Chiefs Island Photo Workshop Trip Report Part 2

Day 3 and 4

We returned to the leopard kill in the morning to find that the famous tree-climbing lions of Chiefs Island had climbed high into the thorny acacia and pulled down the carcass. The leopard was nowhere to be found of course, but the lions were great subjects in the early morning light. From there we spent time at one of the drying pools of water photographing yellow-billed storks fishing. The number and diversity of birds in the delta is something to behold- and it is one of the best places for bird photography.

The afternoon was a time to experience the mokoros of the Delta. This pirogue like boat is the best way to experience first hand the quiet tranquillity of the waters. It is also great for landscapes and macros photos. From there we spent time with some wattled cranes, a delta speciality, feeding and displaying. Our sunset sundowner was a mix of photographing zebra’s backlit into the setting sun and 5 bull elephants walking quietly past our vehicle, some 20m away. We almost didn’t have time to finish our drinks!

Day 4
This morning we spent 45 minutes at a small lagoon. It was a great spot for all sorts of action. Hippos fighting and yawning, squacco heron fly bys, fish eagle hunting and a slaty egret fishing nearby. From there we headed north and into some spectacular woodland and onto some open floodplains. Herds of lechwe greeted us. Three male lions and a leopard nearby also greeted us- we literally had our choice! That was until we had to pull the other vehicle out trying to cross the channel. Just another part of the delta experience! On the way back to camp we had baboons with babies to entertain our cameras- and us just the right way to finish off a drive.

The day had started with some cloud and it built up all afternoon with a large storm brewing up in the east. With the sun still shining in the west, this gave us some beautiful and intense light. First up it was some baboons backlit, their fur picking up the halo of light beautifully.

Then the wind started blowing strongly at the approach of the storm and looking in the east we saw a rainbow developing, so we hurriedly went in search of some subjects. First up was a palm tree- an icon of the Okavango, then some lechwe and impala with the rainbow right on top of them. The intensity of colour was so strong that you didn’t need a polariser to capture the beauty of it.
Nearby we found two male lions. The quality of light on them was perfect, and then the wide-angle image of a dark and moody sky with the rainbow in the background was just the cherry on top. Brilliant in all respects!

Day 5
The last morning led us out to the floodplains for the last time and we spent quite a bit of time with a herd of 500 buffalo, photographing them, the egrets and the oxpeckers in various modes. We found a very productive pool with lots of birds in, which we decided to stay at. It paid dividends as no more than 8 species of birds came within 5m of our vehicle. The pied kingfishers hovering right next to us was a highlight, as was the slaty egret hunting 2m from the vehicle. This was a perfect way to end another very successful workshop with C4 Images and Safaris.

After lunch it was I the charter flight and off to Maun for the quick flight back home. The beauty of the Okavango is that it is so remote, yet you can access it via charter flights in no time at all. Perfect for a photo workshop like ours to maximise your photography time and minimise your travel time.

Click here to see part 1 of the report.

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Chiefs Island Photo Workshop Trip Report Part 1

We have just held the first of our Chiefs island Photo workshops.
Chiefs camp is based on the northern tip of Chiefs Island, within the heart of the world famous Okavango Delta, in Botswana. The camp lies in the Mombo concession, reputed as one of the best concessions for wildlife viewing in Africa and termed the “predator capital of Africa”. This caused quite a lot of excitement amongst us, who were hosting the workshop, and of course our clients too! Expectations were high…

Day 1
We arrived and settled in. Logistics worked perfectly- landing in Maun, we transferred straight to camp in a Cessna caravan. First game drive was out on to the open flood plains and the “Lechwe plain” we were to get to know over the next few days. Herds of wildebeest, lechwe and zebra led us to a large herd of buffalo- about 300 strong, where we spent time photographing tem with yellow billed oxpeckers. From there we drove onto finding our first lions, right on time as the light had softly turned a golden hue. Perfect for the eager cameras.

Day 2
An early start led straight to some ground hornbills feeding on insects in the fresh green grass. The sun was perfect and softly lit the birds as they threw up their morsels before eating them. From there we noticed two fish eagles hunting in a pool. We positioned near a bush they were using and had them repeatedly come to and fro as they searched for their breakfast- making for some dramatic in flight images of these magnificent birds. The other vehicle was photographing lions in the morning light, but we were quite content with the fish eagle! From there it was lechwe in the water and more lions before heading back to a deserved brunch.

The afternoon was a classic and will go down as one of the best game viewing drives ever.
Out of camp we found a leopard resting in the shade. He had been courting a female, which others saw, but not us. He did oblige with some beautiful poses though, so quite happy! Leaving the leopard, we noticed an elephant bull walking in the channel. I noticed a mud wallow 5m from us, so decided to wait and see what happened. The bull came straight to the wallow and proceeded to splash, throw, roll, rub and scrub himself in the mud! He was so close we could hear him sigh as he rolled on his side. Simply beautiful! That was not all though, after his bathe, he wandered to within 2m of us, gently sniffing and inspecting this large, brown camera, clicking vehicle. It was a hard decision to choose between the wide angle or the long lens!

