Wild dogs cause havoc wherever they go. Have a look at this video by Craig Jackson- the predator officer at Mashatu (Northern Tuli Predator Project), of elephants charging the wild dogs C4 Images and Safaris have come to know so well on our Photo Workshops there.
Electric stuff!
Find more videos like this on Northern Tuli Predator Project
Read more...
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Mashatu Workshop, 6 - 10 August 2009
Well, if Mashatu had been giving us a good show over the last few workshops, she wasn’t about to give up… this workshop again provided fantastic viewing and photography- really top class sightings with some added bonuses too! But you will have to read on to see what that bonus was…
As always, Ill detail the workshop drive by drive
1. The first drive was by all accounts very quiet. We did find some elephants in the last evening light and got some stunning images of babies in the evening golden glow, but that was the extent of it. I wasn’t at all concerned. In fact I was quite happy, as things could only get better and I knew how good the mornings were here. So I was quietly confident. Of course, this is nature we are dealing with, so we enjoy the quiet days and work hard through the good ones. A highlight was seeing a martial eagle come down to drink. Stunning bird, stunning light and some very good images!
2. If any one was not awake by the time they got onto the vehicle, they were sure awake by the time the sun rose. We found a young male leopard near his kill. However, the real highlight was him grooming himself in stunning morning light out in the open on the bank of a riverbed. If there were no pixels used last evening, they sure were being used now… from there it was off to see three cheetahs. Of course we bumped into a herd of elephant and had to spend 30 minutes with them- made all the more beautiful by the low white clouds in the sky and the tiny baby that scurried across an open patch of ground allowing it to be covered in pixels- I would expect around 100 million in fact. The cheetah were very co operative and allowed a few nice portraits- but by now it was getting late and we headed back to camp with cards full and stomachs empty- it was after all 11h30 by the time we arrived back!
3. The wild dogs are still denning. C4 Images and Safaris organised that we were to be the one vehicle allowed to the den site. This is to minimise disturbance and the guides are under strict orders to follow certain protocol around the den site. This is very important to ensure that the den is not unduly disturbed. By this time the pups are out and lying around the den. 13 pups to be exact! We spent 90 minutes watching them sleep, get up, walk around and then flop down to sleep again. Just as we though nothing was going to happen that evening, the whole pack arrived and the quiet atmosphere turned into absolute chaos! 25 dogs running around you, next to you and away from you is somewhat overwhelming- try photographing it! It was absolute bliss. There was begging regurgitation, play, chase and action all around. The dogs then tried to go and hunt and the pups tried to follow. There was constant to and fro as the adults tried to get the pups into the den and the pups tried to go and follow the hunt… A real highlight and one that won’t be forgotten soon. By the time we were back at camp, everyone was knackered. Leopard at dawn, elephants, cheetah, wild dogs at den for 3 hours… it’s a hard life.
4. Morning wake up and we are back out there. Our intention is to work some smaller species rather than the big mammals. First up is a herd of 300 eland- perfect, who said anything about large mammals? At least we also got a beautiful steenbuck in mopane golden colours, a blacksmith lapwing bathing, some nice landscapes and then another small mammal in a herd of elephants. A full morning indeed.
5. The evening started where we left off, with more elephants feeding quietly. Some got so close we were using the wide-angle lenses- only in Mashatu! After dark we found the young male leopard again. He was up a tree, but grooming, meaning he would soon be up and about. We stayed with him and followed him on his evening meanderings until he drank and then headed off into the dark to hunt.
6. The morning was about more elephants crossing riverbeds, wide-angle shots of impala drinking and bee-eaters at the colony. We latched onto a few lions hunting. However, they gave up, but we noticed they were hungry, so planned to return…
7. Red billed quelea's back lit was the challenge for the afternoon and we were doing very well when we noticed how good the light was getting and decided to head to the lion. We arrived in that last 45 minutes of light, just as the glow starts and the lions wake up. We positioned ourselves perfectly- with a nice dark background and the lions in sunlight. Then the show began. The lions groomed and licked and yawned while we photographed happily away. Having an open setting and no thick grass proved such help here and it is one of the great advantages of Mashatu. (One of the reasons we keep holding our workshops here..)
8. Last morning- never nice, as every one is leaving. We drove through one of the most scenic parts of the reserve- white cliffs on the Mojale river- and it rewarded us well. The pools of water are still around from an exceptional rainy season. Saddle billed storks, herons, fish eagles and hamerkops were all fishing in the pools for trapped fish. We were happily photographing away, when all of a sudden baboons, kudu and impala surrounded us. It was a very tranquil scene of animals and birds all around us below these huge cliffs, and one that fittingly ended an exceptional photo workshop with C4 Images and Safaris.
