C4 Images and Safaris, together with Shem Compion and Greg du Toit lead a photo tour to the Masai Mara in Kenya for the annual wildebeest migration.
C4 Images and Safaris provides specialist photographic tours to excellent wildlife destinations, such as this photo safari to the Masai mara. Music by Kevin MacLeod.
Read more about our trip to the Masai Mara here.
See more of C4 Images and Safaris on YouTube on our Channel here.
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Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
C4 Images and Safaris Masai Mara Tour 2009
The big news from C4 Images and Safaris’ is the success of another Masai Mara tour in Kenya. The Masai Mara, or Mara as it is known locally, is one of those places that makes you realise just how much nature can throw at you. It simply is the “Greatest wildlife show on earth”.
Consider this: We saw 2 river crossings, two lion prides of about 12 each (one with very small cubs), a herd of 250 buffalo, about 15 000 wildebeest and three cheetah brothers; all in the first afternoon…
This was just the start of it. At one stage the lion count was higher than the bird count! We quickly sorted that one out, but we ended up seeing 82 individual lions…
Over the next 5 days, highlights were: 5 river crossings, 6 cheetah hunts with 2 kills, leopard stalking on the open plains, finding large herds of zebra all on our own and parking amongst the thousands of animals allowing them to quietly mill around you; lion hunts, a black rhino bull right in camp, 9 different cheetah, lions playing for an hour, a river crossing right in front of camp and of course thousands of wildebeest roaming the plains.
These were just a few of the highlights- every day was so action packed that the mind got saturated with great sightings.
Our camp could not have been more perfectly placed. C4 Images and Safaris negotiated an entire camp right on the banks of the Mara River; conveniently placed near a crossing point. A real highlight was watching a wildebeest crossing right in front of our camp with no one else around. Being in the middle of the reserve, we didn’t have to race for gates- allowing us to work the light right until the last rays of sun had dipped.
Everything we do, we aim for it to be of benefit to the photographer. The Mara, and the camp we use allow us to do exactly that.
Keep listening for next years Mara trip. We have a few exciting new changes to add to an already excellent tour. Until then, we hope you enjoy some of the images taken on this years Mara tour.
Read more...
Consider this: We saw 2 river crossings, two lion prides of about 12 each (one with very small cubs), a herd of 250 buffalo, about 15 000 wildebeest and three cheetah brothers; all in the first afternoon…
This was just the start of it. At one stage the lion count was higher than the bird count! We quickly sorted that one out, but we ended up seeing 82 individual lions…
Over the next 5 days, highlights were: 5 river crossings, 6 cheetah hunts with 2 kills, leopard stalking on the open plains, finding large herds of zebra all on our own and parking amongst the thousands of animals allowing them to quietly mill around you; lion hunts, a black rhino bull right in camp, 9 different cheetah, lions playing for an hour, a river crossing right in front of camp and of course thousands of wildebeest roaming the plains.
These were just a few of the highlights- every day was so action packed that the mind got saturated with great sightings.
Our camp could not have been more perfectly placed. C4 Images and Safaris negotiated an entire camp right on the banks of the Mara River; conveniently placed near a crossing point. A real highlight was watching a wildebeest crossing right in front of our camp with no one else around. Being in the middle of the reserve, we didn’t have to race for gates- allowing us to work the light right until the last rays of sun had dipped.
Everything we do, we aim for it to be of benefit to the photographer. The Mara, and the camp we use allow us to do exactly that.
Keep listening for next years Mara trip. We have a few exciting new changes to add to an already excellent tour. Until then, we hope you enjoy some of the images taken on this years Mara tour.
Read more...
South Africa/Botswana Tour Report back - Part 2
Part two of our 2 week photo tour through South Africa and Botswana lead by professional photographer Villiers Steyn.
Olifants Camp
The weather tested our character at Olifants with a very humid 37 degrees Celcius on the first afternoon, followed with three windy, overcast days. Despite this we still had some incredible sightings in the park, including a mother spotted hyaena and two pups playing in the open right next to the vehicle, a day-old elephant calf stumbling across the road in front of us, a massive troop of baboons playing and drinking next to the vehicle, and two white rhino bulls resting at the side of the road. The Balule low-water bridge was especially productive for birding, producing photographs of wood sandpiper, wire-tailed swallow, brown-hooded kingfisher, grey go-away-bird, little bee-eater and African spoonbill, amongst others.
