Photographing in bad light

Curious cubs investigating the clicking camera.

As a photographer one gets to learn how to read and work with certain types of light. Backlight, sidelight, front light; all of which can be of different intensity and colors. This all is the deciding factor when photographing anything. As photographers we chase the light and eventually become total photo snobs, refusing to pick up our cameras when the light is not happening. When meeting another photographer on a safari during 2017 and discussing this I was rudely accused of being a fair-weather photographer. In short, according to her, being such a light snob I limited getting great images in light where I normally put the cameras away.

Behind the scenes of how it was done.

And so it happened that on that same safari we woke up to a dull overcast day with “no light”. Time to put the accusation to the test. I had to think from well outside the comfort of my good light box. Not long into the drive we found a pride of about 12 lions lazing about. There were a few cubs present who showed more interest than their lazy parents. I decided to stick a wide-angle camera down on the ground and have the intervalometer clicking away at a photo per second. Soon the clicking got the cubs’ attention and they came to investigate. At the risk of having a camera demolished, I did manage one of the best images of the year, one that now takes pride of place on our blogs banner above.

Another bad light image!

I am now a bad light convert and on a recent game drive in the Greater Kruger I put it to the test again. To be honest the opportunities are far less that in great light despite the fact that the cats are much more active in such conditions. But when it works it works beautifully. This young male leopard was hiding from two lionesses in the area and sporadically peeked around the Leadwoods’ branch to see what they were up to. The camera wanted to compensate for the completely overcast white sky, which resulted in a very dark image.

Incredible but this is what the picture would have looked like if one let the camera do the thinking. 

By overexposing by two F stops I managed to get the leopard looking well exposed. The white sky though was almost blown out completely yet this gave the image an almost studio-like effect.  And because there were no harsh shadows, the light in the eyes of the cat reflected the most amazing hues. So what could have been a very disappointing drive photographically developed into an opportunity resulting in yet another one of my favorite images of the year so far. In bad light!!

Private Guided Wildlife Photography

When coming on safari and seeing all the magnificent wildlife one is easily overwhelmed, and quite rightly so. After 20 years of guiding I still get a rush when showing guests a leopard slink though the thickets or hearing the shouts of excitement when new comers see their first Giraffe or Zebra in the wild. I will ever tire of that.  Safaris are exotic and often once in a lifetime experiences and for this reason guides must make it as memorable as possible. For photographic clients this entails getting images that it well beyond the obvious. In my experience I have seen that when confronted with all these magnificent animals, it is easy to get overwhelmed. And even though it is super exciting photographing all of this, the results are often very average when reviewing and comparing images afterwards. That is where guiding comes into play. As a guide who have been photographing for 20 years (I still cannot believe that :) ) most of the normal angles have been tried and tested. As a photographer I also want new and exciting images that stand out. Each image below is taken on safari with guests and I am happy to confirm that each and every client got similar images. 


Yet realistically it is important to understand that quantity and quality cannot be combined. It often takes days or even weeks to get the right shot. But if patience persists, the results are spectacular. 
Over the course of 2017 we have hosted several private photographic safaris. Below a few images taken on private photographic safaris. 


Pafuri. 

This almost photographically unvisited region can produce remarkable images. Anyone who wanders off the main tourist track onto this dramatic landscape between the Limpopo and Levhuvu rivers, where ancient Baobabs hint at striking images will be rewarded with unique and exciting experiences. The riparian forests holds numerous wildlife treasures, revealed only sporadically while mist covered mornings along the Levhuvu river creates a most enchanting backdrop for even the most common and overlooked species.

   

Difficult to see, let alone photograph, this obliging Greater Bushbaby or Thick-tailed Galago put in a star performance. 

Misty mornings drape even the most overlooked species in an aura of enchantment. 

The layered landscape of a buffalo herd aptly described by Karen Blixen as "being created in front of me".

Phinda.

One of Africa's biggest private conservation success stories Phinda is the jewel in the crown of KwaZulu Natal's wildlife circuit. Undulating hills, wooded valleys, marshland and a unique Sandforest harbors wonderful species diversity including some fascinating endemic species. Some of Africa's best trained guides reveal the area and nothing is too much effort to get the right shot. 

Kings Camp.

