Before we get going with this month’s free wallpaper downloads, a big thanks to Brendon Cremer for his guest post yesterday.  I am sure you will agree – that is about as good a leopard photography gets!  Truly spectacular photographs!  Thanks for sharing!  Make sure to go and check out Brendon’s site for to view more of his work.

Next week Thursday we do it all again as another amazing photography shares their work with us in guest post Thursday!

Right, it might be a few days late but here goes with this month’s free wallpaper downloads.

This month features a golden lioness, an elephant eye, an abstract shadow and a pair of hippo.  All of these subjects have been photographed in the wild.  No cages.  No zoos.  This is real wildlife photography.  You can download the images in two sizes.  The large version of each image is sized to 2560 x 1600 and the smaller version 1280 x 800.

Hope you enjoy!

September 2010 – Wallpaper #1

I photographed this lioness a few mornings as she paused for a second to let the rest of the pride pass her by.  To me this image is all about light, golden morning light.  The out of focus lion in the background also gives it more ‘interest’ than if she was all on her own.  To download the large version simply click on the image or click here for the small version.

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September 2010 – Wallpaper #2

I featured this image on the blog a few days ago in a post called ‘Why Do It?‘.  Nothing more to say really.  If you are happy for an elephant to keep an eye on you all month long this one’s for you.  To download the large version simply click on the image or click here for the small version.

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September 2010 – Wallpaper #3

Something different and more abstract.  This image shows the abstract shadow of a dead leadwood tree in the rippling water of a dam in Madikwe.  Did not see much game that day but if you look around there are always images around.  To download the large version simply click on the image or click here for the small version.

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September 2010 – Wallpaper #4

This image, by Kerry de Bruyn, shows two hippo in the water.  No doubt about the subject in this one.  Nice clean background and the eye contact makes it work.  To download the large version simply click on the image or click here for the small version.

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Please feel free to share these images with your friends and family and take a moment to let me know which one is your favorite!

It is amazing how much has happened the last few weeks and there is a whole lot more to come.  2011 is gonna be a big one!

Oh yeah, might have an exciting announcement towards the end of next week so make sure to pop in.  This is something I have been wanting to do for a while but more details later.  All I will say at this stage is photography meets conservation!

Have a great weekend.  See you on the flip side!

Gerry

Game Reserves that are inadequate in size to hold most big cats such as lion and cheetah, show evidence that they are occupied by leopard but the animals themselves are seldom seen.  This secrecy is their best defence against humans and other potential dangers.

There is no larger predator as elusive and shy as the leopard.  For many locals and travellers from abroad, the only memory of seeing a leopard is a blurry, fleeting image of the animal crossing a game park.  For others that are fortunate to visit the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, leopard sightings are frequent and abundant.

The Sabi Sands Game Reserve is the oldest private game reserve in South Africa being formed in 1934.  The reserve is part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, one of the largest conservations areas in Southern Africa.  It has only ever been a wilderness area creating a diverse eco system encompassing a number of species including the Big 5 (lion, elephant, rhino, and buffalo).

The 65 000 hectare / 153 000 acre reserve shares a 50km / 31.25 mile unfenced border with the world renowned Kruger National Park.  This immense area’s game viewing is second to none – nowhere in South Africa will one find a wildlife experience like the one experience in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve.

The Sabi Sand Game Reserve has been the base for most of my photography, with the reserve being particularly abundant with leopards, one of my great passions.  There are a number of leopards in the reserve that we could call “habituated”, meaning simply there are some individuals that are used to vehicles and do not feel threatened by them.

This behaviour is however due to consistent, respectful and considerate behaviour on the part of the people driving in the reserve.

Habituated animals are more commonly found in private game reserves.  In these reserves, vehicles are out on game drives daily, thereby creating a great deal of exposure to the animals.  It is thanks to this process that I have been privileged to be able to experience first-hand these otherwise elusive creatures whilst they go about their business, paying us no heed whatsoever.

Being able to spend extended time with these animals has enabled me to capture and share with you the images in this article.

I hope you enjoyed viewing my images as much as I did capturing them!

“Photography is the most powerful conservation tool on the planet”

Brendon Cremer

Brendon’s Links:

- Website: Bush Fanatix Photography
- Facebook: Bush Fanatix Facebook Group
- Website: Sabi Sands Game Reserve

Oryx

Namib-Naukluft National Park, 30 October 2008, 10h32

Nikon D300, Sigma 28-200 @ 135mm, 1/640, f/8, ISO 200

(Click thumbnail for larger view)

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Two day ago I went on about photographing other animals than just the Big 5.

I photographed this Oryx in Namibia a few years ago and, even though it is not one of the Big 5, it’s probably more a part of the area than any of Africa’s other large mammals.  These guys are stunning!

When you go out photographing wildlife it is worth speaking to guides or checking up which animals are the main ‘attraction’ of the area.  Big 5 or not, putting an animal in it’s recognizable environment can do wonders to your images.

