 |
| MS Stockholm |
We’ve
arrived in Longyearben on Svalbard. This island, which is about the size of
Ireland, and at latitude 78°N, is only 1338km from the North Pole! We are here
to photograph polar bears.
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Showing posts with label nature photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nature photography. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Thursday, December 11, 2014
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.
Read more...
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Puku Ridge with C4 Images and Safaris by Willy Schoots
After meeting most of the workshop participants (Vicky, Barbara, Heike, Isak and Hilton) at the Johannesburg airport, it took us 2 flights and a drive to get to the Puku Ridge Lodge in South Luangwa. The remaining two participants (Judith and Rudy) were already at the lodge when we arrived. That first night during our dinner we already got treated to some leopards. The puku and impala's were very alert on the plains in front of the lodge. One of the leopards went down to the waterhole and gave us a preview of what to expect on this trip.
We got special permission to leave before sunrise so we could utilize the best light in the morning. This meant that our wake up call was at 4.15am every morning and that we left at 5.00am. The first day we got our first impression of the South Luangwa valley and its wildlife. One of the favourites for most if not all of us was the Carmine Bee-eater colony. Hundreds of birds flew on and off the nests to feed their chicks. We got some great tips on how to shoot these very fast birds, the key was to use a high shutter speed (1/2500s) and to use manual metering as the background could change during their flight pattern. We visited this colony multiple times during our stay.
After our morning drives we arrived back at the lodge for our brunch around 11.30. The food at the lodge was excellent and the brunch buffet was no exception. Till about 2pm we had time to sleep, download images, and shower etc. In the afternoon we got some great lectures from Isak about different aspects of nature photography. Topics he covered were technical details (expose, shutter speed, aperture), composition, lightroom basics (library and develop module). Beside these lectures we were also encouraged to share some of our pictures for an informal review. During this review we could see how we each took great pictures at the different sightings. I especially findi it very useful to see the different approaches everyone takes at the same sighting.
At 4pm it was tea time at the lodge and we got ready to go out into the park again. One of the cool things we could do in the South Luangwa park is to extend our evening game drive into a "night" drive as we could stay out till 8pm (sunset was at 6pm). It was a nice experience to drive around in the dark trying to find the more nocturnal animals. We did also see some more elusive creatures like the genet, the porcupine, and some bushbabies.
During the second evening we got our chance to photograph a Leopard drinking with some nice late evening light. South Luangwa is renowned for its leopard sightings and we were not disappointed as in total we probably saw 3 leopards, some at multiple sightings.
Of course while staying at the Puku Ridge lodge we saw our fair share of Puku's but also a lot of Impala's. After seeing a pair of lions starting their mating rituals we drove off and one Puku male gave us a great portrait session. He stood nicely on the top of a little bank and let us shoot as many pictures as we wanted. He even looked in different directions to give us the shot we were looking for. It was the first time I saw Puku's so I was very happy to take his picture with a nice clean background.
Everyone was hoping to see a kill from one of the bigger predators in the park like lions, leopard or hyena's. We did see some feeding on a hippo carcass by a leopard and some lions. However we only witnessed a kill from a much smaller predator as we saw a Yellow-bellied Sand Snake devour a frog. We were focusing on the landscape and we would have missed it if not for our great guide Malemia spotting this grim scene below us.
During the workshop we tried to utilize different techniques to improve our photographic skills. Both Isak and Hilton encouraged us to use things like flash, panning and wide-angle shots. If needed we could borrow flash units or lenses from our tour leaders to get us to try these options. Hilton even ran for one group to give them a target to practice their panning shots!!! I'm still not a big fan of flash in nature photography but I do see the usefulness of it in certain situations. I took a shot of a juvenile Carmine Bee-eater with off camera flash and I must admit I do like the result.
Unfortunately after 4.5 days of game drives it was time to go back home. Luckily we had a bunch of great pictures to remind us of this magical place. The last morning we had a great sunrise with a willing Hippo and we visited the carmine bee-eater colony for the last time. After our brunch we were on our way back to the real world in Johannesburg and beyond.
I had a excellent time during this workshop and I would like to thank my fellow participants Barbara, Judith, Heike, Vicky and Rudy for being great companions. To both Isak and Hilton a big THANK YOU for all the support during the game drives and the lectures. To all the personel at the Puku Ridge lodge for making our stay so pleasant. Especially to Don and Suku for their hospitality and for the excellent guiding by Joseph and Malemia.
Till next time !!!
Read more...
