Africa

All posts tagged Africa

Small animals Safari

Posted by dc on June 12, 2013
Posted in: Safari photography, wildlife photography. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

dwarf mongoose by safari-photographer.com

dwarf mongoose by safari-photographer.com

Sometimes, when on Safari, it is not only about the Big Five. When you have rest time, or lunch at a picnic site, or you simply stay at your camp site or safari lodge, just wait for the small animals to come to you and pose for your pictures!

Places where people use to stay, like picnic sites or camp sites – mostly the smaller animals living there are used to people and not very shy – thus giving you the opportunity –  as a wildlife photographer – to get very close to the smaller animals around. 

Just like the picture above – it is a dwarf mongoose, picture is taken at the picnic site in central Seronera valley, in Serengeti, Tanzania, close to the Serengeti NP headquarter. People are feeding the mongooses, which is of course not allowed, so the mongooses are all over the place trying to steal or snatch some food.

My tip for any wildlife photographer in situations like these: get down on the ground and crawl towards your photo object. This might look a bit ridiculous as all the other people there will think you are quite strange, but who cares – it is about getting the best picture. 

As a simple rule for any convincing wildlife picture: your camera lense should be at eye level of your object – so get out of the car, lay on the ground, and crawl towards the dazzies, mongooses, squirrels, birds, monkeys – any animal that accepts you being close to them. 

 

 

Botswana: From Linyanti to Savute /Botswana Camping in Linyanti und Savute Camps

Posted by dc on June 3, 2013
Posted in: Africa Tourism, Botswana, Camping Africa, Selbstfahrer, travel Africa. Tagged: , , , , , , . 1 comment

Maybe the two most famous campsites in Botswanas Chobe National Park are the camp sites of Linyanti and Savute resp. For self drive safaris it means: drive through patches of very deep sand on a very bad sand road to reach these two great campsites.

Linyanti camp site can be reached from Kasane easily in  half a day, not more than six hours. From Kasane, drive to the hamlet of Kachekau on a very good tarmac road, than enter the sand road towards Chobes Ghoba gate. There, turn West on the sandy road to reach Linyanti. This road is another 45 Km with lots of very deep sand driving. If you can, try to learn how to avoid to get stuck in deep sand before you enter Chobe – it is worth it.

To get from Linyanti camp to the Savute area you have two options: drive back to Ghoba gate and than from there directly to Savute for another 28km. or go directly from Linyanti to Savute for 41 Km on a very nasty sand road. The experienced driver might take the direct route – for the unexperienced 4×4 Africa self drive tourist I recommend to go the longer way, which might be a bit easier.

Savute campsite is great place if you love the African bush – it is hot most time of the year and can be hotter than 45 degrees Celsius – it is full of black sand, ablution blocks are looking like a bunker (because of the elephants), but are well maintained. It can get crowded in Savute, especially when they have holidays in South Africa, so book ahead.

Linyanti camp is a nicer place than Savute – more shadowy and due to its proximity to the Linyanti channel with a more pleasant climate. As Linyanti is a bit off the beaten track, it is less crowded than Savute. Water/shower Installations and ablution blocks in Linyanti camp are very fine.

To book your campsite in either Savute or Linyanti camps, you have to contact SKL camps. Please note: authorities might refuse you to enter Chobe NP without a booking confirmation.

From Linyante to salute by safari-photographer 2013

Das administrative Vorneweg: Reservierungen für Botswana Selbstfahrer für die Campingplätze in Savute und Linyanti gibt es exklusiv und direkt bei SKL Camps. Die Parkbehörde kann euch den Zutritt zum Chobe Park verweigern, wenn ihr keine Reservierung vorweisen könnt. Diese Reservierungen können bis zu einem Jahr im Voraus gemacht werden, aber auch an den Eingängen zum Chobe Park hat SKL meistens einen Mitarbeiter vor Ort, der euch – bei Verfügbarkeit – noch einen Platz im Camp verkaufen kann.

Von Kasane fährt man bis Linyanti oder Savute ca. sechs Stunden. Von Kasane bis Kachekau gibt es eine sehr gute Teerstrasse. Ab Kachekau beginnt dann die Sandpiste zum Ghoba Gate, 42km. Vom Goba Gate bis Linyanti sind es dann 45 Km, oder direkt weiter nach Savute 28 Km.