South Africa's Timbavati Private Nature Reserve is one of the worlds premium wildlife destinations and Kings Camp one of the safari circuits premium destinations. Here guests can access large wilderness areas, the camp management professional and welcoming and the guides are just superb. And the wildlife consistently great. 

Almero, our guide made a great effort to get us into this spot with dramatic backlight from another nearby vehicle. 

The perfect position to get this striking cat in great light. 

Mala Mala.

Again, one of Africa;s premium wildlife destinations and a reserve that prides themselves in putting the wildlife experience first. This is the largest property within the Sabie Sands reserve and directly borders the Kruger Park. Wildlife is in a league of its own, there are only two camps on the reserve and no other camp share the area.

A slightly zoomed out approach and interesting lighting gives context to this large male leopard on the hunt amidst blue Foxglove flowers. 

Cloudy days can be wonderful for black and white photography

Specialist photographic safari - Greater Kruger.

One of the two leopards we saw on our very first drive.

This was the first of two sell-out safaris Africa Unlocked arranged and hosted for Amazing Views, a specialist photographic safari company based out of Switzerland.

Our first day started, as most safaris does, with guests arriving at Eastgate airport in Hoedspruit  and a short road transfer to Umlani bushcamp in the Greateer Kruger. Once everyone settled into their traditional reed chalets we set off for our first game drive. And one could not ask for a better start to a safari. In addition to numerous species of plains game such as antelope, zebra and giraffe we found our first leopard as the sun set in the west. Hardly had we turned the vehicle off when another one was sighted in a nearby tree!! So young male leopards on the first afternoon!

Just to prove that "dab light" is not always what everything thinks.

But with the bar raised that high, what was the rest of the week going to produce? The days all flowed along the following schedule.

Wake up at 5 o’clock am

Tea of coffee (which is brewed on the open fire in the boma).

Departing for game drive about 45 minutes before the sun pokes it head over the horizon. We need to find a subject well before first light.

Midway through the drive we stop for another coffee break after which we return to the lodge and breakfast.

After breakfast we do a photographic session where subject such as light, composition, post processing are covered as well as critique sessions on participants images.

Then its leisure time and lunch at 1:30.

Afternoon tea is served at 3:30 and then its game drive again.

As is the tradition we stop for sundowners after sunset and rerun back to camp after dark.

Never take life (or photography) too seriously.

The fact that we have a private vehicle and are not set to any routine allows us to search for nighttime creatures at leisure and if we are lucky enough to find something of interest we stay with it until all photographic opportunities are done.

We timed our sighting to ensure maximum time at sightings. This was one of the key moments on the trip. Private safaris also means that we could spend as much time as we require and not be bound by camp schedules. 

One such opportunity came in the form of a large male leopard whose kill was stolen by two Spotted Hyena’s. In the hope of capturing some interaction between the two species we returned to the scene after dark. Unfortunately the leopard went looking for other options but two Hyenas remained finishing off the kill. Always with the aim of getting an interesting angle we positioned the vehicle in such a way to capture the reflection of the feeding Hyenas in the water below.

In addition to seeing the two Leopard on the first drive, within 24 hours of arriving we had also seen Lion, Elephant, Buffalo and White Rhino and thankfully the days were filled with consistently good sighting throughout. We also made time for showing our guests how to capture the night sky and this provided a stunning opportunity to do a group photo.

Nothing like sundowners under an African night sky.

The sightings over the course of the week were 5 individual leopards (that almost a leopard a day), mating lions as well as two large males on an impala kill, herds of Elephant and Buffalo and several sightings of Rhino. Not that the big five is the only attraction. Numerous smaller creatures can be found and we photographed anything from owls to mongoose over the course of the week.

Spotted Hyena walking down the road in beautiful morning light.

Umlani is a great destination offering consistently good opportunities to wildlife photographers. The camp itself steers away from unnecessary opulence that removes its guests from the wild. This traditional bushcamp allows guests to immerse themselves in nature and the sights and sounds of the bush is not held back by a generator growling in the background, nor is the night sky blurred out by electric lights.

Rustic but close to nature. 

For the adventurous - why not a sleepout on a treehouse overlooking an active waterhole. 

