Photo Safari #2

It is a strange thing to go out into the field every morning and every evening and not feel like you are getting anything worthwhile to photograph! Don't get me wrong - I absolutely love what I am doing but somehow, in my mind, it feels like the 'perfect' photographic moments are just not presenting themselves!

The sightings the last few weeks have been pretty good yet it feels like the truly magical moments have been eluding us. Make no mistake, it is not that I am not enjoying going out but it feels like every time I want to click the shutter the animal turns away, the light is bad, there is grass in the way or something like that.

As I cannot consider any of my current images for the High Five as they have not yet been uploaded, I have have selected a few that I have captured over the last few weeks in another 'photographic safari' kind of post. All of these images, and the other new ones I will capture until 24 September, will only be uploaded to the Photo-Stock Stock Library at the end of the month so if there are any specific ones you would like to purchase please let me know and I will upload those for you!

The Etali female resting after feasting on a wildebeest. She was int he thickets and had to wait for for 'the look' before taking the image.

Almost drove over this happy couple - one of the Batia brothers mating with the Sereti female. Great sighting first thing the morning but the light was quite flat. Got an interesting sequence as he dismounts and will hopefully get these posted soon.

Found this hyena drinking water in a little puddle early one morning. She was also not camera friendly and I had to wait for quite some time to get her face in the shot.

As we came around the corner this Martial Eagle was just wrapping up a hunt. He caught a Tree Squirrel and we waited for a while to see if he would start to feed. No action so we left him with his meal.

Close up of a Zebra. Have been seeing a lot of these guys so playing around with different angles and lenses.

This was a great sighting. The herd first drank at Tlou Dam and then chaos erupted as all the youngsters got involved in a serious bout of mud bathing.

Absolute bliss!

They were making a huge mess! Great to watch as these four almost mimicked each other. Have quite a few images from this sighting. Will post more soon.

Nice sighting of an African Hawk Eagle. Still seriously thinking of getting a large prime lens... cash flow!!! :)

Female Kudu. There was not anything special about this scene but the light was spectacular! Had to play around with a few images of her enjoying her breakfast.

We were very far from the scene and I had to stretch my Sigma 50 to 500 all the way to maximum zoom. Light was going and quite a tough shot but still not too bad. Would have been nicer if the bushes behind the rhino was not there which would have made him stand out more.

One of the Batia males walking away from our waterhole at Tuningi. The black and white feel felt like a good choice for the last image on this post.

I reckon not too bad over all but still feels like it could be better! Is it wrong to be too critical of your own work?? Is it wrong to always try and get a better image? Better exposure? Better composition?

I do like the images I have been getting the last while but it feels like there is something missing. Over the last few weeks I have been quite keen on trying to capture animals in motion but there have been very few opportunities. Soon....

Anyway, time to get going. Almost time to head out again and 'look for the magic'! :)

As always I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time.

Gerry

Weekly High Five #14

After quite an emotional week it is again time for the High Five.

The images I chose this week is again quite varied and shows the very diverse nature of Africa and it's wonderful natural heritage. Looking through all the images on the Photo-Africa Stock Library I have found it increasingly evident that the way in which you approach the composition of your subjects in Wildlife Photography is a lot more important than the equipment.

By being selective as to which elements of the scene to include or leave out you can tell a story and lead your viewers eye to the areas of the frame that captured your eye in the beginning. Yes. It does get easier with practise but it also means that you have to step back from what you think works or what works for other people and do what you feel is right.

I believe if you shoot things that heightens your emotions - whether it be fear, excitement, sadness, greed, whatever - you will already have an edge over the person that is just shooting for the sake of trying to create an image. If you are able to capture emotion in your images you are well on your way to creating images that other people will also find attractive and feel emotional about. This, I believe, is the sign of a great image!

With that in mind, here goes with this week's High Five.

Image 1 - Zebra Butts by Gavin Tonkinson


The lighting in this shot is great and draws your attention to the focal area of the image. This cleverly captured image gives you the impression of closeness between the zebra - an emotion we can all relate to. I also like the way in which both the animals heads are completely out of view as this is normally something that draws your attention away from the intended focus. Nice image and one that shows what you can do with an every day scene like this.

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Image 2 - Misty Giraffe by Gavin Tonkinson


Another moody image that works. Apart from the fact the image is laced with emotion, almost bordering on tension, it could be used in a text book on the Zone System. The different shades of black / grey always makes for a difficult exposure and you need to understand your equipment and the scene very well to get an image worth using. The image was taken in a freak rain storm and in my opinion was very well captured.

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Image 3 - Peacock Feather by Craig Muller


A male Peacock is one of those birds that was designed for photography. This close up of one of it's feathers shows why. A very well executed macro with the black centre not placed in the middle of the frame. The clarity and sharpness is also evident and all of this makes for a great abstract macro image.

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Image 4 - Angry Ellie Silhouette by Kevin Linforth


Great moment of an upset elephant at dusk. A sunset image with orange tones also always creates an emotional response. By adding the tense ellie to the mix you have a great image. It seems that the last few weeks we have been getting a lot of ellie silhouettes and this is another great example of why they are such a winner.

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Image 5 - Walking Lion by Gavin Tonkinson


In my opinion this is a brilliant image. Even though there are not any blurred parts of the image you can definitely get the feeling that the large cat is walking. The diagonal lines created by the legs and tail leads your gaze up towards the body and direction where he is moving to. The combination of the pads on the back foot and the black tail tip also works very well and is placed in the power point from where you start 'moving with the animal'. When viewed at a larger size you can even see the small specks of dust as it falls of the back foot. Great sharpness. Not too difficult this week and definitely my favorite of the week.

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This week has flown by and even though the sightings have been pretty good the obvious photography moments have been quite rare. We have seen Wild Dogs shoot across the road in front of us at full tilt. Lions on every drive and a good amount of rhinos mixed in. It has just worked out that very few of these moments were expected and when they were we just could not get into the right position to get those 'award-winning' images we are always looking for.

When looking at the above images it just shows that there is a lot more to photograph then what meets the eye so make sure to check back soon as I will be uploading various images from the last few weeks drives to the Blog in the second edition of Photo Safari.

As always I look forward to hearing from you! Leave a comment and let me know which is your favourite of the week!

Until next time.

Gerry

All Dogs Go To Heaven

Dogs are miracles with paws.

~Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy

On Saturday evening last week Adele and my Boston Terrier, Gizmo, passed away. The reality of this has only now slowly started setting in. Gizmo is gone and to me it feels like a piece of me is gone forever.

After 'helping us unpack' at our new house at Tuningi, and accidentally swallowing a few tablets, Giz started getting sick. Initially nothing too serious and Adele and I immediately drove him to the closest vet in Lichtenburg. Blood tests showed that everything was fine and we left with all sorts of medicines that was supposed to get him back to his energetic best.

Things started looking up and he seemed to be improving when on Saturday morning he started getting very sick again. Adele immediately drove him to the Medi Vet Clinic in Thabazimbi. The vet put him on a drip and gave him an injection to make him sleep. He would be watched over the weekend and Monday everything was supposed to be ok.