Die sehr tiefsandige direkte Verbindung zwischen Linyanti und Savute beträgt 41 km. Linyanti mag das landschaftlich schönere Camp sein – direkt an den Sümpfen gelegen, spenden grosse Bäume willkommenen Schatten. Die Duschen und Toiletten sind in sehr gutem Zustand, und das Camp ist nicht ganz so voll wie Savute, da es etwas abseits der meistegefahrenen Route liegt.

Savute Camp im Herzen des Chobe Nationalparks ist eines der bekanntesten Camps in ganz Afrika: Im Sommer heiss wie die Hölle mit Temperaturen bis zu 45 Grad, tiefer, heisser, dunkler Sand, der in alle Ritzen, Kleidungsstücke und Autoteile dringt. Viele mögen Savute nicht so, aber ich mag heisse Plätze im afrikanischen Busch, diese rohe Wildheit von Chobe ist ziemlich einzigartig.

Savute hat im gleichnamigen Kanal auch wieder Wasser, man kann eigentlich im Camp bleiben und darauf warten, dass die Tiere zu einem kommen. Game drive ist also nicht unbedingt notwendig, viele Vögel z.B. kommen von ganz alleine zu Besuch, ebenso Kleintiere wie Eichhörnchen, und Elefanten sind regelmässig zu Gast in Savute Camp.

Deshalb sehen auch die Toiletten aus wie Bunker, sind aber sauber und in Ordnung.

Die Campingplätze im Chobe NP sind nicht eingezäunt, also obacht bei Nacht!

Savute campsite by safari-photographer.com 2013

Savute campsite by safari-photographer.com 2013

Wildlife Photographers (10): Andy Biggs

Posted by dc on May 14, 2013
Posted in: wildlife photographers. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Just recently, well known wildlife photographer Andy Biggs gave a very informative insight in the way he works and how he became a wildlife photographer in this great video, filmed at Google talks. To me, Andy Biggs is in the tradition of great american artists like Howard Hawks or Ernest Hemingway: Great and unique in their art, but modest and not artsy-like in their character. Andy calls himself not an artist, but “a creative person”. I guess, that says it all. So let his photography talk about the man: his view of Africa and its wild animals is a poetic one. There is always some tenderness and empathy in Andy Biggs pictures of African animals and landscapes. There is never any overcooking involved in his pictures -never too close, never too far away, always on the spot where the photographer has to be. Timing and composition, always great, and always fitting to atmosphere and object.

Andy Biggs offers photo safaris mostly in Botswana and Tanzania/Kenya.

Andy Biggs ist ein sehr bekannter Wildlife Fotograf, der erst jüngst bei einer Veranstaltung bei Google (siehe obigen Link auf das Video) einen sehr interessanten und sehr amerikanisch-praktischen Einblick in seine Arbeit und seine Karriere als Fotograf gab. Für mich ist Andy Biggs  ein typisch amerikanischer Künstler: Seine Kunst sprich seine Fotografien für sich sprechen zu lassen, ohne für sich als Person in Anspruch zu nehmen, ein Künstler zu sein. Andy Biggs nennt sich selbst lieber “a creative Person”. Seine Fotografie von Afrika und den Tieren Afrikas spricht von grosser Sympathie für Landschaft und Fauna, und von Respekt. Seine Fotos sind nie aufdringlich, halten Abstand, wo es sinnvoll ist, Abstand zu wahren, und gehen poetisch in die Nahdistanz, wenn dies sinnvoll ist. Ich mag sein Timing und seine Komposition: immer stimmig, immer atmosphärisch.

Andy Biggs bietet Fotosafaris in Afrika an, zumeist in Botswana und dem Serengeti-Mara Ökosystem.

copyright Andy Biggs

Q safari-photographer: What is your photo equipment, and what is the reason for Canon or Nikon?

