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