After the elephant left, we headed on and 1km later we stopped right next to a troop of baboons. We had just stopped when to our right some impala snorted their alarm. Looking into the thick bush, a jackal was spotted, and below it, an impala fawn. It had just made a kill. Startled by the vehicle, the jackal walked a few meters away. We watched quietly and all of a sudden the impala stood up. The jackal realised this and the chase began. It ended up with the jackal chasing the fawn down and making the kill. No photographs were taken, as we did not want to influence the hunt and kill. This was a time to watch and see nature play out.
We left the kill site, and headed down a channel to find 6 lions at sunset, about to begin their nightly foray. Now it was time to head back to camp, as darkness was upon us. However, in the headlights we saw another leopard! This time with a fresh kill of an impala. It dragged the carcass across the channel and pulled it up into an acacia tree.

What an end to a fabulous drive! We were all exhausted from not only taking photographs, but also the excellent sightings we had just witnessed!

Click here to read part 2 of the trip report.
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Mashatu Trip Report - Part 2

Part 2 of our Mashatu photo workshop trip report. The workshop was lead by Isak Pretorius. All text and images by Isak.

Game drive 5, Monday afternoon: The weather cleared and we were in for a sunny few days ahead. Not far from camp our first sighting was a leopard stalking impala. As if the leopard read a book on photography it provided us with perfect photographic moments, walking slowing towards us over big flat rocks with the sun perfectly over our shoulders, and golden light illuminating the eyes of the leopard. We could not ask for more. Unfortunately the impala caught sent of the leopard which spoiled the stalking attempt, so we moved on to landscape opportunities of big ana trees in a dry riverbed, and a colony of whitefronted bee-eaters. Our drive finished with star photography when we identified a beautiful shepherd's tree on an open plain. We had so much fun trying different angles and getting the exposure correct that Daniel had to radio in to camp that we were going to be and hour and a half late for dinner.

Game drive 6, Tuesday morning: After all the excitement of the previous evening we were all keen on taking it slow this morning. The euphorbia’s on top of the white cliffs in the Mujali river provided good opportunity to do early morning landscapes. Not far from that we stopped at a big pool in the riverbed where we spent the rest of the morning watching impala, baboon, and kudu coming to drink. The birdlife was also impressive with a black stork and pied kingfisher fishing in the pool and green pigeons coming down for a drink.

Game drive 7, Tuesday afternoon: I asked the group if there were any of the photographic opportunities we had which they’d like to do again and the unanimous answer was to go back to the bee-eaters. We headed straight for the bee-eaters colony and on the way there we stopped for more landscapes of big trees in dry riverbeds. This became a popular theme on our trip because everyone loved the creative opportunities that it provided. As promised we ended up at the bee-eater colony again, after which we had sundowner drinks before heading back to camp. On our way back we identified a tree for a star trail and could managed a twenty-minute exposure before the moon started to rise over the horizon.

Game drive 8, Wednesday morning: Trying to make the most of our last game drive we were desperate to find anything interesting to photograph. It was not long before we found a large herd of impala running, redbilled queleas, and two few-day-old crowned lapwing chicks and their parents. Soon after that we heard on the radio about some baboons harassing a leopard and we headed straight for it. On top of a hill we found our favourite leopard, the young male, lying in the shade of a bush being followed by about eight young male baboons. The baboons were all around him and very cautious in their attempts of mock-charging the leopard, probably just to drive him away far enough away from the rest of their troop. The young male baboons were quickly joined by more baboons, including a few big males with big teeth. The mock changes continued and although in the beginning the leopard did not look to care too much for them, he now started feeling more and more vulnerable and made a few charges at the baboons himself. The tension mounted and it was like a pressure cooker getting ready to explode. After another charge by one of the big male baboons the leopard made a run for it, and as soon as the leopard turned his back to the baboons and started running away, all hell broke loose. The whole lot of baboons ran after the leopard and was on his tale in a matter of seconds. Some of the baboons pulled the leopard’s tail and in a cloud of dust the leopard retreated to lying on his back, claws in the air and ready to defend himself. The baboons were all around him, jumping over him and attacking. This all happened in a matter of seconds. Then, the leopard saw a gap, got up and ran as fast as he could away from the baboons. The baboons stopped, turned around and went back to their troop, happy that the leopard was far enough away from their young ones. As a natural history moment this was something spectacular which none of us will ever forget.

After all this excitement we stopped for coffee at a baobab tree in a dry riverbed where we had a last chance to do some landscape photography. We headed back to camp for brunch before heading home.

Meeting as strangers and leaving as friends, the trip was a huge success where everyone learned a lot and got great shots. Mashatu delivered again and it’s a pleasure to work in an area that provides such good and unique opportunities.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris Blog
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National Geographic/Getaway Digital Photography Workshop

Shem Compion will take you through taking images with digital cameras, showing you the advantages of this medium in today's world. It will also discuss how to manage and organise your digital files so that you can find them when they need to be published. Lastly Shem will discuss how to get your images 'out there' for the world to see. Expect innovation, creativity and stimulating ideas about your images, web marketing and publishing.

