IMPALA FLAIR
This is a classic example of the difference aperture setting can have on your photo results. The first two photos were taken with a F stop of f 20, creating a very blurred image and if your panning skills are up to scratch then the subject should still be relatively in focus. The last photo was taken with an aperture of f 2.8, creating a sharp in focus subject. 
Camera: Canon 7D
Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f2/8L IS II USM
Exposure: 1/40 sec at f /20
Camera: Canon 7D
Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f2/8L IS II USM
Exposure: 1/40 sec at f /20
Camera: Canon 7D
Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f2/8L IS II USM
Exposure: 1/1600 sec at f /2.8
KEEPING AN EYE ON THE MOON RISING
This was last night just as the moon was rising. I decided to do something that I am not the biggest fan of, but sometimes one has to break out and just do it! These following two images are actually double exposures, i.e. two separate photos blended together in photoshop. Thought it would do the trick as the frog was looking directly up at the moon. The second image was taken about 10 minites after the first, amazing what 10 min can do! Next time when you out and about, look at the scene you want to capture, try and imagine what it would look like in a few minutes. Maybe just maybe it might turn out better if you wait!
Camera: Canon 7D
Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f2/8L IS II USM
Flash: Canon Speedlite 580 EX II
Tripod
THE WORLD AT OUR FEET
A lot of us end up chasing after that ultimate photo, it might be lions feeding on a kill fighting each other off or elephant drinking and having a mud bath or even, if we lucky, a leopard draped over a branch with the orange glow of a sunset as the background. Not that there is anything wrong with these photos but sometimes, more than we like to admit, we forget about the little things at our feet, a separate miniature world if you like. I will be the first to admit that when it comes to wildlife photography, I too overlook this special “world” beneath us more than I should. In the past week or so I have been lodge bound and haven’t had the opportunity to head out into the bush, so after under going the normal withdrawal symptoms that all photographer go through when we don’t hear our shutters click I thought it high time for drastic step. Armed with a macro lens I ended up leopard crawling around the lodge, not a sight you want to see, in search of the little ones.
Not as easy as you would think! After the first 5 minutes I knew I was in for a challenge, after all insects can fly, I came to realize, not just a rumor! Armed with a lot of PATIENCE, and someone told me I apparently have a lot, I settled down, trying to make myself as small as possible between very tiny plants and what do you know, it paid off, after all patience IS a virtue!
There are some amazing photographic opportunities in the world of macro photography. Give it a go!
Camera: Canon 7D
Lens: Canon 100 mm f 2.8 macro
EARLY START TO THE DAY
Yet again, a very early start to the day, but well worth it! After setting up the camera and setting the exposures, it was time to let the camera do the work while enjoying a warm and welcome cub of coffee!
ABUNDANT ENERGY
One of the many advantages of going out on an early morning game drive is that it is still cool and so animals are moving about, in summer after about 9 o’clock in the morning they start settling down as the heat of the day sets on.
AFTERNOON AT A WATERHOLE
Field guides are a strange breed of people! What do we do when we not guiding safaris? Well, we go out into the bush on our own safari, to enjoy the bush and maybe to see or hear a bird that you have been looking for or in my own case go after that photo that I had in mind for quite some time.
Rather than drive around looking for animals I decided to go to one of the waterholes in the reserve, set up my camera equipment and wait to see who will be coming in for a drink and do some bird photography. While waiting, there is always something to do, bird watching or catching up on some ideas and think of new angles to make that normal photo look interesting. The waiting didn’t last long! After setting everything up and settling down for what I thought was going to be a long wait, the bush delivered! A giraffe pop up over the horizon and started making her way over to the waterhole, stopping every so often and checking the surroundings to make sure no predators were in sight. Predators are not normally a huge problem for them but all the same to stay out of the way of a lion on the prowl, giraffe stand the chance of falling and breaking a leg, not in the good way as so often referred to, when running from a lion.
Eventually getting to the water, starting to drink. While she was drinking a few white rhino, zebra, wildebeest and a herd of elephant also thought it a good idea to come in for a drink. It turned out to be a busy afternoon and the original plan of bird photography took a back seat for the time being.
After the welcome sight of all the visitors to the waterhole I eventually turned my attention back to the main mission of the afternoon, bird photography!
MALE SOUTH AFRICAN SHELDUCK
FEMALE SOUTH AFRICAN SHELDUCK
EGYPTIAN GOOSE
RED-KNOBBED COOT
SUNRISE WITH STARS
It was an early start yesterday morning, at about 5 o’clock, way before even any birds were announcing the start of a new day in the African bush that we stopped at one of the dams in the Madikwe Game Reserve, it was a bitterly cold morning, this I am sure was to test our dedication! Luckily we went out the previous afternoon to scout the area as it was so dark one wouldn’t be able to see a lion even if he was two meters from you! Although I have been to this particular dam more times than I can remember, it is a totally different situation when you look for animals drinking whilst on drive than when you have a certain photo in mind! As we arrived at the dam, we went directly to the precise spot we found the previous day, looking east towards the sunrise. The photo that I had in mind was to include the sunrise, the dam with dead lead wood trees in the middle and of course to get some of the stars in the frame for good measure, what I wasn’t expecting was the amount of steam coming of the water’s surface. This was indeed a very welcome surprise!!!
