Serengeti Calving Season 2016 - By Andre Cloete

A selection of images by trip host Andre Cloete, from our first week of the Serengeti calving season safari 2016.

Some feedback from Andre, "Staying in our private camp set up just for our group of photographers, we were able to be right in amongst the migration herds. This meant full on calving action from early dawn light each day. It also meant predatory action with the predators coming into to catch the young wildebeest."

The trip was perfectly timed with the arrival of the wildebeest herds, making for an action packed first safari.

We are looking forward to seeing what next weeks Serengeti adventure bring...

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Guest Gallery, Premier Predator Tour, June 2015 - By Joy Thomas

In June 2015, Joy Thomas joined award winning photographer, Greg du Toit on a C4 Photo Safari Premier Predator Tour. The tour saw the small and exclusive group of 3 clients travel to Mashatu Game Reserve, Mala Mala Game Reserve and finally end off at Tswalu Kalahari.

What a fantastic combination of wildlife destinations, which are all hugely active wilderness areas, each holding their very own uniqueness and highlights.

Thank you to Joy, for sharing your beautiful collection of images from this evidentially successful tour with Greg du Toit and C4 Photo Safaris!

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Courageous Cub – By Loi Nguyen

 

A few days before my departure for a 4 night stay at Mashatu Game Reserve, I saw on a Facebook posting of this very special cheetah family with four sub adult cubs. The cubs where about 15 months old and looked healthy. I was so excited and hoped that they would stay around for my visit as part of a photography workshop led by Greg du Toit. As it turned out, we saw the family every single day, although they were mostly relaxing in the company of each other for the first two days. Not discouraged, we kept checking on them on the third day and witnessed a failed attempt of a hunt. Exhausted, Mama retreated to the shade of a bush and was comforted by her cubs.

We were about to leave them when a large troop of baboons began to come into view. The family hastily retreated and one of the cubs took off, but the remaining 3 cub’s buddle with their Mama at the base of the bush. We feared the worst.

 

Cheetah family surrounded by baboons.

 

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Guest Image Gallery, Serengeti and Mahale Mountains: By Randall Bacon

 

Recently returned from the Serengeti and the Mahale Mountains is guest traveller Randall Bacon. Randall along with fellow travellers and photographers, where guided and hosted by top wildlife photographer Greg du Toit. The group’s first stop on the trip was the Serengeti, in search of the large migrating herds of wildebeest who at this time of year have begun their calving process. Unfortunately, the group didn’t catch the migration but where still treated to fantastic predator sightings on a daily basis.  Thereafter, the group continued to a remote destination on the eastern banks of Lake Tanganyika, Mahale Mountain. The area offers a unique experience, of exploring the pristine indigenous forests in search of the shy Mahale chimps. The team where extremely successful in capture some incredible shots from both of these Tanzanian wilderness areas, thank you to Randall for sharing a few of your top shots from the trip.

 

 

 

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Maasai Mara Photo Trips 2015

This year marks C4’s 7th consecutive year with Entim Camp in the Maasai Mara. The Mara never comes with disappointment, hence our successive photo trips to this wilderness region of Kenya over the past years.

 

Not only does the Mara provide photographers with an unlimited supply of phenomenal wildlife sightings and suburb lighting conditions, we are also fortunate enough to be guided by some of the Mara’s finest field rangers. Over the years C4’s professional wildlife photographers have provided the field rangers at Entim Camp with photographic training and tutoring, to ensure that our clients are provided with the best possible photographic experience.

 

C4 run two types of safaris to Entim Camp in the Mara, the Classic Photo Safaris and the Premier Photo Safaris. On both safaris, unless designated, you will have a personal, qualified guide that will conduct you through your safari with information and knowledge on the ecology of the habitat. The Classic Safaris can host up to 12 guests per trip with two photographic guide’s hosting the trip. The Premier Safaris are designed to give you the highest possible photographic safari experience; hence we have minimized the group size to no more than 6 guests per trip accompanied by three highly experienced photo guides.

 

Between our professional photographic guides Shem Compion, Greg du Toit, Isak Pretorius, Albie Ventre and Andre Cloete over 20 seasons have been spent in the Mara, giving the guides ample time to map out their favourite spots as well as the most productive game viewing areas on the reserve. Over this period strong working relationships have been built with the local field guides at Entim Camp, making our guided experience seamless.

C4 will be hosting 7 trips to Entim Camp in the Maasai Mara this year, to read more on these trips take a look at our photo calendar for the year here:

http://www.c4images-safaris.co.za/photo-safari-calendar-dates.asp

 

Here are some images taken during our 2014 Maasai Mara photo trips, we look forward to having you join us in this wilderness paradise soon!