A Andy Biggs: I primarily shoot with Phase One medium format gear, however I also use Canon and Nikon both to fill in on a safari-by-safari basis. I rent what I need, and some safaris require longer focal lengths than others.
Q: What are your lenses?
A: My primary wildlife lens is a Schneider 240mm on my Phase One camera, which is equal to around 150mm on a full frame Nikon or Canon camera. I also use a Phase One 75-150mm, and on 35mm equipment I often use a 200-400mm f/4 or 300mm f/2.8.
Q: What is your favorite lense, and why?
A: I absolutely love the 70-200mm f/2.8. It is such a utilitarian lens!
Q: What is your favorite place for wildlife photography in Africa/the rest of the world, and why?
A: I have two favorite places: The open savannah of the greater Serengeti ecosystem as well as the Okavango Delta of northern Botswana. Both of these locations offer extraordinary landscapes as backdrops for the abundant wildlife.
Q: What is your current project you are working on?
A: I am currently working on trying to be at home more often. :-)
Q: What is a dream project for you in the future?
A: My dream project is to photograph in ecologically sensitive environments, documenting threatened species as the result of habitat loss.
Q: What are your concerns for the future regarding protecting the African wildlife and national parks?
A: My concerns are that the wildlife in our parks are becoming islands of isolated genes, separated from each other by large populations of humans. I would like to have wildlife corridors, linking parks and wildlife-rich ecosystems with one other.
Q: What do you try to achieve with your photography?
A: I try to convey a sense of peacefulness, hope and timelessness with my imagery. I try to take viewers to a place that seems far away from home.
Q: Do you consider yourself being an artist?
A: I do, but I prefer to use the term photographer or that I am a creative person.

Travel photography: Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania

Posted by dc on March 10, 2013
Posted in: landscape photography, Safari photography, Serengeti, Tansania, Tanzania, travel Africa, travel photography. Tagged: , , , , , , . 4 comments
Ngorongoro crater by DC Loew

Ngorongoro crater by DC Loew

This picture is taken from one of the viewpoints which are situated beside the road along the Ngorongoro crater rim. It is the road that goes from Arusha all the way to the Serengeti Naabi Hill gate, in northern Tanzania.

Take care when you stop and get out of the car, sometimes there are lorrys and safari vehicles driving around in a rather ruthless style.

Das Foto wurde im Norden Tansanias an einem der Aussichtspunkte an der Strasse Arusha – Serengeti aufgenommen, unweit des Grabes der Grzimeks. Die Strasse ist eine Lehmpiste und führt entlang des Kraterrandes, Vorsicht ist geboten, ab und an wird doch recht wild gefahren. Sie führt von Arusha über den Eingang zur Ngorongoro Conservation Area direkt zur Serengeti, zum Naabi Hill Gate.

Canon EOS 5D Mk II, Lens: Canon EF 17-40 L

Great African lodges: The perfect retreat – Mara Timbo Camp, Masai Mara/ Im Herzen Afrikas: Das Mara Timbo Camp

Posted by dc on January 15, 2013
Posted in: Africa Tourism, Great African Lodges, Safari photography. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

From time to time safari-photographer.com presents outstanding lodges  in Africa. This time it is the Masai Mara in Kenya, where the Mara Timbo Camp is situated.The camp is directly located at the shores of the Mara river, and contains of seven self constructed luxury tents with ensuite bathrooms.

Mara Tembo Camp

The Masai Mara is a safari photographers dream, especially when you want to shoot pictures of big cats, especially lions and cheetahs. You can go there any other time of the year to find abundant wildlife among a lovely scenery. When the wildebeest migration is coming in from the Serengeti, the Mara is packed with mammals and is one of the best places on earth for wildlife photography.

The Mara Timbo Camp itself is a very good base for safari photographers, offering all amenities of African hospitality (restaurant, bar) and the technical infrastructure you need to rely as a wildlife photographer – electricity for chargers, in rooms as well in safari vehicles. As the owners of the lodge used to work in tv business, they know quite well what technical infrastructure is needed for photographers. Check here for details.

The amazing story behind the camp is, that the owners built the place literally from scratch. They designed the tents, houses, bar, furniture etc. in Nairobi. Than it was all put together by local craftsmen, and transported to the Mara. The camp is close to Oloololo Gate of the game reserve, and for building it on a private concession, not a single tree was cut. This approach is giving the place its very unique closeness to the bush that surrounds it.

When the migration of the wildebeests starts to arrive in July, the wildebeest have to cross the Mara river, which is one of the true nature extravaganzas on this planet. The huge herds stay in the Mara until the end of October, and in this time of the year the area is packed with carnivores. Safari in the Mara means, that you do not have to spend hours sitting in the car waiting for the action to happen somewhere – it is just right there!

How to get there: Plane from Nairobi Wilson Airport, or Mombasa or Diani to Kichwa Tembo airstrip. When arriving by car from Nairobi, it takes approx. 5-6 hours.

International Airport: Nairobi International Yomo Kenyatta. You need to transfer to Wilson Airport.