Or view a video taken whilst on workshop in Mashatu here.
Read more...
1. The first drive was by all accounts very quiet. We did find some elephants in the last evening light and got some stunning images of babies in the evening golden glow, but that was the extent of it. I wasn’t at all concerned. In fact I was quite happy, as things could only get better and I knew how good the mornings were here. So I was quietly confident. Of course, this is nature we are dealing with, so we enjoy the quiet days and work hard through the good ones. A highlight was seeing a martial eagle come down to drink. Stunning bird, stunning light and some very good images!
2. If any one was not awake by the time they got onto the vehicle, they were sure awake by the time the sun rose. We found a young male leopard near his kill. However, the real highlight was him grooming himself in stunning morning light out in the open on the bank of a riverbed. If there were no pixels used last evening, they sure were being used now… from there it was off to see three cheetahs. Of course we bumped into a herd of elephant and had to spend 30 minutes with them- made all the more beautiful by the low white clouds in the sky and the tiny baby that scurried across an open patch of ground allowing it to be covered in pixels- I would expect around 100 million in fact. The cheetah were very co operative and allowed a few nice portraits- but by now it was getting late and we headed back to camp with cards full and stomachs empty- it was after all 11h30 by the time we arrived back!
3. The wild dogs are still denning. C4 Images and Safaris organised that we were to be the one vehicle allowed to the den site. This is to minimise disturbance and the guides are under strict orders to follow certain protocol around the den site. This is very important to ensure that the den is not unduly disturbed. By this time the pups are out and lying around the den. 13 pups to be exact! We spent 90 minutes watching them sleep, get up, walk around and then flop down to sleep again. Just as we though nothing was going to happen that evening, the whole pack arrived and the quiet atmosphere turned into absolute chaos! 25 dogs running around you, next to you and away from you is somewhat overwhelming- try photographing it! It was absolute bliss. There was begging regurgitation, play, chase and action all around. The dogs then tried to go and hunt and the pups tried to follow. There was constant to and fro as the adults tried to get the pups into the den and the pups tried to go and follow the hunt… A real highlight and one that won’t be forgotten soon. By the time we were back at camp, everyone was knackered. Leopard at dawn, elephants, cheetah, wild dogs at den for 3 hours… it’s a hard life.
4. Morning wake up and we are back out there. Our intention is to work some smaller species rather than the big mammals. First up is a herd of 300 eland- perfect, who said anything about large mammals? At least we also got a beautiful steenbuck in mopane golden colours, a blacksmith lapwing bathing, some nice landscapes and then another small mammal in a herd of elephants. A full morning indeed.
5. The evening started where we left off, with more elephants feeding quietly. Some got so close we were using the wide-angle lenses- only in Mashatu! After dark we found the young male leopard again. He was up a tree, but grooming, meaning he would soon be up and about. We stayed with him and followed him on his evening meanderings until he drank and then headed off into the dark to hunt.
6. The morning was about more elephants crossing riverbeds, wide-angle shots of impala drinking and bee-eaters at the colony. We latched onto a few lions hunting. However, they gave up, but we noticed they were hungry, so planned to return…
7. Red billed quelea's back lit was the challenge for the afternoon and we were doing very well when we noticed how good the light was getting and decided to head to the lion. We arrived in that last 45 minutes of light, just as the glow starts and the lions wake up. We positioned ourselves perfectly- with a nice dark background and the lions in sunlight. Then the show began. The lions groomed and licked and yawned while we photographed happily away. Having an open setting and no thick grass proved such help here and it is one of the great advantages of Mashatu. (One of the reasons we keep holding our workshops here..)
8. Last morning- never nice, as every one is leaving. We drove through one of the most scenic parts of the reserve- white cliffs on the Mojale river- and it rewarded us well. The pools of water are still around from an exceptional rainy season. Saddle billed storks, herons, fish eagles and hamerkops were all fishing in the pools for trapped fish. We were happily photographing away, when all of a sudden baboons, kudu and impala surrounded us. It was a very tranquil scene of animals and birds all around us below these huge cliffs, and one that fittingly ended an exceptional photo workshop with C4 Images and Safaris.
Or view a video taken whilst on workshop in Mashatu here.
Read more...
