Maasai Mara Photography 2013

Yet again I come to the end of a big chunk of the years annual safari calendar. The annual pilgrimage to the  Maasai Mara in Kenya. Spending even a few days allows you to witness and photograph natures incredible events so make sure to add it to you bucket list . Below are a few of my favorites from 2013. I hope you enjoy.

A typical and quintessentially East African Landscape. We ventured far from the crowds in search of birds when we were rewarded with  this remarkable scene.

A great Highlight is certainly finding the ever elusive Leopard. In the Mara North conservancy we were treated to fantastic viewing with only a small amount of vehicles.  

A Pride of lions make their home adjacent to Off beat Camp in the mara north. Every single day we were treated to their antics. If there was another car it was only from our own camp. 

The Off Beat Lion family.

Mara North Lion cubs in the last light of day.

Cheetah are always high on everyones wish list. Wider view of these cats at close range puts them beautifully in the dramatic open landscape.

 It certainly seemed to be a lion Season. No fewer than four individual females had cubs which is always very popular with photographers. And with valid reason. Contrary to ther lazy parents they are boisterous and the playful antics gets everyone's adrenalin going.

Two cubs playing in Ol Kedjo Rongai 

Making decisive images. 

Its not only lions that got us going. We came across a few Black Rhino during the various trips. None more impressive than this enormous old male called Karanja. Fortunately he is on 24 hour protection!!

Karanja in the grassland. 

Close up of Karanja. look at his third "horn".

Hippopotamus in water lettuce

One always tries to encourage our guests to depict animals in a new way. A wide angle of a big male can be quite dramatic.

Very young cubs with mom.

Sometimes everything just falls in place for a great pic. A majestic male lion in a sunrise. 

The Mara is probably the best place for action images and who would have though that it woud be one of the most common birds that would be giving us the best action. 

Again trying to find new ways to depics familiar animals. Here i used some flash while using motion and radial blur.

WE found two mails one morning skirting camp. Here one is roaring in the earlu morning. A few minutes later they linked up with a female. 

One of the coalition fiercely seeing off his brother in order to maintain mating rights.

The mating pair treated us to amazing photo opps right next to camp for the . 

Dramatic display of light one afternoon as the suns rays are reflected from the above clouds to give an inverted pyramid shape.  

As allways the Mara is one of the best places to view wildlife action

A beautiful female leopard in the first light of day.

A nice surprise! An elusive serval in golden light.

This brings us to the end of the 2013 Migration season. Next year it all starts again and the challenge is on to get some unique and dramatic images from one of the most photogenic places in Africa. If you would like to join in one of the scheduled trips for next year or would like to book your own private trip just drop me a line here.

Photographing the African Wilddog

On our first afternoon we were treated to the entire pack leaving the den and passing leisurely within meters of us. 

Since 2010 I have been photographing the Wilddog packs of Northern Kenya and for the first time we had a dedicated photographic safari through C4 images and Safaris to this unfenced and vast wilderness in search of one of Africa’s most endangered predators. Here are some images of what we got in terms of photographic opportunities. 

Following Dogs is always full of adrenalin. They are always doing something and we had them on kills every single drive. 

Out on an afternoon hunt and young male poses briefly in stunning light. 

A straggler keeping up with the pack. 

When having one of Africa's most endangered predators to photograph there isn't much to distract you but bumping a mother and cub Cheetah was certainly a worthwhile diversion. We had the entire afternoon with them as they hunted and even chased the odd Jackal. 

Another unfortunate Dik-dik antelope.  

Young dogs playing after an Impala kill. 

The dogs come to investigate a remote camera.

And here is the  result.

Breakfast at Laikipia Wilderness Camp.

Our Rooms overlook fantastic wilderness areas. 

I will be visiting a a number of other African Wilddog Populations in Botswana and Zimbabwe including this Kenyan one in Laikipia through the course of 2014. So if you would like to join a scheduled trip or would like to book your own private safari please contact me here. These trips are incredibly popular so the sooner you contact me the better in order to secure your dates.