way to do this is to put each layer in Color blend mode.  This will ensure that you wont get any hard-edged opaque looking patches of color. You might also want to start with each layer at less than 100% opacity. Use the airbrush tool or a soft edged brush at low opacity: you can overpaint to add intensity.  Perfect application is not the style here. Use the eraser if you make a mistake.

For the final balancing you can change opacity, add a saturation layer,  even do a bit of dodge and burn to the color layers.

In the finished image I used one shade of red to color the meat, a bit of pink on the tongue, yellow in the eye, and two shades of green lightly applied to the grass in the foreground.

Edited: April 26th, 2012

Photographing from a new perspective

Our guests were surprised by today’s morning activity – photographing from the back on an elepha”nt while it takes them on a game “drive”. Each guest had an elephant fitted with a comfortable saddle and an expert handler/driver. While out in the reserve they encountered giraffes, zebra and other plains game that were unfazed by the presence of elephants. They even came upon some lions resting in the grass. The lions and elephants were completely at ease and this gave our guests the chance to get some really close shots.

Our afternoon was a great time to learn some Photoshop and Lightroom skills from Greg’s wife Karen and when our brains were full we ventured down to the archery range for some fun competitive target practice while the eland and giraffes munched in the grass nearby.

Edited: April 24th, 2012

Magic in Kruger

We have been exceptionally lucky with rhinos this trip. First thing this morning we encountered a female and male pair of white rhinos very close to the road and unusually calm about us . We had many great photos of them before moving on to many fine giraffe, antelope, some birds, and baboons. In the afternoon we were excited to photograph a large bull elephant and a younger male fighting. Like Sumo wrestlers they pushed eachother back and forth using their trunks and tusks to get a grip on the other.

Edited: April 23rd, 2012

More Big 5 and a trip to the Canyon

We had a wonderful big 5 game drive this morning. We were looking for cheetah, but instead happened onto a white rhino. Of course we wanted to stop, but we had to stop because it was sleeping in the middle of the road! We took some photos then were surprised when a pair of little ears popped up behind her. Her young baby was lying there with her. She stood up when he started to come close to us. He walked around and around his mother and was very curious about us.

Our afternoon was spent in the Blyde Canyon. We had time to photograph the stunning river and mountain scape then sailed on a boat in the canyon where we learned about many of the natural features of the canyon.

Edited: April 22nd, 2012

A Day for Fun and Education

After a long day in Kruger yesterday, today was a day to be active, see some scenery, and put down the cameras for some fun. We traveled a short way to the Zipline: the tallest and fastest in all of Africa. This fun and safe activity took up high up to the top of the valley and zipped our way to the bottom by way of 8 stations. By the end we were deep under the canopy.

After and nice lunch at a café we visited Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. The staff at Moholoholo educate their visitors about the current impacts on wildlife habitat and conservation. They deal daily with snared leopards, orphaned rhinos due to poaching, lion cubs taken as pets then abandoned, and poisoned essential animals such as vultures. We were treated to an up close view of a newborn white rhino who was born and rejected while his mother was being transported to an area safer from poachers. The baby will be cared for at the center until it can be placed on a reserve. Moholoholo takes pride in returning most of its patients to the wild but some must remain. They then become wildlife ambassadors for visitors such as ourselves.

Edited: April 22nd, 2012

Our Day In Kruger

We had a wonderful and productive day in Kruger National Park.  Though it was a bit windy,  we had some great sightings.  One of our first and best for the day was this hyena who had just made its own impala kill.  It tore at the flesh and kept looking nervously around to see if any other animal was getting ready to steal its catch.

We also had numerous elephant sightings: some of family groups with very young babies and some big solo male bulls.

We don’t just look for the big stuff and keep our eyes open for interesting small creatures like the tortoise and these Southern Ground Hornbills. While watching and elephant I noticed these ostrich off to the side.

Kruger gives us opportunities to photography larger groups and herds of animals such as wildebeest and these zebras. We encountered many very young specimens and delighted in watching them bounce around.

Edited: April 20th, 2012

Using the Curves Tool in Lightroom 4

I open this image of a cheetah and immediately notice a color cast toward blue and a lack of contrast.  To concentrate myself on just the tonal range, I move the Saturation Slider all the way to the left to -100.

Improve Contrast by setting True Black and White

Set the Black

Now I need to decide which part will be black . In this image, all of the blackest points will be on the cheetah with the darkest either the end of the tail, in the nose, or corner of the eye.

Pick up the Direct Adjustment tool (the circle with up and down arrows to the left of the Curve), I drag it over the image noting where on the curve the value registers.  I notice the cat’s righ

t nostril to be the darkest point.  Note also the range on the curve where all of the spots register. I will use all of these (except the small spots on the forehead) to define “Shadows” for this image.

I want the left tear pattern to be the brightest limit of the “Shadows” so I drag the left most marker under the curve a little to the right. Now I drag the slider  titled Shadows under the curve so the darkest spot in the nostril falls to the corner of the curve.  You can turn on your color indicators for Black Clipping (the triangle on the left in the histogram) so you can see if you go too far.  A little loose of detail is ok.

Set the White

You might want to reference the color version to be sure you are selecting an area that is white and not beige. There are white spots on the face, but using the numbers displayed in the histogram and curve I find a spot on the leading leg to be the brightest, but not true white.

Once again I want to change the definition of “Highlights” to suit this image. I want to adjust all the brightest areas on the cat (and this will also include a few tips of the grass) together towards true white. Use the measurements along to curve to decide where to move the slider.  I decide the darkest place I want to include among my “Highlights” would be the area just over the right eye.  I move the slider to the left to include part of this fur coloration. You can use the Direct Adjustment tool by placing it on a spot of highlight and dragging it up to make the tone brighter or move the slider to the right.

Adjust the Midtones

Now the view the image full size looking at the subject and details in the foreground to decide where you want to create more contrast.  There is some detail in the grass to bring out, but more important is the color variation of the fur on the face.

Use the adjustment tool on the image to push up and down on the tones on the face.  Once you are more familiar, will be able to work right on the curve and fine tune the sliders. Be careful not to push too far, this should be subtle.  Follow up this adjustment with a move of the Clarity slider to the right.

Adjust Color Using Curves

Return the color to the image by putting the Saturation slider back to 0. The color is much improved, still has

a cool, blue cast.  Confirm this by passing the Eyedropper or Curves Adjustment tool over areas of neutral color (white and black ). The grass looks too blue as well.

Since the color cast seems to be all over and present in all tone levels, you could use a White Balance adjustm

ent, but  using the Curves (and refining with the HSL Color controls later) will give you much more control.

Convert your view of the Tone Curve to one where you can choose one of the three color channels. Click the little graph image at the bottom of the box and the sliders disappear.  Click the arrow next to Channel to select Blue from the list.

Use the Direct Adjust tool on an area of white to pull down the pull just a little bit. Don’t go as far as you think it should.  Now switch to a shadow area and pull down the blue watching the color value changing under Histogram. Go back to the light area and finish it off.

Finishing Touches

Color and contrast look much better.  A small move of White Balance toward warm and green make the scene look really nice, but now the cat looks a bit dull and vanishes into the scene too much.

A Saturation adjustment works here (Vibrancy will not because what we want to enhance falls into the “skin tone” range that Vibrancy protects.). Another way is to go under the Color controls and use the Saturation and Luminance under the Reds, Oranges, and Yellows to get the look you want.

I pushed the Yellow Hue toward green to differentiate brown grass from brown cheetah, popping him out from the grass. I also brightened the yellow grass to move it tonally away from the tones of the cheetah. The cheetah is mostly in the Orange range so I saturated that and brightened the orange component of the fur a bit. The shadowed fur has some red so I did the same but subtly to it as well.

The last step would be to work on the eyes with a dodge and burn effect.

Edited: April 19th, 2012

Our First Day of Safari

After a relaxing arrival, nice first meal, and a needed rest, our guests started early this morning with a big 5 game drive. Right in the gate we found a large male buffalo wishing for a mud bath in the dry wallow.

We had a wonderful elephant encounter in the dry river bed and in the brush on the riverbank. We had the chance to get some long shots of the group standing the the sand. Up from the river they were right along our vehicle and gave us every angle and a chance for some really close up shots. The dominant female asserted her authority over the younger ones while we observed. The sounds of trees snapping and breaking were all around us.

We had a chance for a nice cup of tea and a rest before siting more buffalo and returning for our large breakfast. This evening we will head to the other end of the reserve for some rhino and big cats.

Edited: April 18th, 2012

Dung Beetle Circus Act

One morning while waling around I ran across this dung beetle hard at work. I got down on the ground on my stomach with my macro lens to get a good shot. He was much faster than I would have though and really moved that ball around. When he looses control, he quickly climbs on top then slides off face first to get back into position. When he reaches one of his holes, down the ball goes.