 

 

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Client feedback on our Premier Predator Tour...

Tom and Pam Holmes recently joined Greg Du Toit on C4 Images & Safaris, Premier Predator Tour and had this to say about their experience:

"Our safari exceeded our expectations! Greg Du Toits companionship, leadership instruction was outstanding. It was clear that he engaged the best drivers in Bashi and Roan. They amazed us in their ability to find wildlife the lengths to which they go to ensure we were in the right spot. We appreciated Gregs bush school where he reiterated basic photography techniques. Gregs reminders of the starting point settings while on location was also very helpful. We also had great fun photographing predators by spotlight flash. Greg even taught us to photograph the night sky. Mashatu and Mala Mala were outstanding in all aspects. The variety quantity of wildlife could not be bettered! We greatly appreciated Vernon Swanepoel in Sossusvlei. Vernon is very adept at dealing with the park bureaucracy. He also willingly shared his in depth knowledge of natural human history. At the end of 3 days we had our fill of dune photography from the road so on the 4th day we took two walks into the dunes for a closer look. This was fun showed a very different side of the Namib Valley. We were pleasantly surprised at the amount of wildlife we saw in the dunes oryx, jackal, springbok, ostrich many bird species. We even saw a bat eared fox family an aardwolf. Of course the photo opportunities were much better on safari. Shems recommendations assistance for our independent travel were invaluable. He even helped us obtain a rented ball head because Pam left hers at home. If hopefully when we return to Africa, we will certainly choose C4 Images & Safaris and Greg Du Toit again."

 - Tom & Pam Holmes -

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Clients photographs from Premiere Predator Tour

Clients of C4 Images and Safaris have returned from an exciting Premier Predator Tour in April and had beautiful sightings and photographs to show for it and with guide as Greg du Toit you can expect nothing less than perfect.

All the Premier Predator Tours for the rest of 2014 and 2015 are fully booked with the exception of Premier Predator Tour in November 2015 where we have space for three photographers to experience the breathing taking beauty and amazing photography which is associated with these Tours. The Premier Predator Tour takes place in Botswana and South Africa. Please feel free to contact us for any additional information and have look at some of Teresa and Willem's photographs taking at the latest Premier Tour in April.

All photographs taking by Teresa Nel.

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Trip Report: Masai Mara October 2012

Words and images by C4 client, Willem Kruger. What an amazing trip! That is all I can say about our trip with Albie Venter and Greg du Toit (organised by C4Image-safaris) to the Masaai Mara. Words cannot really describe the experience but hopefully my photos would be able to tell some of the stories. Therefore, I am not going to write too many words – just enjoy the journey with me.

Even though we arrived in Kenya a day late for the photographic safari due to our previous committed weekend trip to Giants Castle in the Drakensberg, it was still another experience of a life-time. Some people will ask: “The Masaai Mara and the migration/crossings in October?” Well, like it is put on C4’s website and how true it was: “We have booked this specific date, later in the season when all the tourist traffic has reduced yet the migration is still the Mara.” I’ve decided not to do this trip report according to what we did every day but rather looking at the type of photographic opportunities we’ve encountered and experienced. Therefore, just the following details on our daily routine. Wake-up around 05H00, to start the morning drive around 06H00 before sunrise. Looking for some interesting photo opportunities with the rising sun and every day we were not disappointed. After the initial early morning photo shoot, it was driving around looking and listening for some interesting sighting. Around 10H00 we’ll stop for a picnic breakfast. After breakfast we’ll slowly make our way back to camp for a nice lunch (around 13H00) and a relaxing early afternoon downloading the photos onto our laptops or doing some macro photography. Afternoon tea was at 15H00 and back onto the vehicles again around 15H15 looking for some action. Just to return around 18H30 (just after sunset but not yet dark) at camp for a relaxing time around the fire, a photo and lecture session by Albie or Greg regarding their experiences with wildlife photography. Great sessions, guys and thanks again. Now, let’s start with the early morning photo opportunities and here are a few examples – I’ve struggled with it as it was not easy to get the shots and the post-processing was even more difficult. But Albie was always available to assist and to advise.

The next photo opportunity was the serval (Tierboskat). Twice during our stay we had the unique opportunity to take some (very close-up) photos a serval. On the first day after a rain shower on our way back to camp – the serval was just walking slowly through the grass, very relaxed. The second encounter was on Day 5 – also in the afternoon – and it was hunting. Wow, what an experience!! Here are some of the photos- the hunt was unfortunately underneath some bushes in a grassy area. Nevertheless, the experience was – again – once in a life time.