Adele received the call on Sunday morning. A completely unrelated complication crept in and our little boy passed away in his sleep.

We live a different life from most people in that Gizmo was with us 24/7. The longest time we were apart was for 2 days when we flew to the Sabi Sands for a job interview. Other than that we were always together.

For the last few days the world has seemed a little more dull. Food has not tasted as good. The sunrises have not been as magical. The days and nights are filled with reminders - the little heartbeat at our feet is gone.

On Sunday evening Adele and I shared a bottle of red wine, tears and the most amazing memories as we said goodbye to Gizmo. It has been one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do but I would not wanted to have shared it with anybody other then Adele. For a brief moment in time Adele, Gizmo and I were the perfect little family. It is a time I will never forget!

Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust.

~Roger Caras

I know Gizmo had the most amazing life a dog could ever wish for and that is how we will try and remember him.

He was our child, a listener, a cuddle-partner, an entertainer and most of all - he was our best friend! In honor of our little boy here are a few images of how he will always be remembered.

Even at 6 weeks he was already energetic and game for anything!

Adele and Gizmo at 6 weeks.

Even at a young age he had huge amounts of personality.

For quite some time I was worried that his ears would not stand all the way up.

There was no need as he turned into an absolutely beautiful Boston Terrier. The teeth sometimes gave him a bit of a strange look but that is another small thing we got to love about him.

Gizmo was very well traveled as he went everywhere with us. This was his first trip to the beach. Amazing few days and I reckon if he could choose - one of his bets trips!

Me with my boy.

For almost a year and a half we were the perfect little family. A time I will never forget.

Gizmo as we will always remember him.

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.

~Josh Billings

This is how we felt. We were loved. Gizzie - Thanks for loving us like you did and giving us all the amazing memories. You will always be remembered and have a place in our hearts.

It is very difficult to move on but this is a part of life. We were able to give one lucky Boston Terrier the time of his life and we know we will do it again. Perhaps closer to the New Year Adele and will get another Boston Terrier (or two!!) to fill our lives with the joy we got from Gizmo but for now we will move forward and remember the joy that he brought us.

I find myself wondering if I am 'too' sad about this and whether it is silly the way we are feeling? Then I stop and think no. I believe that anybody who can love a dog that much must have a good heart. You learn from them and they make you realise that unconditional love does exist. For that reason and the way we felt when we were together I know I have the right to feel sad and will do it again and again. Having a dog like this makes your life richer then any amount of money can ever do.

The dog is the only animal that has seen his god.

~Author Unknown

Thanks for reading.

Until next time.

Gerry

A Day at Tuningi

After getting a few requests and questions about our daily life at Tuningi I decided to do a 'photo-diary'. This was done as follows.

Yesterday I carried my little Sony T100 (still love that little camera) around with me. I set my watch to beep on every half hour. At that time I would take a picture of whatever we were doing at the time. I tried to get the image as soon as the alarm went and it was amazing how things worked out during the day. It was actually a lot of fun and something I might do every now and then!

The idea was not award winning photography (working on that with the other images though) but just documentary style images that show what an average day is like for us!

So here goes with the first edition of - A Day at Tuningi

After waking up at 5h30 and a quick shower, I walked through the office. Quick email check and then down to the lodge.

Down at the lodge we make the hot-box with coffee and muffins for the drive and give the guests their wake up call. Also, and this is the most important thing, that first cup of coffee!!

The Cruiser is all packed and ready to go from the main lodge. As soon as the guests finish their coffee - off we go!

Out on drive - it is always great getting out in the field. It is still quite chilly in the morning but we can definitely feel it warming up as we head towards spring.

On this particular morning we headed out for a walk. After the safety briefing we headed out from where we parked the vehicle. A very different experience. It is amazing to be out in the wild with nothing between you and nature.

Here we were almost finished with our walk. We were following lion tracks down the small game path but was not able to find them. It becomes very addictive trying to track the large cats. Lots of stories but more on that in another blog!

After the walk a well-deserved coffee break. The coffee and muffins just tastes better out in the bush!!

Perfect timing!! As my half hour alarm went off we found the Tshabala female walking on the road towards us. She passed within 2 meters of the side of our vehicle. She walked for a little while before finding a nice shady spot and falling asleep.

After leaving the lioness we started making our way home. My next alarm was again perfectly timed with this giraffe ambling along the side of the road.

On last stop before we get back to the lodge for breakfast. Inkwe Pan. The pan is a major hot spot for birding and it was great to see that it is being pumped again. You can also just see the birding hide on the right side of the frame where you can go and sit and get the most amazing bird photographs!

Breakfast time and Adele, Harry (chef) and the rest of the kitchen staff was very busy making sure the guests don't go hungry - something that NEVER happens when you go to a safari lodge!

After drive and breakfast we headed up to the office to see what other work needs to be done. No day is ever the same. Here Gavin is busy looking through the updated Lion Branding sheets that was sent via email.

Coffee time - again! Here Gavin, Adele and I take a break from a very 'hectic' day for another cup of java! (Check the size of the cups!!)

Chaos outside. Toyota came to service all our Land Cruiser today. It really helps a lot that they come to us!

This is Gavin and I installing Windows on his pc after a virus! No idea where it came from but need to get it up and running so he can upload more images to the Photo-Africa Stock Library.

Chaos sorted. Land Cruisers serviced and ready for more drives.

One of the day's highlights. Adele and I put Glen on speaker phone. He is a great friend from Australia and coming out for our wedding as best man / bridesmaid!! Great chatting to you buddy!!

Almost there. Still installing all the programs on Gavin's pc.

Adele checking on the guests having lunch at the main lodge before the afternoon guest drive.

Adele and Gavin finishing up their lunch at the bar.

First animals on the afternoon drive - Blue Wildebeest. Again perfectly timed for my half hour shot.

Heading up to the north of Madikwe towards a possible lion sighting.

Another lion sighting in Madikwe. It was interesting to see that this pride, the Tshaba female and her 5 youngsters, seem to be joining up with the two Etali youngsters. Great sighting with so many lions around us!

Gavin did not have any guests this afternoon so he came along to take some pics. Here he is taking pics of the lions in the dam wall at Maukeng Dam.

Drink stop. Great time of day in the bush!!

On our way back to the lodge this Brown Hyena stared at us coming down Acacia drive. Again, perfectly timed for today's half hour exercise.

Heading home in the dark. On this particular evening the spotlight did not show us much!

Back at the lodge we wait for the guests to come down for dinner. Rather then sit and do nothing you might as well have a drink at the bar!! :)

Last pic of the day - Adele, Heidi, Gavin and I. Since Tuningi recently got awarded the Diners Club Platinum Award for the Wine List of the Year competition we thought it a good idea to pose with some of the wines. Another great day in the bush!!

There you go! Another day at Tuningi!

Tomorrow I will be uploading another Blog and there is a lot of new images coming soon! Time to go now as Gavin is going to make us 4 kilograms of prawns for dinner tonight!!! Yummy!!

As always I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time.

Gerry

Weekly High Five #13

It has been a very busy week at Tuningi but I finally got a chance to sit down and upload this week's High Five.