Themes

* Digital cameras and how they changed the camera world
* Why you should be a better photographer with digital
* 5 stars for image management- workflow and editing
* Searching for gold- finding order amongst 50 000
* creating- showing the world your images
* Guerrilla marketing


When: 21 November 2009
Where: Muldersdrift, Johannesburg
Cost: R700 per person
Bookings: Tracy-Lee Behr
021 530 3379
tracy-lee@ramsaymedia.co.za

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National Geographic/Getaway Wildlife Photo Workshop

Join Shem Compion on this unique one day photo workshop where he will take you through the most important aspects of wildlife photography and digital workflow. Not only will he cover the usual techniques but he will also be highlighting how you can use digital workflow to easily get your work out there for all to see. Shem will also be talking about marketing your images and getting them to the right people. It promises to be popular talk, so get in touch with Tracy-Lee for booking information.

When: 4 October 2009
Where: Kloofzight Lodge, Muldersdrift
Cost: R700
Bookings: Tracy-Lee Behr
021 530 3379
tracy-lee@ramsaymedia.co.za

Click the image for larger version.

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Elephant crossing, (and camera crushing) at Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana.

One of my favourite sayings harps back to the days of the A-team, when Hannibal, the leader of the motley bunch would say, with thick cigar in his mouth: “I love it when a plan comes together”.

This was how I anticipated my weeks of anticipation for my 8 days to be spent here at Mashatu where for the first 4 nights I was hosting a photo workshop with my company, C4 Images and Safaris where you can see what we saw and photographed here. Trust me, it was another cracker, not to be forgotten in a while, and that’s what I said after the May workshop… Nevertheless, the reason I was so excited was after the workshop, I stayed on to do some marketing work for Mashatu.

My excitement stemmed to the planning of a specific shot I wanted since my last visit 6 weeks ago. Mashatu’s elephant population is extremely relaxed. So much so, in that I was willing to put a wide angle lens low on the ground right next to their daily routes on the ‘elephant highway’ to get a scenic and wide image of these large animals.

Studying the elephant movements of Mashatu on my many visits here, I knew a scene exactly where in it would take place. Each time I had been here, I had seen herds of elephant crossing. Of course, as soon as I came prepared, nature and Murphy being as they are, all the elephants had changed tack, with their daily routes coming from a completely different angle. Oh the joy of working with wild subjects!

For 4 days I studied the movements of the elephant with the rangers. We concluded that there was no real exact daily movement like in the summer months. The elephants were moving widely into and out of the mopane veld- making predictions very difficult. In the end we decided to stick with any relaxed herd we could find and anticipate their movement to place the camera down. His worked very well, and I managed to get some great shots with different scenes. However, the image of a herd crossing the river still eluded me. Added to that the fact that the elephants weren’t staying long at the water sites, we were having a rough old time of things.

Day 8 arrived and still that one shot eluded me. Leaving camp we found a herd in mopane. This would be our last attempt at the desired image and so we stayed with the herd until they headed directly to the Mojale River. We drove ahead and anticipated where they would exit out the far side. A nervous and wet minute in water followed, as I set up the camera in a dead bush right on the side of the waters edge. Then the wait began. Where did the elephants come out? 100m upstream of the camera... With Bashi, my (elephant whispering) ranger enticing them closer with some soft words, the herd slowly moved down towards the camera. It was an agonisingly long 20 minutes as the herd moved right past the camera, totally ignoring the clicking. After a week of looking for good scenes and crossing points, I was getting my shots.
All I could think was “I love it when a plan comes together”!

Exactly then, a bull elephant walked out of the bush into the river and started smelling some of the female’s. He was sexually active and clearly had one thing on his mind- meaning his mood would not be very friendly. He walked past my camera and immediately heard the shutter. His trunk snaked forward into the bush and sniffed at the camera. By now I had turned from celebratory, to a nervous wreck. The elephant grabbed my camera, throwing it into the wet mud. It was like watching a man throwing a sweet into the ground.

It stopped clicking, obviously. And the elephant left it alone. We quickly drove closer and got the camera out of the mud. It had been buried half into some sandy mud- hard enough to hold my weight… Intense stuff! After a quick inspection, all worked, good work Nikon.

I did end up with my shots, but a lesson was learnt: Don’t start your celebrations before the last elephant has come along.
I guess that is why the A team had BA Baracus!

Exposure information:
Nikon D300 - 10.5mm fish eye lens
Exposure – f 8 Shutter Speed: 1/160sec
Exp. Comp. 0. EV
ISO - 400
Flash - none
Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 10.5mm
Gorilla pod
Remote release.

Shem Compion

This essay first appeared on shemimages.com
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Leopard Portrait, Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana

Its funny how things work out. I’ve always ascertained that the large cats are over photographed. In that vein, for my personal work, I try to keep away from them and focus on the smaller things.
Fortunately though, I do come across the big cats relatively often and have had the pleasure to witness and photograph some spectacular interactions. These are wonderful to photograph and see, but it is one part of the wildlife world where I know “everything has been covered”.

There is no denying that these large cats, and the leopard in particular, are very special creatures, and have a special charisma about them. It is also no wonder that they have dedicated followers, with safari goers and photographers alike stalking them out from behind every bush. Indeed, if a reserve or lodge has good, relaxed leopard or lion sightings, the “value” of the lodge increases greatly! The demand to see these cats reaches such a fever pitch that there is a term coined when people get leopards into their heads. Its called “spotted cat fever”, and I have a seen a few instances where people actually start hyperventilating whilst stalking a leopard in thick bush. I’ve also seen photographers trying to put their flash on backwards, so much was their excitement that they could not even perform a simple function in the anticipation of this spotted denizen of the forest!