4524 / Mara Timbo Camp in Kenias Maasai Mara

Das Mara Timbo Camp in Kenias bestem Naturschutzgebiet, der Masai Mara, ist ein wunderbares Camp in einzigartiger Natur, und ist zudem mit einer grossartigen Gründergeschichte verknüpft.

Nachdem die jetzigen Besitzer des Camps ihre Berufe im deutschen Fernsehen aufgegeben haben und nach Kenia gingen, pachteten sie ein Buschgrundstück direkt am Mara Fluss und dem Oloololo Gate zum Masai Mara Schutzgebiet. Die Zeltchalets aus Holz und Stoff designten sie mangels Vorlage selbst, und bauten ein Musterchalet im Garten ihres Hauses in Nairobi, mit Hilfe lokaler Handwerker.

Dann wurden alle Baumaterialien nach der Mara gebracht, und dort insgesamt sieben Gästezelte, alle mit eigenem Bad und eigener Veranda errichtet. Die gesamte Anlage wurde in das bestehende Gelände sorgfältig integriert, und laut Klaus Willen, Direktor des Camps, wurde dafür kein einziger Baum gefällt.

Für Fotografen ist Kenias Masai Mara sicherlich eines des spannendsten Safarigebiete weltweit – das ganze Jahr über herrschen ideale Bedingungen, es gibt extrem viele Tiere auf einem kleinen Gebiet, so dass man selten stundenlange Anfahrten per Auto einplanen muss. Mit der Ankunft der migratorischen Gnuherden der Great Migration aus der Serengeti ab Juli, steigt die Raubtierdichte in der Mara noch einmal an, und es gibt in dieser Zeit wohl keinen besseren Platz für Wildlife Fotografie in ganz Afrika.

Das Camp bietet eine sehr gute Infrastruktur für Fotografen, und bei Anfrage auch preislich interessante Pakete für längere Aufenthalte.

Restaurant und Bar sind ebenfalls vorhanden, Lunch und Dinner sowie Lunch Pakete für ganztägige game drives werden zubereitet.

Mara Timbo Camp, Kenya

Anfahrt: Per Auto von Nairobi, fünf bis sechs Stunden Fahrt. Per Flugzeug von Nairobi Wilson Airport, von Kenias Küste von Diani oder Mombasa.

The worlds most endangered antelope: the hirola/ Die seltenste Antilope der Welt: Hirola

Posted by dc on December 29, 2012
Posted in: conservation projects, Kenya. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 4 comments

I admit: I never heard of this specific antelope. It lives in Kenya and looks a bit like a mixture between a hartebeest and an impala, with a white mask over the eyes. The Hirola is endangered due to poaching, carnivore pressure and loss of habitat. A community based protection program just started in Kenya, with help of Nature Conservancy. They build a protected area with a carnivore-proof fence arount ot, so the surviving Hirolas are safe. As the area, where the Hirola uses to roam is in a remote corner between the boarders of Kenya and Somalia, this region is truly off the beaten track. Tourists and safaris, who would support the project with their entry fees, are not coming to this area. Check out for more information on the links provided, this project is really worth to be supported.

Ich muss zugeben, von der Hirola Antilope habe ich zuvor noch nichts gehört, bis ich jetzt in einem Artikel in “Africa Geographic” auf das sehr beachtenswerte und unterstützungsbedürftige Projekt gestossen bin. Die Hirola Antilope sieht aus wie eine Mischung aus Hartebeest und Impala, und lebt in einem Gebiet im Grenzland zwischen Kenia und Somalia. In Somalia gilt die Hirola bereits als ausgestorben. Zusammen mit Gemeinden und Kommunen in der Gegend, wurde nun ein eingezäuntes Schutzgebiet für die letzten Hirolas errichtet, mit einem raubtiersicheren Zaun. Denn es ist nicht nur die Wilderei und der Verlust von Lebensraum, auch die Raubtiere setzen dem kleiner werdenden Bestand stark zu.

Ich halte dieses Projekt für sehr unterstützenswert, Nature Conservancy aus den Vereinigten Staaten ist die NGO vor Ort, welche Know-How und Geld für die lokalen Kommunen beisteuert.