The following was the result of combining all the above factors and we can’t forget the warm cup of coffee.
When we finished and were happy with the results we moved to the eastern side of the dam, this time looking west, trying to capture the first rays of light hitting the lead wood trees and by this creating reflections on the dead still water.
BROWN HYENA DEN SIGHTING
Every now and again a guest would ask me, “What is the most
memorable sighting you have had?”, and the answer is always, “I cannot name one
but there has been a few that rate right up there in the list, every sighting
is special in its unique way!”
Last week this all changed!!! To put all of this in perspective, I have been
a professional safari guide for 16 years, have seen leopards making kills,
lions mating and even on one occasion have seen a female leopard killing an
aardvark! Now I know all of this is very special and that I have been in the fortunate
position to see and experience so much more, but to me this was and am sure
will be at the top of the list for a very long time, as it is one of my favourite
animals and never have had the opportunity to photograph them as I did last
week!!!
BROWN HYENA CUBS
We arrived at the den sight just after 4 in the afternoon, thinking that as Brown
Hyenas are nocturnal animals we are going to be in for a long wait! As luck
will have it, the minute we stopped two little heads pop up from behind some
grass covering the side of the den!!!
The mother wasn’t in sight and amazingly the cubs didn’t hesitate to
come out into the open, perfect open ground in front of the den with no grass
or shrub in the way.
The two little guys gave us the best show ever, for a hour they were running, chasing,
biting each other, in and out of the den, then every now and again they would
stop and look at the vehicle as if they only then realized that we were there watching
them, all of this about 15 meters away from us!!!
Then, out of now where the mother appeared, first a bit
hesitant then after awhile she accepted us as no threat, or maybe saw the cubs
were having a ball of a time and not at all concerned with us. The cubs saw
her, run to greet her and the show of normal submissive behavior was the order
for the next 10 minutes. When all of this was over they suckled for a bit, then
it was back to playing and purging some of the excess energy before they
settled down for the night. We left the den sight, with the mother heading off
into the distance and with a sense that we have just experienced something very
special!!!!
HUNTING LIONS
Late afternoon last week we found a lion pride of 2 females, 1 male & 2 eight month old male cubs taking an easy stroll through the bush. We followed them to see what they were up to, when suddenly without any notice the two cubs went into hiding behind a bush, amazing how they know without a word or rather a growl from their mother. The two female instantly went into hunting mode, one circling far to the north of us and the other going to ground, waiting for her sister to get into position. We lost all sight of the female to the North but without any warning the closest female slowly got up and went into that all to familiar stalking potion that we as guides know all to well, BATTLE STATIONS!!! 
With fixed eyes on some Zebra to the west of us she ever so cautiously moved closer, using every tree, bush & blade of grass as cover from the unsuspecting zebras, until she was right under the back seat of the vehicle! Waiting patiently for some sign from her sister to pounce, then creeping forward past the vehicle, not even glancing at us with full attention on the zebras, she moved into the road in front of the vehicle, going low down to ground, doing the “leopard crawl or rather the lion crawl”, while the zebras were still feeding, moving straight for her. 
The male also joined in, not too sure what he was thinking but used no cover and no effort to hide himself from anything, maybe thinking his pure presence will scare them to death! The females took of like a 100 meters sprinter going for gold and needless to say the zebra didn’t wait around too see whats up, all one could hear was the alarm calls and through the dust we saw the zebra scampering away into the distance! After all that, the effort was in vain. 
The pride, very embarrassed with the out come of the hunt, re-united after awhile and turned back to were they left the cubs, calling every so often to the little ones so they can rejoin the pride.
THE LUNAR ECLIPSE OVER MADIKWE GAME RESEVRE
This was at the height of the lunar eclipse on the 15 of June 2011, the next full moon eclipse will only be in 15 years!
This was taken about 2 hours after the full eclipse, note the tiny orange dot is the moon! Not every day you can see the moon in the milky way!
THE NEW GENERATION OF LIONS IN MADIKWE GAME RESERVE
We found these 2 little male lion cubs late one afternoon exploring their surroundings while the rest of the pride was taking it easy in the shade, with the mother keeping a wary eye on them.
THE MAGNIFICENTS OF SUMMER
Middle of summer with high rain fall at the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011 left the Madikwe Plains transformed into
a photographers dream, with stunning colors contrasting each other, producing some amazing opportunities. 