The previous day when I encountered a beetle and did not have a camera the site was very comical: a beetle with a ball the size of a baseball, which he rolled along at a fast clip. I don’t know how it was going to fit down any hole.

Edited: April 17th, 2012

Getting the Lodge Ready

This is the roofing crew adding wire mesh to my thatched roof to prevent damage from baboons. Apparently, they like to snack on insects that are found in the roofing thatch and they grab great fists full and pull it out in their search. What you are left with is a thin spot or hole in the roof. Hopefully this mesh will discourage them. I don’t even know how they get up onto some of the higher pitch roofs.

Edited: April 16th, 2012

Know Your Antelopes: Nyala vs Kudu

Most antelope species are pretty distinctive, but some people get confused between the Nyala and the Kudu.  The following photos and descriptive features are for the male of the species.

Kudu have much more elaborate horns which twist in a spiral several times on older adults.  The Nyala have a single turn.

The nyala has a shaggy coat with a hanging hair and a back ridge which is longer than a kudu.  They are also a darker coat with stripes down the length of the body.  Nyala are more shy, smaller with delicate looking legs, and can jump like you would not believe.

Kudu are bulkier, lighter in color and have a pronounced hump at the base of the neck.

Both species will most often freeze and stare at you when you first encounter them giving you a few seconds to get your portrait shot.  They will then bolt away.  I guess they figure anything that is still interested in them after a few seconds can not be good.  Anticipate this fast exit to get an action shot.

Edited: April 3rd, 2012

Image of the Day

I had a chance to sit out in the bush get some bird photos.

This is a purple roller. When we go into Kruger we get many opportunities to photograph the more colorful Lilac breasted Roller, but this purple roller has its own charms.

read about my photo safaris at http://www.africawildsafaris.net

Edited: March 30th, 2012

A New Addition to the Herd

Last weekend, the word  went out from our neighbors that they had spotted a giraffe in labor somewhere on the reserve.  I took the quad bike to where they were and we watched this fascinating event.  In all it took 3 hours and though the sight of a calf dropping from that height is disturbing, the little guy was perfectly fine.

Of course I had my camera and did my best to get great shots.  It seems they are born with the instinct to sit in places with bad lighting.  A few days later I saw mother and baby with the rest of the herd. Baby is very cute but has much growing to do: at present he barely reaches mom’s shoulder.   I will take great delight photographing his/her progress over the next 3 months while I am here on the reserve.

Edited: March 22nd, 2012

On the Ground in the Southern Hemisphere

After a few days of business in Johannesburg, I happy to be on the ground in the bush.  Nothing beats the mood that comes over you as you take your first pause to let giraffes cross in front of you.  Our herd has grow by at least two this year from what I can see.  I have a few building projects at the lodge and a roster of South African holiday makers for the Easter weekend.  Looking forward to the first safari group.

Edited: March 13th, 2012

Elephant Images and Stories

Elephants wonderful subjects that are usually at ease around visitors and offer plenty of character which I am happily challenged to capture.  One drawback is that they are not the most colorful creatures, but shapes and textures make up for that.

In Kruger we often enjoy lingering on a scarcely traveled dirt road in the middle of a family herd or close to a watering hole.  I love watching the hierarchy in action and the protection and caution enforced by the senior females.  They truly seem to enjoy simple pleasures such as the daily drink at the watering hole and a choice tree branch.   On the private reserves it is not uncommon to be so close that you can hear them breathing, smell them, and hear them chewing.  Often the herd is spread across the road: you can not see all the members because they have an uncanny ability to hide in the smallest of trees and walk silently but you can hear the distruction of trees.

Elephants are not shy to go about their business in the presence of the safari vehicle.  Our guides have to be very aware of the attitudes of the herd members and sometimes moves us away if something such as sparing gets out of control.

Parking at a watering hole is great entertainment: you never know what you might see.  Elephants cautiously approach with the matriarch leading the way.  The young ones are kept close and in the middle of the herd.  They love the water and spray and drink with the babies causing mayhem.  Some seem so young that they do not know how to drink properly.

This was a great day in Kruger.  The elephants were digging in the dry riverbed to make a mud and water hole.  The mother showed her juvenile how to dig – making him do most of the work while the baby got in the  way and enjoyed all the fun.  Mom got impatient and pushed the kids out of the way so she could drink.  On the other side of the vehicle was a large wallow full of mud and elephants – splendid.

I have decide that I want a trunk: it is such an amazing appendage and when used by a master such as an elephant it is remarkable what they can do.  Watching them strip bark, fling water, and caress their children evokes respect and wonder.

This is a very old elephant who lives on Thornybush Reserve (our neighbor). He comes very close the vehicle and casually demonstrates how to pick and eat a good lunch.  He was famous for breaking the fence to our reserve and camping out at our marula tree gorging on fruit until he was herded back to his own reserve.  Sadly he has now passed away.

This is one way to introduce color to a neutral colored elephant!

Interesting shapes and texture brings interest to photographs and elephants have it all that.  There is not a boring angle or detail on them.  When they get too close, I like to snap close ups of skin, tusks and eyes.  Elephant hair from their tails was once used to make a traditional  bracelet.

I hope you have been inspired and entertained by my elephant photos and stories:  join me on safari and experience this joy first hand.

Edited: February 22nd, 2012

Making a Cinemagraph from a Wildlife Video: Tutorial

See more of my cinemagraphs at Manatee Photography Tips Blog Post

More cinemagraphs made from during my Photo Safari to South Africa Cinemagraphs

A Cinemagraph is a new phrase to describe a still image that contains a subtle element of motion.  It is a new take on animated .GIF files. They are created from a good still image and an element of frame animation usually from a video.

Select a Still Image and Matching video

Start with a good image.  The motion is an enhancement not the main focus.  Process the photo to your liking. Plan the composition with the inset video clip in mind.

Choose to animate an element that can be effectively presented in just a few frames: the masking and other actions must be done layer by layer so the fewer layers and frames of animation the better.  It should be a subtle movement rather than a radical movement.

If at all possible create your video using a tripod.  This is not possible in my wildlife photography, so I have to choose clips where the camera was steady and movement other than the target movement is minimal.

Create a short video clip

I use Final Cut Express to take a longer clip and create a short segment of motion.  I export the subclip in Quicktime format. Photoshop can ready several formats.

To create the animated gif, Photoshop must be operating in 32-bit mode.  The method for doing this on a Mac is different from that on the PC.

Mac:  Open the Applications folder, click on the Adobe Photoshop CS5 application icon, press Command-I. In the Info dialog, check the box labeled Open in 32 bit mode.  Close the dialog and open Photoshop

PC: Close Photoshop. Navigate to program Files (x86) >Adobe>Adobe Photoshop CS5 and double-click the Adobe Photoshop CS5.exe file.

When I am creating a wildlife cinema graph, I create the video with my  DSLR camera and while making the video I will snap stills.  When I go to plan a cinemagraph, I look for the best still image to use with the video inset.  Another method is to use the first frame of the video as the “still”.  I prefer to work with a high resolution raw file as my still.

When that is complete, open the video clip  in PS5.  File>Import>Video frames to layers.  Choose the subclip that you prepared and press Open.  Each frame of the video will become a layer.   Choose the From Beginning to End option box and make sure the Make Frame Animation option is checked and pres OK.  Save this file as a PSD – this will be your working Cinemagraph master file.

You will need to open the Animation plan to work with the frames as animation.  Window>Animation.   In the Layers panel, make Layer1 active.  Near the top of the panel, click the Unify layer visibility icon.

To help fix a shaky video:

Select all of the layers

Edit>Auto Align Layers   choose one of the options – Auto is probably best.

This will examine each layer and try to stabilize the image.  It is not perfect, but it helps and it will save you time aligning by hand later on. This function can take a while if you have many frames. Best option: Use a tripod!! Tell the elephant not to move his head.

Add your Still Image

If you are using a still image as your base layer,  place this image into the composition and size it to match the video file dimensions.

If you are not using a separate image, your first frame will be your base image and visible throughout the animation while the other layers turn on and off to create the movement.

Isolate the Animated Element

Creating the mask

Now you are ready to mask out everything on the video frames layers except the isolated movement.  Click on frame one and make sure only Layer 1 is marked as visible. Make a selection using your favorite method: in many instances a blurred or feathered edge will benefit the blending of the animation into the still image.

Now select Frame 2.  You can either make the selection again and add  a mask or copy the mask from the previous layer.

Make sure only Layer 2 (and the base layer) is visible.

Now copy your mask to the other layers.  You will have to go back and refine the mask to adjust for the movement on each layer.  To copy the mask, make sure the mask and not the image thumbnail is selected then hold the Option (PC: Alt) key and drag the mask up to the next layer.  Repeat for each layer.

Run step by step through the animation using the Animation panel.  Make sure the correct layers are displaying for each frame and make adjustments to your mask to reveal the moving element.  Keep testing and refining until it looks smooth.