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Wildlife photographers Vol. 7: Will Burrard-Lucas

Posted by dc on November 21, 2012
Posted in: wildlife photographers. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 comment

When asked if he considers himself being an artist, wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas  answers:

I am equally an inventor, a naturalist, an entrepreneur, a broadcaster

Two things come in mind when watching Wills exceptional portfolio: closeness and adventure. And yes, there is a third one: the Beetle cam.

Closeness is achieved by Wills point-of-view of his pictures, and not all are done by the beetle cam creeping on the ground, being bitten by lions and wildldogs. The low angle approach to the animals is creating a very unique closeness to lions and wild dogs alike, but to penguins as well, if you see Wills Falkland Islands pictures.

There is always a sense of adventure coming with his photos, maybe that is the closeness, maybe that is the ingenuity of the beetle cam pics, but definitely the photographer itself adds a feeling of exciting wilderness to his portraits of wonderful animals. Directly per email from Zambias South Luangwa National Park, here are Wills answers to safari-photographers.com questions.

Q: What is your photo equipment, and what is the reason for Canon or Nikon?

A: I shoot Canon.  I don’t think it makes much difference whether you shoot Canon or Nikon… nowadays both brands are so good that it is rarely the equipment that limits what I can do. I shoot Canon because that’s what I invested in when I started buying pro lenses about 8 years ago and I’ve never seen a compelling enough reason to go through the expense of changing brand.

Q: What are your lenses?

A: I have loads but I mainly use 16-35 2.8, 50 1.2, 70-200 2.8, 400 2.8 and 100mm 2.8 macro.

Q: What is your favorite lense, and why?

A: It depends on the situation! All of the above are my favourites :)

Q: What is your favorite place for wildlife photography in Africa/the rest of the world, and why?

A: Africa: Currently South Luangwa; I am spending the year here and enjoying getting to know the area and its wildlife. It is still very wild, you can go entire days without seeing another vehicle. It is also nice to see how drastically and rapidly the park changes through the seasons.

Rest of world is hard! At the moment I am enjoying Africa. Probably one of my most productive trips outside Africa was to the Falkland Islands.

Q: What is your current project you are working on?

A: As I mentioned, I am currently spending a year in Zambia, focusing on the wildlife of South Luangwa National Park.

Q: What is a dream project for you in the future?

A: That’s top secret! ;) Basically anything that hasn’t been done much before. I like to photograph unusual species or better known creatures in unusual ways.

Q: What are your concerns for the future regarding protecting the African wildlife and national parks?

A: While national parks have plenty of problems of their own (i.e. poaching etc), my main concern is the devastation that is occurring in the unprotected areas. Pretty soon there may be very little wildlife left outside the national parks and these protected areas will become isolated islands surrounded by people. I would like to see more wildlife management areas established throughout Africa and steps taken to ensure more land is used sustainably.

Q: What do you try to achieve with your photography?

A: To inspire people to appreciate and conserve the natural wonders of our planet.

Q: Who actually buys the beetle cam and is every one of them custom built?

A: BeetleCams are bought by pro wildlife photographers and filmmakers around the world. Some are custom built but most are pretty standard – designed to take a medium sized DSLR with an armoured shell and a wireless live view feed.

Q: Do you consider yourself being an artist?

A: I suppose I am, but being an artist is only a part of it. I am equally an inventor, a naturalist, an entrepreneur, a broadcaster etc…

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Serengeti tree lions / Ein Löwe im Baum

Posted by dc on November 16, 2012
Posted in: Serengeti, Tansania, Tanzania, wildlife, wildlife photography. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 comment

Interesting. Lions do climb trees, that is common knowledge in the meantime. It was Lake Manyara NP in Tanzania that was famous for its tree climbing lions, and maybe some of them kind of wandered to nearby Serengeti. This picture was taken on a Safari  in July 2012 in the northern part of Moru koppjes area, in Serengeti National Park.

The lioness seemed to be very relaxed and did not care for the visitors. So, all of you wildlife photographers trying to catch this scene at Manyara: with a bit of luck, Serengeti works as well..

Serengeti lioness on a tree. Photography by DC Loew

Bisher galt immer der Lake Manyara National Park auf jeder Foto – Safari im nördlichen Tansania als der potentielle Ort für Fotografen, Löwen auf Bäumen zu entdecken. Aber auch die Serengeti bietet dieses Phänomen, welches wohl nicht mehr als “sehr selten” zu bezeichnen ist, sucht man diese Art von Fotos im Netz. Wer also auf seiner Safari den Lake Manyara auswählt, um die Baumlöwen zu erhaschen, sie dort aber versäumt: mit etwas Glück liefert die Serengeti…

Das Foto entstand zwischen dem Grasland südlich von Seronera und nördlich dem Moru koppjes Gebiet, in der Nähe des Mbalageti Rivers.

