Safari Diary - 29 April 2015
Photo Workshop, Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana
We were so inspired by our photos and the potential at the bee-eater hide that we decided to give it another try this morning. The dark background, golden side-lighting and action created stunning photos. A coffee break under a big Mashatu tree concluded both the morning drive as well as the first photo workshop. We to...ok our guests back to the border and picked up the new guests for the second workshop. During the afternoon drive our original plan was to have a look at the lions feeding on the elephant carcass. Instead, we found a leopard and spent the whole drive with her as she climbed a few trees, walked around, drank water and finally disappeared into the thicket. This was a fantastic start to the second workshop and the bar had been raised very high.
Photo Workshop, Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana
We were so inspired by our photos and the potential at the bee-eater hide that we decided to give it another try this morning. The dark background, golden side-lighting and action created stunning photos. A coffee break under a big Mashatu tree concluded both the morning drive as well as the first photo workshop. We to...ok our guests back to the border and picked up the new guests for the second workshop. During the afternoon drive our original plan was to have a look at the lions feeding on the elephant carcass. Instead, we found a leopard and spent the whole drive with her as she climbed a few trees, walked around, drank water and finally disappeared into the thicket. This was a fantastic start to the second workshop and the bar had been raised very high.
 |
| Leopard | 1/50sec at f/4.5, ISO 2500 | Canon EOS-1D Mark IV + EF200-400mmf/4L IS USM | Shutter priority, -1 EV |
Safari Diary - 30 April 2015
Photo Workshop, Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana
Our plan for the morning was to see what was happening at the elephant carcass. It was still pitch dark when we left the lodge but arrived at the sighting just before sunrise. We found lions feeding on the elephant with two clans of hyenas chasing each other around in anticipation of a meal. The early morning light got us great opportunities for front-lit and back-lit lion and hyena action photos. After a photo workshop session back at the lodge we embarked on our afternoon drive. Our plan was to look for the cheetah mother with the four cubs. We could not manage to find them but instead photographed some birds and zebra in the golden light. Sundowner drinks rounded off another great day in Africa! Let’s see what tomorrow will bring!
Photo Workshop, Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana
Our plan for the morning was to see what was happening at the elephant carcass. It was still pitch dark when we left the lodge but arrived at the sighting just before sunrise. We found lions feeding on the elephant with two clans of hyenas chasing each other around in anticipation of a meal. The early morning light got us great opportunities for front-lit and back-lit lion and hyena action photos. After a photo workshop session back at the lodge we embarked on our afternoon drive. Our plan was to look for the cheetah mother with the four cubs. We could not manage to find them but instead photographed some birds and zebra in the golden light. Sundowner drinks rounded off another great day in Africa! Let’s see what tomorrow will bring!
 |
| Spotted Hyena | 1/800sec at f/4.5, ISO 320 | Canon EOS-1D Mark IV + EF200-400mmf/4L IS USM | Shutter priority, 0 EV |
Safari Diary - 1 May 2015
Photo Workshop, Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana
The elephant carcass, smelly as it was, was still delivering some excellent photo opportunities. We made this our first stop for the morning and found lions chasing lions, lions chasing hyenas, hyenas chasing hyenas, and elephants chasing lions. These opportunities got the shutters working in the early morning light. Bird photography of rollers, bee-eaters and other common birds concluded the morning drive. Our afternoon drive was equally exciting with a sighting of the cheetah mother and her four cubs, followed by more hyena action at the carcass.
Photo Workshop, Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana
The elephant carcass, smelly as it was, was still delivering some excellent photo opportunities. We made this our first stop for the morning and found lions chasing lions, lions chasing hyenas, hyenas chasing hyenas, and elephants chasing lions. These opportunities got the shutters working in the early morning light. Bird photography of rollers, bee-eaters and other common birds concluded the morning drive. Our afternoon drive was equally exciting with a sighting of the cheetah mother and her four cubs, followed by more hyena action at the carcass.
 |
| Vervet Monkey | 1/200sec at f/6.3, ISO 2500 | Canon EOS-1D Mark IV + EF200-400mmf/4L IS USM | Shutter priority, +1 EV |
Safari Diary - 2 May 2015
Photo Workshop, Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana
We decided to go to the bee-eater hide this morning - the first time for the second workshop and it did not disappoint. We all got great photos with the dark background and stunning early morning side-lighting. Back at camp we concluded our photo workshop sessions and started our afternoon game drive early to get to the sand stone formations where Rhodes’s Baobab is. Instead of landscape photos we focussed our attention on photographing the Elephant Shrews which turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip! Tomorrow is the last day, so let’s see what the last morning drive will show us.
Photo Workshop, Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana
We decided to go to the bee-eater hide this morning - the first time for the second workshop and it did not disappoint. We all got great photos with the dark background and stunning early morning side-lighting. Back at camp we concluded our photo workshop sessions and started our afternoon game drive early to get to the sand stone formations where Rhodes’s Baobab is. Instead of landscape photos we focussed our attention on photographing the Elephant Shrews which turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip! Tomorrow is the last day, so let’s see what the last morning drive will show us.
 |
| Lilac-breasted Roller | 1/2000sec at f/4, ISO 250 | Canon EOS-1D X + EF200-400mmf/4L IS USM | Aperture priority, 0 EV |
Text and Photographs By: Isak Pretorius
No comments:
Post a Comment