Smooth the Repeat

If your first and last frames are not a smooth transition and the video jumps when it goes to repeat, duplicating the frames and reversing them can smooth some animations out.  Select all the frames in the Timeline, then click the Duplicates selected frames icon near the lower left of the timeline.  Now from the Animations panel’s flyout menu choose Reverse Frames.

Final Touches

Make any final touches on composition such as color adjustments to the still layer, Edge burning, text, watermarking.

Save as a Gif

When you are ready to save choose Save for Web.  In the dialog box select GIF as the format, set the colors to the highest setting, set your image size.  In the Animation options choose forever for Looping options (or other settings that fit your vision) then save, choose a file location and you are done.
Be sure to save the working file so you can come back to it and make changes.  You might want to adjust the animation speed or resize.

Preview your creation in a browser to see it in action.

Edited: December 11th, 2011

Canon EF 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS “Soonish” Great for Safari

From www.canonrumors.com

Finally on its way?
I was told today that a new EF 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS will be making its debut “soonish”. It will be after the EF 200-400 f/4L IS 1.4x is officially announced.

It could be tested at Euro 2012 before being announced.

Features

Ring zoom (not push/pull)
Latest IS System
82mm Filter Size
Weather Sealed
Slightly heavier than the current model
Slightly faster f/4 at 100mm (Current is f/4.5)
Retail around $2800 USD
CR’s Take
A few folks want an EF 400 f/5.6L IS, I’d think this sort of product would fill the void. I’d expect it to be optically awesome.

This comes from a pretty solid source, though lenses are always hard to nail down.

This will be a treasured addition to my African Safari bag. I might start leaving my 300mm at home.

Edited: November 18th, 2011

Rhinos to get Revenge on poachers

South Africa lost at least 333 rhinos in 2010 and 341 in the first 10 months of 2011. The situation is so critical that the South African National Defense Force has been deployed in various national parks in an effort to curb poaching. Now, rhinos have been equipped with the means to fight back.

Ed Hern, owner of the Rhino and Lion Reserve in Kromdraai, near Krugersdorp in Gauteng, has come up with a plan to make the much-coveted horn less palatable.  Hern caused controversy in 2010 when he was quoted as saying: “We need to try poisoning the horns with something like cyanide so when someone uses it for medicine they will die. I have started testing with a vet.” On the advice of conservation body Endangered Wildlife Trust, Hern moderated his stance. Since then he’s been experimenting with non-lethal, but unpleasant ingredients to inject into the rhino horn in a desperate attempt to stop the butchering. The cocktail has been fine-tuned and tested in animals that were injected over 12 months ago and have shown no ill effects – only humans are affected.

This September the reserve’s Rhino Rescue Project announced that it will go ahead with injecting its chemical mixture into more horns.  The mixture consists of certain ectoparasitacides, that is, drugs that are designed to kill parasites that live on the exterior of the host.  While the formulation is not  lethal, it will cause reactions such as convulsions and severe headaches.  The mixture also contains  a neon pink dye, impossible to remove or alter, that will make the horn visible on airport x-ray scanners, and allow authorities to make arrests on the spot. Hern said in a statement: “A permanent solution would be to eliminate the demand for rhino horn altogether.” He added that education is key in convincing consumers – who come mostly from the Far East – that rhino horn contains no nutritional or medicinal value.

With 90% of rhino numbers decimated in recent years, a drastic and immediate strategy is called for, and Hern believes his strategy can offer this solution. The treatment, which lasts three to four years, will also keep parasites away.  While some feel that the tactic won’t work on big reserves with large numbers of animals, such as the Kruger Park, it could be effective in private reserves which have only a handful of rhinos.

Although gains have been made because of dedicated conservation efforts, especially in South Africa, the rhino population is not large, with three of the species listed as critically endangered. The worldwide population, at the end of 2010, was estimated at 25 045 in Africa and just 3 100 in Asia. South Africa’s count is around 18 800 white rhino and 2 200 black rhino.The magnificent animals face a very real possibility of extinction as levels of poaching increase The rhino, from the Rhinocerotidae family, occurs as five species. The WWF confirmed that rhinos had become extinct in Vietnam, where a small population of Javan rhinos had been hanging on. Failure to conserve the Javan rhinos in Vietnam, where the last individual was found dead with its horn missing and a bullet in its leg, means the population in Indonesia, with  fewer than 50 individuals, is the last remaining Javan rhinos in the world.

The much-prized horns are simply compressed keratin, a protein also found in hair and fingernails, and have no medical value. But this has not stopped people through the centuries from seeking it for ornamental or medicinal purposes.

It is because of these erroneous beliefs that hundreds of rhinos are poached every year, and the number is climbing. Rhino horn has been known to fetch up to R430 200 ($60 000), per kilogram,

Stop Rhino Poaching is a South African based organization fighting to stop poaching.
Their website has articles, stats, and disturbing photos of this problem.

Edited: November 7th, 2011

Managing Your Digital Image Assets

Guests on our safaris can get  overwhelmed by the volume of images they shoot on our trip.  It is important to have a system in place for storing and backing up image files.  Equally important is a method of triaging and cataloging images that gets your photos quickly into  a state whereby you can review them each day.  I believe reviewing good and bad images after each session speeds the learning process and gives the photographer the best chance of improving (and sometimes redeeming themselves)  while still on safari.  The view screens and information provided on the camera are good and can allow you to make quick technical adjustments during the shoot, but it is not a replacement for the cool-headed technical and artistic analysis that can only happen on a larger screen and when you are calm and settled back at the lodge.

I recommend taking a look at a book by Peter Kough The Dam Book – Digital Asset Management for Photographers
He discusses the whys and hows of digital asset management. He is also a frequent presenter at Photoshop World Conferences.

Some preplanning and education before the trip will make the daunting task of sifting and learning from your new treasure trove of images quicker and more productive. Three major things need to be in place before travel as a foundation to keep you organized.

File Folder Storage Structure (on the hard drive)

My file folder structure is not designed to organize the files by topic, shoot, or trip: I rely on my cataloging software to do this for me and point me to the storage location when I need the file.  Instead my folders of raw images are numbered in sequence and code for the range of shooting dates contained within. They are sized to be  10GB or less for ease of moving them around and backing up

Image File naming

I rename all of my RAW images (btw I only shoot RAW).  There are many reasons to do this including:

No chance of duplicate file names between different cameras and photographers (such as my wife’s images)

The file name encodes basic information that is apparent just by looking at the file name (who shot the image, sequence, and date)

You can formulate a naming scheme to fit your needs and use presets to apply the name on each import automatically.

Cataloguing and Organizational Software Tools

If you are serious enough about photography to go on a photo safari you will need more than your operating system’s file browser to manage you photo collection.  Adobe is not the only company making photo cataloging software, but their Lightroom, Bridge, and Photoshop programs are excellent and deep with features and they work well with other photo finishing packages such as the suite of products by Nik Software .  A product like Lightroom acts like a database giving you access to all of the information stored by the camera as well as information you add such as key words, named collections you create, ratings, flagged images. They even  give you a full set of nondestructive tools to correct the image, import , print, and export, and even make a slideshow or web gallery.

Once these elements are in place you can create presets to use as you load off your memory cards and some that automatically do some image correction (like white balance).  Using presets and a structured data plan   will make saving and preprocessing after a shoot a no –brainer and a simple task.

If you have a step by step process to follow your photos will be neatly organized and safely backed up very quickly. Your process can also expedite the culling and review of the images.

My process for dealing with the mass of images while on safari

Create a backup on a backup drive right away

Memory card goes in card reader and files are copied to a portable backup drive attached to the computer. (this is a full backup copy)

Copy images from memory card to the computer

The memory card gets copied to the computer hard drive (this is the working copy)

Load images into Lightroom (or other catalogue software) and apply data

While the files are copied they are renamed, converted to DNG,  and imported into Lightroom with basic metadata (keywords and location data)

Start the review process

Cull out the photos that are technically deficient – Taking the time to analyse why they are bad.  Consider keeping some of these in a special collection to study and learn from.

Apply more keywords (such as animal names), sort images into logical collection groups, rating, and finally some minimal correction.

The goal of this first pass is to triage only based on technical merits.  The most beautifully composed blurry photo is useless except as a learning tool and a motivation to get it right next time.  I also quickly move through the keywording without getting distracted by the images.  Keywording  and location data is boring for me, but vital in a large catalogue so I push through it and just get it done as fast as possible.  If I start enjoying the images and playing with adjustments I will never get the data phase done.  Just do it and get it over with.  I will add more metadata in the future to best images.

Now it gets more enjoyable on the second pass.  I have many images and need to find the best ones quickly for a client or the website and spend the most time on only those images.   I go through all images again this time with an eye for technical and artistic merit.  Now that I have keywords I can do some sorting by animals or other content. After this pass all images not marked for deletion get a rating of  1 stars.  A few of the stand out images will get 2 stars.

