Is this is a good image?

Nikon D3s, Nikon 200-400mm VRII @ 400mm, 1/640, f/6.3, ISO 320

I would like to think so.

To me this image shows the viewer just a small bit of the chaos that takes place during a river crossing in the Masai Mara.  There are implied diagonal lines, nice contrast and a wildebeest in the bottom left corner that is a focal point in the action packed frame.

On our recent photo expedition to Kenya we were lucky enough to see a lot of river crossings which gave all our photographers a lot of opportunities to try and photograph this truly unique natural phenomenon.

Later this week I will be doing a blog post on what went through my mind as I photographed these dramatic scenes, hopefully giving you some advise when you next head out out into the field, and after the first couple of crossings I was picking the shots I wanted.

Considering the emotional scenes and chaotic nature of the scene I was pleasantly surprised and very chuffed that I could focus, photographically speaking, and get the shots I wanted.

But…

When faced with such a unique natural spectacle, do you have to be a good photographer to capture the scene?

Not necessarily.

You see, a few of the photographers in our group did not have high end equipment and their Kenyan adventure was as much about learning how to become a better photographer as about experiencing one of the last great wildlife occurences on the planet.

And you know what?

Every single one of them walked away with absolutely stunning images!

I would like to think that it is because of the information, guidance and advise Andrew and I were able to provide.  It’s also about the people taking the time to learn, share and grow their own photography with a like-minded group of people but there’s more to it than that.

Our group of photographers were, at the end of the trip looking for images.  Looking for specific scenes.  They moved past being lucky to actually shooting with a goal in mind.

I think that anybody with a camera can get lucky when faced with a great wildlife sighting.

Yeah, anybody.

I have said it before – a good wildlife sighting does not necessarily make for a good wildlife photographic opportunity.

You need to look at the scene, make a decision and then create an image based on a specific goal.

The catch is to repeat it again. And again. And again.

The catch is to start looking for the shots that you want.

Start seeing them.

Waiting for them.

Nikon D700, Nikon 600mm VR, 1/1600, f/4, ISO 200

After watching my first two crossings I knew that the younger wildebeest are much more likely to take a running jump into the river so all I had to do was to keep my eyes open, lock onto a youngster and, knowing that I had my camera settings correct, fire away.

This image was not a result of luck.

So, the goal is to see images in your mind, look for them and then capture them.

Where a lot, and I mean a LOT, of photographers fall flat is to not go out into the field with an idea of the kind of images they want to create.  They just shoot whatever they see, even if it not a great photographic sighting, and then sift through the photographic carnage to find am image they can post online.

Not the way to do it.

Yeah, I know that in this post from a week or so ago I said that you should not go out with preconceived ides when you are heading out with your camera but this is different.

You need to, when faced with a sighting, have an idea of what you want to do with the scene or subject in front of you.

Is it worth photographing?  If so, what is your photographic goal?

Do you just want to have proof that you did in fact see that leopard?  Then use your iPhone.

If you are looking at creating a specific image, based on what you see in front of you, make sure you know what you are hoping to create.  Don’t just shoot for the sake of shooting.

Shoot with a goal in mind.

It could be anything.

A moment of action frozen in time.

An abstract view of nature.

A stunning animal portrait.

Nikon D700, Nikon 200-400mm VRII @ 400mm, 1/800, f/5, ISO 640

If you are photographing wildlife in a haphazard type of way and you simply shoot what nature presents you, whether it is a photographic moment or not, you need to reassess your photographic goals.

I believe that a lot of photographers are scared to do this because it will challenge them to change the way they approach their photography and, like in life, people do not like change.

The truth is that anybody can get lucky and yeah, it is great when that happens but the question you have to ask yourself out in the field is “What kind of photographs do I want to create?”

If you cannot answer that question you need to ask yourself “Why am I doing this?”

In the last week I asked myself both of these questions, in reverse order, and believe me – the moment you can confidently answer those questions your photography will start improving because you photographic vision will be clear.

When you then next look at one of your images you don’t have to wonder, deep down inside, whether you were lucky to get the shot or whether you nailed the image that you wanted – you’ll know.

Until next time.

Gerry van der Walt 

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Drinking Leopard

Nikon D3s, Nikon 70-200mm VR II @ 200mm, 1/640, f/2.8, ISO 5000

Until next time.

Gerry van der Walt 

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Welcome to May!

It’s the beginning of another month which means it’s time for this month’s free desktop wallpaper downloads!

As always, each of the three wallpapers are available in two sizes.  The large versions are sized at 2560 x 1600 and small one at 1280 x 800.  To download your favorite, without the frames, simply use the text links below the image of your choice.