The game viewing has been spectacular and I am sure that all the guides from Madikwe who contribute to Photo-Africa has been getting some amazing African wildlife images. I know I am sitting on at least 50 images that I want to upload to the Stock Site but due to the Internet being a bit slow I need to pace myself. If things keep going at this rate I will be uploading well over 200 new images when I get back to Johannesburg, and fast Internet, towards the end of September. I will still try and get as many images up onto either the Photo-Africa Stock Library or the Blog.

The week has not been without it's share of 'challenges' such as fan belts breaking on the way to a leopard sighting, waking up to a flat tyre on the vehicle and Gizmo, my little Boston Terrier, having to go to the vet and staying until Monday after chewing on a few anti-inflammatory tablets. Crazy stuff all round but whenever you get out into the field things always seem better.

Anyway, back to this week's High Five. Quite a nice mix this week and as always I look forward to hearing your thoughts and choices of the week.

Image 1 - Side Lighting on Cheetah by Craig Muller


What makes this image for me is the Cheetah being slightly on the 'tense' side and the side-light catching the fur on his neck. The image is also rounded off nicely with the Cheetah's puffed up tail creating a nice 'end' to the image on the right hand side. Great capture.

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Image 2 - Bush Fire by Johann Marais


The idea behind any image is to tell a story or set a mood. The above image might look quite plain and simple but if you have ever witnessed the power of fire in the natural world you will appreciate the story that is being told. As you might have read in previous Blogs, many parts of ther Madikwe Game Reserve has been burnt this year. Whether one of these or a natural fire, the above image shows the process very nicely. Perhaps a little on the 'documentary' side, but I like it!

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Image 3 - Fishing Lioness by Denzel Edward Rogers


Another image that tells a story. At first glance it does not look like much but look closely and you will see that this lioness is standing in a puddle filled with catfish. Quite a unique situation. As the summer ends the African bush gets drier and drier. Some of the seasonal ponds dry up completely and as they approach their end the fish have to worry about staying alive. This lioness must have stumbled onto this seen and jumped at the opportunity. The image might have been a bit stornger with more fill-flash but still a nice image and must have been an amazing sighting!

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Image 4 - Lioness Profile by Gerry van der Walt


This lioness, the Etali female from the Madikwe Game Reserve, is around 6 years old and in perfect condition. This image shows her profile and absolute concentration. I like the sharpness in the image but felt that perhaps the chin was chopped off a little. Not major as the focus in her eyes, blurred background and diagonal line created by her face makes the image work.

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Image 5 - Elephant Sunset by Matt Jones


Stunning! The image without the ellies would have been pretty nice but the way they were included works perfectly. It might be a small thing but I love the way the ellie on the right has his head lifted towards the sun and the trunk making the small circle as he drinks. The colors work very well and capture that magical time of day and I also like the small shrubs that have been included on the right of the frame. Finishes it off nicely and keeps your attention in the frame. Great image to print or use as a wallpaper on your pc to keep you longing for those magical amazing African sunsets!

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Image 6 - Muddy Elephant by Gerry van der Walt


This elephant was playing around the Tuningi watering hole when I got this shot. As the herd walked within 5 meters of us (safely on the deck) this one stopped and stared straight at us. The sun was exactly behind them which would normally mean don't even try but the fact that they were so close worked out very well. I took the image full frame to try and eliminate the glare in the sky and was pleasantly surprised to see that the ellies wet, muddy skin caught quite a bit of reflection from the puddles of water on the ground. Pleasant surprise after I only fixed the histogram slightly and ended up with this image. My personal favorite image of the week and also my choice for this week's High Five.

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Almost time to get going on this afternoons game drive. It is a strange problem to have but I am kind of hoping that we have a quiet drive so that I can catch up on the hundreds of images I have to work through from the last few weeks. Then again nah... Absolutely love going out there and searching for that one in a million shot!

I almost drove over one of the Batia males mating with the Sereti female in the road yesterday morning. Have not checked them yet but I have a feeling there are a few classics in there!!

I will do my utmost to get some of my images up on the Blog during the weekend but make sure to also visit the Photo-Africa Stock Library to purchase or view the latest images as they are uploaded!

A quick thanks to all the eople who visit the Blog regularly and leave comments. I must apologise for not answering all the emails and comments but know that I appreciate and value your feedback and comments! Special thanks goes to Enigma, Mike Palmer, Sandpiper, Mike Fenney, SA Photographs and all the others I cannot think of right now (sorry!!) Appreciate your support guys!When you have a moment visit these Blogs for some more great photography!

It is also great to get comments from people who joined us at Tuningi and shared in some of the sightings and moments that you all read about on the Blog. Was an absolute pleasure sharing our little bit of African magic with you. If you have some images that you would like to 'show to the world' email them to me and I will add them to the Blog!

It won't be a week before my next post so visit again soon!

As always I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time,

Gerry

Madikwe Lions - Batia Brothers, Ditaba-Sepedi and the Sereti Males

Lions are without a doubt one of the, if not the, most iconic of all African animals. These great cats convey power and elegance and are the perfect killing machine.

Their main two weapons, teeth and claws, combined with their incredible strength is what makes them such lethal killing machines. Now as I was looking through some of my lion images from the last few days I noticed the differences in the teeth of the various lions we saw on the drives from Tuningi.

This led to a comparison of the three different male coalitions we saw in Madikwe the last week. If you have been reading the Blog you will have noticed we refer to the lions by name. This helps in keeping track of their territories, mating habits and other behavior.

So from the images I got this week I thought I would do a quick introduction and comparison between a few of these coalitions.

The Batia Brothers

Absolute legends in Madikwe. They were the frist two lions ever introduced into the reserve. They arrived from Batia Pan in Etosha when they were only two and a half years old and have been ruling Madikwe for the last 13 years. Things have gotten a little more difficult for the old boys but they are still going strong!

This is how we saw one of the Two Batias the other morning - gliding through the grass on a cold winters morning. For the last few weeks they have been battling it out for territory with the Thola-Mateya coalition. (Read Grant's Blog - New Boys in the Hood). So far they seem to have been holding their own and this specific morning you could see the boys were not happy! They were marking everywhere and roaring all the time.



You can see the boys are a little older but still damn good looking lions!




This is the reason a few of the guys refer to these lions as 'the toothless wonders'. They have broken canines and have lost a good deal of their other teeth as well. It is amazing how these 15 year old lions still enforce themselves on the western parts of Madikwe. They are getting older and it is going to be a very sad day when they pass away bu their legacy will live on in the fact that they have fathered almost all the lions in Madikwe.

Ditaba & Sepedi

These are the Batia's oldest sons and the current ruling force in Madikwe. They have taken over where their dads left off and are now 'managing' the eastern half of the reserve. They are, like their fathers were, huge lions and currently around 8 years old. We don't get to see them all that often anymore as they have moved to the east but every now and then they patrol into the western parts of the reserve. Saw them three days ago. Awesome!!

We found them late in the afternoon and returned just after dark. You can even see from the images that these are VERY large lions!





Now have a close look at their teeth. They still have all their canines, but have both lost some of their small teeth as well. Sepedi a few at the bottom (small crack on canine as well!) and Ditaba on the top.



