Your daily dose of C4 Masai Mara action.

This year C4 is leading photo tours in the Masai mara for 35 consecutive days.
Being extremely excited about being in this wonderful place, we want to share some of the excitement with you. For that reason we we will be sending you updates direct to this blog from the open plains on a daily basis.
Posts will be via a variety of mediums: short videos, iphone photos and DSLR photos all taken by our C4 guides and our clients.
In them, we hope to share some of Natures spectacle with you and give you an idea of what travelling with C4 Images and Safaris is all about.

Have a look at our Mara teaser video clip here.

Enjoy.

In a rare case, this was a day in the Mara I had all to myself, and my partner. Some might have rested and relaxed, but I was very excited to get out and see what I could find on my own. Looking back on it I photographed a mix of animal action, birds and landscapes- the three genres I enjoy the most!

The day started off with lions on a topi kill, hyena pups and a cheetah sighting. This was interrupted by a leopard stalking in a lugga which while we were driving to, we found another cheetah… By the time we had finished with the leopard, the first cheetah had killed a Tommie. And this was all before breakfast…!

The afternoon was spent chasing a massive storm, trying to get subjects to place in front of it. It ended with honeymooning lions and finally a landscape session against a beautiful sky. Another amazing day in the Mara comes to an end. Tomorrow if Nairobi day to meet new clients- so no photos, of wildlife…

30 September
Photographing the dawn over the vast plains, we heard hyenas going wild nearby. This turned into a great photo scene of these backlit beasts as they fought over a very fresh carcass. From there we wound our way to the Sand river for breakfast, not before finding a real highlight along the way: A yellow billed oxpecker building its nest! Some excellent photos were had.

The last afternoon was spent with two different prides of lions and then having a breeding herd of elephant walk right past us with the most amazing thundercloud sky in the background. A fitting way to end this groups last day.

Some images from the field by client David Burstein.

29 September
Lion cubs at dawn and leopard cubs at dusk. What more could one ask for?

The Entim pride was found just outside of camp in the pre dawn light and the three tiny cubs were hungry, very hungry. They chased their mother round and around trying to suckle. Mom was having none of it though and even leapt up a tree to get away form them. In the end, she relented and they suckled for a while before playing in the open grassland. Never before has golden morning light been so more beautiful!

We ventured north through herds of wildebeest and zebra until breakfast and the traditional C4 Group photo under our one special tree.

The afternoon we spent with a leopardess with two cubs. Eventually she left them to head out hunting. Unfortunately for her it started raining heavily and she had to take cover, but we were in perfect position to capture her running through the rain- the droplets making streaks in the background.

This ended the day’s activities and we headed back to camp a very happy group with many wondering just what more the Mara can deliver?

28 September

Birds was the mission of the morning as drove out of camp into another spectacular sunrise. Along one of the drainages with beautiful riverine trees and shrubs we were lucky to find good shots of black-chested snake eagle, white-browed coucal, yellow-throated longclaw, malachite kingfisher and lilac-breasted roller. We slowly made our way to Lookout Hill where about 3,000 wildebeest had been gathering along the Mara river. Breakfast on the hill gave us a panoramic view of the plains with the opportunity to keep an eye on the movements of the wildebeest at the river. Running wildebeest with dust was a great photo opportunity as the wildebeest started a frenzy and ran to the water's edge, only to turn around and run back in our direction to graze again. The afternoon was spent with the Entim pride where the three small cubs entertained us for an hour playing with mom and each other.

27 September

We found the Entim pride lying no the open plains in the predawn light. This instantly prompted us to position for a backlit image, which we photographed just as the sun peeped over the horizon: The perfect way to start the day. From there we headed north to Rhino Ridge, photographing herds of buffalo, zebra, oxpeckers, hippos and eventually the three brothers, who were actively on the hunt. Being so close, breakfast was had on the banks of the Mara River.

 The Afternoon had us heading west along the Ol Ketcho Rongai River- one of my favourite drives in the Mara. Masses of zebra were the main attraction. But not only us… A crocodile caught a zebra in this narrow river and we all watched the battle for life and death for an agonising 90 minutes. The zebras one leg was broken onto which the crocodile hung on, while the zebra made increasingly desperate attempts to leap free. Eventually the crocodile, and the level of the water won. The zebra slipping quietly under: its nostrils spraying out its last evidence of life. It was a massive struggle to see and witness and left our whole group in a very sombre mood on the drive back. Luckily, being the Mara, a massive sunset sky brightened the mood somewhat as we headed back to camp.