Namibia - A desert Tour, Part 2
From Sesfontein, we headed east to the infamous Etosha. Staying at Okeakeujo, we never had to leave camp. The days went something like this:
• Wake up and photograph the pygmy falcons at first light
• 07h00 quickly check the waterhole (if it was quiet-which it often is early morning- then grab a quick breakfast, otherwise carry on photographing and try and get a meal in between photographing)
• Head to the waterhole after breakfast and start photographing as the animals come down. You can expect springbuck, kudu, zebra, gemsbuck and wildebeest any time of day.
• At 09h30 the sand grouse start to arrive in there hundreds and the coveys fly right over you head!
• Elephants usually are after that- arriving around 10h30
• By this time you are either exhausted or the light is too hard. Lunch usually sorts this out and for the afternoon you have more of the same.
• Giraffe and elephants are usually the afternoon visitors, amongst all the other game animals.
• After dinner, check up on the waterhole and watch the black rhino drinking!
Really a full day of photographing!
For the last two days we drove across the park to the eastern side where we worked a few waterholes and looked for a couple of mammal specials. These are the black-faced impala and damara dik dik- both which were seen and photographed beautifully.
Unfortunately this was the end of the tour- 13 nights had just flown by like that! The last morning saw us head south to the airport for good byes and farewells. The end of a very successful tour and one that will definitely be done again!
Luckily its only a few weeks till the South African tour when C4 Images and Safaris will lead many of the same faces in showing some different and new wonders. Till then!
You can see the more images that Shem, owner of C4 Images and Safaris took on this tour here:
Shem black and white collection
Shem colour collection
Blog on dunes
Read part one of the Namibia photo tour here.
Read more...
• Wake up and photograph the pygmy falcons at first light
• 07h00 quickly check the waterhole (if it was quiet-which it often is early morning- then grab a quick breakfast, otherwise carry on photographing and try and get a meal in between photographing)
• Head to the waterhole after breakfast and start photographing as the animals come down. You can expect springbuck, kudu, zebra, gemsbuck and wildebeest any time of day.
• At 09h30 the sand grouse start to arrive in there hundreds and the coveys fly right over you head!
• Elephants usually are after that- arriving around 10h30
• By this time you are either exhausted or the light is too hard. Lunch usually sorts this out and for the afternoon you have more of the same.
• Giraffe and elephants are usually the afternoon visitors, amongst all the other game animals.
• After dinner, check up on the waterhole and watch the black rhino drinking!
Really a full day of photographing!
For the last two days we drove across the park to the eastern side where we worked a few waterholes and looked for a couple of mammal specials. These are the black-faced impala and damara dik dik- both which were seen and photographed beautifully.
Unfortunately this was the end of the tour- 13 nights had just flown by like that! The last morning saw us head south to the airport for good byes and farewells. The end of a very successful tour and one that will definitely be done again!
Luckily its only a few weeks till the South African tour when C4 Images and Safaris will lead many of the same faces in showing some different and new wonders. Till then!
You can see the more images that Shem, owner of C4 Images and Safaris took on this tour here:
Shem black and white collection
Shem colour collection
Blog on dunes
Read part one of the Namibia photo tour here.
Read more...
Namibia - A desert Tour, Part 1
This trip had been in motion for a year, so understandably, all were quite excited about actually getting out and photographing. After the landing and settling in at the guesthouse in Windhoek, it was all go, and we headed south to those infamous dunes of Sossusvlei.
Of course the nature of the tour was photography, and so in that vein, C4 Images and Safaris had sought out the best places to stay to maximise photography in the park. If you stay outside the park, you are only allowed in at 05h30 – with Sossusvlei dunes being an hour further into the park, that does not leave you much time to set up. We however, stayed in the NWR lodge right inside the park. Not only were we 15km closer to the dunes than everyone else, but we could also leave earlier mornings and return later in the evenings: A boon that aided us considerably- especially when wanting to capture than evening magenta in the sky after sunset.
Here we spent three days working the dunes from different angles. Driving along the road and photographing with the long lenses, walking into Dead pan, with its mesmerising camel thorn trees reaching skyward, lying in amongst the dunes and photographing the ripples at dusk and also walking out over the gravel flats to find our own piece of untouched sand. It was a stunning time and before we knew it, we had to head north.
Barring one vehicle almost getting stuck in some soft sand for 20 minutes, the drive to Erongo was easily negotiated. We arrived in the golden hour- just in time to whip out the cameras and work on some excellent landscape photography. Erongo is a granite complex weathered into domes and round rocks. It proved an excellent end to the day as everyone got to stretch out their legs as well as get some good images.