Hope you enjoy!

Wallpaper # 1 – May 2011

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 70-200mm IS II @ 200mm, 1/8000,  f/2.8, ISO 400

I find giraffe quite a difficult animal to photograph but this one made it easy.  We were watching him walk across the road so all I had to do was wait for the moment when he was away from all the trees and scrubs to click the shutter and get a nice and clean image.

To download the large version of this image click here.  Alternatively click here for the smaller version.

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Wallpaper #2 – May 2011

Nikon D3s, Nikon 70-200mm VR II @ 180mm, 1/320, f/2.8, ISO 3200

In between his kill in a tree and keeping an eye on a Spotted Hyena in the area, this young male leopard was, photographically, very obliging.  We spent almost an hour getting creative with a spotlight and different compositions.  This is one of my favorites from the evening.

To download the large version of this image click here.  Alternatively click here for the smaller version.

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Wallpaper #3 – May 2011

Nikon D3s, Nikon 70-200mm VR II @ 200mm,  1/30, f/4, ISO 200

Many people overlook the more common general game species that you find out on safari.  Zebra are not only very photogenic but they also make for great subjects when it comes to motion blurred panning shots.  We were watching a pride of lions staling this herd when they decided to turn and run.  After a quick change to my shutter speed, with the idea of blurring the image, I was able to capture this image.

To download the large version of this image click here.  Alternatively click here for the smaller version.

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Please feel free to download one of, or all of the wallpapers and share this blog post with your friends and family.  Also, before you go, why not take a quick moment and let me know which one of the above is your favorite and why?  Won’t take long.

Until next time, have a great May!

Gerry van der Walt

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Leopard in Madikwe

Nikon D3s, Nikon 70-200 VR II @ 170mm, 1/400, f/2.8, ISO 3200

Madikwe Game Reserve

Until next time.

Gerry van der Walt

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The Leopard is without a doubt one of the most sought after photographic subjects for anybody heading out on a safari in Africa.

The Madikwe Game Reserve, great as it is, is not known for it’s Leopard sightings with Lion, Elephant, Wild Dog and copious amounts of general game making up the vast majority of photographic subjects.

However, every once in awhile, magic happens.

Yesterday afternoon this young male made for some of the best Leopard photography opportunities I have had in quite some time.  That being said, he did not make it all that easy.

Initially he was fast asleep in a Boscia tree with our only decent view being from the eastern side.  This meant that we were photographing directly into the late afternoon sun so it took quite a bit of hands and caps to stop the sun from hitting the front of our lenses and causing very harsh lens flares.  Because of this the color in the RAW images was a little washed out but nothing a slider or two in Lightroom could not fix.

Now because sightings of a seriously chilled Leopard is not all that common in Madikwe it can turn into, well, a complete circus.  Don’t get me wrong.  The process if managed very nicely but with vehicles from all over the reserve arriving to get a glimpse of the elusive spotted cat which means that our ideal, of spending some quality photographic time with your subject, was not possible.  I like to watch, wait, appreciate.

So, after our into-the-sun session we decided to go for an early drink stop, always fun, and then return a little later once the chaos has subsided.

I find it amazing that many people, and I see this all the time, will arrive at a sighting like this, get their camera, fire off a few frames and are then quite happy to carry on having ticked off one of the Big 5. Hey, each to his own but a safari, not even a photographic safari, should be about spending time with your subject, immersing yourself in the experience.  I know this is not always possible, but the shoot and run approach of many guides and photographers will never cease to amaze me but hey, I digress.  Let’s get back to the images.

When we returned to the sighting our Leopard was very active.  Up the tree. Down the tree.  Scent marking.  Stalking impala.

We ended up spending just more than an hour with this amazing animal filling up quite a few memory cards with very special images.

However.  It was not all that simple.

The light was gone so we had to use a spotlight to light up the scenes and with us being the only vehicle in the sighting (bliss!) we had to do what we could with our own spotlight to create compelling images.

There was a lot of spot metering, low shutter speeds and creative compositions and in the end we got some awesome images!

The single light source, and occasional fill flash, made for a very dramatic, almost theatrical feel to our images as we put the Leopard in the spotlight.  Yeah, that pun was intended!

Here are a few of the more than 200 images I fired off last night.  Looking forward to working through more of these.

Beautiful animal.  Great images.  Amazing experience.

Apart from the absolute luxury of having a sighting like this all to ourselves, at the small cost of arriving late for dinner, we had a great time trying different exposures, different compositions, using different lenses for varying results and, for some people, learning more about metering for tricky lighting situations like this.