How about some of the shots taken around the camp area? I was lucky with this shot as my wife directed me towards this Burchell’s Starling with its catch while we were waiting to leave on our afternoon drive. I think this is the first time I’ve taken a photo with my 600mm shooting without any support – “handheld” with success – as there wasn’t time to look for any type of support. Just a quick aim and shoot before it took off with its lunch. Not easy taking a shot with a heavy 600mm handheld.

There were some many opportunities for some macro photography around the camp – like this chameleon Albie brought to our attention. Unfortunately we didn’t use all the opportunities but we got a few shots of the chameleon with the assistance of some flash light (another first for me – macro photography with a flash light.

One cannot leave the Mara without a landscape photo or two. We experienced rain during our first few afternoons and this type of weather creates beautiful landscape scenes like this one

During this particular afternoon we did not see any major activities, so we’ve asked Pedro (our local guide with Albie) to pose for a photo or two and we practised (once again) our photography skills with fill-in flash.

And not to forget the tree(s) of the Masaai Mara – or the absence of the trees:

Next up is the big cats – the cheetah and the lions. First the cheetah mom and her cub kept us entertained for hours. Even jumping up the vehicle of Greg’s group looking for a possible hunting opportunity. The photo below was taken in the rain and the light conditions were horrible – just to show the potential of the Nikon D3S camera to handle high ISO levels. I did not use any noise reduction whatsoever in the development of this photo.

We were also very fortunate to meet the famous Marsh pride of lions – for those who followed the “Big cat diaries” series on TV. The two pubs below are part of this famous price – unfortunately no signatures up for grabs.

And on the last afternoon – lions feeding on a wildebeest carcass and this lady had some trouble with the flies.

And next up what this trip is all about but we did not expect to see many – but we were hoping to experience it – the migration and the crossings. How lucky can one be!!! I am not really going to comment but just to say we saw about four crossings during our stay of which three happened next to our camp (about 300m to walk to the river and enjoy the spectacular scenes). One crossing lasted for about 1 hour and after 45 minutes of shooting (about 1000 photos), I’ve just decided to put down the camera and enjoy the moment. First the gathering on the other side of the river banks – I’ve never seen so many wildebeests together. They were all over the place – as far as the eye can see – full 180 degrees

Then the dust as the wildebeests started to move down to the river.

And then the crossing itself – I saw it several times on TV but this was my first real experience. And I did not realise it was so chaotic. The wildebeests and zebras swimming across the river and some turning back, others still undecided what to do. And then there were the lions as well taking advance of this chaotic situation catching a wildebeest or two. Luckily (but not so lucky for us as photographers) the crocs were just lying there sleeping – not bothered by the crossing).

And I wanted to capture the emotion of the crossing with some close-up shots. See and decide for yourself

Another successful trip organised by the wife (she is the photographer in the family – I am just tagging along), thanks Liefie. What an experience. I’ve already entered some of these photos into competitions as well as national & international salons and I’ve received a few acceptances along the line. There are some many great shots taken during this trip – this is just a small selection of those I liked. Message to take home: In the past few months I came to realise: It is not just about photography or getting THE one and only shot. It is all about enjoying the moment as well as enjoying what Mother Nature is offering us. One needs to relax and enjoy Nature around us. This is now my second trip with C4Image-safaris and during both trips I had the same experience. This time Albie and Greg made me to – once again – realise there is more to photography than just getting the shot. It is all about the experience of getting the shot. It is all about learning about nature and not only about the shot itself (the photo is just a bonus). The reason why I’ve put down my camera during one of the crossings and just enjoying/living the moment. Until my next trip (Mokala – November 2012), keep on shooting
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Magnificent Mahale

C4 Images and Safaris recently returned from our first photo tour to Mahale in Tanzania to photograph the chimpanzees. Led by C4 guide, Greg du Toit, the tour exceeded everyone's expectations. Below is some feedback and images by c4 client, Anne Lecuire.

"Our group was wonderful, nice and easy and we had fun. The chimps was everything I had dream for and even more, Greg was fantastic and very patient to help me with my setting in the challenging forest, so I managed to bring home the souvenir of the baby chimps of my dream. I feel so lucky to have been part of this experience. I wanted to meet the chimps for a long time and will never forget them. Thank you."

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Mashatu Trip Report by Greg du Toit

Like many of Africa’s finest wilderness areas, when you first arrive at the Pontdrft border-post (between South Africa and Botswana), and you take a drive through the Mopane-veld on your way to camp, you think to yourself “Does anything live out here”? Mashatu is a true wilderness and as such, she does not flaunt her inhabitants, but rather she reveals her diversity subtly and serendipitously. On our recent C4 Mashatu workshop, the Tuli Block of Botswana decided to reveal to us one of the most rewarding wildlife sightings I have ever had:

Here the mother is seen looking up at a tree and plotting her way up to get the impala carcass up and out of harm’s way.