This guys will more than likely be the dominating force in Madikwe for quite some time to come.

Their are however some new contenders to the throne and we have been seeing a lot of these boys recently.

The Sereti Males

This coalition of three young males are going to be phenomenal to watch! They are only three years old but are very large for their size. We have seen them mark territory and even mate with the Etali female, something which is normally only the privilege of dominant males who owns a territory. She seems to have thought ahead and is backing the future kings even before they have reached their peak. Good thinking!!

They are probably some of the most beautiful lions I have ever seen and have the most intense orange eyes. Awesome animals to photograph and I am sure you will see more of these guys on the Blog in future.

And as these guys are still young with no fighting behind them, that is what a lion's teeth should look like!

I look forward to see what these guys do in future and will keep you posted on the Blog as well with lots of images and updates! These are just 7 of the more than 70 lions in Madikwe so we watch with anticipation as the story unfolds!!

For now I leave you with another image of one of the Sereti males. I reckon these guys are going to be one of the main contenders for the Kings of Madikwe!

As always I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time.

Gerry

Weekly High Five #12

"Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again." ~Henri Cartier-Bresson

Photographing wildlife & nature landscapes, the above quote probably holds even more truth.

This week a few new photographers joined Photo-Africa and this meant a lot of new Wildlife images. I love seeing other photographers work as, if you think about it, we all are shooting the same subjects. Yes, you might get lucky and find yourself sitting at a waterhole as a leopard suddenly attacks a crocodile (like in a previous post) but under normal circumstances we have the same scenes and moments to work with.

It's interesting to see which moments and photographs people think are their best. I personally sometimes think I am too hard on my own work as I almost always find something 'wrong' with it. Am I missing getting certain images 'out there' because I am too critical? When you then page through a magazine like National Geographic you see that it is ok to sometimes cut off the animals ear. An image can be slightly blurred if the content shows something unique.Is their really such a thing as the perfect wildlife image?

I suppose it's normal to be super critical of your own work and that's why it's nice when people leave comments and give their input on your images. Working with Gavin and Grant is great as there are different ideas on images, different opinions and all of this leads that you think about your images more. I reckon it is very sad when a person does not want to share their images as they feel they might get criticised. The more you share, the more you learn, the more you enjoy the experience. Is it not normal to want to improve your composition? Use of light? Exposure technique? I think it is the only way to grow in your own photography.

Anyway, I am slightly off track so back to the Weekly High Five and this week the quote I started with leads us into the first image. (You will also see I have linked each photographers name to their portfolio on the Stock Site so when you are finished reading the Blog, pop over and have a look at more of the work!)

Image 1 - Duke by Denzel Edward Rogers

This is Duke. Currently the largest of the 'emerging tuskers' in the Kruger National Park and probably the world. Duke was named after a ranger, Tom Duke, who worked in the Sabie area between 1903 and 1923. As the quote said, some things cannot be brought back. The days of the truly big tuskers seem to almost be gone. The Magnificent Seven were the most famous tuskers and have been honored in various ways. Photography, I hope, is one of them and that is why I though I would include this image. The last I heard, Duke was seen with one of his tusks broken off. This is quite normal for a male elephant but if you look at the image, a very sad thing for Duke - a true beauty! For a complete list and more details on all the big tuskers - click here.

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Image 2 - Gray Heron in Flight by Edmund Fourie

The bird has been well captured but the background is quite distracting. The reason I chose this image this week is that I was sitting at Tshukudu Dam in Madikwe with Gavin and we were shooting a pair of these birds mating and flying around the dam. Very difficult. So many things to try and get right. Focus, exposure, panning along with the movement of the bird. I was happy with one or two of my images (too critical again?) Edmund did very well in capturing the bird in flight with pretty good focus. Perhaps a bit of a Gaussian blur in Photoshop might lift it a bit but I still think it is a well captured image.

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Image 3 - Red Lion by Denzel Edward Rogers

Like them or not, lions make for great photography. If you have ever sat with these great cats you will know that they have many different facial expressions. Awesome to watch. I think every guide and African wildlife photographer must have a huge amount if lion images showing the full range of behaviour. The above image is no exception and I specifically like the very wide open eyes on this male. Nice capture with the late afternoon light highlighting his eyes.

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Image 4 - Squirrels by Edmund Fourie

If you look back through the previous High Fives you might see a previous one of Denzel's Squirrel images that was featured in the High Five. This image again shows great composition, leaving a lot of the trees texture in view, and behaviour of these little animals. They are all trying to get a little bit of the early morning sun before heading out for the day. Not much more to say about this one. Perhaps it could have been a little sharper but I still think it is a great image.

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Image 5 - Lion Eye by Edmund Fourie

Not the first lion eye image that I have seen but this is pulled off very nicely. Whether a very large lens was used or the image was cropped, the detail is crisp and the placement of the eye in the frame perfect. I also like how the little black line leads your view into and towards the eye. Great image!

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Image 6 - Flying Fish Eagle by Denzel Edward Rogers

You might recall a few weeks ago we also featured a Fish Eagle in flight. Here it is again and perhaps even a better image. The details on the bird is perfect - something very difficult to capture. The colors , of what seems a late afternoon, beautiful. The only minor worry might be that the bird is almost dead centre in the frame. A very slight bit of space to the bottom left might have given it a bit more of a dynamic feel but hey - the image is great so why worry! Awesome shot and very close to my image of the week.

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Image 7 - Wild Dogs at Play by Gerry van der Walt

Endangered species at play. Again, like the quote says, not something that is going to be around for a very long time. Madikwe is known for it's Wild Dogs and if you have been reading the Blog over the last few weeks you will know that we are now waiting for the Dwarsberg Pack to bring their brand new pups out into the world for the first time. Soon. For now we still have the privilege of watching these amazing animals hunting and playing. The two youngsters in the above image was very excited after a kill that morning and provided us with lots of entertainment and photo opportunities. I love the action freeze in the image and the swish of the white tail combined with the dust at their feet also gives it a very nice dynamic feeling. My own personal favourite of the week.

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There you go - some of the newest images that has been added to the Photo-Africa Stock Library during the last week. You can visit the page to check out these and other authentic African wildlife images.

I am in the process of going through the last two weeks of images. The problem is that as soon as I almost get to the end we head out again and return with more. Gotta love this job!

As soon as I have gone through all my raw files and chosen my favourites (hopefully not too critically) I will add a few of them to the Stock Site. Cannot do them all now as the Internet out here in the bush is pretty slow. I will use and upload a lot of these images to the Blog during the next few weeks along with (hopefully) interesting stories and updates from Tuningi and Madikwe. If there are any of the images on the Blog you would like to purchase and cannot find them on the Stock Site, please email me and I will upload them for you asap! (I had an enquiry about images being used for educational purposes this week but there was no return address. Please email me again!)

I have also been thinking of doing a Photo-Blog called something like 'A Day in the Life' where I carry my little Sony T100 with me and take an image every half hour during the day to show what our everyday lives are like at Tuningi. Will get to this next week and should make for some interesting stories. In the last week I have had to rush Gizmo to the vet as he ate some anti-inflammatory tablets. Gavin, Grant and I cleaned the sewerage plant (damn!!) and then of course there is of course us chasing ellies out of the camp and other such everyday kind of activities. Should make for an interesting read so watch this space! :)

During the weekend I will upload another 'Photo Safari' which will feature many of the images I have been able to get during the last week. Make sure to check back for that one as well.