We got special permission to leave before sunrise so we could utilize the best light in the morning. This meant that our wake up call was at 4.15am every morning and that we left at 5.00am. The first day we got our first impression of the South Luangwa valley and its wildlife. One of the favourites for most if not all of us was the Carmine Bee-eater colony. Hundreds of birds flew on and off the nests to feed their chicks. We got some great tips on how to shoot these very fast birds, the key was to use a high shutter speed (1/2500s) and to use manual metering as the background could change during their flight pattern. We visited this colony multiple times during our stay.
After our morning drives we arrived back at the lodge for our brunch around 11.30. The food at the lodge was excellent and the brunch buffet was no exception. Till about 2pm we had time to sleep, download images, and shower etc. In the afternoon we got some great lectures from Isak about different aspects of nature photography. Topics he covered were technical details (expose, shutter speed, aperture), composition, lightroom basics (library and develop module). Beside these lectures we were also encouraged to share some of our pictures for an informal review. During this review we could see how we each took great pictures at the different sightings. I especially findi it very useful to see the different approaches everyone takes at the same sighting.
At 4pm it was tea time at the lodge and we got ready to go out into the park again. One of the cool things we could do in the South Luangwa park is to extend our evening game drive into a "night" drive as we could stay out till 8pm (sunset was at 6pm). It was a nice experience to drive around in the dark trying to find the more nocturnal animals. We did also see some more elusive creatures like the genet, the porcupine, and some bushbabies.
During the second evening we got our chance to photograph a Leopard drinking with some nice late evening light. South Luangwa is renowned for its leopard sightings and we were not disappointed as in total we probably saw 3 leopards, some at multiple sightings.
Of course while staying at the Puku Ridge lodge we saw our fair share of Puku's but also a lot of Impala's. After seeing a pair of lions starting their mating rituals we drove off and one Puku male gave us a great portrait session. He stood nicely on the top of a little bank and let us shoot as many pictures as we wanted. He even looked in different directions to give us the shot we were looking for. It was the first time I saw Puku's so I was very happy to take his picture with a nice clean background.
Everyone was hoping to see a kill from one of the bigger predators in the park like lions, leopard or hyena's. We did see some feeding on a hippo carcass by a leopard and some lions. However we only witnessed a kill from a much smaller predator as we saw a Yellow-bellied Sand Snake devour a frog. We were focusing on the landscape and we would have missed it if not for our great guide Malemia spotting this grim scene below us.
During the workshop we tried to utilize different techniques to improve our photographic skills. Both Isak and Hilton encouraged us to use things like flash, panning and wide-angle shots. If needed we could borrow flash units or lenses from our tour leaders to get us to try these options. Hilton even ran for one group to give them a target to practice their panning shots!!! I'm still not a big fan of flash in nature photography but I do see the usefulness of it in certain situations. I took a shot of a juvenile Carmine Bee-eater with off camera flash and I must admit I do like the result.
Unfortunately after 4.5 days of game drives it was time to go back home. Luckily we had a bunch of great pictures to remind us of this magical place. The last morning we had a great sunrise with a willing Hippo and we visited the carmine bee-eater colony for the last time. After our brunch we were on our way back to the real world in Johannesburg and beyond.
I had a excellent time during this workshop and I would like to thank my fellow participants Barbara, Judith, Heike, Vicky and Rudy for being great companions. To both Isak and Hilton a big THANK YOU for all the support during the game drives and the lectures. To all the personel at the Puku Ridge lodge for making our stay so pleasant. Especially to Don and Suku for their hospitality and for the excellent guiding by Joseph and Malemia.
Till next time !!!
Read more...
Friday, November 26, 2010
Not just about the Puku - Isak Pretorius
The Puku is an antelope found in wet grasslands in southern Democratic Republic of Congo and in Zambia. It stands about 80cm tall at the shoulders and weigh between 70 to 80kg. Puku are sandy brown in colour with the underbelly a few shades lighter. Males have around 50cm long ridge structured horns. Both territorial and alarm calls are a repeated shrill whistle sound. They are beautiful animals! The recent C4 Images and Safaris Workshop took our guests to Puku Ridge Camp in the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. There are a lot of puku in the park, but we didn't specifically go there to photograph them! Our objective was to find plenty of game and other photographic opportunities. Not only did we find exactly what we were looking for, but we were also blown away by the incredible beauty and variety that the park had to offer!
The South Luangwa National Park is a photographer's dream - wild and remote it's one of Africa's most unspoiled places with enormous spaces, a wide variety of habitats and a high density of game. It is one of Zambia's largest National Parks, covering an area of over 9,000 square kilometers in the Luangwa Valley. The survival of the valley depends on the winding Luangwa River, crowded with hippos, crocodiles and waterfowl, and its numerous tributaries that course through the park. Just before the big summer rains the bushes have wilted and the earth becomes bone dry, so animals assemble along the river and at the remaining waterholes. This is the best time for game viewing.