I will be heading back to the Namib-Naukluft in October next year as a part of a photographic safari  Cannot wait to get out there and have another go at photographing these amazing animals in their natural environment.  Why not come along?

Tomorrow see the return of guest blogger Thursday and for the first guest post of September I am very pleased to introduce Brendon Cremer.

Brendon began his career as a Professional Guide, over a decade ago, he never knew he would find another way to express his love for nature, her wildlife & her beauty… until he picked up a camera.  Having spent most of his career in some well known reserves in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia & South Africa, his passion for wildlife and photography has only but grown and tomorrow he shares some of images with us.

I will be back on Friday so make sure to pop in then to download your free desktop wallpapers for September 2010!

Bye 4 now!

Gerry

Surely, this has got to be one of the most seen elephant close ups.  Click on the thumbnail for a larger view just to make sure.

So why click the shutter?  Why post it?

Well, a couple of reasons really.

- It was a great sighting.
- Loved the look he gave us.
- Light was pretty.
- I was discussing composition with another photographer.
- The image is a great example of visual mass.
- I needed an image like this for an upcoming workshop.
- It’s what I love to do.

The last reason on that list is probably the most important of the lot.

What about you?

Why do you pick up your camera?  Why do you click the shutter?

Every once in a while it is a good to idea to just forget all the other reasons, whatever they might be, and just photograph something because you love to do it!

See you tomorrow.

Gerry

Unfortunately, from a wildlife photography point of view it seems to be.  Many years of tourism and travel marketing has left us all so enamored with the Big 5 and rightfully so.  They are what makes an African safari unique.

It it was makes us want to go back again and again.

It is what creates the magic.

The reality however, is that most of the animals you will see in the wild places of Africa are not part of the Big 5.

Wildebeest.  Impala.  Zebra.

These are the animals that fill the time between elephant and rhino sightings.

These are the animals that the lions and leopard feed on.

Photographically speaking there is a whole lot more to African wildlife than just the Big 5.

Yeah, yeah I know.  Must sound rather hypocritical right?  How can I say that if the last few posts have included nothing but the Big 5?

The truth is that I love photographing lions,  leopard and the other big guys.

Why?

Perhaps it’s because even when people see a mediocre image of a lion cub they think it is fantastic.  Even a slightly out of focus leopard image gets more attention than a great impala photograph.

Why not set yourself a challenge?

Focus on creating interesting, compelling and striking images of the general game you see all the time on safari.  ALong with that of the Big 5!

I am not referring to thousands of wildebeest crashing through a croc infested river but rather the single wildebeest grazing in a field.  A small group of impala on the edge of a tree-line.  A few zebra curiously staring at you as you stop close to them.

Creating images of these animals also tells an African story.

Creating images of these animals completes the full safari picture.

Creating images of these animals – that’s the challenge.

See ya tomorrow!

Gerry

This is not intentional at all.  You see, when I sit down to write a blog one of two things happen.  I either have an idea of what I want to write about and then choose an image to go with it or I browse through my images, find something that catches my attention and then hope i can find something to say about it.

Last week happened to feature almost only rhino images as it just so happened that we spent a lot of time photographing them so they made it to the blog.  During these shoots most of the conversation with Andy Biggs and Grant Marcus tended to focus on what we were shooting so that also helped me choose topics for blog posts.

This week was slightly different.  When I am guiding, not photographic guiding, I do not always have the opportunities to choose my subjects or wait for the shot.  This will depend largely on the guests I have on the vehicle and during the last week it seems that lions were the norm.  I suppose that’s just how it goes.

For the next two weeks I will be out there with a few very keen photographers which means I will have much more time and freedom to dictate the kind of images I get.  Sometimes you have to wait.  Sometimes you have to move around.  As long as people understand the goal – it’s all good!

This is the exact same reason I am very excited about the photographic safari I will be leading next year.  The freedom to shoot what I want to shoot and assist other photographers in getting the shots they want.  All from the luxury and privacy of our own lodges and private vehicles.  I have just released the details for two of these safaris and you can view more info on each by using the following links:

- Masai Mara & Lake Nakuru
- Wild Dogs of Madikwe

Apart from working with some great photographers I am looking forward to sharing some amazing moments out in Africa with new friends and keen photographers.  Exciting time ahead!

I will be releasing details of more safaris during the next few days which includes destinations such as Kenya, Namibia and Botswana.

As they say – watch this space!

Have a good weekend.  See ya on the flip side!

Gerry

The difficulty is to tell your story in one frame.  How do you include everything in just one frame?

Most of the time it is virtually impossible to tell the whole story in one single photograph.  You will normally have to choose a single theme, mood or emotion for an image.  Choose one feature of your subject to show your viewers.