So... What is your favourite image this week? Are you also super-critical of your own work? What other stories / images would you like to see on the Blog? Leave a comment!!! (I have a lot of plans for Photo-Africa and the more comments I get on the site the better!! Come one... It's quick and easy!)

As always I look forward to hearing from you.

Until next time.

Gerry

Wildlife Images by Camera Trap

A few days ago I posted 'Five out of Five!' This post included a few highlights of one of my very few Big 5 drives one of which was of a very large male leopard that killed a fully grown zebra.

Now as leopard sightings in Madikwe are very special this scene drew a lot of attention during the few days that the leopard kept on returning to the carcass. Obviously everybody wanted to get a view of the beautiful cat and this in intself caused a lot of traffic in that particular area.

So here goes with a slightly different take on that specific sighting.

Bradley Leighton, who is one of the Photo-Africa photographers, works at Tau Game Lodge and emailed me a few of the images they were able to capture with the camera trap they set up at the carcass. This little unit captured somewhere in the region of 140 images of various animals as they passed by the camera. This is a brilliant tool for research and to view the behavior of animals in their natural environment.

Here are a few of the images the camera captured.

The leopard on his kill.

Staring at the camera in the middle of the day.

Feeding late at night.

A curious Brown Hyena checking out the camera trap.

Elephant passing by.

It would be great if we get more of these images onto the Blog and delve a bit feeper into the behavior of some of the nocturnal and skittish species. Hmmm... some interesting reseacrh / photographic articles coming up??

Thanks again to Brad and Tau Game Lodge for forwarding the images. You can view his work on Photo-Africa by clicking here. If you like this kind of thing, you can also visit the Webcam at the watering hole outside of Tau Game Lodge by clicking here.

I have the High Five images ready to go but have to get down to the lodge now. Our new guests are alomost here (large family for an 80th birthday for the whole weekend) so I will upload the weekly High Five later tonight or early tomorrow morning! Make sure to check back soon!

As always I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time.

Gerry

Angry Elephant Sequence

We have had another great few days at Tuningi. The game viewing has been fantastic!

I went out with Gavin and Grant the last few days and I have a lot of images I will be uploading to the Photo Safari Blog this week. The Sereti males with their burning orange eyes. Ditaba and Sepedi the two huge dominant male lions in Madikwe. Wild Dogs on the hunt. Grey Herons mating and flying around Tshukudu Dam. Awesome stuff.

I have a lot of images to go through and will be uploading a Blog with these images soon but in the meantime I had to upload this sequence. We found a herd of ellies close the Bush House and this specific female was not very happy with us wanting to move any further on the road! I got this sequence while Grant was reversing the vehicle as she was shaking her head at us in a show of intimidation.


I will post the images that followed the sequence as soon as I have looked through the images.

There are also a lot of new images on the Photo-Africa Stock Library so check that out as well when you have a moment. Thanks to all the guys for uploading at a furious tempo!

As always I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time.

Gerry

Why a 'Photographic Field Guide' is Important!

Photography plays a very large role during any trip to Africa. When you look at the amounts of large mammals, birds and breathtaking landscapes it is easy to see why. Absolute photographic heaven and you can see this in the fact that every single person who comes on safari with us has a camera with them 24/7!

Another very important role, something feel strongly about but will not get too carried away with now, is your Field Guide. It will absolutely make or break your safari experience. Whether it is your first time and you are just wanting to see the Big 5 or you have been on many trips to Africa and are only interested in the mating rituals of the White-Browed Sparrow Weaver, your guide will be with you every step of the way and will make or break your African exprience,

Knowledgeable, experienced, professional, passionate. Yes.

You want your guide to be all of these things but when you find someone who has all of that and is a keen photographer as well I believe you have a winner! It is extremely frustrating when you see a guide who has been in the industry for many years 'guide' his guests as they follow a lion walking through the bush and into the harsh late afternoon sunlight. Honestly, who wants an image of a lions butt that is completely underexposed and now looks like something from a 1930's horror movie.

I reckon that if your guide is a keen photographer he will combine his bush knowledge with his photographic skills to make your experience much more rewarding and offer you many more chance to capture worth while images of your trip to Africa.

I personally do not know how a guide, who is apparently passionate about what they do, cannot go out with at least a small digital camera. The life we get to live offers so many amazing sights that it should almost be a prerequisite to carry a camera - yes... I love what I do! :)

When you photography something you don't just look at something you see it. You appreciate the way the light brings out the highlights or the way a shadow colors a scene with emotion. You understand the difference a few meters can make when framing an image.

Here, in my opinion and combined with images I have captured during the last few days in Madikwe, are a few things that your 'photographic field guide' (which I will call a PFG for now to make it sound smart - please see the humor!!) will be able to add to your safari.

Getting Closer - Your PFG will understand the impact of getting frame filling images. Not only by driving right up to the animal but positioning yourself so that they come to you - with good light to boot.

Abstracts - There are so many abstract images and lines in nature and your PFG will not let these things go unnoticed.

Seeing Light - Your PFG will know when to stop,view an animal and try for that perfect shot and when the light is just not going to work.

The Small Things - There is so much more than the Big 5 and your PFG will be quick to snap away and show you the little wonders of nature.

Seeing Lines - Your PFG will see lines in the most normal of scenes. A diagonal line like the one created by the giraffes above is an example of a normal scene with that something extra.

Creating a Mood - Light, anticipation, positioning. Your PFG will be able to make sure all of these things are in place for you to not only view nature's story unfold but also the best opportunity to capture these moments on your camera.

Create Movement - By stopping and looking at what unfolds at a waterhole, your PFG will be able to help you capture a scene like the swarm of Red-Billed Queleas flying overhead. A guide who does not have a photographic eye will not always notice these moments.

Capture Moments - A moment like the above, where two endangered Wild Dogs seem to be dancing as they play around in the field is great to watch but amazing to capture. Your PFG will already be in the perfect position to capture these moments as he / she will also be attempting to capture the magic.

Capture Emotion - Anybody can take an elephant picture. Your PFG will be able to use his knowledge of the bush and combine this with a passion to try and capture something different. Something special. The image above shows emotion - a mother and her youngster sharing a tender moment.

Patience - Your PFG will understand that you have to wait for nature to paint the sky with beauty. Instead of rushing back to the lodge for another beer, your patience will be rewarded with images that reflect your trip to Africa.

Just a few random thoughts and would love to hear your comments!

It is great living out in the bush but sometimes it can be a bit difficult to upload all the images that we create due to a slightly compromised telecommunications infrastructure (read - the internet is VERY slow!) I will be uploading a couple of new images to the Photo-Africa Stock Library as the weeks go on and as soon as I go on leave I will do a large upload from an already huge and growing number of images! If there are any images on the Blog that you would like to purchase but cannot find it on the Stock Site, you can email me and I will upload the image as soon as possible! Also, if you have any requests or challenges that you would like to throw out to the Photo-Africa photographers, you can post a comment with your desired image and we will have fun on our side trying to get it for you.

