Masai Mara Photography 2013

Words and images by Albie Venter


Yet again I come to the end of a big chunk of the years annual safari calendar. The annual pilgrimage to the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Spending even a few days allows you to witness and photograph natures incredible events so make sure to add it to you bucket list . Below are a few of my favorites from 2013. I hope you enjoy.

A typical and quintessentially East African Landscape. We ventured far from the crowds in search of birds when we were rewarded with  this remarkable scene.

A great Highlight is certainly finding the ever elusive Leopard. In the Mara North conservancy we were treated to fantastic viewing with only a small amount of vehicles.

A Pride of lions make their home adjacent to Off beat Camp in the mara north. Every single day we were treated to their antics. If there was another car it was only from our own camp.

The Off Beat Lion family.

Mara North Lion cubs in the last light of day.

Cheetah are always high on everyones wish list. Wider view of these cats at close range puts them beautifully in the dramatic open landscape.

Two cubs playing in Ol Kedjo Rongai

Making decisive images.

Its not only lions that got us going. We came across a few Black Rhino during the various trips. None more impressive than this enormous old male called Karanja. Fortunately he is on 24 hour protection!!

Close up of Karanja. look at his third "horn".

Hippopotamus in water lettuce

One always tries to encourage our guests to depict animals in a new way. A wide angle of a big male can be quite dramatic.

Very young cubs with mom.

Sometimes everything just falls in place for a great pic. A majestic male lion in a sunrise.

The Mara is probably the best place for action images and who would have though that it woud be one of the most common birds that would be giving us the best action.

Again trying to find new ways to depics familiar animals. Here i used some flash while using motion and radial blur.

WE found two mails one morning skirting camp. Here one is roaring in the earlu morning. A few minutes later they linked up with a female.

One of the coalition fiercely seeing off his brother in order to maintain mating rights.

The mating pair treated us to amazing photo opps right next to camp for the .

Dramatic display of light one afternoon as the suns rays are reflected from the above clouds to give an inverted pyramid shape.

As allways the Mara is one of the best places to view wildlife action

A beautiful female leopard in the first light of day.

A nice surprise! An elusive serval in golden light.