If time is short I can get right to the job of studying what went wronged or right and whether I got the angle or action that I wanted.  I can make my checklist and wish list for the next shoot.  If I have time I can continue with the rating and sorting.

The second pass analyses the 1 star images and elevates some to 2 stars (above the established average).  I do not generally  mark any more for deletion.  I then go through the 2 stars and elevate some to 3 stars.

I permanently delete the marked files from the hard drive.  I will make a backup based on the working files.  Eventually I will delete that first backup, but not until I am home and have worked with the files for a while  it make sure nothing is missing or mistakenly deleted.

Edited: October 27th, 2011

Yoga Retreat and Safari in South Africa with Laura DeFreitas May 2012

Yoga Retreat and Safari in South Africa May 2012 Limited to 8 guests

Join photographer Gregory Sweeney and Laura DeFreitas yoga instructor on a very special retreat where you will practice yoga while in the wild bushveld of South Africa. The group will an intimate 9 guests and we will be staying at a guesthouse comprised of tree houses on a wildlife reserve among free roaming zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, and plains game. Each day is a discovery of lions, elephants, rhino, cheetah, and antelope while your guide takes you into the wilds on game drives, into Kruger National Park, on a canyon boat ride, or a wildlife rehabilitation center. The encounters are up close and at a relaxed pace, with your expert guide sharing their knowledge and stories. Many surprises are in store during your stay.

The daily yoga practice will bring balance and open your mind to the wild spirit of this special place. No yoga experience is required. All yoga classes will be geared to all levels of experience and fitness. The wild and strangeness of the environment contributes to your experience allowing you to deepen your practice and be open to the new sensations and places around you. This safari experience is a world away from your daily routine and you will return enhanced and invigorated.

While in South Africa you will experience the comfortable warm (t-shirt and shorts) days and cool nights of the early autumn. The dry weather keeps bugs at a minimum and the animals are well fed on summer grass and very active. The tree houses have en suite bathrooms with a spa tub and fun outside showers with a spectacular sunset view over the mountains. Each day we experience African wildlife from an open safari vehicle in the nearby private reserves and national parks. Guests will learn about conservation efforts from the local guides and by visiting a wildlife rehabilitation center. Your hosts and the game trackers offer interpretation of the animals, plants, and ecosystems. The reserves and lodges we visit are safe and secure and are locally owned and supportive of their local populations and communities. Guests will want to bring cameras, binoculars, and a journal for capturing your stories and reflections of this magical land.

Laura’s yoga classes are best described as moving meditations. Her signature style marries precision and fluidity in a manner that encourages students to practice deeply, to listen, and to welcome the fullness of each moment just as it is.

Laura came to Yoga after 15 years of disciplined gymnastic training. Yoga is the path that revealed the relationship she had always sought through movement: the inseparable connection of mind, body and spirit. Since completing the Pacific Yoga Teacher Training in 2003 she has been heavily influenced by the Ashtanga and Universal Styles of Yoga. She specializes in Yoga Nidra or Integrative Restoration, a systematic method of complete relaxation that works at the root of stress and allows the release of subconscious tensions and tendencies that prevent us from living to our fullest potential. Through her business, LauraNidra Yoga, Laura offers Yoga and Yoga Nidra meditation class to individuals and groups of all levels of fitness and experience. Laura also leads Yoga Retreats aimed to deepen one’s experience by taking the practice beyond the walls of the studio and into daily life. After many years in Seattle, Washington, Laura recently returned to California to practice in South Lake Tahoe. www.LauraNidraYoga.com

This unique retreat is the adventure of a lifetime

May 2 – May 12 2012 – 9 days and 8 nights in South Africa
Included:
Yoga instruction daily and activities to get you up close to Africa’s amazing wildlife and beautiful landscapes.
Food and lodging
Transfers from Johannesburg and return

Cost: $3,800 per adult sharing

More details available on our website: www.YogaSafariAfrica.com

Edited: October 25th, 2011

The End of Another Great Safari

It has been a day since the guests departed tired but very happy.  Not all of the guests were photographers this time, but everyone enjoyed our time with the animals.  Some of the non photographers might have been convinced into taking up the habit after trying some of the huge array of equipment present on the trip.

I have been slow to go through my images this trip. After a few hours with them this afternoon, I took a step back and appreciated how we are able to get nice, close shots of animals. I really love to study the images close up and try to read the story behind the scars, broken teeth, or scrapes on the antlers.  The range of wildlife we encounter is also a marvel.

I have included images that demonstrate how close we can get. The longest lens I use is a 300mm.

Edited: October 14th, 2011

Wildlife as a Cinemagraph

Cheetah Cinemagraph

I have been looking for ways to use the video capability of my  Canon 5DMKII without launching  into full video editing.  I just do not have the time to do all of that editing. I have started making “cinemagraphs” : still photos with a small subtle element of movement.  They are time consuming, but I am hoping to get more skilled and efficient as a overcome the learning curve.

The movement is a few frames of video masked into the still image.

Making these with wild animal images is challenging because the subject does not stay still like an inanimate object or a human model .

This latest effort too alot of time because I was using quite a long video clip. Each frame has to be masked so by the time I had perfected the masks, I had iterrated through my 49 frames (layers) several times.

In my next attempt  I will use  a tripod: Photoshop can make up for camera shake, but it is a long render.  I am still trying to figure out how to do this for an underwater image where the fish is not still and a tripod is impossible.

My first endeavor is this blinking lion cub. I look forward to having a whole gallery of these fun images.

Edited: October 11th, 2011

Focus on Conservation and a close look at Raptures

After our long day at Kruger, we are more relaxed today.  We are visiting a wildlife rehabilitation centre.  Here we get a chance to observe some of Africa’s raptures up close and learn about why they must live at the centre.  Each visit is different because the centre hosts different injured and motherless animals who will be reintroduced onto a reserve.  I like to use this time to study bird movements and habits.  It is possible to get some really close portraits of birds.

The afternoon will be spent learning some post processing techniques in Photoshop and Lightroom.   Guests have requested some help with correcting images with the Curves tool and  some advanced techniques for color correction.

Edited: October 11th, 2011

Magic at Kruger

There is nothing better than the elephant encounters in Kruger.  Usually it takes us until afternoon to find the herds heading for water or a mud bath, but today we found them early and they dominated our morning.  We had large family groups with some really little babies.  It is hard to photograph the really little ones as the mothers and other females keep them so close and under foot.  Not far from the herds were some really large males.  Kruger has a contest to photograph and identify the “Great Tuskers” ; the largest bulls with the biggest ivory tusks.  Some of the oldest ones have passed on recently, so they are on the look out to find the newest members of this elite group, rank them, and track them.  

Giraffes and zebras and also very easy to photograph in Kruger and they often are found gathered together.  This season the zebras were very aggressive  within their herds and fought bitterly over rights to the first drink and the water source.

Soon the Africa summer rains will start and Kruger will being to green up and the animals will move away from the watering holes when water becomes more plentiful.  It is very pleasing to visit at this time of year for the added visibility (low grass) and the cooler temperatures.

Edited: October 10th, 2011

A Great Game Walk

We have been tracking the Big 5 , bathing with elephants, and screaming on the zip line so we were ready for a change.  We set out early this morning for a photo walk around the lodge and reserve.

We came upon a very nice male kudu.  He was very intent on eating some leaves so we were able to get quite close.  By taking turns advancing on him everybody got a great shot.

It was a very good winter and the game is all very healthy and fat.  Several babies have been born.  We found the resident herd of giraffe at our watering hole just a short walk from the lodge.  We spent a long time sitting in the grass watching them approach, drink, and munch on leaves.  When we were almost satisfied a younge mother came with her newborn.

Giraffes often use juvenile “baby sitters” to watch the youngest members of the herd.  This youngest giraffe was in the company of several juveniles.

Giraffes are one species that other animals rely on for security and an early warning of danger.   Giraffes have good eye site and together with their height they make a great lookout system.  If the giraffes are relaxed with our presence, than other animals are going to be relaxed as well.   We were able to get some great shots of impalas from the same vantage point.  Some of the poses, interactions, and expressions are quite comical.

After a really great meal of Guinness pie and some great conversation, we hit the sack early because we have another full day in Kruger tomorrow.  The weather should be great.

Edited: October 8th, 2011

Look for the Picture within a Picture

I have been playing around with cropping lately and practicing techniques to turn mediocre pictures into great pictures.

This elephant photo in its original form is not a great composition.  I was concentrating on the baby elephant hoping he would do something fun and cute and I didnt really pay attention to the very touching interaction between the large female and the juvenile elephant.

Some lighting and color correction and a crop with a vignette all completed in Lightroom gives me a very nice portrait with lots of warm fuzzy motherly vib.

Don’t disregard a photo before examining it closely for details and emotions you did not know were in there.