Due to the fact that there are so many people out photographing these big cats, I do tend to give them the slip. That is unless they are actually doing something and are photographable… if not, I would rather be photographing insects backlit. Far more challenging and rewarding!

There are however the exceptions. I was privileged enough to be at one of the best leopard setups and sightings recently. I was leading a photo workshop up at Mashatu, in Botswana with C4 Images and Safaris. We had come across this young male leopard on the first night and knew he was very relaxed around vehicles. On the second evening, we heard that this same leopard had been discovered by the other photography vehicle, led by Isak Pretorius (our other photo guide). Luckily we were only a couple of minutes away and as we headed around a corner of the dry river bed, the scene opened up in front of us, just as it has before in all my dreams of the perfect set up.
The river ran east-west. The leopard was sleeping on top of a dead log, washed down by the recent floods, in the middle of the river. It was facing west, into the setting sun, the bank behind it was already in shadow, making it stand out and glow in the evening sunlight. There were no branches or other distractions to the scene. It was simple, clean, and by golly, damn beautiful. It is at these times that you take a breath, take a step back and just enjoy the pure beauty of such a scene. All the ideals of not taking pictures of large cats go out the window and the camera started working. This is a studio set up in the bush. Things could not get more beautiful or better set up! We all had spotted cat fever trying to get the best images. I actually realised how hard it was to do the scene justice, as it was so well set up.

It was then that the real action started. A porcupine walked into the scene… (I wont deal with that here- you can read more about on my blog.) But we had just witnessed such a stunning set up and it’s in times like these that you realise why there is never the “perfect shot” of any species of animal.
A leopard sighting like that one was a very refreshing slap in the face. Im all for the different animals and shots, but when a scene comes along like that, it makes you feel like a beginner again, shaky, excited and damn happy to be a part of such beauty!

Exposure information
Nikon D3 - 200-400mm lens
Exposure – f 4 Shutter Speed: 1/20sec
Exp. Comp. -0.3. EV
ISO - 1000
Flash - none
Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 400mm
Beanbag support

Shem Compion

This essay first appeared on shemimges.com

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Wild Dog Ghost -Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana

This may be the shortest essay yet, as this months image is one that “just occurred” through a bit of playful experimentation- even if the sighting was pure bliss.

I was hosting a photo workshop at Mashatu through my company C4 Images and Safaris and we had just spent the last hours of the day photographing a pack of African wild dogs in glorious sunlight. The scene was perfect, with the dogs awake, alert and at times very curious, walking to within a few feet of our vehicle- perhaps attracted to the sound of the clicking shutters, as all of us composed and photographed away.

After the sun had set, we watched the dog’s disappear into the mopane bush setting off on a fast trot. We drove off, content and happy and ready for a sundowner. It was here where we were chatting excitedly away about how stunning these dogs were to photograph when we noticed behind us, in an open plain some movement.

It was about 30 minutes after sun set, so the dusk was quite full, yet through it we saw 16 wild dogs trotting silently not 10 meters from us. They totally ignored us and trotted alertly past as we stood, stunned by the silence and the proximity of these charismatic creatures. I picked up my camera, aimed the lens and fired one frame. Being so dark, I knew the exposure would be long, so I just panned with the movement of the dog as it ran along.

This is the result. Probably not to everyone’s taste, but it brought back to me the same feeling as when I was there and the feeling of elation in seeing them so close and on foot. These ghosts of the dusk hour, shadowing through the bush portray to me a beautiful sense of movement and also reflect their conservation status, as they are critically endangered. To me it seemed a fitting metaphor.

It goes to show what playing around with a camera can produce- never a dull moment when you are prepared to push the boundaries and add another element to a scene.

Exposure information
Nikon D300 - 200-400mm
Exposure – f 4 Shutter Speed: 2 seconds
Exp. Comp. 0
ISO - 800
Flash - none
Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 400mm
Handheld
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Bat eared Fox, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, SA

Style. The word has many meanings. To some it is the type and manner in which you wear your clothes. A snowboarder either has a good riding style or a bad one. In sports, style is even judged in competitions- surfers are judged, amongst other attributes, on the style in which they ride a wave.
In the sports, style usually comes with time. A more natural feel for what the person is doing and in doing so, the body naturally relaxes and “style” improves.
Style can also be a reflection of the times. Artistic styles have come and gone. A certain style that is en vogue this century certainly will have changed by the next.
There are even management and business styles. Remember the bold coloured ties of the 80’s- yes that was a style- and they were supposed to represent assertiveness… That is just an example of a management style mixed with bad fashion sense- but there have been and are many different styles in which businesses are run.

In Photography, there too, are many different styles. Actually, from the outset, when photography was invented, in 1835, there were two different styles that developed. These helped defined photography as it is today, but at the same time split the world as to what photography actually is. Is it an art form, or is it a representation, a documentation? These were philosophies that helped developed the medium, but we can talk about that another day.

Basically, the style of photography has many forms and guises. In nature photography, there are very distinct styles that vary according to geography. The Americas, the UK, the Scandinavian countries and east and southern Africa all have very distinct and varying styles. You may ask how is this possible- surely there is some overlapping. Well no. They really are different and if you want to improve your photography, then studying the different photographic styles from each region will be of great help. Being one who practises what he preaches, I have lately been really intrigued by the style of the Scandinavian photographers. The intimacy that they get in an image as well as the strong use of composition has had me studying their images late into the night. But what has really kept me in front of the computer in those late hours is their use of light. Perhaps it is their lack of light up there in the north, but when they get good light, they sure know how to manipulate it to their advantage.