Serengeti calendar 2013/ Serengeti Kalender 2013

Posted by dc on November 3, 2012
Posted in: Safari photography. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Finally, my safari-photographer.com 2013 calendar with 12 of my favorite pictures from this years Serengeti safari is available for sale.

Jetzt ist mein diesjähriger Foto Kalender mit den schönsten Tierfotos meiner diesjährigen Serengeti Safari fertig und zum Verkauf! Ihr findet 12 originale Fotos von mir, jeweils versehen mit kurzem Erklärtest und Kamerainfo.

Der Serengeti Kalender ist im Format 44x30cm, alle Seiten sind “glossy” und in Farbe und in sehr guter Papierqualität. Der Preis ist 39 EUR, inklusive Versand in Deutschland. Weltweiter Versand: bitte vorab die Versandkosten bei mir erfragen.

Der Serengeti Kalender 2013 ist hier in meinem etsy Shop erhältlich.

  • The calendar has 12 pages and a size of 44×30 cm.
  • All pages with glossy and protected surface
  • You can see all pictures here
  • Price: 39,- EUR incl. shipping for inside Germany
  • for shipping worldwide, please ask for costs! I also add two safari-photographer.com stickers
  • Every calendar is numbered and signed
  • Order in my etsy store here

 

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The African tree squirrel

Posted by dc on September 5, 2012
Posted in: Botswana, Canon, Safari photography, wildlife photography. Tagged: , , , . 1 comment

Well, todays posting is a simple one: one of my favorite images from Botswanas Chobe National Park. You can go on game drive for days and days and you do not find a bit of a lion. Back in camp, you find this little chap waiting for you (well, maybe just for the food you bring), and you get a nice lighted image from a very close distance, the squirrel sitting on the braai, there you go…

Afrikanisches Eichhörnchen, aufgenommen im Savute Camp, Chobe NP, Botswana.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EL 100-400 L lens. No tripod.

Wanderwege, Trekking Trails, Walking Safari in Nationalparks von Südafrika

Posted by dc on August 31, 2012
Posted in: Africa Tourism, Südafrika, Walking Safari. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a Comment

Aktuell habe ich eine Zusammenstellung aller südafrikanischen Nationalparks und Informationen mit dem Schwerpunkt Trekking und Wandern in Südafrika erstellt. Ich glaube, dies ist eine ganz brauchbare Information für alle, die mehrtägige Wanderungen unternehmen möchten, und sich nicht so sicher sind, wo und wie man dies in den Nationalparks von Südafrika bewerkstelligen kann. Ebenso habe ich die Möglichkeiten für Walking Safaris hinzugefügt, da gibt es in Südafrika ziemlich viele Angebote!

Great African lodges: New lodges in Central Africas Congo-Brazzaville

Posted by dc on August 17, 2012
Posted in: Africa Tourism, conservation projects, Great African Lodges, Republic of the Congo, travel Africa, Walking Safari. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 comment

There are new, exciting opportunities for the intrepid traveller and photographer. For instance, why not plan to travel to the Republic of the Congo and the odzala National Park. The capital of Brazzaville can quite easily be reached from Europe or the US by plane, or by ferry from neighboring Kinshasa. You can fly from Europe directly to Brazzaville with Air France via Paris. Or you fly from Brussels with Brussels Airlines to Kinshasa. Other quite good services are via Casablanca with Royal Air Maroc or via Addis Abeba with Ethiopian Airlines. KLM also flies from Amsterdam directly to Kinshasa. And Kenya Airways both connects Kinshasa as Brazzaville alike from their hub in Nairobi, Kenya. Coming from the US this means your connecting destinations are Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Coming from Asia or Australia or South Africa, it might be Addis and Nairobi.