In camp birding was just as good, with opportunities to photograph scarlet-chested sunbird, grey-headed bush-shrike, red-winged starling, red-headed weaver, yellow-billed kite, black-backed puffback and chinspot battis, to name but a few. The resident tree squirrels were also playing model for the cameras!
Elephant Plains
The Sabi Sands never disappoints and produced excellent photographic opportunities for buffalo (and red-billed oxpeckers), elephant and leopard. The highlight, however, was the action around a hippo carcass next to a dam – it first attracted two spotted hyaenas before a horde of white-backed vultures descended on the carcass later in the day, providing excellent photographic opportunities in great light! Another memorable sighting was that of two nyala bulls doing a lateral display during which the white hair on the ridge of the back is lifted to make the animal appear larger. During the display the animals do a slow-motion ballet, walking in circles around each other.
Read the first part of the photo tour here.
Read more...
Olifants Camp
The weather tested our character at Olifants with a very humid 37 degrees Celcius on the first afternoon, followed with three windy, overcast days. Despite this we still had some incredible sightings in the park, including a mother spotted hyaena and two pups playing in the open right next to the vehicle, a day-old elephant calf stumbling across the road in front of us, a massive troop of baboons playing and drinking next to the vehicle, and two white rhino bulls resting at the side of the road. The Balule low-water bridge was especially productive for birding, producing photographs of wood sandpiper, wire-tailed swallow, brown-hooded kingfisher, grey go-away-bird, little bee-eater and African spoonbill, amongst others.
In camp birding was just as good, with opportunities to photograph scarlet-chested sunbird, grey-headed bush-shrike, red-winged starling, red-headed weaver, yellow-billed kite, black-backed puffback and chinspot battis, to name but a few. The resident tree squirrels were also playing model for the cameras!
Elephant Plains
The Sabi Sands never disappoints and produced excellent photographic opportunities for buffalo (and red-billed oxpeckers), elephant and leopard. The highlight, however, was the action around a hippo carcass next to a dam – it first attracted two spotted hyaenas before a horde of white-backed vultures descended on the carcass later in the day, providing excellent photographic opportunities in great light! Another memorable sighting was that of two nyala bulls doing a lateral display during which the white hair on the ridge of the back is lifted to make the animal appear larger. During the display the animals do a slow-motion ballet, walking in circles around each other.
Read the first part of the photo tour here.
Read more...
Thursday, September 17, 2009
South Africa/Botswana Tour Report back
C4 Images and Safaris has just returned from another magnificent Photo tour. This two week tour through South Africa and Botswana was lead by professional photographer Villiers Steyn. Firstly we visited the ever popular Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana, from there we went to Olifants Camp in the Kruger National Park and ended in Sabi Sands... Enjoy some of the images taken on the tour. Text and images by Villiers Styen.
Mashatu
Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana’s Northern Tuli Game reserve was as reliable as ever, producing unforgettable sightings and photographic opportunities. Highlights included a breeding herd of approximately 70 elephants taking a mud bath, a pack of African wild dogs playing around the vehicle at sunset, six massive kudu bulls walking through the Majale River in front of us, and of course, a leopard on almost every drive! A few lucky ones were also able to get a head-photograph of the elusive aardwolf during the day as it stuck its head out of its den in the ground. Tent Camp’s bird bath was very quiet on the first day, but more than made up for it over the next two as we were able to photograph, amongst others, melba finch, blue waxbill, black-cheeked waxbill, lesser honeyguide, crested barbet and red-headed weaver.
Birding in the bush was equally productive and we were treated with excellent sightings of white-fronted bee-eaters, red-billed queleas and saddle-billed storks.
Read part two of the photo tour here.
Read more...
Mashatu
Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana’s Northern Tuli Game reserve was as reliable as ever, producing unforgettable sightings and photographic opportunities. Highlights included a breeding herd of approximately 70 elephants taking a mud bath, a pack of African wild dogs playing around the vehicle at sunset, six massive kudu bulls walking through the Majale River in front of us, and of course, a leopard on almost every drive! A few lucky ones were also able to get a head-photograph of the elusive aardwolf during the day as it stuck its head out of its den in the ground. Tent Camp’s bird bath was very quiet on the first day, but more than made up for it over the next two as we were able to photograph, amongst others, melba finch, blue waxbill, black-cheeked waxbill, lesser honeyguide, crested barbet and red-headed weaver.
Birding in the bush was equally productive and we were treated with excellent sightings of white-fronted bee-eaters, red-billed queleas and saddle-billed storks.
Read part two of the photo tour here.
Read more...
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