Back to this months photo essay; this last week I was in one of South Africa’s jewels- the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (see here for more info on a Photo Workshop with C4 Images & Safaris to KTP) with camera, naturally, in hand.
Early one morning, on the far side of the riverbed, some backlit dust caught my eye. The scene of this bat eared fox scratching for insects against the backlit grass and spider webs was immediately apparent. Yet I was about 150m away and I couldn’t fill the frame at all, so it had to be the environmental image.
At first it was a difficult image to work, but the more I framed it with the camera, the more I liked this image, so I took a good few different compositions. Driving on I pondered sighting and how it had appealed to me the more I studied it. It then dawned on me: I had read the situation completely differently to how I usually take images. I thought back to how I would have reacted to this scene 4 years ago. I concluded that I would have most probably just watched this scene in my binocs and not taken a photo at all.
Then the realisation: My style had developed and changed. I now see photo opportunities in a different light (excuse the old pun) to those a few years ago. As with anything, development has to happen, as well as change.
I suppose it’s a development of style and any person in any profession has to continually stay ahead of the pack if they want to be on top of the game. As long as my style doesn’t represent those ties of the 80’s, then I’m happy it’s developing and changing…

Enjoy!

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure Information:
Nikon D300 - 200-400mm lens and 1,4 converter
Exposure – f 7.1 Shutter Speed: 1/1000sec
Exp. Comp. - 0. EV
ISO - 400
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– centre
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 550 mm (820mm 35mm Equivalent)
Beanbag from vehicle

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

Shem Compion

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Fiery-necked Nightjar, Botswana

There are a few sayings with regards photography that ring true to getting good wildlife images. The most commonly used is: “patience, patience, patience” and it is very true. Most top class wildlife images are a result of hours of field work waiting patiently for a situation to develop; time spent in hides and driving bad roads searching for decent subjects to photograph.

I always say that lion researchers and nature photographers are of the same ilk. For many hours we watch animals doing nothing and when they do something quite ordinary we humans get quite excited by it all. “Well as long we are out there” is another photography saying. This is normally uttered in reference to a day where everything was perfectly in place: the storm clouds had built up in the east creating a beautifully dark slate grey sky as backdrop, the sun has just peeked out from under the same clouds in the west and is casting a golden glow on a lovely open plain. But the subject doesn’t arrive and nothing of great value is photographed. We say these things when we are actually bitterly disappointed about how promising things were, and so we console ourselves that it was good to be out there. Of course it was good to “ be out there”, but hell, we were searching, scouring for a subject to do the scene justice. But that’s just how nature photography works, it tempts, frustrates, teases and plays with your mind until you either give up, or eventually something of value appears and you “get your shot”. That is probably what separates the goods from the greats in our game.

And that leads onto this month’s image and the saying that goes with it- “being prepared”. As much as nature photography tempts us, nature can reveal small beauties in a very short space of time and this is where “being prepared” comes in. I was camping with some bird photographers on the side of a river course on the Okavango River, taking daily boat cruises to go photograph (you can see a collection of the images here as well as on my blog).
On the first evening there, I noticed a fiery necked nightjar perching on a stick on the outskirts of our camp. We ran to pick up our cameras and managed to get a few images of it. However, the image I wanted was of the full moon rising behind it. I tried, but the moon was quite high and a buffalo thorn was hampering my progress to get the angle I needed. (actually it was tearing at my shirt and skin…)
The following night, I was prepared. I knew the moon would rise about 45 min later, so anticipating the nightjar would land on the stick at around the same time, the moon would be just in the right place to be behind the bird. (Another aspect of photographers is their high level of optimism!) I had my camera setup and at the ready. Now I just needed to have the bird do its thing.
For once, everything fell into place. The nightjar arrived on the minute, the moon was positioned perfectly behind it, Dave Barnes lit the bird softly with a light and I snapped off a quick sequence of this beautiful bird.
Easy as that, job was done. Lord Baden Powel would have been proud.

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information
Nikon D300 - 200-400mm lens
Exposure – f 4 Shutter Speed: 1/100sec
Exp. Comp. - 0. EV
ISO - 1000
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– spot
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 400 mm (600mm 35mm Equivalent)
Handheld

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

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Lesser Flamingos, Lake Nakuru, Kenya

Lake Nakuru has to be one of the most inspiring birding spectacles in the world. 60 000 thousand flamingos are a sight to behold. The noise, the smell and the constant movement and motion all combine to attack the senses in one large flock. I recently spent three nights with clients at this wonderful venue, with the express purpose of capturing these, and the many other birds here, in all their beauty.

Now that may sound like a simple thing to do- 60 odd thousand birds are more than enough subjects to fill a camera: Nevermind spending three days there. Well, it’s not as easy as that. These birds just don’t leave each other alone! The old phrase of “safety in numbers” is very true with these birds. They are very wary of any approach and tend to huddle together as more disturbance comes along. The best method of approach is that of patience. In the 30-degree heat on an open mud flat, that can be quite a task! However, we persevered through the heat and discomfort and all managed to come home with some fairly stonking images.