From Brazzaville take a domestic chartered flight to the National Park of  Odzala. Here you find two quite new camps by Wilderness Safaris, Ngaga Camp and Lango Camp. Wilderness Safaris is an eco friendly company from South Africa, and they especially care about conservation and local communities, they call this the four c`s, here is how they put it:

“Wilderness is a conservation organisation and ecotourism company that specialises in memorable wildlife experiences in some of the most remote and pristine areas in Africa, at the same time remaining fiercely committed to protecting the continent’s precious natural resources. Their sustainability strategy is encapsulated by “the 4Cs”

“Conservation, Community, Culture or Commerce. Make your selection above.
Wilderness views responsible, nature-based tourism as the most effective and practical vehicle to ensure the sustainability of African conservation in the modern era. We are serious about what we do and believe fully in our vision of contributing meaningfully to conservation.”

In the two lodges they set up in the jungle of the Republic of the Congo, the main activity for a wildlife photographer, is of course, tracking the local western lowland gorilla population.

Photographic activities range from gorilla tracking (habituated groups), pirogue rides along lush river systems, game drives in the savannah, night drives, walks along lush forest streams and salines, and of course time spent at the productive forest bais.

Wildlife in the jungle exists of around 400 species of mammals and uncounted species of birds. Walking and boat safaris are offered, season is all year. Electrical power is  available in the two camps, so photographers do not need to rely on their batteries, as battery charging facilities are available in the camps.

Colobus monkey in Arusha National Park, Tanzania.

As what photography concerns in the jungle, that is a different thing: light conditions are pretty complicated, you have a lot of light, but also a lot of shadows, and this is changing constantly. Focusing is difficult, because there is a lot of leaves and branches between you and the animal up in the trees. I suggest to only use a single focusing point, and I also suggest to increase or adapt your ISO  settings. To be sure, photograph in RAW and always expect light to be lesser than your camera suggests, so better tend to over exposure your images.

Auf der touristischen Landkarte Afrikas gibt es zwei neue Lodges in der Republik Kongo, auch bekannt als Kongo Brazzaville. Wilderness Safaris bietet diese zwei Ökolodges an, man erreicht sie von Brazzaville mit einem Charterflieger in den Odzala Nationalpark. Von Mitteleuropa, Deutschland, Österreich oder der Schweiz bieten sich Flugverbindungen über Brüssel oder Nairobi an, von Frankfurt attraktiv ist auch die Verbindung über Addis oder Paris/Amsterdam. Genauere Beschreibungen der Flugoptionen seht ihr im oberen Bereich des Textes in Englisch.

Der Odzala Nationalpark beherbergt eine der grossen Populationen Afrikas des westlichen Flachland-Gorillas, als auch Waldelefanten, Colobusaffen und Schimpansen, insgesamt über 400 Säugetierarten. Fotografieren im Dschungel ist dann noch einmal eine der grossen Herausforderungen für jeden Fotografen: Schwierigste Licht- und Sichtverhältnisse, Schwüle, Feuchtigkeit, hier ist technisch-fotografisches Know-how und Schutz für das Equipment gefragt. ISO Werte sind hochzusetzen, und ich würde die Fokussierung auf einen Single-Point begrenzen, da Äste und Blätter die Fokussierung/Scharfstellung sehr schwierig machen. Im Montanwald des Arusha Nationalparks in Tansania habe ich einschlägige Erfahrungen gemacht, und die nicht sehr scheuen Colobusaffen waren wirklich sehr schwer fotografisch einzufangen.

Wildlife Photographers (1): Markus Mauthe

Posted by dc on August 15, 2012
Posted in: conservation projects, photo gear, Safari photography, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife photographers, wildlife photography. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Well, actually I came upon Markus Mauthe because I wanted to link from my blog to his very detailed and inspring report about being in the Serengeti. Then I found out that this guy is a great wildlife photographer as well, with a very interesting upcoming project with foto sessions in Patagonia, Tasmania, Nepal, Palau and the Arctic, among other beautiful places of our little blue planet.

And yes, this planet of us is in danger, and that is why Markus is working together with Greenpeace, to act against the destruction of nature, wildlife, and the oceans. Photographing the beauty of planet earth is one way to make people think and feel, and this you can see in Markus`photography, his workshops and lectures.

Markus Mauthe uses Nikon camera gear and lenses, this is his equipment:

Nikon D3x + D4
21 mm Zeiss
35-70 mm Nikon
200-400 mm Nikon
600 mm Nikon
Gitzo Carbon tripod – ballhead: Really Right Stuff
beanbag

When in the Serengeti lately, most of the pictures he took he used the Nikon 600mm lens, which is a bit of his favorite lens. When on location, Markus tries to capture the specific character and beauty of the landscape in a typical, unspoiled manner. He wants to document it, and show in his images the true character of the region.