Edited: October 7th, 2011

A Wonderful Day and Day of Wonder in Kruger

It was a splendid warm day today and perfect for being in Kruger. We had many wonderful animal encounters starting with a cheetah who had just made a kill near the road (oh to have been a few minutes sooner!). We watched as this radio – collared individual struggled to drag the kill into the grass.  We then realized that it had another fresh kill already hidden in the grass.  Unfortunately it did not start to feast, but sat down for a rest.  I wonder if there were cubs stashed nearby.

I was excited to once again see ground hornbills out on patrol.  I love odd birds and these big guys make for great photos.  Their black coloring makes them confusing to the light meter in your camera so it is easy to overexpose if your metering is not set right. They also keep their eyes to the ground so you have to be ready for them to look up.

This old giraffe has fought hard over his life.  I thought this was just a mediocre image of an unusually dark giraffe until I looked closely at his face. The story it tells in scars is powerful. All over its body are other big scars; one even looks like a predator bit a chunk out of it leg.  They seem so peaceful and laid back, but life is hard no matter what species you are.

We did not cover much ground today because we elected to park and enjoy the elephants bathing in a mud puddle.  So many came throughout the day and they had such fun that we could not pull ourselves away.  Some were completely submerged and others would fall on top of them.  Their fun was infectious.  This was one of those times where I put down the camera for a long period of time and just lived in the moment with this family of elephants.

Edited: October 6th, 2011

Find the Elephant in this Picture

An elephant becomes almost invisible behind a ridiculously small tree (which he is making smaller by tearing apart).

It is astounding how something so big can be 15 feet away from you and nearly invisible.  This also speaks to why it is so dangerous to go walking in a big 5 area. Their ability to blend in combined by their talents for being quiet while standing and stealthy when walking can add up to disaster if you blunder into a herd on foot.  Then you will see how fast they can go!

Edited: October 3rd, 2011

Little Creatures

Good thing I was driving slow or I would have missed this incredible caterpillar.  I have not identified it yet.  I can just image birds fighting over this tasty but hairy morsel. No wonder he was moving so fast.

Edited: October 2nd, 2011

Very Happy to be back in the Bush

I am very excited to be back here on the reserve in South Africa. I feel like I know some of the animals personally.  The trio of zebras still patrol around the lodge and the journey of giraffes come by on rotation every few days.  I have noticed a few new editions to the herd.

With my camera gear assembled and warmed up I am ready to get some great shots.  I was not able to get  my EF300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens for this trip, but by next trip I will hopefully have one.

This will be great 10 days; the weather is nice with cool nights and nice sunny warm days and the grass is short after the winter.

Edited: October 2nd, 2011

What is a Cinemagraph?

A cinemagraph is a cool new technique to add subtle movement to a still photograph.

This image was created by taking video frames from my Canon 5DMKII  into Photoshop where they became layers.   I used making to limit the movement to just the eyes in a  just a few frames of animation.  The finished product is saved as an animated .gif file.  Working with a model that doesnt understand English and without a tripod made this challenging but I plan to do further work on these as I like the possibilities for using the video feature of my camera for something a bit non traditional (and less time consuming than video editing!)

To see some other cinemagraphs form the fashion and advertising world:  http://turnstylenews.com/2011/04/20/so-long-animated-gifs-hello-cinemagraph/

Edited: September 6th, 2011

Photoshop Fun – Group Shot

Presenting our May 2011 group!

I had inspiration for this picture and would like to make this a tradition on each safari.  I can image the lodge with a whole wall of these pictures bringing back great memories.  The animals were chosen for significance to this particular safari: The baby lion we saw on our second to last day, the nice male lion who roared for us at sunset, the zebras who blocked access to the tree houses, the tortoise who was a model for us, and the rhino mother and baby from one of the best game drives we had.

I brief run through of how I did this:

This was a straight collage exercise using nothing more fancy than selection tools, eraser, clone stamp, and copy paste.   Next time I may use individual shots of the guests. Maybe have them model pith helmets and vintage clothes…

First I selected animal shots that fit the group photo and corrected the light on them to make them fit in. Then I took a rough selection of the animal and pasted it into the group shot and used masks to clean up around them and to set them correctly infront or behind objects.

When I had a clean color version I used Lightroom to work creatively to get the aged vintage look I wanted.  In the Developement module I used the preset “cream tone”  but customized it by slightly changing the saturation of some colors such as green and yellow.

Back in Photoshop I added the framing and text.

Edited: June 12th, 2011

Camera Equipment used by Guests on our Recent Safari

Before a safari I spend time talking to the guests about what pieces of their camera and lens collection they should bring with them to Africa.  Once all of the guests are here it is  fun to take an inventory of all of the different equipment.  For the 2nd time Canon products dominated the group, but we did have a few very nice Nikon products in the mix.

I think I saw about every Canon camera that has been manufactured in the past 2 to 4 years: EOS 1Dmk4, 5Dmk2, 5D, 7D, and 550D.  On the Nikon front we had 1 shooter with a D700 who took a more then his fair share of heckling.   To be on the fair side, after shooting both Canon and Nikon equipment in the digital format above and below water for the last 9 years, I have to say there is no inherent upper hand by either camera company.  It basically comes down to personal preference; which camera system one feels the most comfortable with.  Even though the majority of my equipment arsenal is Canon, Nikon still feels more ergonomically comfortable in my hands.  The most popular camera this safari trip was the Canon 5Dmk2.  I am very happy to report that we had no major camera malfunctions, just a lot of accessories that grew wings and disappeared  into the night, such as a lot of lens caps, one lens hood, one strobe pouch, and two CF cards.

On the lens front, we had Canon: 500mm f4 Is, 300mm f2.8 IS, 300 f4, 400mm 5.6, 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS, 70-200 f2.8 IS (version 1 and 2), 24-70mm f2.8, 15mm fisheye, 16-35mm f2.8, 17-40mm f4, 24-105mm f4 IS, 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS, 35mm F1.4.  On the Nikon front: 200-400mm F4 VR2, 70-200 f2.8 VR2, 24-70mm 2.8, and 14-24 f2.8.  The Nikon shooter covered all ends of the spectrum, like other Canon shooters I can’t wait till Canon starts selling it’s own version of 200-400 f4 with build in TC.  Again there were no major lens malfunctions, just one lens that got bumped and had to be re calibrated.  The lens that I used most this trip was the 70-200mm f2.8 IS, yes- the wildlife was that close to us.

I like to travel light, and avoid  having my photographic equipment go six different directions in the safari vehicle.  My ideal set up would be 2 camera bodies and 3 lenses: maybe Canon 24-70mm 2.8, 70-200mm f2.8 IS, and 200-400mm f4 IS with built in TC.  A 600mm f4 IS prime lens would be nice, but would compromise the traveling light goal.  My favorite safari lens over the years has been the Canon 300mm f2.8 IS. It is extremely sharp and light weight to hand hold for long periods of time, even if a 1.4 TC is added (making it a 420mm f4 IS) it is still extremely sharp.  Again it boils down to personal preference whatever photographic gear one feels the most comfortable with and gets the job done.

Edited: June 5th, 2011

Images From Our Guests

Chad, a recent guest picked these images as some of his most memorable

Our guest Conrad is very ambitious and posted 100 photos to his forum already

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1012817/

Paul was a guest last year an hosts galleries of images on his website, including his Africa photos and some interesting photos from a workshop in Sleepy Hollow.

http://www.imagesbypyarnall.com/category/gallery-introduction/

Edited: June 3rd, 2011

Giraffes Say Goodbye

Sadly it is my final day here in South Africa.  The giraffes have been absent from this side of the reserve for weeks so I was so happy when they came to the lodge to bid me goodbye.  We were early so we stopped at the dam and watched the giraffes drink , eat and wonder about.   I could have stayed all day, but we could only spare 10 minutes.

The nights are getting colder and the grass has died down signaling without a doubt the beginning of winter. It has been a wonderful few months here and I will definitely miss the animals, people, and adventure.

Edited: May 31st, 2011

Shifting Background Color to Highlight your Subject

Often I am photographing animals that are coloured in natural tones or neutrals.  While the tones and textures are always interesting, sometimes the background colours distract away from the beauty of my subject.  Manatees, dolphins, and whales in my underwater photography have this problem, but I also have this situation with African birds and mammals.

I have been working with ways to improve the processing of these types of photos so that I get an image that draws the viewer to the special features of the subject .

Here I have two photos of African birds: the lilac breasted roller and the grey hornbill.  Both photos feature a brilliant clear blue sky, but unlike the very flashy roller, the grey hornbill does not grab the eye because the colourful sky is such a contrast to the neutrals of the bird.

My basic technique is to mute down just the blue in this photo.  There are multiple ways to do this in Photoshop, Lightroom, and other tools, but each will boil down to the same basic change.

After a small adjustment to the Exposure Curve,  I accessed the tool (in this case Color in Lightroom’s Development Module) which gives me access to the three aspects of  color – Hue, Saturation, and Luminance  for each of the 8 ranges of color (red, orange, yellow, etc)

The grey hornbill has no blue pigment on him, so I did not need to do any selection to limit my changes only to the sky.  If this was the case, I would probably choose to use the advanced selection tools and options in Photoshop rather than Lightroom.