Upon arriving, we heard rumours that a mother leopard (with three young cubs) had killed an impala deep within a Croton thicket and we went in search of both her and her cubs. We soon found the kill with one cub high up a tree, but the mother was not there? Its amazing how the cub instinctively knew to stay aloft, out of harm’s way, in mom’s absence! We finally tracked the mother down and found her walking through the Crotons calling for her missing two cubs. By the end of the first evening, she had not located her boys and we feared the worst (especially our French guest Lisa). The following morning however, we went back to the kill site and we were delighted to find the mother with all three cubs at the site. The cubs are now around 6 months old and once mom makes a kill, she always has to go and fetch them. The problem is, that her two teenage boys are now gallivanting on their own in her absence, instead of staying put like good little boys! I could not help but feel sorry for mom who not only has to provide meals but also then has to track down her two delinquent sons.

The kill was on the floor and one of the young male cubs was attacking the dead impala. Being still young, the cub was still more interested in playing with his food than actually eating it. It was incredible to watch the young cub practicing the ‘death hold’ on the carcass, whereby he tried to clamp his small mouth over the impala’s jugular. It was also interesting to see that even though the cubs are still young, their fiercely independent spirit is already ingrained, as only one cub would feed at a time!

The young boy cub’s sister slowly approached the prey as he walked off decidedly impressed with himself, after perfecting his strangling technique. His sister is almost half his size and as soon as she approached the kill, which was close to where we were parked, the mother walked over and gave us the beady eye. This means that this mother knows her offspring individually and she also knows that her young girl needs extra protection. The more time I spend with leopards, the more I respect them!

The mother leopard had already attacked one hyena and wanting to avoid problems, she decided to hoist the prey up a tree and right in front of us! Seeing her strength and agility was a spectacular highlight. Once the kill was in the tree the cubs took turns at playing with it AGAIN. The dangling antelope’s head was used as a punching bag until the kill became unbalanced and just as it was about to plummet to the ground, the mother would run over and grab the impala with tooth and claw. She had been up all night looking for her cubs and now she was having to stand guard, to ensure the cubs never dropped dinner to the hyenas! While we were parked under the tree watching this spectacle, one of the cubs ran down the trunk and stopped to pause and stare at us. My 200 – 400mm lens has a MFD (minimal focal distance) of two metres and when my lens would no longer focus, I looked up and the cub was almost in our laps! Such moments cannot even be photographed and it was undoubtedly the closest that I have ever been to a leopard cub. The mother was not perturbed by the cub’s close proximity to us, which means that she saw our presence as not being a threat, which I was particularly pleased about.

One of the young cubs came running down the tree within touching distance.

We went back to the same location in the evening and we continued shooting with delight as the cubs continued to play with the carcass while a hyena stood at the base salivating! After dinner was finally complete, she groomed the cubs which was a joy to watch. We must have spent over four solid hours watching and enjoying photographing a wild leopard family, carrying out their delightful existence. I fear that all our full memory cards combined (and there are many), will not do this wonderful experience justice!

While the above sighting was undoubtedly the highlight of the workshop for me, another highlight was teaching Michael and Kevin to photograph star trails while Lynette sat eating popcorn watching us crazy photographers go about our work, as if she was watching an Imax at the cinema! Seeing Mike’s and Kev’s faces when they reviewed their images was priceless! Another highlight at Mashatu is always the wonderful elephant sightings! The Tuli Block is a safe haven for the elephants in southern Botswana and even the breeding herds are wonderfully relaxed. Parking our 4x4 and having an entire herd of these mammoth beasts walk past in perfect silence is an experience of a lifetime! Another highlight came on our last morning as we watched a lioness hunt impala and warthog!

I first visited the Tuli Block a decade ago and I have been back to this unique and mysterious corner of Botswana many times since. This enchanting and ancient land with its giant Mashatu trees and ghostlike herds of Eland is no doubt one of my favourite places in Africa!

A special thank you to Mike, Lisa, Willy, Willem, Kev, Michael and Lynette for sharing this wonderful experience with me.

(Our workshops for 2011 are unfortunately finished but be sure to book your spot for next year to avoid disappointment.)

Even after an entire day of playing with the dangling carcass this young cub still looks up at his mother playfully.


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C4 Guides portfolios in Go/Weg magazine.