It has to be said though; Nakuru has not been all good news for the last few years. Only after flamingo numbers drastically dropped, did the Kenyan Wildlife Services start doing something about the problem. I wont go into it here, but expect a blog entry about it soon- as I consider the Flamingo a great indicator species. Happily though the numbers are back and tourists can enjoy these fantastic birds.

It was day two and we had used three sessions to photograph flamingos. The problem with a constant subject (and the beauty) is that things get more difficult as you go along. You get all the standard images, review your work, take some better ones of what you did before and then realise that you now have to push a few limits. You become very fussy; watching backgrounds, waiting for a specific neck turn, a beak in water, a flap of a wing- anything to make your images more unique. To say that flamingos are difficult subjects is an understatement; but when an image comes off, well, it really comes off well, as these birds really do shine in good light. As I said in a before in a blog entry- 60 000 birds and 60 000 shades of pink!

We had spent the morning at the fresh water inlet of the lake. The birds come here to drink and bathe, so we knew the concentrations here would be high. After a few standard images I needed to get something different. So I pulled out the wireless remote, put it on the D200 which was attached to the 12-24mm lens, propped it onto a gorilla pod and walked out to the edge of a spit. I had “dry” tested the remote up to 80m. So I walked away from the camera and waited in the vehicle about 80m away. Slowly, the birds waded closer, and closer and closer. I was snapping with the remote release in the shade of the vehicle and starting to enjoy this relaxed manner of photography. Suddenly, 400m away, a hyaena ran into the birds, searching for a dead carcass. This caused pandemonium amongst the birds. I would guess 5000 birds flew right towards us and right over our heads. A sight to behold! I was snapping the remote as fast as I could while using the other camera with a longer lens.

The birds all departed and the hyaena did not have any success, but it did see my camera at the waters edge. All of a sudden it became a race to the camera. The hyena led with his teeth and jaws; I chased in with a client’s monopod! It all ended happily, as the hyeana decided to leave the scene. I picked up the camera and walked back to the vehicle- eagerly wanting to see what had been captured.

You can imagine my surprise when it only had one image recorded! I was flabbergasted - the only image was one taken right in the middle of the action, when all the birds were flying overhead. I don’t know how it happened, but I’m not asking any questions.

What came out was an image of thousands of flamingos flocking towards us. I had been looking for a different perspective for a while - I think I now have one.

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information:
Nikon D200 - 12-24mm lens
Exposure - f 9
Shutter Speed: 1/750sec
Exp. Comp. : + 0.3 EV
ISO - 250
Flash sync - not attached, Exposure mode - Aperture priority, Metering Mode - centre weighted
File type - NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 12mm (18m @35mm equivalent)
Gorilla pod, remote release

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White Faced Ducks - Austen Roberts

Being close to home for a while makes the feet itch. That may sound like a strange statement, but it is straight talking about what drives me. I like to be “out there”, smelling the fresh, dusty air and reviving the senses with a fresh winters chill on the cheeks as the Land Rover bumps along a single track through the bush. To be honest, that is exactly what drives me, and as tired as I can be at the end of a hard day photographing- up at 4h30, back in camp to talk photography and discuss post processing and then heading out back at 15h30 and dinner till the camp is dead quiet and every one is sleeping- I wake up ready to do it all again with a very certain verve the next morning. It’s as simple as that.

So when I have an extended session back in town- the feet start to itch. For some that may mean mischief, but for me that means I need to get the cameras out again.
Luckily, close to where I live there are some very nice places to photograph. One of those places is the Austin Roberts bird park.
Firstly, Austin Robert’s the person. South Africa’s Audubon, Austin Roberts was a director of the Transvaal Museum of natural history. A great affinity for birds, Roberts’ spent most of his adult life collecting and identifying birds for identification and taxonomic purposes. The result- the definitive bird identification reference guide on the birds of southern Africa. Roberts’ bird book is now in its 8th edition and many avid birders will fondly tell you of their first tattered and abused “Roberts”.

So the park is named after Austin Roberts and of course there are birds there to photograph. White-faced ducks, in their musical collectiveness make up the numbers amongst a few other species. So having itchy feet, I spent a few mornings here working on technique and specific settings. The first instinct with bird photography is to get the bird as pin sharp as you can. This involves setting a high shutter speed to freeze every detail. The result is something as in image 1 of the essay.
However, once a certain type of standard image is captured, I always look for something new and different. And so it was that I went to Austin Roberts each morning with a different mission.
To capture motion.
This proved harder to do than perceived and in doing so I noticed just how much these birds move their heads when they fly. It made me study their heads as they fly and in doing so, I noticed that they keep their head very still as they are landing. So I set up to catch them when doing so.
Eventually I managed to capture an image that portrays the effect I had in mind. (See image 2) A motion of wings and feathers that shows more ephemeral movement than any detail could ever do. And that is just what photography is to me. Fleeting, beautiful and descriptive all at once.
Right near home I managed to rid the itchy feet by watching and observing birds and then photographing them- I’m sure Austin Roberts would have been proud…!