The Photographic Workshop was held at Puku Ridge Camp, located in a remote area of the National Park overlooking a floodplain close to the Luangwa River. To reach this camp requires a two-hour flight from Johannesburg to Lusaka and then a chartered transfer to Mfuwe Aiport. It's a small intimate camp with seven luxury tents and a communal area with a lounge, bar, dining area and deck, all overlooking a waterhole on the floodplain. As at all Sanctuary Lodges, the food and service are exceptional and we were especially impressed by the quality of the guides. At the waterhole in front of camp there is a constant flow of animals coming to drink during the day, making it an attractive option to skip the afternoon drive to photograph at the waterhole instead, and this from the comfort of the lounge. When we saw a leopard drinking at this waterhole during dinner on our first night, we knew this workshop was going to be special.
As a photographic workshop our guests were not just keen to visit one of Africa's world-renowned wildlife havens, but also keen to learn all the genres and techniques of nature photography. Our workshops always attract people that have an appreciation for nature and a passion for photography, which by default guarantees the workshop to be a great success. We had great fun teaching everything from light and composition, portrait, action, landscape, slow-shutter panning blur, flash, spotlight-at-night, and HDR photography, to processing photos and managing a large photo library. The theory is put into practice during the morning and afternoon game drives where the photography guides are close by to lend a helping hand.
We were spoiled with excellent sightings of predators and general game, birds and spectacular landscapes. Highlights included three leopards trying to break through the tough skin of a dead young hippo. The cause of death was unsure, but the leopards struggled for hours to get to the meat without success and became very agitated with the whole situation. Later that night we returned to see how four lions eventually chased the leopards off the carcass. Other highlights included photographing at a carmine bee-eater colony, ebony forests, mating lions, elephants walking through the river, pools with hundreds of hippos, and spectacular sunsets and sunrises on the Luangwa River.
A big thank you to camp managers Don and Suku, our guides Joseph and Malemia, and the staff of Puku Ridge Camp who made this such an awesome experience for us all!
South Luangwa Photo Workshops September 2011
South Luangwa Photo Workshop October 2011
Read more...
The South Luangwa National Park is a photographer's dream - wild and remote it's one of Africa's most unspoiled places with enormous spaces, a wide variety of habitats and a high density of game. It is one of Zambia's largest National Parks, covering an area of over 9,000 square kilometers in the Luangwa Valley. The survival of the valley depends on the winding Luangwa River, crowded with hippos, crocodiles and waterfowl, and its numerous tributaries that course through the park. Just before the big summer rains the bushes have wilted and the earth becomes bone dry, so animals assemble along the river and at the remaining waterholes. This is the best time for game viewing.
The Photographic Workshop was held at Puku Ridge Camp, located in a remote area of the National Park overlooking a floodplain close to the Luangwa River. To reach this camp requires a two-hour flight from Johannesburg to Lusaka and then a chartered transfer to Mfuwe Aiport. It's a small intimate camp with seven luxury tents and a communal area with a lounge, bar, dining area and deck, all overlooking a waterhole on the floodplain. As at all Sanctuary Lodges, the food and service are exceptional and we were especially impressed by the quality of the guides. At the waterhole in front of camp there is a constant flow of animals coming to drink during the day, making it an attractive option to skip the afternoon drive to photograph at the waterhole instead, and this from the comfort of the lounge. When we saw a leopard drinking at this waterhole during dinner on our first night, we knew this workshop was going to be special.
As a photographic workshop our guests were not just keen to visit one of Africa's world-renowned wildlife havens, but also keen to learn all the genres and techniques of nature photography. Our workshops always attract people that have an appreciation for nature and a passion for photography, which by default guarantees the workshop to be a great success. We had great fun teaching everything from light and composition, portrait, action, landscape, slow-shutter panning blur, flash, spotlight-at-night, and HDR photography, to processing photos and managing a large photo library. The theory is put into practice during the morning and afternoon game drives where the photography guides are close by to lend a helping hand.
We were spoiled with excellent sightings of predators and general game, birds and spectacular landscapes. Highlights included three leopards trying to break through the tough skin of a dead young hippo. The cause of death was unsure, but the leopards struggled for hours to get to the meat without success and became very agitated with the whole situation. Later that night we returned to see how four lions eventually chased the leopards off the carcass. Other highlights included photographing at a carmine bee-eater colony, ebony forests, mating lions, elephants walking through the river, pools with hundreds of hippos, and spectacular sunsets and sunrises on the Luangwa River.
A big thank you to camp managers Don and Suku, our guides Joseph and Malemia, and the staff of Puku Ridge Camp who made this such an awesome experience for us all!
South Luangwa Photo Workshops September 2011
South Luangwa Photo Workshop October 2011
Read more...
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