I always ask photographers , if they are fans of other photographers or if they have an idol. Markus told me, he does actually not. Well, maybe with one exception, which is Ingo Arndt, one of the best know German masters of wildlife photography.

His project together with Greenpeace “Naturwunder Erde” (“earths natural wonders”) is about showing the beauty and vulnerability of our planet, and will lead him quite a bit around to some stunning places, like described above. You can follow this project on Markus´blog wildview.de (and on this blog, too), and on Facebook.

In loser aber regelmässiger Folge wird safari-photographer.com über ausgesuchte Natur – und Tierfotografen berichten. Den Anfang macht Markus Mauthe, den ich eigentlich wegen seines hervorragende Serengeti Berichts angeschrieben hatte. Aber dann sah ich, dass er ein Klasse-Fotograf ist, und das war die Idee für den Beginn der Reihe “wildlife photographers”. Seine Nikon Kameraausrüstung ist oben beschrieben, sein grosses Projekt “Naturwunder”, zusammen mit Greenpeace” könnt ihr auf seinem Blog verfolgen. Die Links zum Blog als auch zu Facebook kommen im Anschluss. Für die deutschen Leser interessant sind sicherlich auch die Vortragsreihen und Workshops, welche Markus veranstaltet, mehr dazu auf seiner Homepage.

The desert lions project in Namibia

Posted by dc on July 27, 2012
Posted in: conservation projects, Namibia, wildlife. Tagged: , , , . Leave a Comment

I came upon this very interesting project and  wonderful website: The desert lions project from Dr. Philip Stander, in northwestern Namibia. The project is wonderfully documented on its website, and there is a lot to discover about it, everything very accurately described and with images, maps etc: The area where the project is located, the areas where each lion pride is located, a mass of photos, and a very interesting table of budgets and needs. And yes, they need donors and sponsors!

The desert lion conservation is a very transparent project and shows convincingly, how science works, what the obstacles and problems are, and how to deal with them AND deliver results. I am deeply impressed by this project, the website, and what you can learn about lions behaviour just following their news. Interesting as well, as you can study the impact of tourism on nature, animals, and scientific projects. The desert lions project is aware of the negative impact of an increasing numbers of tourists in the projects region, but tries nevertheless, to integrate these tourists, the camps the tourists stay, and the camps crews  in their work and studies.

Essential photo gear when out there in the field

Posted by dc on July 23, 2012
Posted in: Ausrüstung, photo gear, safari gear. Tagged: , , , , , , . 13 comments

After spending some days in the bush in Serengeti and Mkomazi National Parks, I truely know now what is needed as photo equipment when being mobile and outdoors and away from energy resources like electrical power. Here is a short list:

  • Dust protection and cleaning equipment: some parts of Africa and other remote areas of this planet are, well, very dusty. Especially when there is no rain around. Than they become muddy. So, prepare to clean your gear every evening or when back in camp from the game drive. Important is as well, to provide a dust or water proof bag for your gear- there needs to be at least one place, where your camera gear cannot get dusty anymore.
  • Lens protection filters: it may come not as a surprise, but I need to emphasize on this: Invest in some protection filters for your valuable lenses. I tried some, and like the filters by B+W very much. They seem to fit better to my Canon lenses than other filters and are of superior quality: very durable, no effects on the images. I use the F-Pro filters by B+W, well, what can I say. Made in Germany.
  • Car charger for camera batteries: That really saved my life when in the Serengeti, as we had no electrical power except in the car. With a car charger for your camera batteries, you can charge one battery at a time when on game drive. That worked perfectly. Some cars (Landrover, Toyota) give you the option to choose between 110v and 220V, so in case your battery charger comes from the US, that should be no problem. Ask your safari provider to have plug adapters, or better, bring them with you!The chager i have works with a car charger adapter as well with plugs for UK and central Europe. The UK plugs mostly work in (East) – Africa, too.
  • Mobile photo storage: First of all, bring as many as memory cards as possible. Second, bring as much  memory storage additionally as possible. If a Notebook/Laptop would mean to much hassle, a photo storage and viewer device would be the best solution. These simple but small and powerful devices are e.g. from Epson, Hyperdrive, Jobo or Nexto DI, and can save up to 500 resp. 750 GB. Plus, they work with batteries and do not need electrical power for some time.
  • See also here which photo gear I am using when in the field