At C4 Images and Safaris we strive to be the best in what we do. It is often difficult to gauge where you stand without having an outsider compare you to the rest.



Click here to view Greg du Toit's portfolio


Each month the excellent and extremely popular GO/WEG magazine publishes a portfolio of images featuring a certain photographer. It has become quite prestigous to be featured and all the top photographers aspire to have a portfolio of their images published by GO/WEG.
In the first half of 2011, the magazine picture editor independently contacted four of C4’s photography guides to feature them in their magazine.
It so happened that for the months of February, April, May and July 2011, all the portfolios were by C4 Images and Safaris photographers.
It is good to know that while we at C4 plan to associate only with the best photographers and guides, magazines such as WEG/GO feature four of our guides in 6 months; giving us and you the security of knowing you are dealing with the best.


Click here to view Shem Compion's portfolio




Click here to view Isak Pretorius' portfolio



Click here to view Hougaard Malan's portfolio

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Trip Report, Stanley's Camp, Okavango Delta

By Isak Pretorius

When you go to a place where there are abundant wildlife, water and sunshine mixed together, you are guaranteed to see something spectacular! The Okavango Delta is such a place, a pure wilderness and probably the most exciting game viewing destination in Southern Africa.

C4 Images and Safaris have just concluded a very memorable photographic safari to the Okavango Delta at Stanley's Camp. The camp is situated in the heart of the swamps just below the South Eastern tip of Chiefs Island. They've had extremely good rainfall in the Okavango Delta during January and February. This resulted in unusually high levels of water on the floodplains for this time of the year. The water level was almost as high as when the flood waters push in from the Okavango river during July and August. This meant that we were in for an interesting time ahead! Just as at Chiefs Camp, Stanley's Camp uses game viewing vehicles specifically modified with bigger wheels and raised suspensions to negotiate the swampy terrain effortlessly. I've never seen so much water around and having water rush over the bonnet and over the floor of the vehicle provided an additional thrill for everyone!

The safari was led by Greg du Toit and myself. Drizzling and overcast weather on the first two days meant that we had a slow start to the safari. Luckily we were all serious photographers and this could not damped our spirits. In fact, we were excited to use the elements to our advantage, searching for unique photo opportunities of impala and wildebeest in the rain! We also enjoyed the dramatic skies for which the Okavango Delta is famous. On our second drive, a great sighting of a leopard that entertained us for an entire morning got the shutters working properly.

The next few games drives delivered sightings of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, and letchwe before we were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime sighting of a lion kill. We witnessed a pride of six lions killing a young zebra thanks to Greg du Toit who made the call to stick it out for an afternoon with the lions, watching them sleep, waking up, stalking, ambushing, and finally devouring. A complete cycle rarely seen, and of course stunning photographs by everyone! Oúr vehicle, on the other hand, stumbled onto a few wild dogs staking a herd of impala on our way to the lions. "Spoilt for choice" got a new meaning as we had to choose between following wild dogs on the hunt or lions stalking zebra. We decided to follow the wild dogs for a while but when the call came over the radio that the lions had killed a zebra we quickly rushed to witness the action.

Another memorable sighting we had on our way back to camp one evening was of a spotted hyena walking in the road and in the swampy water looking for a meal. With the dark water at night and subject illuminated only by the spotlight, this made for some dramatic images. During our final game drive of the safari we were luckily to find a big male leopard crossing one of the water channels. I was interesting to see how he very slowly and carefully made his way through the water trying not to make a sound! This is a sight that you'd only find in the Okavango Delta and it ended our safari on a high.

The Okavango Delta is of course also a bird paradise. With most of our guests being keen bird photographers it meant that everyone were in their element! Fish Eagles around every corner, Grey-headed and Striped Kingfisher, Saddle-billed Storks, Wattled Cranes and Dwarf Bittern were a few of the species that got us really excited.

When hosting a photographic safari it is important to go to a camp that can take care of our clients, making them feel at home and relaxed after a hard day of photography out in the African bush. Stanley's Camp is exactly such a camp! It is a very intimate camp gathered around a large sitting and dining area which offers great views over the Okavango Delta floodplains and one of the best camps I've ever been to. Apart from the filter coffee wake-up call, the friendly staff and exquisite food prepared by chef Harry is what made the camp extra special. The camp also offers an elephant interaction experience, mokoro excursions, and guided walks if you want to try something different.

Unfortunately all good things had to come to an end. We were sad to leave but enjoyed the last breath-taking views from the Okavango Delta as we flew back from the camp to Maun where we all went our separate ways. A big thanks to Evelyn, Harry, Jonathan, Carter, and the rest of the staff at Stanley's camp for making it a trip of a lifetime!

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