Mashatu: elephants, lions and leopards

[elefromoz]

@@Bush dog, Post 16, last two photos, Mother and calf …..just perfect

[Bush dog]

Love the eland photos, bringing out the beauty in them. Were all The pictures of one eland or two, Mike?

There are two elands, a male and a female.

[offshorebirder]

Love the photo of the Leopard draped on the tree branch, @@Bush dog !

[Bush dog]

Second day

 

Continued

 

Lesser masked weavers in the camp.

 

 

During the afternoon game drive, we found two leopards on an impala kill.

 

 

On the way back, elands and a lot of elephants again.

 

[Soukous]

Your photos always set a benchmark for quality @@Bush dog but to my eye it is the birds that bring out the best in your photography. Always pin sharp and wonderful colour balance.

[Marks]

Your photos always set a benchmark for quality @@Bush dog but to my eye it is the birds that bring out the best in your photography. Always pin sharp and wonderful colour balance.

 

Agreed, those weaver shots are incredibly vibrant.

[pault]

@@Bush dog Lovely shots and that looks like very nice light. Great way for me to start the day here in Bangkok. Animals were posing like mad for you on this trip.

[madaboutcheetah]

Brilliant, Leopard!!! Mike, the Eland look super relaxed unlike the ones at Kwando that run a zillion miles before you can turn the engine off ..........

[Bush dog]

Third day

 

During the morning game drive, we saw again the two leopards seen the day before on the impala kill.

 

 

We saw a third one in the bushes with two kills, a warthog and an impala. This one was not as comfortable as the two others.

 

 

To be continued

[Bush dog]

Third day

 

Continued

 

 

At the end of the morning drive, we spotted a lioness at the foot of a tree. It was always lifting its head to the top. Finally, we noticed the presence of a leopard. When the lioness moved away, the timorous cat quickly came down and ran away, perhaps was it the same shy one we saw the day before ?

 

 

In the afternoon, we saw the three leopards seen in the morning.

 

[Marks]

A magnificent kudu!

I also really like the angle on the last two leopard photos, as it emphasizes the size and presence of the cats.

[Bush dog]

Fourth day

 

Though the leopards were still present, with not as good sightings than the day before, this day was an elephants and lions’ day. Some species not seen the previous days were also seen : bat-eared fox, Kori bustard, banded mongoose, monitor lizard, zebra and jackal.

 

The three lions we saw during the second day were there again, with a lioness.

 

The first two pictures, the same close-up, are my favorite portrait. I love it so much that it’s (the monochrome version, 60x90cm) in my dining room, on the wall opposite to my place at the table.

 

 

To be continued

[Geoff]

@@Bush dog

 

I can see why you like the lion portrait and there's some knockout leopard images too.

[Marks]

Definitely a picture worthy of display.

I enjoyed the third one, as well; the tongue protruding slightly adds a bit of charm.

[Bush dog]

Fourth day

 

Continued

 

There were a lot of elephants with many calves.

 

 

On those two pictures, one can see the black soil that shows that a long time ago, there was a volcanic activity in the area.

 

[Bush dog]

Fifth day

 

Again, lions and elephants, but also the first hyenas and a secretary bird, were at the day’s program.

 

 

Fish told us that it was its first cubs of this young lioness.

 

 

To be continued

[Big Andy]

As has been mentioned before the standard of photography you produce is outstanding, not just technically although that as well, but the composition of the images is fantastic. You must of worked hard to get all these as nobody could have that much luck with just the right light and poses of the subjects. Well done and looking forward to more.

[Bush dog]

@@Big Andy

 

Thanks a lot for your kind words. Well yes, I had that much luck with just the right light and poses of the subjects. I must say that I kept the way of working of the argentic days, ie to look after the framing and the light & subjects' conditions before pushing on the shutter button, in other words try to make a good picture from the shooting while now most of the people are shooting anything that moves, hoping that in the quantity, there will be some quality. To be flexible and in order to react promptly, I also almost never used a tripod or monopod.

[Marks]

 

So full of expression! A simply gorgeous portrait.

[SafariChick]

Just fabulous photos. Especially love the elands in post 23 - the one with the tree is my favorite. Looks kind of mystical or magical to me. So many leopards, and the shots of them are gorgeous! Especially love the ones in post 34.

[SafariChick]

@@Bush dog love post 41 also - great elephant shot and those tiny cubs - adorable!

[Tom Kellie]

I must say that I kept the way of working of the argentic days, ie to look after the framing and the light & subjects' conditions before pushing on the shutter button, in other words try to make a good picture from the shooting while now most of the people are shooting anything that moves, hoping that in the quantity, there will be some quality.

 

~ @@Bush dog

 

On the Luminous Landscape photography Web site a number of articles have been posted which more or less say likewise.

As an elementary school pupil, in the mid-1960s, my dad — who's now 92 years old — taught me how to develop prints.

We converted a bathroom into a darkroom. To this day I remember the distinctive scent of a tray of fixer.

He showed me how to vary the print through different length of time in the solutions.

The pale yellow light, the tongs to handle the wet prints, the sense of growing up by learning a technical skill from my dad — all meaningful then and now.

Dad emphasized that silver nitrate, and thence silver iodide, was a scarce resource. Therefore it wasn't prudent to take photos of just anything, willy-nilly.

He wanted me to think before I pushed the shutter button of the twin-lens reflex camera which he'd loaned to me.

At that age I was fascinated by a physician's daughter who wore checked dresses, so took any photo of her I could manage on the sly.

The lasting impression he gave me was that in the long run it would be wiser to take a few carefully considered, well-composed images than to frantically push the shutter button in hopes of somehow finding a keeper.

Reading your very fine comment above vividly reminded me of those long-ago days.

Thank you for your wisdom, and for the wildlife photographs you generously share with Safaritalk.

Tom K.

[Bush dog]

Fifth day

 

Continued

 

 

[Towlersonsafari]

@@Bush dog I have to say i love the contrast between the elephant and the cliff face.

[Marks]

Great lion portraits, especially the "ferocious" ones!