All in all a fantastic photographic experience and proof that Madikwe does in fact have Leopards!

Until next time.

Gerry van der Walt

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When I was asked by Gerry to be a contributor in his Thursday Guest Post slot, a multitude of ideas and images and  went racing through my head.  Actually sitting down and choosing the few that may have some value to talk about was probably a harder task than sitting down to write this post.

How do you add value to a website that has had so many established and acclaimed Wildlife Photographers as contributors?  How do you choose 10 to 12 images out of tens of thousands?

Initially I had decided to focus on Leopards as my subject, the main reason being that, currently, I am in the long and laborious process of scanning old slide images to digital files, and I decided to start with the library of Leopard Images that I have accumulated over the years.

Following a mere 2 weeks after Brendon Cremers leopard post, I thought it better if I added a few other images to use as examples to highlight certain tips, and ideas when trying to establish how to be creative in composition.

The first two images that came to mind when starting to compose my article were these 2 leopard Images.

The Young Leopard in the Marula Tree was a treasure trove of potential images on this particular day.  I snapped away merrily while he was peering across a plain at his retreating mother, as she was going to hunt for the evening. Such a vulnerable position to be in when you get left on your own to survive the night, with Lions and Hyaenas in the area, was me and my guests thought at the scene presented before us.

Each images that I take, should tell a story, and when I looked up quickly from my camera after adjusting some settings, I had to take 2 looks to see the cub.  With the late afternoon setting sun, accentuating rich red colours, he started blending in with the textures created by the bark of the tree, and I then had the intention of getting an image of the youngster, against the backdrop of the bark, with no profile visible against the sky.

This image to me represents not only the beauty of nature, but the sometimes mind boggling camouflage that is presented where least expected.  The texture contrast between the Rosettes of the fur, and the mottled bark of the tree was a goal that I set out to achieve. What makes this an appealing image, further to the above mentioned ideas, was the drooping paw, adding a point of reference, balancing the head out to a certain degree.  The youngsters head has also been placed in the left of the frame, giving him space to look into.

This space I attempted to accentuate by composing a visually pleasing diagonal line between the Bark and the Sky.  The uncluttered blue sky then creates the perception of more empty space, leaving one to guess what the intent of the stare into the distance may hide.  Getting more technical, the appeal of the image also has a further, almost hidden composition element. The diagonal of the bark and the sky separation, is almost mirrored by the diagonal of the leg and paw, dividing the image into three portions.

The above image is a similar image to the first, and I have included it, again, to highlight the value of the visible paw in balancing an image.  By including the paw, in a Landscape format rather than portrait, I was also able to include the branch of the Silver Cluster Leaf tree, dividing the frame diagonally.  A fairly shallow depth of field also served to blur the back tangle of branches, that could have been distracting to the eye had a aperture of f/11 or more been chosen.  The most appealing feature to me regarding this image, was the colours and contrast.

My style, which is not chosen, but just comes naturally, has been described by many as very “contrasty”.  The rich deep colours of the late setting sun were helped by the red tinges on her face and neck, from feeding on a Duiker, that I have not included in this composition.  The dark bark, and blue sky behind helped create pleasing vivid colour contrasts.  Typical of Velvia 100 Slide Film.  Never to be ignored, is the value of the catchlight in the eye or eyes, as can be seen in both the discussed images so far.

In the previous paragraph I have mentioned Depth of Field.  Short of having to right a book explaining DOF to everyone, I will just highlight the value of a shallow Depth Of Field by including the above image.   A shallow depth of field, allows one to capture your intended subject in crisp clear focus, with the focus getting blurred rapidly into the background.  No elements are thus distracting to the eye, and a person will thus focus and appreciate more intently the intended subject.  Admittedly though, f/2.8 lenses are very expensive, and to those who cannot afford one, me included, a photographer needs to be creative in attempting the said shot.

This female Leopard was atop a termite mound, and being able to place myself near the bottom, I was able to change the angle of composition, which included the vegetation in the background, a whole valley distant.  At f 6.3, the distance to the background vegetation allowed the illusion of using a very shallow DOF to get the shot.  The light was perfect, as was the foreground, which was uncluttered, and the final element was the visible catchlights in the eyes of the subject.