In addition to landscapes, Erongo is also a birding paradise. Breakfast was treat with all manner of birds (some of the Namibian endemics) feeding around the restaurant. The sight of the tour occurred here with the table left bare and all the photographers pointing their lenses outside at the birds!
From here it was up to Sesfontein via Twyfelfontein. A stop at the rock engravings here is a must. Absolutely the best I have ever seen and every time I go here I am reminded just how brilliantly these are preserved. Nothing in Africa compares.
Sesfontein is far up north and west. We arrived hot and dusty and ready to see out goal- desert adapted elephants. We departed at the crack of dawn the following morning to find to try and find these elusive pachyderms. You drive for an hour before dropping into the Hoanib riverbed. From here it is a journey of millennia. You see rugged, rocky cliffs towering above you, scarred by the eroding and meandering river through which you a e driving down. The large Ana trees line the riverbed, providing shade and relief in terms of heat, for us, and the elephants. We found a few at around 12h00. For most photographers this is the wrong time to photograph, but here it aided the cause- creating hard shadows with the backdrop of the Damara Mountains giving a stark reference to it all. Truly a sight to remember and the drive to get here was well worth it. I have never seen so many clients as happy for a mid day photo shoot before!
The next day was a rest morning and then in the afternoon we visited a Himba village. The Himba are southern Africa’s last remaining true nomadic tribe. They roam one of the remotest parts of Namibia, and have for the most part ignored the advance of western culture. It was a privilege to visit this particular village.
Read part two of our Namibian photo tour here.
Read more...
Of course the nature of the tour was photography, and so in that vein, C4 Images and Safaris had sought out the best places to stay to maximise photography in the park. If you stay outside the park, you are only allowed in at 05h30 – with Sossusvlei dunes being an hour further into the park, that does not leave you much time to set up. We however, stayed in the NWR lodge right inside the park. Not only were we 15km closer to the dunes than everyone else, but we could also leave earlier mornings and return later in the evenings: A boon that aided us considerably- especially when wanting to capture than evening magenta in the sky after sunset.
Here we spent three days working the dunes from different angles. Driving along the road and photographing with the long lenses, walking into Dead pan, with its mesmerising camel thorn trees reaching skyward, lying in amongst the dunes and photographing the ripples at dusk and also walking out over the gravel flats to find our own piece of untouched sand. It was a stunning time and before we knew it, we had to head north.
Barring one vehicle almost getting stuck in some soft sand for 20 minutes, the drive to Erongo was easily negotiated. We arrived in the golden hour- just in time to whip out the cameras and work on some excellent landscape photography. Erongo is a granite complex weathered into domes and round rocks. It proved an excellent end to the day as everyone got to stretch out their legs as well as get some good images.
In addition to landscapes, Erongo is also a birding paradise. Breakfast was treat with all manner of birds (some of the Namibian endemics) feeding around the restaurant. The sight of the tour occurred here with the table left bare and all the photographers pointing their lenses outside at the birds!
From here it was up to Sesfontein via Twyfelfontein. A stop at the rock engravings here is a must. Absolutely the best I have ever seen and every time I go here I am reminded just how brilliantly these are preserved. Nothing in Africa compares.
Sesfontein is far up north and west. We arrived hot and dusty and ready to see out goal- desert adapted elephants. We departed at the crack of dawn the following morning to find to try and find these elusive pachyderms. You drive for an hour before dropping into the Hoanib riverbed. From here it is a journey of millennia. You see rugged, rocky cliffs towering above you, scarred by the eroding and meandering river through which you a e driving down. The large Ana trees line the riverbed, providing shade and relief in terms of heat, for us, and the elephants. We found a few at around 12h00. For most photographers this is the wrong time to photograph, but here it aided the cause- creating hard shadows with the backdrop of the Damara Mountains giving a stark reference to it all. Truly a sight to remember and the drive to get here was well worth it. I have never seen so many clients as happy for a mid day photo shoot before!
The next day was a rest morning and then in the afternoon we visited a Himba village. The Himba are southern Africa’s last remaining true nomadic tribe. They roam one of the remotest parts of Namibia, and have for the most part ignored the advance of western culture. It was a privilege to visit this particular village.
Read part two of our Namibian photo tour here.
Read more...
Monday, August 3, 2009
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
Read more...
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.
Read more...
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