The Stock Site has also grown and quite a few new photographers have signed up. In the last two days more than 50 new images have been added which includes images from Madikwe and the Sabi Sands. This week's High Five should be a great one. Click here to view all the latest images on Photo-Africa now!

As always I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time.

Gerry

Weely High Five #11

Ansel Adams said “Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have someone click the shutter.”

The above quote is something that epitomises how I sometimes feel and how I suppose many wildlife photographers feel at certain points when they are out in the field. In Africa’s wild places you find yourself surrounded by beauty, violence and a sense of expectation. There is never a dull moment.

Life here tends to balance itself out and the gentle grazing of an antelope is in stark contrast to the unbarred aggression of a lion killing a wildebeest. Even death in the wild seems to have a tranquil quality to it as nature’s story keeps repeating itself.

The richness and diversity out there means there is always a new image to capture. A new story to tell. If you have ever been on Safari you will know the feeling. Africa gets into your blood and keeps on calling you back.

It is difficult to explain it to someone who has never experienced the thrill of Africa but it’s almost as if you are surrounded by images waiting to happen all the time!! Amazing!

So with that, here goes with this week’s High Five.

Image 1 – Buffalo Fight by Grant Marcus

I think the thing that I liked about this picture is the angle of the two buffalos and the fact that you can see the eye perfectly on the closest one. The eyes make an animal come alive in the image and I think this is what caught my eye on this on.

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Image 2 – Buffalo Drinking by Grant Marcus

This image is definitely worth a look in a larger size. The repetition of the buffalo horns make it work. What would have made it even better is if the wind was not blowing and you could get the reflection of all the buffaloes bin the water as well. Nice use of repetition to create an interesting line in the image.

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Image 3 – Full Frame Flora by Warren David Diack

Africa has lots of small things to offer as well and one way of showing that is to fill the frame. This is a great example and the splashes of colour and little white tips in the middle draw your view to the centre of the image. Nice, sharp macro and well captured. Can’t wait for summer so we can all get back to capturing the world we sometimes miss. Insects, flowers, etc.

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Image 4 – Golden Wild Dog by Matt Jones

Great colors in this one. A very difficult image to try and meter for and sometimes one gets lucky with these ones. The dog looking back at you gives it a nice personal quality and the only thing I might have changed is to bump up the contrast a little bit – just to get a slightly more definite line around the edges but the images work very well as is.

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Image 5 – Rock Fig Roots by Craig Muller

A very interesting image which keeps your attention while you try and figure out what it actually is. I still think there are so many beautiful images out in nature that we sometimes drive or walk by and this shows what can be done when you keep your eyes open. The two earthy colors also work well together. This is another of those images that can lead us on to the discussion, which I am sure I will cover at some stage, of Wildlife & Nature photography moving into the realm of Fine Art photography. Well spotted scene and great resulting image.

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Image 6 – Peace Talks by Matt Jones


As mentioned previously Wildlife photography is not always about getting all the technical aspects perfectly correct, even though we strive for it all the time. The essence of what we do is to try and capture those ‘moments’ in nature that make us talk about it around the fire that evening or create an image that shows the true heart of nature. For me this is one of those. The image tells a story. Beautiful moment and my favourite this week!

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Leave a comment and tell me which is your favourite!

If you would like to view more of the latest images or purchase any of this week’s High Five images you can visit the Photo-Africa Stock Library.

To end of this week I thought I would include some images that Gavin emailed me. I do not know who took these images or where it was taken but it made me smile as the email was called “Africa is not for sissies”

There you go. Not something we see every day!

It has been quite a busy few weeks and I am only know starting to work through all my raw images of the last few weeks. I will hopefully be adding some of my new work to the Stock site soon but I will keep on updating the blog with interesting images and stories as they come up.

With the tyre-eating lions in mind I am going to leave you with a quote from Brian Jackman :

“Everything in Africa bites, but the Safari bug is the worst of all".

As always I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time!

Gerry

Five out of Five!

Just when you think it could not get any better you get an evening like this. Going to try and give the shortened version...

After having found almost all of the Big Five, Wild Dog and Black Rhino my very lucky guests and I headed out to find the one animal that still eluded us. Grant was still taking a few days off and decided to come along to take a few pictures. Looking back now... a very good decision!

The drive started off with us driving into breeding herd of more than 30 elephants. Great sighting as the grey ghosts of the bush walked towards us with the sun playing on the large grey canvas. The majority of them passed behind us as the disappeared quietly into the think treeline but a few of the young males decided to come and eat right in front of and on the side of our vehicle. Awesome sighting. (Probably going to say that quite a few times in this post.) Grant got a few images of the young guys dusting themselves and the guests, whom by now have seen a lot of ellies, enjoyed being with the youngsters and watching them up close.

As we moved on we were quite happy to just bumble our way along to the dam where we were hoping to find the large herd of buffalo. We then bumped into the three Sereti brothers. These males are around 4 years old and absolutely beautiful. The sun was still a little akward and sharp but this did not stop us from making the most of the chance to photograph these beautiful animals.

Even more happy to slowly make our way to the dam we bumbled along and stopped to watch the millions of Red-Billed Queleas as they continued with their late afternoon ballet in the sky. It is amazing how these little birds don’t bump into each other as they mimic a great cloud of smoke.

We sat for quite a while watching, not know what would happen next.As we approached Tlou dam we heard the Buffalo was busy leaving the water so we took a little link road that would hopefully take us right to where they were heading. Perfect timing as about 2 minutes later we found ourselves in the middle of a herd of buffalo about 100 strong. Photography was a little bit difficult as by now it was already pitch dark and we were using the spotlight to view the animals all around us. Being part of nature and getting so close is what it is all about. Having the animals look t you, accept you and carry on with their normal activities. Awesome!

So we decided to move towards the water where we bumped into 5 White Rhino as they all milled around the water. They were just as relaxed and again it felt like we are a part of their world rather than being observers.

Surely this was enough and it was now time to move on. What are the chances of finding the ever elusive leopard and get a glimpse of this beautiful cat.

Apparently our chances were quite good!

A few days ago a rather large male leopard killed a zebra right next to one of the roads. Since then people have been popping into the area every now and then with only the occasional sighting. What we found however blew our minds!

We edged towards the kill and there was one of the largest males I have ever seen feeding on his kill.

This was no ordinary leopard sighting as he was extremely relaxed and seemed to also accept us as a part of his world. We all sat in complete awe of the beautiful spectacle that was unfolding right in front of us. No photography was also quite tricky as we had to contend with the spotlight but we all made the most of it and both Grant and I will hopefully be uploading quite a few more of the images to the Stock Library soon. We also got a short video clip of the male feeding which I will hopefully load onto YouTube soon and link to this Blog.

A Big Five Drive. Brilliant! Just when you thought it could not get bet any better and the fact that all the animals made you feel a part of the African story is what made it really special.

I could have turned this into a marathon post, and will probably refer back to it again, but I need to get going for this mornings drive so for now will leave you with a great quote from Sir Ian Maccallum which is exactly what you feel like after a day like today!