Dark Backgrounds help the image POP sometimes, by this I mean, help the image stand out from the rest of the image including both foregrounds and backgrounds.  Composing the above yawning leopard against a very dark backdrop, helped accentuate the now very visible white whiskers.  These can sometimes melt into a brighter backdrop, and the impact alot less noted.  An almost 3d effect has been created by placing yourself in a position, to capture your subject against a dark background.  No catchlight is visible here, but there is enough action to satisfy me, seeing the open mouth, raspy tongue, bared teeth, and the already mentioned whiskers.

Another example, this time with the help of a shaft of early morning rising sunlight, is a female leopard that I was following across a plain one morning.  She had been walking through a thick tree forest, on the edge of the plain, when she stopped in the middle of a patch where the sun’s rays fell directly onto her.  Trying always to be prepared, I raised the camera and shot away.  She stood for about a minute before moving away, but in that minute I had captured about 20 images.

The most pleasing was this one, where my colours were just as I had intended, emphasising her golden colour in the sun, contrasting with the shadowy fore, and backgrounds. The textures of the long grass also helped in aiding with the concept that she is blending in to her environment, and I specifically chose to exclude more space on the bottom of the image, as I wanted her legs to simply vanish into the darker vegetation.

The last example in this particular series, is the reflection shot of the drinking Male Leopard.  Here a landscape orientation was necessitated by the posture of the drinking leopard, and especially his curling tale.  A shaft of early morning light illuminated this subject against the dark areas of the mud, vegetation, and water, making for pleasing colours and contrasts.  Thankfully it was a still morning, and capturing a reflection was possible, this is what ultimately makes this image into something worth sharing.

Creating a mood, and capturing the essence of an animal does not always mean photographing the animal itself.  Leopards are by reputation, shy, secretive, elusive.  Sometimes described as phantoms.

After the Sand River had flowed, and the water receded, the canvass of sand was left pristine.  Stopping to track a male leopard, I noticed the tracks heading down the river bed.  The above image is an attempt to highlight the nature of the animal that I have already described.  Visible tracks, in typical environment that leopards tend to be found in.  The tracks lead to a central point, the water, getting more and more out of focus as they proceed further away.

No visible track lead away from the water, and it would appear that the Leopard had simply vanished into thin air after quenching his thirst at the water pool. This mystical property is what I have attempted to impart on the subject, even though no Leopard features in the frame itself.

Sometimes we get so side tracked by trying to place ourselves with the sun behind us, in order to have great light on our subjects, that we tend to miss great chances.  The composition of the following 2 images are an attempt by me to convince you all that you have to be receptive to a variety of different environmental factors when attempting to get great shots.

I had been taking pictures of this leopard cub high up in a tree, with 3 hyaenas beneath him, when I turned to the sun to see how much light I had left to take pictures. That’s when it struck me, the light was so low because the sun was dull from all the smoke and dust in the air.  Knowing that lens flare would not be a problem, I repositioned to include a silhouette of the tree, Leopard Cub, and the Setting Sun behind the Drakensberg Mountain Range in the distance.

Taking a light reading from the brightest part of the sun, and then setting the automatic exposure lock, I took the above moody image. I moved a long way away from the subject to get the right composition, but in the end, when the developed slides were returned I was overjoyed at the result.  To me it again told a story, of a long and lonely night that awaited the Leopard, perched atop his isolated and lonely tree stump. A metaphor to the state of nature and the natural world can also be created, with the sun setting, the end coming, unless us as humans can change our ways and do the necessary work to conserve.

Another example of breaking the rules and taking photos into the sun, as a further example, is the image of the rhinos, with the setting sun directly behind them.  The sun’s rays and colours really helped a usually mundane subject, be transformed into a visually pleasing image, simply with the addition of great light.  We need to think out of the box, and go against the grain when attempting to create art.

Light is one of the most important factors when taking photos in the natural environment.  I must stress however that light is by no means essential to taking great images.

The Warthog in its burrow is a prime example.  Here, in a steep valley in the Waterberg, I came across this old boar waiting for things to heat up before he emerged to forage for the day.

The sun had not yet crept over the ridge above us, and light was not going to be an element in capturing his portrait.  Sometimes shadows or a lack of light, help improve your image by making more detail visible in the subject and its surrounds. This Warthog has been framed nicely by the round hole of the burrow in which it is located, and this adds a pleasing visual element to the final image.

Luck!

After all I have said already, we need to remember that ultimately, the greatest treat is often based on luck.

These are the opportunities and chances that do not come along too often, and to get a chance to take unusual images, that may not have been photographed before, is the holy grail of Wildlife Photography. I think at this stage, of a series of Images I saw of Gerry’s a week or so ago, of mud covered lions, pitch black in appearance, with only the eyes really still natural in colour. You need to be ready at all times to capture these strange scenes.