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information
Image 1
Nikon D300 - 200-400mm lens
Exposure – f 5.6 Shutter Speed: 1/1600sec
Exp. Comp. - 0.3 EV
ISO - 640
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– centre weighted File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 460mm (690mm 35mm Equivalent)
Tripod

Image 2
Nikon D300 - 200-400mm lens
Exposure – f 25 Shutter Speed: 1/60
Exp. Comp. - 0.3 EV
ISO - 400
Flash sync– Fired- rear curtain sync, Exposure mode– Shutter priority, Metering Mode– Matrix. File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 380mm (570mm 35mm Equivalent)
Tripod

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Lion Chase - Deception Valley, Botswana

To be frank, I don’t really enjoy photographing lions. They are the laziest animals around, always sleeping, always snoozing and useless for any decent photography.
The problem is that every person who has ever been to Africa has a photo of a lion, well actually many photos of lion, even if they had only one sighting!

I’ve often wondered which lion is the most photographed, as in with a model. In certain National parks, a sleeping lion can cause traffic jams of over 20 vehicles with 4 cameras in each, snapping off enough photos to make a model on a Parisian catwalk smile! The results? You guessed it: sleeping lions. Of course I was once like that too, but looking at all the other good lion images out there, I was always aware of what the standard of photography was.I now have a decent collection of lion images- some of them actually doing things.., but when I head out into the bush, Lions aren’t exactly on the top of my agenda, cause I know there are so many good images out there.

Deception valley in the Central Kalahari is a different kind of place. For most parts of the year, it is a dry dust bowl with nothing much around. Some animals and birds, but nothing compared to the late rainy months: Which exactly where I was on a photo tour in early March. And what a tour it was- the Kalahari was at its most beautiful; with short grass attracting herds of animals and birds displaying and lions everywhere,literally.
Speaking of lions, we actually witnessed some brilliant Lion behaviour.
We had two male lions in a brawl, chasing each other across the grassy fields, roaring and scent marking right next to our vehicles. An amazing experience to say the least!
That evening we found 8 lions just in front of our camp and the next morning we found them in the grassy valley 2km from camp. We picked them up just before sunrise. They were not quiet ready for doing nothing, in fact they were quite active and full of beans, just what photographers look for.
For the next 20 minutes, as the sun glowed through the clouds, the lions played, ran and fought on the open valley floor. It was photographic bliss and one of the few times where lions go from party poopers to front of house entertainers, deluxe.
A Parisian model would have been taught a lesson or two here. I suppose it makes up for all the times we watch lions sleeping on the road.
The law of averages was at play.
Just be out there.

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information
Nikon D200 – 200-400mm, 1,4 convertor
Exposure – f 6,3 Shutter Speed: 1/500sec
Exp. Comp. 0 EV
ISO equiv. - 250
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix, File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 560mm (840mm, 35mm eqivalent), Tripod

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Black Bellied Bustard Display - Lebala, Botswana

It had been a chilly afternoon drive. A Mid-day thunderstorm had struck and drenched the whole area, leaving behind it a trail of mud, dripping trees and dark clouds hanging in the sky. The game drive had been one where you could feel the rain in the air- a hippo even deemed it fresh enough to leave the sanctity of the water and head into the open floodplain to graze. We locked onto him and naturally had a field day with the cameras- especially as there were egrets, herons and about three other bird species feeding in his wake. But it was quite dull- the light was one stop under what it would be to give the scene a nice glow. So we moved on- driving slowly in the cool fresh air, rain ponchos keeping the wetness out.

November in Southern Africa is the start of the breeding season for most bird species. Thus, from a natural history point of view, it is a great time to travel here. From a photo safari point of view too, this is one of the most exciting seasons, as young animals are being born and birds and animals are alike are either breeding or giving birth. The morning chorus is full of the joys of life and it’s probably the only time I can say that I can “hear the excitement of the Bush”.

And so it was that we came across this Black bellied bustard (Korhaan) atop a termite mound calling out to any females that would listen. It is great courtship behaviour to watch, as they extend their necks and emita very slight “Pop” at the height of their neck extension.
Our group, however, was more interested in catching the action, as the light had just peaked from under the clouds. After the first front-lit shots, we moved around him: as the clouds were taking on a special colour and hue from the sunset. The Bustard, not to be outdone, stood his ground and continued his calling- deep in the throes of courtship.
The bird continued calling and the light just got better. Eventually we had enough. We just could not take another image of a bird calling against a stunning backdrop.

Until that is, it decided to leave us… With the backdrop of the Palmtrees in the Linyanti, I decided to shoot wider and zoomed out to incorporate the whole environment. All of a sudden the whole scene took on another feel, especially with that odd, stalking gait that a bustard has silhouetted against a colourful Okavango sky.

That is the image that made it to this Essay- a fitting end to a grand show.

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information:
Nikon D70 - 70-200mm lens
Exposure – f 5.6 Shutter Speed: 1/200sec
Exp. Comp. - 0.3 EV
ISO - 200
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– centre weighted File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 116 mm (174mm 35mm Equivalent)
Handheld

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Dune scale - Dead Tree pan, Sossusvlei

Scale is a relative term. We, as humans love to measure and compare things. How large our house is, how fast our cars are, how many times we hit a ball, the list goes on and each comparison is measured against a previous encounter, an average, or “how the pros do it”. It gives us a level of accomplishment, or something to achieve towards. We use scale to measure our performance at work, home and play. And most times, it just puts things into perspective.