““Welcome home to your wild origins. Learn whatever you can from our animals, our wild coastlines and landscapes and from those who have identified themselves with this continent. Africa can teach you a lot about who you are and your place in the world. But you must come soon, before it’s too late.”

Check back soon for this week’s High Five.

As always I look forward to hearing from you!

Gerry

Photo Safari #1

There really is nothing that quite like leaving the comforts of the lodge early in the morning to see what surprises waits around the corner as you wind your way along the dusty roads of Madikwe.

It has been great to be back in the bush. It has also been great to see and experience all the things that you recall only as memories after being away from the African action for a while and the best part of it - it's better than you remember!

As you may know Adele and I are now working at Tuningi Safari Lodge and we already feel at home. Even though it is still very cold in the bush we have had a very warm reception and we look forward to where this new adventure will lead us. (Think I need to write a book on all our travels one day...)

As we started slightly out of what should be the normal working cycles (normally it's work for 6 weeks get 2 weeks off) there has been three guides at the lodge. This meant that I could ride shotgun with Gavin and Grant and have the chance to take pics without having to worry about whether the female elephant is actually going to turn over our vehicle. We will be doing this until the 20th when Grant and Monique goes on leave at which point all the leave cycles and working rosters will be in place.

So as promised, here are a few of the images, in a kind of a photographic type of style, from my last few days back in Madikwe. It has lived up to everything we remembered and more!

The first morning I went out with Grant we found this Ground Squirrel's nest. There must have been about 6 of them caught between the overwhelming urge to get some of the early morning sun and hiding from potential prey. Nice sighting and shows the beauty of the 'smaller things' in the bush!

That afternoon we found this breeding herd of elephant at Tlou Dam which is one of the few water sources around at this time of year. As always we kept an eye out for the females with their youngsters and on this particular afternoon this habit was justified.

She was not 100% convinced about us and her repeated charges made us move about 30 meters in reverse. Must admit, I was impressed by the way Grant took pictures and reversed at the same time!! (Read Grant's Blog on this as well!)

She stopped a few meters from the front of our vehicle, gave us a good look and then went off after another vehicle - sorry Mike! :) Always a rush and I am quite happy with the way the images came out!

Great day out! Grant got to take a few days off so I went out this morning with some of the new guests at Tuningi. They have been unbelievably lucky!! After their first three drives, they have another 5 to go, they have seen all of the Big 5 except for Buffalo, Wild Dog and Black Rhino! Crazy stuff but brilliant for photography!

I decided to head South to try and relocate the two male lions Grant wrote about in his previous Blog. ON our way we found two Black Rhino about 200 meters off-road. It was one of the burnt areas so we could not go off to far but I still liked the combination of color with the gray giant in the middle of the scene.

As we made our way from the Rhino I heard on the radio that someone had audio of the Wild Dogs. Now you will recall that they are currently denning on the hills in the middle of the reserve so for us to find them when they 'descend from above' is quite something! We went into the area and found the whole pack, minus the brand new pups, in a dried up pan where they have just finished killing and eating an impala. We found ourselves surrounded by Wild Dogs with the youngsters (from last years litter) running around and playing with each other all over the place. Brilliant stuff!! I must have taken around 100 images, which I still have to check through and upload to the stock site, but here are a few of the ones that immediately caught my eye.

Was great to see the youngsters play with each other. They would jump up, like in the image above, and then just take off again and run like their lives depended on it.

In between all of the playing, the youngsters would pick up a leftover piece of the kill and run around with it. Almost exactly like your dog at home running away from you with a toy. Amazing to watch!

This looks quite aggressive but nit quite the case. The young dogs were playing and I was shooting at about 6 frames per second (one of the features I love most on my Nikon D300) and this was one of the resulting images. Great action capture! Can't wait to look through the rest of the images! (Amanda - you would have loved the 15 minutes we spent with the Wild Dogs!)

This afternoon I did not get to capture any images as we spent the entire time looking for the Thola Mateya lions. No luck, but on the way home we got a brief glimpse of Podile, a very relaxed female leopard in the South. Not long enough to get an image, but great moment none the less.

So there you go. A few highlights, in photographic safari style, of the last two days. Our idea is to upload a Blog like this at least once a week which will features highlights and images of the drive and walks we have done at Tuningi. If you enjoy this kind of thing, make sure to visit often or subscribe to receive the Blog via email as soon as it gets published. You might also want to check out the following three books that have been self-published by Gavin, Grant and myself.

A Photographic Safari - by Gavin Tonkinson

Madikwe's Animals Through My Lens - by Grant Marcus

Africa's Big 5: A Close Up View - by Gerry van der Walt

To find out more or order your own copy you can click on any of the above three images. I am also in the process of compiling a 'Best of Photo-Africa 2008' for release later this year so make sure to check back often!

As with all images on the Blog you can visit the Photo-Africa Stock Library to view more images or purchase the images for personal, commrecial or editorial use.

As always I look forward to hearing from you.

Until next time!

Gerry

Some Eventfull Days with the Elephants in Madikwe

Before I start with my elephant story I would just like to welcome Gerry and Adele at Tuningi (I know it is a bit late but hey...) especially from our manager Heidi and from your "Professional" field guide colleagues myself and Gavin, yes you read correctly I used "THAT" word !

Well back to the main story. Gerry joined me one afternoon on the drive not to learn the roads..............to take photos, what did you guys think Everything started of a bit quite,then we arrived at Tlou dam and saw a breeding herd in the distance, they were really in no hurry to come to the dam. We decided to leave the dam in pursuit of some other animals. But one could see those ellies were not acting normal so we decided to wait a while..............a while past and again decided to leave. Just as we got of the dam wall the ellies wanted to cross to the western side and off course we waited for them, you are not going to argue with an angry 3,5 ton female roadblock:) All the elephants stood on the eastern side of the road all in a big bundle with one male at the back busy scratching where it doesn't itch. So we thought it was the bull upsetting them like that. From no where one female came from the back and started chasing us so I put the cruiser in reverse and camera in the one hand, I just thought I had to get the shot, so while reversing my finger was clicking away, she chased us for about 20-30 m. and then stopped.




The whole herd turned around and crossed. Unfortunately for the Nkurru vehicle they got chased as well by the same female. That is one thing about female elephants when they get upset by the first vehicle the second vehicle they come across get it in double glory !

Today at the lodge we had almost all the ellies in Madikwe at the lodge even one big bull decided that the trees inside the camp were better looking then the ones outside and walked through the gate like he does it every day ! What a cheek ? We chased him out and believe me he wasn't happy with the humans at Tuningi !

Gavin and myself went down to little Tuningi's swimming pool to see the ellies drink from the pool, it was great fun. They did not even mind us being there on the deck and that close to them. It is really an amazing feeling to share the space with such a big animal. All the big females could reach the pool with their trunks, the little ones had a bit of a struggle. They normally come and drink at the pool in the winter, we don't really see them here in the summer because of all the water in the bush during the rainy season. Most of the big females had a drink first then came the subordinate females. We could see how the level of the pool dropped rapidly as they drank. In elephant society there is a matriarch leading them and she is in charge of all the decisions the herd has to make. She also leads them to water and as soon as she had enough she left and we could see how the others rushed their drink to follow her.