I worked with just the Blue sliders (not Aqua).  I could have desaturated the blue in the sky, but this would move it toward white. The better choice is to brighten the sky using the Luminance.  I also Saturated the blue to keep some color in there and shifted the Hue a few points to the right toward a more purple blue just because I preferred this .

Now the Grey Hornbill is the centre of interest and one can note the texture of the feathers and the subtle coloration.

A simple balancing of elements in the image can turn a average photo into a brilliant and intimate portrait.

Edited: May 28th, 2011

Some Special Photos Contributed by Our Guests

One evening we had some thunderstorms come through.   It was enough to cause a panic about our cookout, but it did not drop the spirits of our guests.  They quickly ran off after desert to photograph the storms as they moved off

I am happy to present the photographs of Conrad Tan photographed from one of the tree houses just after  the storm.

It was a wonderful departure from wildlife photography.

Edited: May 24th, 2011

Sighting some Rare Antelope

Today we went on a self game drive at a near by private reserve .  There are lots of animals here and we became part of a large crowd of giraffe, zebra, and eland heading to the waterhole.  We sat for a while in the hide and watched the herd of giraffe emerge from the bush.  Afterward we got some images of the rare tessebe antelope and the elands.

It was a beautiful way to spend the morning and it was very close to our lodge.

Edited: May 24th, 2011

Our Last Day is Filled with Cats

Unfortunately today is our last day, but we are still out getting some great shots right up until the time when we must quickly pack the van and depart for the airport.  It has been a very exciting trip and we are privileged to have met so many great people whom we hope will remain friends for many years.  I would love to have them all back again in the future.

Before we said goodbye we visited the leopard area of the reserve and  finally got our encounter!  We also had time to spend with the resident caracals and a juvenile lion who is in training to lead guests on morning walks.

Edited: May 20th, 2011

A Pictorial Summary of our 2 days at a big 5 Lodge

Edited: May 20th, 2011

Another Flavor of South Africa

Today we transfer to a different lodge about 1 hour north of us.  This lodge is on a very large Big 5 reserve.   They have a family of 4 cheetahs who have been hand raised at the lodge. The cheetahs venture out onto the reserve to feed themselves, but choose to relax at the lodge and mingle with the guests.

We will spend the hours after lunch to relax, wander the compound, and sit in the blind above the watering hole.

This afternoon will bring more excitement. Our driver has promised us something special that they like to share with photographer guests.  Our game drive will stay out until after dark and will be followed by a beautiful dinner.  I know a few special surprieses in store for the guests such as the porcupine feeding after dinner.

Edited: May 18th, 2011

This  morning we had the chance the experience the bush from the elephant’s perspective.  We are at Camp Jabulani where we will ride rescued elephants into the bush.  The elephants are trained but after our drive, will spend the day out on the reserve with the wild elephants.   Each of us had an elephant and a driver.

When we enter the bush the other animals ignore the rider and are unafraid because elephants usually signal that the area is safe.  It is a chance for us to photograph animals in relaxed positions, but the ride is so smooth and relaxing that it is fun to just enjoy the ride.  Our drivers are very knowledgable and answer our questions as we ride.

After a large breakfast back at the lodge, we head out to visit a village preschool.  The children are very curious to see us and the older children have stayed late just to see us.  The kids sang us a song and we presented gifts of dolls and socks to the class’s best students.

Further down the road at the base of the Drakensburg   Mountains  is an area known for its stalls selling handmade crafts.  We test our bargaining skills and the art of saying “No”. These ladies are very tough business women and know all of the tricks to get you to buy.  Everyone came away with some very nice handmade souvenirs  at a good price.

Our last stop of the day is the Moholoholo Animal Rehabilitation Centre.   Here we learn about the condition of the African wildlife and the parks and get to examine some  animals and birds up close.  All of the animals here are either injured and not able to be released, or are being treated and will be released in the future.  We learn about why raptors are important in the ecosystem and get to touch and feel a black rhino and cheetah.

Edited: May 18th, 2011

Seeing More of Kruger

Our day in Kruger once again started early so we would have the most time with the good light.

In the early morning vultures can be found resting on tree branches until the air warms up enough to them to fly.  Their large feathers and  size require them to have the warm air thermals before they can take flight and soar.

Kruger has spots where you can stop and spend time in a blind.  We used 2 such blinds today to watch for birds and animals coming to drink.

The afternoon brought some  elephant sightings; something we were missing from our last visit.

Edited: May 18th, 2011

Returning to Kruger

Today we have returned to Kruger.  Our goal today is to travel roads with good conditions for seeing lion kills.  We would love to see a kill with hyenas, lions , and vultures.

Then we will make our way to several of the blinds (hides) in the park where we can sit by the water in the blind and watch and wait for birds, hippos,  and game coming to drink.

This photo was taken a few weeks ago at one of these hides.

I have heard through the grapevine that one of our guest’s family is following the blog so I post this photo just for you. (this was taken on our first day)

Edited: May 16th, 2011

A Day out of a Dream

Today we scheduled a morning drive in the Thornybush Big 5 Reserve , an afternoon to learn Photoshop, Lightroom, and post processing from my wife Karen (and each other), and an evening game drive in a private game reserve containing white and black rhino.  This reserve is not open to anyone except at the invitation of the owners or his manager.

The day was one out of a photographer’s dream and I will not even try to describe it in words.

Note the low perspective on some the rhino photos – we were out of the vehicle and approaching on foot !!!  We trust our ranger/driver!

Rhino have poor eyesite so they are often found in the company of giraffe. They know the giraffe has good eyesite and a good perspective and will signal danger by moving off.

PS I am using my 300mm lens

Edited: May 16th, 2011

Time is Zipping By

Yesterday at Kruger was a long and exhausting day and it was very sunny and warm.  Our plan for the morning is to do something active.  We head to Hazyview which is a town south of us which has more hills, valleys, large trees, and macadamia nut farms.  Along the way we pass through small towns and villages where we see the locals in their bright clothing going about their Saturday shopping.  The guests enjoyed the challenge of shooting the scenes out the open windows of the van.  If we had stopped at every interesting picture, we would never get there.  We laughed at the roadside mechanic who had dug his own grease monkey pit and the guy giving haircuts under and umbrella with clippers hooked up to a car battery.

Our destination is the Zipline Canopy Tour.  We will wear a harness and slide down 9 cables to 10 stations.  We start at the top of the hill and descend all the way down the valley.  For most this was their first time to ride a zipline. The longest and steepest cable was the first one so hearts were beating. The smiles and laughs continued all the way to the bottom.

We enjoyed a beautiful lunch at the Cotton Club restaurant and silk factory.  The guests spent more time cruising the garden and photographing birds than they did eating the delicious food.

Next we pressed on to a surprise destination.  I had made an appointment with Jessica the Famous Hippo.  Jessica is a hippo who was rescued for certain death when her mother died in a flood 10 years ago. She was hand raised by a former game ranger.  She lives in the river outside their home.  Now mature, she swims with the wild hippos but returns to the dock for hand feeding by guests.  She is the only hippo who will allow upclose interaction with humans and is therefore a rare opportunity to touch and learn about hippos.

I told our guests that we would go on a bush walk around my property after sunset and before dinner tonight.  This was really a  trick.  We did go for a walk  and I wanted them to experience the night sounds and smells of the bush while looking for nocturnal wildlife,  but the true purpose was to lead them  to our bush braai (BBQ) area where we had prepared a fire and dinner.

After a starter of ostrich kabobs, guests were surprised to hear drums, whistles, and singing as 30 youths dressed in traditional dress entertained us with Zulu and Shengal song and dance.  The group is formed of at risk teens and is aimed to provide cultural memory and pride. They soon had us out dancing with them.

Unfortunately due to the age of the Internet, we will be embarrassed by our dancing for years to come as soon as our guests with video upload their files.

Edited: May 16th, 2011

Kruger Day

Kruger is so vast that a day in the park only covers a small area. Within that small area though is a huge variety of species.  A visit to Kruger gives us a chance to see the big 5 but it also is a the best place to look for small and rare species.

We left our lodge at 5am and made the journey to the Orpen Gate planning it so that we arrived before the park opens.  The sun is just coming up and some of the nocturnal predators are still out.  We come upon a black backed jackal who is hunting guinea fowl by stalking and pouncing.

Throughout the day we see large herds of wildebeest, zebra, waterbuck, and some huge and healthy kudu.

Our route today does not bring us close to elephants, but we do spot a some in the distance.  Kruger is a good place to observe how different species will stay in an area together for safety.  Zebra like to be near giraffe because the giraffe can see danger from above the trees and zebra have very good hearing.

Female kudu browse the trees the trees and the male is always a short distance away.

