KENYA CONSERVANCIES IN LATE NOVEMBER - Part 3

[KCAZ]

Here us ex-colonials picture our UK cousins as all cultured and classy, sort of modern-day Downton Abbey types, and then @Game Warden has to take us down the Simpsons path.  

[KCAZ]

@pomkiwi, you expressed it much more eloquently than I did.  The moments of stillness were as memorable as the moments of action.  Precisely.

[KCAZ]

My bad, @Game Warden, yet another misidentification made in haste by me.  @Game Warden was actually referring to the TV show Family Guy (obvious from the title of the video clip), which I will admit is a cut above The Simpsons.  The Family Guy re-telling of the Star Wars saga was quite entertaining.  Now if they would just produce a Family Guy version of Downtown Abbey, that would be worth watching.  And then Britain would promptly terminate all diplomatic relations with the U.S.

[SidSafari]

Fantastic Report and some glorius images! 

 

can you please shed light on what type of gear you were using when you made these?

[KCAZ]

Hello, @SidSafari.  Thanks for your nice comments.

 

Most of the mammal and bird pictures were shot with a Nikon D7500 camera (crop-sensor, not full-frame) using a Nikon 200-500mm zoom lens (bought refurbished).  For most of the shots from the safari vehicle, I stabilized the camera/lens combination on a monpod, though I would detach the monopod for birds in flight.  For all the other photos (people, scenery, animal groups), I used a Nikon D7100 with an 18-140mm lens (also refurbished).  Generally happy with my results.  This was my first major photo trip using back-button autofocus on both bodies; took this old dog a little while to learn new tricks, but that techinque was definitely helpful with fast-moving subjects.  

 

Everything post-processed in Adobe Lightroom.  This is the second safari where I brought two additional lenses, a Rokinon 16/2.0 wideangle and a Nikon 180/2.8 fast telephoto.  Neither got used and they will stay home in the future.  

 

The most useful piece of photo gear for safaris, in my humble opinion, is a second body with a wide-to-moderate telephoto lens mounted.  You don't often have time to change lenses, and the dusty environment makes that undesirable.

 

Feel free to ask me any more questions, though recognize I am a neophyte compared to some of the master photographers on Safaritalk.

[Marks]

@KCAZ Some of the best cheetah photos and encounters I've seen. Excellent report.

[Atravelynn]

Part 3 is exceptional.  The violet backed starling is a stunner to start off.  You've got kills, frolicking, birds in flight, and everything else!  Even a November crossing, what luck.

 

As a summary, can you include your itinerary here in part 3?  I found your camps from Part 1, can you indicate how many days you stayed at each?

 

Ol Pejeta Conservancy via Porini Rhino Camp, Ol Kinyei and Naboisho Conservancies via Porini Mara Camp, and Olare Motorogi Conservancy plus the Mara Reserve via Porini Lion Camp

Edited March 25, 2018 by Atravelynn

[Atdahl]

I am really late to this TR party but I just have to say how much I enjoyed all 3 parts @KCAZ.  Stunning photos couple with entertaining story telling makes for great TR reading.   I think I have finally narrowed down my first Africa trip to Kenya and the Porini camps look to be a great match for us.  I have more research to do but trip reports like yours sure make that research fun!    

 

Alan