Luckily we have a fence around the lodge because the ellies have caused quite a bit of damage at one of our neighbouring lodges. Elephants have the ability to smell water under ground inside the pipes. They then start digging and pull the pipe out like it is a game. Well it is not so much fun for the managers at the lodge, but hey you got to love them.......!!

Till next time

Grant

New boyz in the hood !!

Till now the Batia brothers had the Southwestern territory all to themselves. A month or so back two other male lions moved down from the east looking for new territory and females to take over. There timing couldn't have been better because some of the Tshabala females are in oestrus. A while back I was driving in south and saw these two males in the prime of their lives they are called the Tsholo Mateya males one is light maned and the other one is dark maned.

Only one thing looked out of place with the whole scene, the one male's eye was almost removed with probably a claw from the contender.Then I realized that they definitely had a round with the Batias. From that day I never saw the Batias down in that area again. It will be sad to see the Batias been kicked out or killed, because they are still the legends of madikwe, but they had more then there innings and it is time for new blood to come in.

On the 3rd of July we left the lodge early around 6:00 am. Driving around thinking it was going to be a quite morning.....................All of a sudden the two Tsholo Mateya males walked down the road like two gladiators ready for the big fight. They were spraying almost every 15 m. next to the road. Every now and then they were giving full blow roars to let the Batias know they are coming. It was the first time they came up so far north. We were following them with great expectations thinking that we were going to see the fight of the century. To see the behaviour of male lions competing against other males are amazing they look so brave and strong, just the way they walk down the road with meaning to kill and destroy. When they were roaring the echoing through the valley was almost deafening.


All of a sudden with no warning the Batias replied with even more ground trembling roars the Tsholo Matyeas realized the game was on. To our surprise they froze for about 5 seconds, turned around and retreated to where they came from, ears back and almost crouched down they ran away like two scared kittens. The expression on their faces told the whole strory ! It was still amazing to see these magnificent apex predators operate when they are after something they want so badly !

Three days later I saw the Batias mating with the females ( previous blog on Batias mating ). Even at +- 15 years of age they still have it in them to chase the other males off with only a powerful roar. The Tsholo Matyeas might be in the prime of their lives, but The Batias have got live experience and much more battle experience. So nothing can be taken away from them. The Batias are still worthy advisories. I end with something that Derek Joubert said " I do not know how someone can put these magnificent animals in a sight of a gun and still sleep at night"

Till next time

Grant

( This morning myself, Gerry and Gavin tracked the big boys on foot, when we found them they were with the females looking really tired as if they are ready to go but they still look fine and alive as ever. They did not even give us a mock charge as they always do if I recall correctly they are normally some of the worse lions to walk. But I take my hat of to these magnificent cats. )

Weekly High Five #10

It is great to be back in the bush. It is about a month now since Adele and I were in Madikwe and I was amazed to see how dry it has become in that time.

Combine all the browns and dull greens with the black areas that have been burnt and you end up with quite a few ‘morbid’ looking areas. Fire is a natural and very important part of every ecosystem and I understand why it is vital to do block burning every couple of years but the first impression, after having last seen the bush very lush and green, is almost one of disappointment. If you think a bit further this feelings quickly changes. Apart from the fact that when the first rains come we are going to have many beautiful green areas attracting large amounts of grazers which in turn will draw the animals with nails and big teeth as well!

The burnt areas also now creates a whole different atmosphere which you can attempt to capture along with striking images of animals like zebra contrasting with the black background. Very different and a nice photographic challenge during the next few months until the rains come again to breathe fresh life into the African bushveld.

Another thing that struck me immediately is how the previously dense, thick bush has become very sparse and open. From a game viewing point of view this is great as your visual range into the bush has increased dramatically and for the next few months we will hopefully get a lot of great sightings which will lead to many chances to create images that show Africa at it’s best!

So on that note, here goes with this week’s High Five which includes images from lions to ducks and great captures of the African sky.

Image 1 – Sun Through Clouds by Craig Muller


This image shows that there is more to the African sky than mind-blowing sunsets. Keep your eyes open and shoot whatever creates an emotion and you will get images like this. This is quite an interesting image to meter for as you have to keep in mind that the silver lining is the focus and you don’t want to overexpose it so that it burns out completely. Beautiful image.

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Image 2 – Lion Reflection by Mat Jones

Lions. Gotta love them. The lions, especially the female, are placed perfectly on the power points (Rule of Thirds) while the lines of the dam is made up out of a few combined diagonals that draws your view to her face in the water. Great scene and well composed.

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Image 3 – Flying Shellduck by Grant Marcus

Awesome capture of the pair of ducks. Not something you can always plan for when composing bird images but the combination of one wing up and one wing down on the two birds creates a very nice balance to the image. The two ducks are placed in a way that creates a dynamic, diagonal line through the images which then compliments the movement towards the right of the frame. Grant hit this one on the head with sharpness as well. When you view the images at full size you can see all the detail including the water still on the head of the duck on the left. Very well captured bird image!

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Image 4 – Grass Silhouette by Craig Muller

The silhouette shot is almost perfect. The sun is placed in the perfect position in the frame, the grass is crisp and sharp and even includes little bits of orange on the stem. It is interesting to play around with where you meter from in images like this. It is very easy to blow the image highlights by metering on an area which is too dark but in this image it was done perfectly. Initially I thought the blurred shapes on the right detracts from the scene but on second thought they are blurred sufficiently to balance the image out. This is a great image for a pc desktop or large print on canvas. Great image.

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Image 5 – Lion Fight Abstract by Grant Marcus

The image shows two female lions having a go at each other and you can see the intensity through the combination of blurred motion. The colors, which adds to the drama, shows that it must have been early in the morning or late afternoon, a time that is normally difficult to capture sharp images. Lesson in here – never stop shooting. Bump up your ISO, pan along with the action and you can come up with images like this. Also never delete images while in the field. I spoke to Grant and he said he only liked the images when he viewed it on his pc back at the lodge. I am very glad he did not delete it from his camera. Awesome action capture and easily my personal favourite this week.

It is great to look back at all the previous High Five posts and see the different images being uploaded. Just goes to show how diverse nature is – beautiful! To view or purchase any of these, and other, images you can visit the Photo-Africa Stock Library.

On another note, and hopefully something that will be featured through images in the upcoming months, the Dwarsberg Pack of Wild Dog in Madikwe which is already 15 strongm has denned and we are now waiting for the first signs of the new pups. They have chosen their den site up on Tswene Tswene, the highest point in Madikwe which makes it inaccessible by vehicle. Like rock stars they come down from their home up on the hill to make an appearance as they go hunting and then just as quickly disappear back up to feed the pups. Sightings of Africa’s most endangered carnivore is always special but when you add a few brand new puppies to the mix and it just raises the ‘cute’ factor and you get to witness absolute magic. Watch this space for some of the first images of the new additions to Madikwe’s Wild Dog population!

As always I look forward to hearing your thoughts and which image you like most.

Until next time.

Gerry