Many of the people in this group are fanatical bird photographers and their goal was get a winning shot of the very beautiful lilac breasted roller.  Fortunately these birds are plentiful in Kruger and are easily spotted on the highest dead branch of trees near the roads.  We lost count of how many times we stopped for rollers, but they got their shots.

Many large birds patrol the open grass areas. One such bird is the kori bustard.  His large body is easy to spot for a keen eye even when it is just the head above the grass.  we are lucky to find this one in an area where the grass has died down for the winter.

Near water can be found the larger trees and these areas are where the baboons make their home base.  They will venture out as a group and forage near herds of other animals and near watering holes.  The babies ride on the mothers.

We found no lions today, but it is nice to have a group who are also happy to see the many interesting birds such as this less commonly seen grey hornbill.

Kruger has many large herds of impala.  One could spend all day being entertained by their  social dynamics especially now during the mating season.  To provide some symmetry, we dined on impala pie for our evening meal.

Edited: May 16th, 2011

A Great First Day

There was no time for jet lag as we got off to an early start and straight into the action in the Big 5 Reserve.  Our driver and tracker quickly found one of the resident lion families enjoying the last of their kill.  These were the same lions we heard during dinner the night before.  The wildebeest was nearly stripped clean. The lioness stayed close to the cubs, but seemed to have had her fill.  I wonder if the cubs had any hand in bringing down the kill.  The mail was aggressive toward the meat and dragged off the remains.

Meanwhile the vultures waited their turn.  Lurking nearby were a pair of hooded vultures, a species not commonly seen.  Their small heads makes them a specialist at picking meat from between the ribs.

After leaving the lion, we headed to an open area and found the mother cheetah and her only remaining cub.  Sadly she has lost 2 others already.  This cub is still little and she was guarding it closely.  She struck a classic resting pose on a high mound. The cub was curious about our vehicle and gave us some very nice poses.

After a big breakfast we switched from medium and long range lenses to macro lens to get images of some smaller “models” around the lodge.  A resident leopard tortoise was kind enough to pose as well as a chameleon.  The chameleon is a fascinating animal and his slow pace makes it possible to take images of him many details.  His eyes move separately and he curls his tail into a spiral. His slow movement is to aide his ambush hunting.  He turned several different shades for us from brown to yellow and spotted.

For a break from photography we tried out the archery range.  At first we had to hunt the arrows in the grass, but soon everyone was able to hit the target and some excelled at the sport.

Our evening game drive was again the Big 5 Reserve.  Tonight we tracked for rhinos and elephants.

While tracking the rhino we ran into the reserve’s large herd on buffalo.  Among the cows our driver spotted an albino newborn calf. This is a very rare find and the first this this experienced driver and tracker.  It will be interesting to follow the life of this little one to see if he can overcome this handicap.

After dark, we spot lighted a  owl in the trees.

Our day ended with a dinner around the fire and a drink of Amarula

Tomorrow we drive in Kruger National Park

Edited: May 13th, 2011

Fun at Night with the Remote Wildlife Camera

Every night at almost the same time, the Truthcam records a video of an African Civet walking the same path through the grass.  Finally I have an image good enough to post.  I am not able to edit the full video from in the bush so that will have to wait. Maybe we will catch a leopard on video next time.

The African Civet  is 30 – 40 cm tall at the shoulder and and 65 – 90 cm long.  It looks similar to a racoon and has the same face mask.  They are nocturnal and follow well established paths. They hunt insects, rodents, fruits and berries, newborn small antelope,  frogs, reptiles, and birds.  They are found throughout Kruger National Park and in areas of undergrowth near permanent water.

Edited: May 11th, 2011

Photo of the Day: Lilac Breasted Roller

A Lilac Breasted Roller  spotted sitting on a dead branch near the side of the road.

Canon EOS  5D Mark II

1/1000 sec at f11

ISO 320  (cloudy day)

Lens: EF300mm f 2.8 IS lens with 2.0x teleconverter

In Lightroom I brightened the midtowns and  used the clarity (midtone contrast) adjuster and increased the Vibrancy (a saturation adjustment with logic to protect certain colors). Cropped to portrait dimensions.

Edited: May 5th, 2011

Getting your ears cleaned by Nature’s Q-Tip

Red billed oxpeckers are welcome hitchhikers by most animals because they pull off and eat the ticks that are so annoying.  This zebra is relieved  to  have the ticks out of his ear.

Edited: May 4th, 2011

Remote Camera Results: Kudu

Our remote tree camera reveals a male and female kudu frequenting this spot several days in a row.  The same spot also captured zebra and wildebeest in the mornings and a civet on two different nights.

Edited: May 3rd, 2011

This young male elephant  gave us a mock threat display then soon went back to contented eating.  I used my 70 – 200mm lens because he was so close – about as close as you would  want your vehicle to an elephant.

Edited: May 3rd, 2011

Remote Camera Results: Zebra Stampede

Our remote camera sits in a tree on a very well traveled part of our property.

zebra Stampede

Edited: May 2nd, 2011

Three Very Nice Species of Hornbills

On my recent self-drive ride through Kruger National Park, I photographed three types of hornbills: Southern Yellow-billed, Red-billed, and the Grey Hornbill.  Not spotted this day was the ground hornbill.  These birds are frequently seen, except the grey which I see less often.  They like to grab bugs off the roads.  At the lodge they fight their own reflections in the mirror to my horror as I know one day they will break the glass with those tremendous bills.

Hornbills have a cooperation with mongoose in that the hornbills eat bugs dug up by the mongoose and in exchange the hornbills warn the mongoose of aerial threats such as raptors  which normally are of no concern to the hornbills.

Edited: May 2nd, 2011

A Very Strange Bird Visits Our Water Hole

This post is for bird lovers and my wife who had this bird on her “must see list” for this trip.  This is a Hammerkopf .  They have a very strange shaped tuft at the back if the head that makes their head look hammer shaped.  I will have to stake out the water hole and try to get a shot showing the head shape.

Edited: April 27th, 2011

Cubs at Play

Today on our Big 5 Game Drive we found the same family group of lions as we saw in October.  The cubs are bigger now and were endlessly playing and practicing their hunting skills.  The male is starting to show signs of a mane.  Soon he will have to go off on his own or join the bachelor group.  Also spotted this morning were white rhino, and elephant.  We saw tracks from a cheetah, but did not find the cat.   The single ostrich is still hanging around our lodge during the day.

Edited: April 26th, 2011

A Tortoise on the Go

I ran into this guy on the way to one of our tree houses.  He cant climb up into them, but he seems to enjoy living here.  Smaller creatures such as this tortoise are easily overlooked while on a game drive which is why I enjoy looking for small creatures around the lodge.

Edited: April 20th, 2011

An update on our first few days in South Africa

The cooler winds of fall are in the air after a wet summer.  The animals are fat and happy after eating the summer grass.  I hear the lions every night and the zebras have been camped out near our lodge with them are a few very young ones.  I am hoping the giraffes will move up the hill toward us soon.

The Easter weekend is a long holiday for the South Africans and our lodge will be hosting a full house of self-catering guests.  One couple is booked on a big 5 game drive and we will join them as our treat for a week of not so exciting tasks such has vehicle registration and cleaning out the store room.

Can’t wait to exercise the camera.

I have learned that the recent plague of rhino poaching has hit our area, but on a positive side, the whole town seems to have joined together to prevent further tragedy. Every hardware store and grocery has donation boxes and informational posters.   There is a low tolerance for anyone caught on a reserve who is suspected of being a poacher.

Edited: April 19th, 2011

Canon Lenses Outperform the Stock Market

Below is a link to a fascinating article about how Canon lenses hold their value and even outperform some stock market indexes. It puts into charts what I have experienced for years: lenses hold their value and if they are in excellent condition (save the boxes and manual!!) you can get the same or more than you paid for them.  The bad news is about camera bodies – they loose value quickly.  You may have heard the mantra: put your money into good glass – now this data adds further wisdom that you should forego the latest and greatest body for another top notch lens.

This really helps finance the next lens and to convince  your spouse to let you “invest” in a new toy  asset.

http://www.canonpricewatch.com/canon-lenses-better-stocks/

Edited: April 12th, 2011

The Impact Super Clamp

Edited: April 1st, 2011

Things I will be reminding myself of before and during my next wildlife shoot

As I prepare to travel over to my lodge in South Africa my next safari group, I am reviewing my photos and mentally putting together of list of photographic goals.  While the goals always include the ultimate leopard shot and a rare anteater, it also includes some back to basics.  I resolve to have a mental checklist running through  my head I am shooting of things to do and not do.

(This post is punctuated with images from my Birds of Kruger Collection)

Be Ready to get that action shot

Knowing the animal helps here. If their pattern is to look for a second then flee (such as a kudu) this knowledge can help you be ready. Also being fast to read the lighting conditions, make the settings, and bring the camera up will help you get that 1 or 2 shots before the shy creature bolts away.  After leaving an encounter, anticipate an action shot and reset your camera before arriving at the next animal sighting – this way you are ready if the cheetah runs or you can dial down if it is going to be napping and you have all day to get the shot.