These are some cheetah images from client Mark Dumbleton. Enjoy!

26 September

The boys are back in town.

 

After two weeks away in the nether regions of the Mara/Serengeti border, the three brothers returned- and what a performance they put on. We spent much of the morning and afternoon with them- the open skies making for excellent backlit images of the cheetah. It was quite a spectacle watching them scatter the wildebeest herds with arrogant abandon- pronouncing they “were back” to the beasts! In addition to them, another cheetah was found that had just killed a Tommie.

In amongst them we had leopards mating, jackal pups at the den and fighting zebra. In the two days this group has been here, they have seen 5 different leopard! So expectations for the week are getting higher…

Enjoy the images- we sure have had great fun today.

25 September

The Entim pride of lions finishing off a wildebeest kill in golden light  and a leopard climbing a tree were the final farewell for our second week in the Mara. Great like-minded people and lots of animals on the plains is a perfect recipe for good times and stunning photography. After we said our goodbyes the next group arrived and were treated to a glimpse of Noah's Ark on our way from the airstrip to camp. Impala, gazelle, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, lions with cubs, two leopards, and vultures at a dead zebra. We followed a young male leopard on our first drive, walking out in the open and climbing a tree. The first day concluded with giraffe silhouettes at sunset and a delicious evening meal.

24 September

A thunderstorm display after dinner was the perfect way to finish off a magic second week of safari in the Masai Mara! A great week of sightings were rounded off with our best day so far, the last full day for this trip. After all our previous attempts to go up to the Northern swamps were interrupted by other sightings, today was our last chance to do it. As we reached the swamps we saw the famous Marsh pride of lions, followed by a cheetah stalking gazelle, and a lioness carrying a warthog piglet meal. After an exciting morning's photography our afternoon did not disappoint with the Entim pride of lions with cubs, a secretary bird nest, lilac-breasted roller with locust meal, and another dramatic sunset. Time has gone by so fast and we'll be very sad to say our goodbyes tomorrow!


23 September

They say "time flies when you're having fun" and this could not be closer to the truth for us this week. It's hard to believe that there are only three game drives left. Today was another phenomenal day in the Mara that included a leopard in golden light, hyenas at a carcass, backlit bat-eared foxes, a black-backed jackal den with pups, a black rhino out on the open plains outside of camp, and a gathering of almost 5,000 wildebeest at Kaburu and then Vumbi Vumbi crossing points. We spent almost three hours waiting for these wildebeest to cross the Mara River without success and eventually entertained ourselves with slow-shutter panno blur shots of the running wildebeest. We were puzzled by the logic of the wildebeest as they rushed to the water's edge, only to turn around and run back to graze on the plains again. We are all holding thumbs for a spectacular crossing tomorrow.

22 September

When you start running out of hard drive space half way through a safari you know things must be going well. Another day of non-stop action was celebrated with a Tusker around a campfire and rounded off with a delicious evening meal. Backlit bat-eared foxes was followed by backlit lion cubs before we had a break for coffee and then 4,000 wildebeest crossing the Mara River. This exciting crossing was close to Lookout Hill where a herd have been gathering for the last few days. Photographing the giraffe on the open plains next to camp is a temptation we could not resist as we left for our afternoon drive in beautiful light. That was followed by lions in a tree and a leopard with a kill to finish our day on a very high note.

21 September

We were treated to a brilliant sunrise before running into a lioness with a cub just as we crossed the Talek river on our way North. Great light had us excited about more good photography. We left that sighting quickly when we got a call that a large herd of wildebeest was about to cross the Mara river close to Lookout Hill. Just as we got there, we ran into two male lions engaging in a territorial dispute which had also interrupted the wildebeest's movement towards the river. After an action-packed morning the lunch at camp with a cold Tusker was just what the doctor ordered. Our afternoon was just as eventful with highlights that included black rhino, cheetah and another unbelievable sighting of a serval walking across an open patch of grassland. A beautiful sunset was the perfect end to another great day in the Mara!

20 September

A sunrise shot is usually the first stop as we leave camp in the mornings. A couple of Acacias on the crest of the rolling grassland hills makes for a perfect anchor point against the rising sun. This morning we were called to a lion sighting while we were still doing landscape shots during sunrise. The Entim pride made another wildebeest kill and the lioness with the cubs were on her way to bring the cubs to the kill. After almost two hours of photography at the kill we saw a leopard and vultures at a carcass before running into a big herd of migrating wildebeest close to the Sand River. Our afternoon drive started with photographing a herd of 18 giraffe just out of camp, followed by a serval and another leopard. On average it was the most shots we have taken on any day in the Mara so far and we celebrated that with a Tusker!

