C4 Photo Vehicle

 

Designed and built by the same wildlife photographers who built the world famous underground photo hides at Mashatu, the C4 photo vehicle is a fully customised vehicle built exclusively for Mashatu Game Reserve. Its design and concept stem from wanting to give clients unparalleled access to the excellent wildlife of Mashatu and allow them to photograph uninhibited and unconstrained. Our many thousands of hours on safari vehicles have been the best research and combined with our photographic experience we have produced a specialist photo vehicle that is simply the ultimate experience in photographing from a vehicle.

C4 Photo Safaris has been hosting photo safaris across Africa since 2005. Over this time we have seen thousands of game drive vehicles, each one with its advantages and pitfalls. No one vehicle was ideal for photography, so we went forth and built the definitive photo vehicle that caters perfectly for wildlife photographers. Using our extensive experience of driving on vehicles in the field whilst taking photos, we used this knowledge to design a vehicle that is unique in its kind and that offers you unparalleled photographic ease, speed, stability and comfort. No element of design was left out. We designed this vehicle to be our perfect photographic vehicle and we demanded perfection based on our many years photographing in the field.  Only once it was good enough for us, did we allow it to be enjoyed and used by our clients.

C4 Photo Vehicle

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C4 Photo Tour - Antarctica 2014 (Part 2)

How does one show a destination that's gives the viewer an overall impression of what life is like in a true wildlife heaven? Do you go in close and make your images intimate? Or do you go wide and give the overall impression of the scene, but then remove yourself a bit from the scene?

South Georgia island was part of our recent Antarctica safari and it is the most overwhelming scene a naturalist can ever encounter. Having master photographers art Wolfe and Frans Lanting travelling with us ensured that we were adequately prepared for what the islands were to offer us. They even covered how to use your tripod to defend yourself against the aggressive fur seals as you walk by them!

South Georgia is definitely quite overwhelming but because we were well prepared for what to expect, we were ready to capture the magical scenes in all their glory, and more importantly, we knew what areas to head to.

 

This resulted in images that give an intimate, yet a wonderful overall impression of what life is like on South Georgia island.

 

I can assure you that it is the greatest wildlife experience in the world. Enjoy the images.

 

 

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C4 Photo Tour Antarctica - 2014 (Part 1)

 

Over the last few years C4 has begun taking its excellent reputation in leading photo tours into the Arctic regions. This was based on demand from our clients who wanted to travel to new destinations and wanted to do it with C4. The Arctic trips were so successful that we have now done 4 trips in our own chartered boat. In May we will do our 5th Arctic charter. But the demand did not stop there and Antarctica was the next polar region being demanded. Maintaining our goal of always delivering the best photo workshops and tours on offer, we negotiated to run a photo workshop to Antarctica with Art Wolfe and Frans Lanting to join C4’s Shem Compion and Iconic Images International’s Denis Glennon.

From the moment everyone stepped on board our vessel the spirit was one of highly charged anticipation having such wonderful photographers to help run our workshop in such a magnificent location.

The results were not disappointing as we had brilliant weather at all the major landing sites resulting in world class photography and sightings. 

The sheer numbers of wildlife on South Georgia and the vast ice scapes of the peninsular offered all our cameras a continuous buffet of photo options. Art and Frans helped immeasurably in the field with their experience, tutoring and deep knowledge of the locations we were visiting.

 

18 days moved very quickly and before we knew it we were back on land with bags and bags of images to work over. 

Antarctica and South Georgia are both places that make you realise the true potential beauty of our planet. Everyone on this C4 trip was touched many times by being in such close commune to a wilderness area and such close proximity to so many animals.

 

These images will give you an idea of just what Antarctica is all about.

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C4 Valley Hide

It’s been an impressive start to the establishment of our newest hide edition on Mashatu Game Reserve, The Valley Hide.  The hide has been created using the same design principles as the existing Matabole Hide, which has served many photographers in capturing the renowned low angle intimate shots the hide is known for.

The Valley Hide is no different, and in its first few weeks of operation has proved to be a very active little waterhole drawing a variety of species to the hide. The visitors include; multiple visits from the valley’s resident leopard, giraffe, zebra, jackal, hyena, steenbok, impala, eland, warthog and of course a variety of bird species.

We look forward to witnessing the Valley Hides first full year in the bush, and capturing and sharing the cycle of visitors the waterhole attracts to it.



Drinking giraffe close up

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Mashatu Photo Workshop - November 2014, By Trevor Kleyn

Some more great feedback and images from C4’s last Mashatu Photo Workshop of the year. Some incredible moments where shared in the bush during this workshop, despite the ‘far from ideal’ weather conditions.

With a little bit of applied patience and excellent guiding, shots such as these by workshop host Trevor Kleyn where achieved.

Hide activities

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Private Safari in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.

One of our clients, Eric Cheek, went on a private safari with Greg Du Toit earlier this year. They were situated at the Mombo Camp, Botswana which is in the famous Okavango Delta. The Okavango Delta is known as one of the last major wildernesses in the world. Mombo Camp within the Mombo concession in what has often been termed the 'Predator capital of Africa' and is considered to have the finest game viewing in Southern Africa. It is the only place in Botswana that holds the Big 5 and it sensational wildlife viewing is a world-renowned attraction.

The photograph below was taken by Eric Cheek.

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