Thus I found myself in Dead tree pan, at Sossusvlei in Namibia. If you have been there, you will know it as one of the most hauntingly beautiful places on earth. The silence at first light is astounding and the dead acacia trees splay their arms heavenwards in a silent grieving. Four of us were there at dawn. Within a few minutes, of arriving each of was alone- that is how easily the large pan swallows you up, as you are trying to contemplate how to capture such a serene scene.

An hour after sunrise the first tourists arrives. The walk across the dunes to get here is long and they aren’t necessarily as obsessively dedicated as photographers who race there at dawn… However, it also means that people are walking into your images, so its time to pack up, the work is done for the day. In doing so, I noticed a tourist walking in the distance of the pan, against the backdrop of the southern dunes. Immediately I was aware of how small he was in relation to the dune. Out came the camera and then this image. All morning I had been trying to capture and show the beauty of the pan, but sometimes it is hard to capture a scene without something to relate to. The human factor in this image just added that extra scale to the image.

As I said, scale is a relative term, but sometimes, it just puts things into perspective.

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information:
Nikon D70 - 70-200mm
Exposure – f 11 Shutter Speed: 1/160sec
Exp. Comp. 0 EV
ISO equiv. - 200
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix, File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 100mm (150mm, 35mm equivalent)
Hand held

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Cattle Egret Flight - Ampijoroa, Madagascar

In terms of wildlife, Madagascar is a marvel of the modern world. As with many islands, the wildlife is quite unique as the fauna and flora have had many millions of years to evolve on their own. Thus we have islands such as The Galapagos, The Falklands, Borneo, Papua New Guinea and of course Madagascar. Of all the islands on earth, Madagascar is perhaps the one with the highest total endemic species of flora and fauna combined. What makes it so interesting though, is that species are still being discovered and described as I write this! Speaking to researchers in Ampijoroa about their subjects, I was astounded to hear that they were doing studies on subjects that were done on most other animals more than 30 years ago. You can literally point your camera at any subject and produce a thesis on its behaviour, such is the lack of knowledge on many of the species. I have travelled far and wide photographing nature and wildlife, but nowhere have I come across nature guides who describe the species by their scientific names. At first I was quite impressed by their intimate knowledge of the various species, but then I learnt that for many of the species, there is no common name, hence the vernacular being in Latin!

So as you can imagine, photographing in Madagascar is quite a treat. New species are almost around every corner. The lemurs and Sifakas add the charismatic appeal that no one can ignore, while the chameleons, frogs and leaf tailed geckos provide a level of fascination I never thought possible for the smaller creatures of this world. Then there are the birds, tenerics, snakes and lastly the unique, out-of-this-world specialities such as the Eye-eye. An animal so diverse in its looks that all I can say is that the wildebeest has nothing on it at all!

Arriving in Ampijoroa, a dry deciduous forest on the north west of the island, we were greeted to a cacophony of birds and sifakas. Everywhere you looked were endemic birds parading in the spring weather, preparing for the onset of the breeding season. I photographed many of the birds there, but what really caught my attention was the breeding colony of the common Cattle egret just in front of our campsite. Approximately 300 birds were nesting in some reeds over the Ravilobe Lake and in doing so, providing some excellent photographic subjects. Thus I spent a morning or two photographing these very common birds. You see, even in a place as unique as Madagascar, when a subject presents itself in excellent light, you take advantage of the situation; even if it is the lowly common cattle egret that occurs throughout Africa.
I hope you agree.

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information:
Nikon D200 - 70-200 and 1.4 converter
Exposure – f 18 Shutter Speed: 1/20sec
Exp. Comp. -0.7 EV
ISO equiv. - 125
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Shutter priority, Metering Mode– Matrix, File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 280mm (420, 35mm equivalent)
Hand held

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Photography Tours

Photography Tours are fast becoming one of the most popular kind of tours, and why not? Combining beautiful landscapes and animals with an exciting and very gratifying hobby has to be the most perfect way to spend your time. While there are different options for your Photography Tour, the magnificent game reserves we have are simply perfect for photographic opportunities. Each park has its own specialty in species of animals as well as certain seasons that provide for extraordinary photographic opportunities.

These tours offer a range of specialist Photography Tours for photo-enthusiasts, and mostly include the services of qualified photography leaders who will assist you and provide photo workshops along the way; not to mention that you are with a small group of like-minded people who are passionate about photography and wildlife, but also allowing for the utmost attention to be given to each participant. Whether it's a breeding herd of elephants or a clan of vervet monkeys swinging through the trees, you will be able to capture the movements perfectly in the company of the unobtrusive, yet ever helpful masters themselves.

Photographs are representatives of the real world, and your action pictures of animals in the wild will tell your friends back home what an amazingly, enviable trip you have been on.

Photography tours are much more than just tours, they are extended trips with hands-on instructional field work; you don't have to be a pro either as all levels of photographers are welcome; you will be helped with exposure and any techniques that you feel you want to work on.

The great thing about our Photography Tours into Africa and Madagascar is that they are all inclusive, which means you don't have to worry about a thing, except improving your photography skills and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.

Photography Tours are designed to delight the senses in every way and we at C4 Images and Safaris offer an unforgettable experience that you will want to repeat.

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* Wildlife Photographer

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