Aim to Capture a Mood, Emotion, or concept

Photos that convey an emotion or mood  have impact. Here again  knowing the animal  (does it groom a partner, keep its babies close, or kick another who gets too close ) will give you foreknowledge to watch for signals and anticipate behavior that once put on film will create a powerful concept or mood.  Watching and observing and patience are the best way to get these compelling images.

Be conscious of everything in the frame

It is so easy to just concentrate on the very interesting animal you are lucky to have found and not take into account what is in the foreground or background.  Many times you have no choice , but in other situations there may be some options for you when composing the shot

Compose against a background of contrasting color
Lower your position to get a background of sky instead of trees
Make sure the horizon line does not cut through the subject

Isolate with a longer lens or post processing cropping

Adjust settings to achieve a depth of field which yields a smooth out of focus background

Change your perspective and position to eliminate distracting elements  at least until the subject chooses a different position.
Check the edges

Before taking a picture, do a visual lap around the edges of the viewfinder to check for things that can be eliminated by a simple composition.

Know what you want or need before heading out

I also keyword my images for action, emotion, colors, mood, behaviors , side vs front views, etc .  Lightroom allows me to take stock of my images by keywords and I can easily see  what is underrepresented in the collection.  Sometimes I am surprised to find I am lacking key shots for a very common animal.

Shooting wildlife is exciting, but we must not let that distract us from thinking our way through the shots.  Knowing your goals and thinking creatively throughout the whole photography process will take your photos to another level

Edited: April 1st, 2011

Canon develops EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM extender 1.4x

Today Canon has announced it is developing F 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens which features a built-in switchable 1.4x teleconverter.  With the converter engaged it becomes a 280-560 mm f/5.6 lens.  This is great news for wildlife photographers.  I have been waiting for canon to make this lens for a long time.  Nikon has a similar lens without the built in extender.

I am looking forward to testing this lens out.  This will be ideal for safari game drives in private reserves and in Kruger where animals can be in the distance or right next to you.  With two camera bodies, one with the 70 -200mm and the other with the 200-400mm I can be ready for whatever presents itself.

The is scheduled for launch later in 2011. The price and exact tech specs have yet been released.

Edited: February 8th, 2011

What is in my Gear Bag When Going on Safari?

I am an underwater photographer, so any trip where I do not  have to bring bulky drysuits, fins, scuba regulators, underwater housings, and  strobe arms seems like packing light.

I travel with a 7 year old LowePro camera backpack (Computrekker  plus AW) which fits all of my camera and computer equipment and does not shout  “expensive stuff within”. The pack gets heavy but I employ several  techniques to make sure I do not get stopped by the baggage police such as  filling my vest or coat with the heavy stuff.  I always bring lots small  zipper bags and a daypack so I can bring a lot or a little with me on the day’s  activities.

I bring my Canon 300mm f/2.8 IS lens with some teleconverters when needed extra  reach. The 100-400mm f/4.5 -5.6 is one I would consider bringing. On  my wish list would be the 500mm F/4 IS.  I upgraded a few years ago  from a 300mm lens that had no stabilization and life has been sweeter ever  since.

We stop the vehicle engine when we see a good animal, but  sometimes it is just not possible to cut the engine and vibration. I use a  monopod to help with this in the vehicle and to support the camera system when  walking in the field. It is much easier to run from an angry elephant with a  monopod in your hands than a tripod. This year I will be trying out a beanbag  system that sits on the vehicle door/window.

My other lens is a Canon 70 -200 F/2.8 IS. This is one of my  favorite lens, it’s tack sharp, great in low light, a real work horse. . I also carry a Canon 17– 40mm F/4 lens and a Sigma 50mm f/2.8 macro  (which is light weight and great for portraits). My two camera bodies are  the Canon 5D MK2 and Canon 5D. I have some Nikons at home, but over the  years have found that I prefer smaller and more lightweight cameras especially  when swimming after dolphins and hiking into the bush, so they stay home this  safari trip. My Nikon would comprise of: Nikon D3x, D3 and a D300 cameras. The lenses would be: 200-400mm f/4 VR,  70-200mm f/2.8 VR, 24-70mm f/2.8, 17-35mm f/2.8, 1.4x and 1.7x teleconverters  and two SB800 speedlights.

I carry a Canon 580 EX2 speedlight and a Better  Beamer as artificial light extender for after dark and improving  lighting on a distant subject.

I bring at least 2 LaCie rugged USB  drives for backup, my Epson viewer (which often replaces my laptop on trips) and Nexto storage device,  several USB cords, only as many of those  heavy bulky charges as I minimally need (labeled and tested before I leave!),  sometimes my iPod for added storage, mini flash drives for sharing data with  people, and extra batteries and media cards. I bring lots of adapters as  well since they can go bad too.

My only Nikon equipment this trip will be my Monarch  Binoculars (10×42). I carry polarizers and some filters and like to have these  on the lenses because they protect the expensive lens glass from injury and  keep out the dust.  Cleaning equipment, plastic bags for rain and  dust protection round out my lean and mean safari photography kit.

Edited: December 10th, 2010

Safari Clothing: Dress for Success and Comfort

Over the years I have assembled a wardrobe of trusted and proven clothing favorites that go with me on every safari and many of my other trips. These shirts, pants, and shorts are comfortable to walk and ride in and stand up to the thorns and hand washing. Some of the pieces were not cheap, but they last forever.  I have a list of suggested clothing on my safari website www.AfricaWildSafaris.net/packing list, but here I would like to present themes for you to keep in mind when assembling your safari and travel wardrobe.

Go Neutral, not colorful
Camo is not necessary, but neutrals are essential.

Pack clothing in neutral colors: khaki, light brown/green, tan.

It might look  cliché, but neutrals serve an important function; bright  colors and white will distract and alarm the game.  We do not want the wildlife to see or react to us: nobody wants to face a curious leopard. White may not come clean after exposure to the red dirt. Dark colors usually blend into the bush, but they might start to feel too hot in the mid afternoon.

(more…)

Edited: September 27th, 2010

Is a Photo Safari for Me?

Wildlife travel is a very popular niche and many destinations offer both general tours and those with a skill based focus such as wildlife viewing while kayaking or guided photography tours. Africa is one such destination that can be experienced as a wildlife photographic adventure. A professional photographer will guide your adventure, provide the most and best photo opportunities, and provide knowledge and advice. The small group will be comprised of professional, semi-professional, and serious amateur photographers. Is a photographic safari right for you? Your decision to choose this route to Africa will depend on your goals and interests.

A general safari is designed for all types of guests. The tour operators plan a wide range of activities as part of the whole of experiencing Africa. The game drives and wildlife will only be one of many activities scheduled and not necessarily the main focus. The other guests are probably not serious about photography and may be only passively interested in wildlife; they might be more interested in getting to the hot tub than getting to the perfect spot for a fireball sunset which may leave you frustrated. Some general safari operators only allow small point and shoot cameras on their vehicles and the vehicles might be entirely enclosed and you will have to shoot through glass.

On a photography specific adventure photo opportunities are the goal, not relaxation, entertainment, or shopping. Some safaris only want to show you as many species as they can in the time allotted with no pause to watch the animal and wait for an excellent shot. A photographic safari will spend more time with each animal and teach you about the animal so as to anticipate a good shot and return you home safely with the best photographs and memories possible.

Advantages of a Photographic Safari

• The focus will be on finding and spending time with the most dramatic animals; Africa’s Big Five. The leader can also design the game drives to suit special interests such as birds or flowers
• The small groups and exclusive locations will afford the opportunity for bush walks and other special opportunities not allowed in other parks and reserves
• You will have discussion, comparison, and collaboration with the other photographer guests in an open learning environment
• Being at the right place at the right time in order to catch the optimal lighting will be the driving force behind your daily schedule
• Photographers use open vehicles, and travel at the optimal times of the year such as when grass is short or animals are courting
• On a photography specific adventure, amateur photographers and professionals will improve their wildlife skills, exchange ideas, and learn new techniques
• The leader will employ a highly trained tracker to add to the experience
• You will come back with better pictures than on a general tour
• Wildlife photography is the goal versus cultural photography

Disadvantages

• Photo safaris are not for everyone because of the concentration on photography and the more active pace of your days
• You will stay in small, family owned, exclusive and comfortable lodges with lots of character and close to the best animals, but they will not be the large 5 –star resorts of the big tour operators with spas and extensive luxury facilities
• You will not get much sleep. To get the best lighting and animal encounters requires you to operate on the animal’s schedule so morning departures are early.
• You will have many photos to process so some “homework” time is required

Photographic safaris are a bigger adventure than your standard African Safari and provide serious fun and learning for both professionals and amateur photographers. Your photos will tell the exciting stories of your life-changing adventure.

Edited: May 27th, 2009