For those seeking a close-to-nature experience it is certainly the place to go. A sleep-out deck next to an active waterhole offers the adventurous another unique opportunity to get a deeper insight into the African night.

One cannot really ask for more. A beautifull female leopard in the first golden rays of the morning. 

Additional dates have been set scheduled for 2017 but these are all booked out. Should you wish to join us for a safari in 2018 please get in touch. Alternatively we encourage any European clients to contact Amazing Views directly.

More than enough smaller creatures to fill the gaps "between the big stuff". 

On our last afternoon drive a hippo at our sundowner stop put up a great display, The fact he obliged during some of the most amazing light on the trip was much appreciated.

A very obliging Hippo put up a display for our last sundowner stop

And as we though the best was done a pair of large male lions bode us farewell.

The two brothers on our last mornings game-drive.

Lowveld Wildlife Photography

Africa's holy grail - Pangolin

In June we hosted the first of our dedicated wildlife photography safaris in South Africa. Over the last few years, with the dramatic increase in popularity in wildlife photography there has been a proliferation of photography hides shooting up, many of which have enabled photographers the opportunity of creating dramatic new images. The hides at Indlovu River Lodge being some of the latest editions. Superbly situated within easy reach of other wildlife destinations, Indlovu offers an easily accessible location to some of the countries best designed hides situated within a 9000 hectare big-five reserve. In short Africa Unlocked offers 5 to 10 day itineraries starting at Indlovu. Here we focus on hide photography and should the group require it a wildlife photography workshop in the superbly equipped media room.

A Giraffe makes the first tentative steps towards the waterhole.

The hides (one of which is specifically designed for bird photography) in itself is something to behold. The design includes a solidly constructed concrete structure, spacious and carpeted interiors which dampens any sound and provides photographers with enough space to pack their notoriously bulky gear, comfortable reclining chairs, complimentary Gimpro camera brackets, coffee and tea station, complimentary snacks, sufficient height to stretch ones legs and, very importantly, a wide variety of abundant wildlife. I am sure you get the picture that it doesn’t get more comfortable than this when having to sit and wait for wildlife action. Our safari started out under the verdant riverine vegetation in which the lodge is situated where afternoon coffee and tea was served and then a short drive to the nearby hide. Soon a troop of baboons made an appearance as well as Impala, Nyala, Kudu and a lone giraffe male who obligingly took a drink as a dramatic sky announced the end of the day. We decided to spend the majority of our time in the mammal hide as this proved the more productive of the two. Twice Giraffe came to drink and in addition to the constant flow of antelope, birds such as Oxpecker, Mousebirds and Waxbills also put in an appearance.

And then proceeds to take a drink only meters form photographers at water level.

A female Nyala takes a drink while a baboon investigates in the background

Indlovu's accommodation options consist of a private villas, each with private pool and deck overlooking the bushveld.  

Inside one the suites

The next stop was Umlani in the Timbavati, a large private reserve open to the Kruger National Park and part of an open ecosystem of more than 2 million hectares!! The private reserves adjacent to Kruger offers photographers some of the best opportunities, notable of the big cats. Leopard, which can be notoriously difficult elsewhere are often encountered in the Timbavati and top our wish list. Who would have thought that an animal even more exciting than leopard would make an appearance. Ask any guide or serious safari enthusiast what their most sought after animal is and the name Pangolin starts flying around. Now for those of you who do not know, it superficially resembles a armadillo, just a thousand times more elusive. For me it was only the second one I ever encountered.

The Pangolin came in for a close inspection. 

This is certainly an action-packed safari and at the time of writing, trips scheduled for 2017 are already 60 % booked out. Should you wish to join us for one of the scheduled safaris or arrange a private trip please get in touch here. We only do high quality, low volume safaris. We also have agents in the UK and Europe.  

Incredible sighting as two Spotted Hyena's tackle a young Kudu

This battle-scarred old male glares straight down the camera barrels as he sets off on his nightly rounds. 

The local Spotted Hyena clan at daybreak. 

After lying up and not doing anything for the majority of the day, this young male leopard finished off his Impala kill once the sun had set. 

Out Guests saying goodbye to the lowveld after 7 days magical photography

The active lodge waterhole with the dining deck in the background.

Umlani Bushcamp offers a wonderful, close to nature experience!!