19 September
The first of C4 Images' Masai Mara safaris for 2011 finished on a high note. We were treated to a great lion sighting this morning followed by the classic Masai Mara scene of a cheetah on an anthill. On the way to the airstrip we saw a Rosy-throated Longclaw while the topi on a mound was the final goodbye to a wonderful first week in the Mara. Our next group were welcomed by a journey of giraffe on the open plains with classic Masai Mara big skies. We are all looking forward to another great week of photography. Tomorrow we are heading South, to the Sand River, to find some beasts!

18 September
Two leopards in a trees, chased up by a pride of lions made us head South to the Sand River again. It's a beautiful part of the reserve with rolling grasslands wedged between patches of woodland in a drainage basin. Highlights of the morning drive included a vulture eating frenzy at a wildebeest kill and good bird sightings on our way back to camp. In the afternoon we spent some time with lions, hyenas and a yellow-billed stork before we were entertained by Masai dances around our campfire before a champagne dinner.

Saturday 17 September

None of us can believe that the first week of safari in the Masai Mara is already drawing to a close. The wildlife action today have again been superb which meant lots of downloading and cleaning of cards after the game drives. This morning we drove back to the Entim pride of lions who had made a wildebeest kill the previous day. We found the whole pride basking in the early morning sun out on the open plains. Nothing but bone was left of the carcass, and even the vultures tried to find an alternative meal. A running herd of wildebeest caught our attention and we followed them to the Mara river where they hopefully will make a crossing tomorrow. After a long morning drive we spent our afternoon with mating lions close to camp and on our way back we found a classic giraffe image against the sunset and beautiful big skies of the Masai Mara.

Friday 16 September

Just when you think it can't get any better, IT DOES! We drove up to some of the most famous and popular crossing points on the Mara river. Vumbi Vumbi, Mawi Mawi and Kaburu. A couple of topi's and zebra have gathered to cross the river and to our surprise two of the topi's jumped into the river first. It was incredible to witness how a large crocodile got triggered immediately as the topi splashed into the river. The inevitable happened and only one topi made it to the other side. Our afternoon was spent on the plains close to our camp where we were treated to some action as a lioness killed a wildebeest. The whole family of lions joined the meal which included three very small cubs.

Thursday 15 September

Another exciting day in the Masai Mara has drawn to a close. We headed up North this morning in search of the Marsh Pride of lions, made famous by BBC's Big Cat Diary series. We found the pride just as a small herd of elephants were chasing them off their morning siesta spot. It's an impressive pride of lions of all sizes including a five day old cub. Back to camp we passed through the spectacular stretch of grassland called Paradise Plains. Our afternoon was spent at a black-backed jackal den. Five pups entertained us for the whole afternoon before we were treated to another spectacular sunset.

Wednesday 14 September

Today was predator day! Lions, cheetah, leopard and lots of wildebeest were some of our highlights. We traveled South-East to find the big herds and stumbled upon several lions and cheetah on the way. After a long morning drive with a packed breakfast we returned to camp to "recharge our batteries" and a few tuskers (of course). The afternoon drive was very productive with numerous predator sightings just outside of our camp. A good leopard sighting was the highlight for most until we saw a cheetah take down a baby thomson's gazelle.

Tuesday 13 September

Our tour started with an action packed afternoon. We were treated to three cheetah hunts. They were all unsuccessful unfortunately. The last one was an attempt by the famous three brother coalition to bring down a wildebeest calf. The wildebeest's mother courageously fended off the attackers. Big skies brought an end to a wonderful first day in the Masai Mara!

Monday 12 September
Bags are packed and we're ready to go! After a good night's rest at the Nairobi Serena hotel we are all very keen to jump on the plane and head West, to the Masai Mara!!

See more posts here>>

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Masai Mara Clip

A short clip from Isak Pretorius for C4 Images and Safaris about our upcoming Masai Mara Photo tours. We will be releasing next years dates shortly, so watch this space.


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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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Finding Gold - Mashatu Trip Report by Isak Pretorius

Another Mashatu workshop is behind us, making us all suffer from serious withdrawal symptoms. A photo workshop with passionate guests, spectacular sightings in a wilderness area hosted at a stunning camp can not be anything but very successful! August in Mashatu is cool and dry with a landscape covered in gold with the drying mopani leaves. It's a magical time of the year!

