Articles on Africa, wildlife and photography
Witfontein. A small slice of heaven in the Klein Karoo. Witfontein and the Swartberg Mountains If anyone is visiting, or planning to visit South Africa, then consider this for inclusion in your travel plans. Witfontein is a lovingly restored Cape Dutch farmhouse located on a private game farm in the Klein Karoo with panoramic views of the majestic Swartberg Mountains.[…]
Read moreWe’re very lucky. We own a share of a private wildlife reserve in the Klein Karoo. The sad part is that we just don’t get to spend enough time there. When we are there though, we treasure every minute. Ou our most recent visit we discovered that a family group of Kafue Lechwe had claimed the area around the house[…]
Read moreThe recent release of Tamron’s SP150-600 zoom lens has got tongues wagging. When the lens with the massive 4x focal range was announced not everyone was excited. Tamron have made some good lenses in the past but they’ve also made some average ones. The big question being asked about the SP150-600 was whether it would perform well enough to be[…]
Read moreAfter it became a popular trend a few years ago, many were left asking “what is HDR photography?” HDR is an acronym which stands for high dynamic range. This is a photographic imaging technique that is used to create images which showcase a wider range of brightness or what is often called luminosity. The result is a photograph that should[…]
Read moreOf the 4 zebra species in Africa, the Cape Mountain Zebra (equus zebra zebra) is both one of the most beautiful and one of the least numerous. It is indigenous to only part of South Africa’s Western Cape province. 60 years ago the population was estimated to be as few as 80 animals. 15 years ago there were still less[…]
Read moreIn recent months a number of governments around the world have taken the step of publicly destroying their stockpiles of seized illegal ivory to give credence to their anti-poaching stance. Their actions have provoked fierce debate with some arguing that crushing or buring ivory is little more than a publicity stunt when the ivory could be sold to raise funds[…]
Read moreChief Seattle was a chief of the Duwamish, a native American tribe that have lived in the area of Washington state where the city of Seattle now lies. Chief Seattle died in June 1866, and knew nothing of Africa’s wildlife. Yet, he could see from what was happening around him that the spread of ‘civilisation’ presented a gowing threat to[…]
Read moreIt’s official! Zimbabwe is the must visit safari destination for 2014. Since we introduced our select range of safaris in Zimbabwe a few months ago, the response has been incredible. However that doesn’t mean we’ve been resting on our laurels. Quite the opposite in fact. Although we (naturally) thought our Zimbabwe itineraries were the bees knees, we realised that because[…]
Read moreFollowing a year that has seen some of the most devastating statistics about the decline of elephant and rhino populations in Africa due to rampant poaching we thought it appropriate that our first post of the year should be a call to arms. If you are one of those that has enjoyed, or hopes to enjoy, an African safari we[…]
Read more2013 has been a disastrous year for Africa’s rhinoceros and elephant populations. South Africa has seen a record number of rhinos poached and in other countries Africa’s elephants are being killed at an unprecedented rate and Tanzania has been one of the countries worst affected. Conservationists and campaigners have been in overdrive; raising public awareness through relentless media campaigns, lobbying[…]
Read moreWhite Balance It sounds like an advertisement for soap powder but if your whites are not white then all the other colours in your photographs will not be true either. The tool you use to make sure your whites are really white is called White Balance and one of the first things I do when getting a photo ready for[…]
Read moreWinter Time Blues With daylight diminishing daily and glimpses of the sun a rarity, I’ve been starting to suffer from log cabin fever so when the opportunity came up to fly over to Fes for a wekend I jumped at the chance. I’m never at my best when the weather is wet and miserable; I struggle for inspiration when the[…]
Read moreOver the past few days I have been updating some of my recent Safari Diaries. The time that these diaries were originally written (Feb 2013) coincided with the development of our new website and as a consequence they were a little bit neglected. Now that the site has bedded down nicely and I’ve got a break in between safaris, it[…]
Read moreOn my recent visit to South Africa I had the great good fortune to be able to spend a few days in Sabi Sands. I have visited Sabi Sands before but this was the first time I had stayed at Savanna Lodge. To be completely honest, when we arrived I was a little dismayed to see how close the lodge[…]
Read moreA 6 night safari staying in 2 private conservancies for under $2, 000 may sound too good to be true, but believe it, it’s not. Gamewatchers Safaris in Kenya are offering you the chance to spend 3 nights in their Selenkay Conservancy, adjoining Amboseli National Park and 3 nights in their Ol Kenyei Conservancy, adjoining the Maasai Mara. This incredible[…]
Read moreOn my latest safari I took along my AF-S Nikkon 70-300mm lens instead of my usual Sigma 120-400mm. It was just a question of weight; I would be doing a lot of carrying and I wanted to keep my gear as light as possible. It still tipped the scales at 11kg! I almost never use the VR on the Sigma[…]
Read more2013 is set to be the worst year yet for rhino poaching. One of Africa’s most iconic animals is being hunted to extinction by poachers wanting to cash in on the outrageously lucrative Asian market for rhino horn. One of the most distressing memories from my recent safari in Madikwe was the sight of a black rhino that had been[…]
Read moreThis is the second part of my review of the Tamrac Expedition 6x camera backpack. The first part of the review covered first impressions of the backpack and how well it could accommodate all my gear. This second part is my impressions of the Tamrac Expedition 6x as a camera bag to use in the field. If you missed the[…]
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