The unusual subject matter, or environment, will often get the awe filled response that you as a Wildlife Photographer crave when showcase your images, or simply when you treat yourself to your own slide show.

The 2 examples of the above are portrayed in the attached images of the Python swallowing a Wildebeest Calf, and the Leopard Cubs hiding away in a storm water drain running under a road in the Manyeleti Game Reserve.

What makes these images, is nothing regarding the technical ability of the photographer, the composition, the colours or the light, their appeal, is from the unusual circumstances at the time of taking the photos.

Capturing, and saving a point in time that will not be repeated let alone captured too often in the future.

As Gary Player said “ The harder I practice, the luckier I get.”

We can apply that to our journey as Wildlife Photographers, and continue to strive for something different, something unique. The trick is to keep at it, and never be unprepared for the shot.

Rudi Hulshof

Rudi’s Links:

- Website: Rudi Hulshof Photography
- Facebook: Rudi Hulshof Photography on Facebook
- Outdoor Photo: Rudi Hulshof Photography on Outdoor Photo

Known locally as Ingwe, meaning “pure sovereignty”, the leopard can still be found on farmland as well as other habitats throughout Southern Africa where they co-exist with their human neighbours depending on the attitudes of both parties.

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

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

It has been a while since writing about it but the images on the Photo-Africa Stock LIbrary has been ticking over with some amazing wildlife images being uploaded.

Here are two of the latest images.

Leopard on Termite Hill by Sharon Bishop

In Your Face by John Maarshalck

To check out more of the newest images on the Photo-Africa Stock Libaray click here!

See ya tomorrow!

Gerry

Like a lot of the contributors to Photo-Africa, I have a lifelong love of big cats. Gerry and the team do a great job of bringing the stories and images of Africa’s cats to a wider audience, so when he asked me if I’d write something for the site I hoped I wasn’t going too far off-topic by highlighting the stories of two other cat species (and one very tiny snail) that are close to my heart.

The first is the Amur Leopard, the Asiatic cousin of the cats that feature regularly on these pages.

It is a tragic but almost inevitable fact that the Amur Leopard will become extinct in the wild in the next few years, despite a recent surge in activity to try to prevent this. It is estimated there are just 35 individuals left in the wild, the species really is teetering on a knife-edge. I am a keen supporter of The Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance (ALTA) who are doing great work in Russia and China to endeavour to safeguard this species, so I’d encourage you to check out their work.

It’s quite interesting to compare the African and Amur subspecies, you’ll see from these images that the Amur has longer fur and very distinctive, beautiful pale blue-green eyes.

The second species I work with a lot is the Snow Leopard, to my mind the most beautiful and mysterious of all big cats.

The taxonomy of the Snow Leopard only adds to the mystery of this cat. Some studies have shown it to be more closely related to tigers than leopards, no one is quite sure. It just adds to my fascination that they remain a very distinct species, quite different from their other cat relatives.

The remote mountains of central Asia ensure at least some Snow Leopard habitat is likely to remain intact but even this species is estimated to have  around only 7,000 surviving individuals. I’ve provided images to the Snow Leopard Trust for the last 2 years and it’s thrilled me to see my work helping their efforts.

In trying to capture the public’s imagination to raise awareness and take action it’s natural that photographers and NGOs focus on some of the more ‘glamorous’ species like Rhino, Gorillas or Snow Leopard that people have a greater emotional response to.   But I wanted to finish by sharing a true story with you that encapsulated for me the importance of conserving all species.

This is the story of the Fregate Island Snail.

A few months ago I was at Marwell Wildlife, the famous zoo and conservation charity near where I live in the UK. I was invited behind the scenes to have a look at some of the species not on public display. They have had considerable success breeding populations of snails and had recently taken delivery of a consignment of Fregate Island Snails from London Zoo.

Geoff Read, the head of reptiles and invertaebrates, opened and handed me a large plastic box to reveal a population of maybe 200 very small and inconspicuous snails with the words “Now, these are special”. I looked somewhat puzzled

And then he said to me “You are holding in your hands the entire global population of those snails, they exist nowhere else on earth but here in your hands”.

I can’t explain what that feels like. I was speechless, horrified and yet felt incredibly privileged all in one moment.  So for me, making sure that as many species as possible survive and never end up being reduced to a few specimens in a box or a cage is quite enough justification to continue my efforts, however small, for many years to come.

Tom Hadley

Tom’s Links:

- Website: Tom Hadley Photography
- Facebook Page: Tom Hadley Photography on Facebook
- Twitter: Follow Tom on Twitter