The leopard mother with three cubs we had seen on our workshop in June delivered an even better show than the last time. Our first four game drives were dedicated just to them as the mother made an impala kill and dragged it into what I consider "the best leopard tree". A fever berry tree with a big open branch growing diagonally and then horizontally out of the ground. This made for a beautiful stage for their performance.

For most of us photography itself is a wonderful excuse to spend time in nature. At Mashatu's tent camp dinner is served in a boma that overlooks a floodlit waterhole. This is always exciting. One evening we were treated to a show of at least 30 elephants coming for drink and entertaining us during our dinner.

After seriously branching out on our leopard portfolios we decided to look for a greater variety of subjects during the rest of our game drives. Some of the highlights included spending time with hyenas at their den, baboons, breeding herds of elephants, zebra in the golden mopani bushes, and fighting giraffe! As always during a Mashatu workshop one evening was dedicated to doing starscapes and startrails at a baobab tree near our camp.

Each season at Mashatu has it's own magic. For me, the winter months is extra special! Thanks to everyone who made this such a great trip! Enjoy the photos taken by our guests!

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The Masai Mara - A photographer's paradise?

By Christine Lamberth

From the air the myriad of animals on the plains of the Mara can be seen. Then the wheels of the plane touch down on the dusty runway and the show begins. The short drive to the camp is filled with involuntary arm extensions as I compulsively reach for the camera bag and silently curse the fact that everything is so well packed. Animals abound on all sides and it takes brute willpower to drive on by.
Entim Camp is one of the southern-most camps in the Mara. The Mara River meanders by in full view of the tent and the whole camp. Lunch is served in an open Bedouin-like tent with a show of grazing animals on the other side of the river. This must surely be heaven.



Finally 4pm rolls on by and the first game drive is no longer anticipated, it has arrived. Not even 500m from the camp and the first animals curiously watch as the vehicle rolls on by. In the Mara animals standing staring are ignored as they do not offer any exciting prospects. There is enough time and enough animals for careful consideration of setting, lighting and composition. Rarely does one get this opportunity elsewhere. The open plains are easily accessible by vehicle and there is very little hampering a good sighting. It is only on the river banks that the bush presents an obstacle. However, a good driver can beat these odds in this environment and there is seldom an insurmountable challenge.

The sighting list reels off like a book of the animals of East Africa.



DAY ONE
Waterbuck, Impala, Warthogs, Leopard, Giraffe, Cheetah, Elephant, Buffalo, Topi, Cox Hartebeest, Thompson’s Gazelle, Banded Mongoose, Blackback Jackal, Bateared Fox, Olive Baboons, Wildebeest, Zebra and Spotted Hyena.

DAY TWO
Lion, Bateared Fox, Leopard x 3, Hippo, Southern Ground Hornbill, Elephants, Dwarf Mongoose, Spotted Hyena, Giraffe, Cox Hartebeest, Thompson’s Gazelle, Hippo, Zebra, Waterbuck and Impala.

DAY THREE
Hyena, Cheetah with 6 cubs, Lion pride, dead Buffalo, Spotted Hyena, Giraffe, Elephants, Banded Mongoose, Blackback Jackal, Thompson’s Gazelle, Dik-Dik, Topi, Grant’s Gazelle, mating Lions, 4 x Lionesses, Zebras, Cox Hartebeest, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Buffalo, Vultures, Warthogs, Hippo.



DAY FOUR
Mating Lions, Topi, Cox Hartebeest, Buffalo, Zebra, Cheetah with 6 cubs, Ostrich, Bushbuck ram, Spotted Hyena, Thompson’s Gazelle, Grant’s Gazelle, Giraffe, Elephants, Warthogs, Hippo, Whiteheaded Vulture, Ruppels Griffon Vultures, Yellowbilled Oxpeckers, Pygmy Kingfisher, Black Rhino, Lion pride.



DAY FIVE
Thompson’s Gazelle, Cox Hartebeest, Topi, Buffalo, Impala, Eland, Cheetah, Waterbuck, Lion cubs, Tawny Eagle, Black Chested Snake Eagle, Lilac Breasted Roller, Ruppels Griffon Vultures, Red Billed Woodhoopoe, Olive Baboons, Spotted Hyena, Crested Crane, Hamerkop, Grant’s Gazelle, Ostrich, Zebra, Warthog, Elephants, Lion, Leopard, male Lion alliance, Lion mating pair, Giraffe,Southern Ground Hornbill, Bateleur.



DAY SIX
Thompson’s Gazelle, Topi, Giraffe, Hartebeest, Leopard, Lions on Hippo kill, Dik-Dik, Zebra, Buffalo, mating Lions, Vultures, Blackback Jackal, Impala, Marabou Stork, Spotted Hyena.