Think about it, you go on safari for the first time and snap away hundreds of frames of lions and elephants.  You get home and now your friends and family have to sit through hundreds of images that, well, all look pretty similar.  The painful ordeal could probably be likened to your family making you sit through home movies of little Jimmy kicking a ball for the first time or Auntie Audrey washing the dishes.  Might have been great when you were there but not really something other people want to see.

So why not use more than one image to tell you story?

By taking three, or more, images of you  subject you can create a much more complete story.  Generally your story telling images will be like the parts of a movie or book.

- You introduce your subject.  Set the scene
- You get closer to the subject.
- You end off the story.

This approach will not only help you think about your images, always a good thing, but it will give you a much better platform from which to share your photographs with people.

The following three images were all taken one afternoon as we were following a young male lion through Madikwe.  The whole episode was pretty uneventful and the highlight was some interesting light as the young male showed us a nice Flehmen grimace.  But that was about that.

In order for me to show my one specific image, the meat of my story, I added an intro and ending to my story by first setting the scene and then finishing the whole thing off.

My story goes as follows:

The Intro.  Set the scene.  Introduce the subject.

The Story.  Show the subject up close.  This is the image I wanted to share.

The End.  Wrap up the story with a simple image.

Even an ordinary scene like this one can make for an interesting visual story.  Choose your most important image and give it an intro and an ending. It will also make it easier for you to remember the moments you had on your photo safari and share your stories with your friends and family back home.

Does a visual story only have to consist of three image?  Absolutely not!  If you are lucky enough to witness some of the amazing action scenes that an African photographic safari can offer your story could consist of 10 or more images.  However many images it takes – tell your story!

With August heading to a close, next week sees the return of guest blogger Thursday.  I already have some great photographers lined up so make sure to stay tuned!

I’ll see you tomorrow.  Go out there and tell a story!

Gerry

Leopard Cub

Madikwe Game Reserve, 28 December 2007, 17h53

Nikon D50, Sigma 50-500 @500m, 1/500, f/6.7, ISO 800

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The leopard is definitely the holy grail of African wildlife photography.

I photographed the above youngster a few years ago and as I was looking through an image for this post it caught my eye.  The look in the young cat’s eyes.  The empty space on the left   The foot in the corner of the image.

Working in Madikwe I have not had a lot of great chances to photograph leopard.  Gonna have to put together a trip to the lowveld soon!

Remember you can click on the thumbnail for a larger view.

Busy day.  Time to dash.

See ya tomorrow!

Gerry

All too often we get so stuck on finding a subject that we forget all about what’s behind it.

I have had many times out in the field when we sat watching a sky, a reflection in the water or just a beautiful African landscape.  The only thing missing?  A great subject.

The background, and foreground, you choose for your subjects will have a huge impact on your final images.  The color, texture and sharpness of the background will all impact the visual strength of your images.

Check out the following two examples.

This image shows the large male in a very green setting.  Summertime in the African bush can be very lush which will make for very ‘fresh’ looking backgrounds in your images.

Same lion.  Six months later.  Less than a kilometer from the above setting.

Little more dull yeah?

For now let’s look past the fact that the first image has more eye contact, a better angle and much better composition all over and focus on the rest of the frame.

In the first image the green gives a feeling of nature and freshness.  Kind of a summer color if you will. A happy color.  The dusty brown in the second image gives a distinctly autumn feeling.  Not really a happy color.  Imagine the top image with the background of the bottom image?  Just not the same.

So which one is right?

Neither!

There is no right or wrong.

The choice is yours.

This post is purely designed to show you the difference the color of your background can make.  And we are not even looking at how the sharpness of the background or distracting elements can influence your images.  Next time you are out looking through the viewfinder take a second to scan the areas around your subject.

Check your backgrounds!  It will make a difference.

See ya tomorrow.

Gerry

Scarred Lion

Madikwe Game Reserve, 21 August 2010, 10h23

Nikon D300, Nikon 80-200 @ 200mm, 1/3200, f/5, ISO 320, -2/3 EV

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No matter how many times you see it, a male lion in the wild is truly a spectacular sight.

From a photography point of view, a large male lion also ranks right up there with the most sought after subjects on safari.

The size.  The attitutude.  Magnificent.

Even though I have thousands of lion portraits I just cannot resist the big cats.  The slight tilt of the head and the eyes staring to the side make for a classic close up portrait.  What is he looking at?

It was already quite late in the day so for this image I decided to underexpose in order not too loose the details in the highlights on the lion’s face and give it the image a slightly more dramatic feel.

I didn’t quite see this image as monochrome when I clicked the shutter but when I opened it in Lightroom I changed my mind.  The color version definitely worked but after staring at both a color and black & white version I felt that monochrome was the way to go!  The cat’s dark mane balances the light from the right of the frame perfectly and I added a slight brown tone for a more vintage feel.

Big cats.  Gotta love em!

See ya tomorrow.

Gerry