DAY SEVEN
Thompson’s Gazelle, Topi, Cox Hartebeest, Spotted Hyena, male Lion alliance, 2 pairs mating Lions, Blackback Jackal, Hooded Vulture, Marabou Stork, Ruppels Griffon Vultures, Zebra, Impala, 3 dead Zebras struck by lightning, Crested Cranes.



Drive after drive presents more opportunities than can be pursued. Each day there is a choice of locations and sightings and when the animals are lazing away under trees and there is little activity the plains of the Mara present landscape opportunities of note. The days are filled with frantic activity while camera equipment is put to the test.
At the end of the stay there cannot possibly be any sense of disappointment – just one day in the Mara is like a week anywhere else.

17-24 September Masai Mara Photo Tour

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Mashatu June photo workshop- an annual occurrence.

In June 2010 we ran a photo workshop to Mashatu on the exact same days as this years one. It was one of the best 4 days I have ever had on the reserve, with leopard cubs, lion cubs, wild dogs, hyena and lots of elephant activity to keep us and our cameras busy. Knowing what things are like in the wild, I never expected such an intensity of activity to be seen for quite a while.





How wrong was I to be.

Heading out on our first afternoon drive we found some lions laying in the riverbed lazing away. Just then, a herd of elephant arrived and the lions scuttled, the scene was filled tension- and it was a harbinger of things to come.





From then onwards we had a few hours old elephant baby being swum through a herd, lions fighting with hyenas at their den. The hyenas had very young ups which offered us very good photos when danger was not around. A very relaxed leopard mom with three tiny cubs was the next attraction and kept us occupied with cameras for many a session. In amongst this we also had elephant herds running down riverbanks, lions trying to mate and a couple of other leopards roaming around…





I’m not the superstitious type when it comes to repeat performances, but I can justly assure you that next year June I will be on the June Mashatu photo workshop. Lets just say that it will be part of tradition…!

Enjoy the pics.








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Mashatu Winter Bliss - By Isak Pretorius

The dry season in Mashatu usually means good game sightings. The dry conditions force animals to congregate at the last remaining waterholes. Our recent photographic workshop to Mashatu in June always had the prospect of good sightings, but nothing could have prepared us for what we were about to see. The sightings and photographic opportunities were not just good, they were phenomenal!





One of the highlights on our first afternoon drive was to try different lighting techniques on a pair of lions with the vehicles' spotlights. Everyone had fun mastering backlit/rim, side and front lighting. The next morning we were out early and found a hyena den close to camp - a big clan with lots of youngsters that were playing outside the den each morning until late. Mashatu also delivered the usual specials with large breeding herds of elephants, including a day-old baby still with a piece of its umbilical cord attached, good bird photographic opportunities and the normal plains game.





One afternoon we stumbled upon a small pan with about 30 foraging glossy ibises. These usually bland subjects looked spectacular in the late afternoon sun. That was exactly the type of photography that gets my heart racing - making ordinary subjects look spectacular. They were surprisingly accommodating and allowed us to get very close to them - out of the vehicle and onto the ground for that low angle perspective.





You know that a trip is going well when a sighting of lions fighting with hyenas are not even considered the highlight of the weekend. On the second morning's drive we followed the same male and female lion we saw on our first game drive and observed how they wandered too close to the hyena den. The whole clan of eight adult hyenas grouped together and started harassing the trespassers. The young male's temper flared up in a number of sequences that offered first class action photography opportunities as he defended himself.





A female leopard with three cubs have been in the area for our entire stay and we were dying to get a good look at them. Small gaps through the thicket allowed us to get some record shots at various stages, but with such young cubs we knew our chances were slim of getting good leopard cub shots. On our fifth drive our patience were rewarded when the leopard and her cubs walked in a dry riverbed an even allowed us to observe them while drinking water. This was a special moment for us all. At the time we did not know however, that this was just an appetizer for things to come. That night she made a kill and dragged it into a nearby tree. We returned to this sighting on each of our last three game drives and felt privileged to observe and photograph an episode of these leopards' lives!

Once again Mashatu revealed to us some of its unique and spectacular treasures. We can not wait to return there soon.

Isak Pretorius Photography Blog.




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Africa Geographic feature - Albie Venter

One of C4 Images and Safaris' guides, Albie Venter, was recently featured in the Africa Geographic magazine. Albie leads various tours for C4, including tours to the Masai Mara, where the images featured, was taken. Read more about Albie here.



Click here to download the pdf.


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