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2013 – 2014 Photo Safari Schedule

Jan 16th, 2012 by

Safaris for the remainder of 2013:
1. Namibia – April – Trip is full
2. Tanzania – The Great Rut – May – Trip is full
3. Tanzania – Highlights of Tanzania – Sept – A few openings remain
4. Anartica – Nov

Safaris for 2014:
1. Tanzania – The Great Migration – Feb – Accepting reservations now.
2. Rwanda and Kenya – Gorillas in the Mist plus 5 days in the Masai Mara – March
NOTE:  This trip will be limited to 14 people.  Details will be released late April 2014
3. Tanzania – The Great Rut – May
4. Iceland – Landscapes for the land of fire and ice – 10-19 Aug 2014 – Details will be released late April 2014

Also planing a return adventure to photograph the Wild Dogs of Laikipia.

 

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Posted in Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Safari, Tanzania, Travel | No Comments »

From 10,058 meters aloft, Turkish Airlines TK10

May 15th, 2013 by

Sorry, but I just had to do this. I’ve never been able to generate a blog posting while in flight.  Currently, flying an ‘over the pole’ route, just passing over Butte Montana, with an altitude of  1o,o58 meters  , and 1,022 km/h for airspeed (ground speed indicated), time to Istanbul will be 10.24 hours (remaining).   Total distance, this leg, is 11,045 km.  Once I land in Istanbul, another 6 hour leg will place me in Tanzania.

As luck would have it, I was upgraded to Comfort Class on Turkish Airlines TK10, LAX to Istanbul. This class is a wonderful mix of super economy plus (United), and normal business class. The seats are normal US business class seats except with lots of wonderful pluses. These include 120 volts, two USB charging ports, 12 volt ports, and FREE wi-fi. This blows the United business seats totally away.

I just completed field processing of this image below only seconds before they turned on some kind of soothing red-amber-ish lighting, so there goes my color management. Oh by the way, the chiefs were at the aircraft entrance greeting the passengers while the stewards were off doing their steward stuff. Yes, there are two chiefs dedicated to business class (first class in the normal US) and two dedicated to the Comfort Class. You gotta love it.

Another Golden Monkey shot from Rwanda posted from aboard Turkish Airlines TK10, just because I can. These monkeys were really difficult to photograph. Fast moving, on the ground and flying thru the air, coupled with this bamboo and heavy overcast skies, my camera of choice was the Nikon D4. With it’s high speed capture rate and virtually noise free imagery, it was just what the situation called for.

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 Nikon D4, 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm,  ISO 12,800, 1/125 sec at f/5.6.

Cheers and happy photo’ing

 

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Posted in Africa, Mountain Gorillas, Rwanda, Safari | No Comments »

Rwanda and the Masai Mara – March 2014

May 15th, 2013 by

2014 SAFARI ALERT

As I write this, I’m off to Tanzania to lead another exciting photo safari / workshop featuring the RUT season and all of the crazy activities that go on during the period of RUT. I described the RUT to someone the other day as the “Serengeti being awash in a sea of testosterone, with all animals fully involved.”

Before I kick this safari off, I wanted to toss out a teaser for my March 2014 trip featuring the Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda followed by several days in the wonderful Masai Mara. While I am still pulling together the final logistical details of the trip, I can share with you that we will have two full days of gorilla treking, one day of treking for the endangered Golden Monkeys, and 5 days in the Masai Mara Plains area of Kenya. The trip will be limited to 12 people and based on the interest that I have received, it will sell out fast. For those of you whom have already requested a spot on this trip, I have your name on the list and you will be the first contacted with final details.

Photographing and viewing the gorillas and monkeys, will a moving experience for all. For the photographers, it will be fast paced and some of the most technically challenging shooting that you will likely have ever undertaken. Between the complex light levels, constant motion, and thick vegetation; you will have your hands full I will be there with you to ensure you get the most out of this trip. After our daily treks, we will spend some time visiting local villages, markets, and doing some post processing or image review.

As far as the Masai Mara goes, it is a game rich area and full of action. The term sensory overload comes to mind when photographing in this incredible area. From the big five, to exhilarating cheetahs chases, we will likely see it all.

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Nikon D4, 70-200mm f/2.8 @200mm, ISO 640, 1/125 sec at f/3.5, elevation 8497 ft.

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Heavy bamboo made getting a clear shoot of the fast moving monkeys one heck of a challenge.

Nikon D4,  70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 6400, 1/125 sec at f/5.6, elevation 8435 ft.

Cheers and happy photo’ing

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Posted in Africa, Kenya, Mountain Gorillas, Rwanda | No Comments »

Martini Madness Strikes Wilderness Safari Camps in Namibia

May 11th, 2013 by

While leading a landscape photography workshop in Namibia, professional photographer Randy Hanna, stepped behind the bar to share his mixology knowledge with the staff. After a quick survey of the cold room in the kitchen, Randy began to assemble his components for the next evening’s class. With all of the ingredients and note pads in hand, plus special herbs from the local garden, the class began.Together, the team whipped up an entire suite of wonderful martinis including, ‘Apple Tini’, ‘Strawberry-Kiwi Tini’, ‘Orange – Cranberry Splash’, ‘Kalulu Cosmo’, and the most popular ‘Basil and Cucumber Martini.’ Before we knew it, a line had formed in front of the bar as  word spread among the staff and guests, with everyone having the benefit of trying some new concoctions. The last drink from the class was the ‘Midnight Kiss Matini’ (Kailua, Chocolate Liquor, and vodka), guaranteed to cross your eyes. The final exam was the bar staff replicating all of the drinks to Randy’s satisfaction and as Randy said, “Man, did they knock them out of the park!” You can follow Randy’s adventures and safaris at www.randyhannaphotography.com.

Randy Hanna Behind the Bar at Little Kulala

Randy Hanna Behind the Bar at Little Kulala

Cheers and Happy Photo’ing

 

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Posted in Africa, Namibia | No Comments »

Back Home from Namibia

May 9th, 2013 by

Well, it has been about 15 days since I have returned from a killer landscape workshop that I led in Namibia. While I was gone, lots of things changed in my photo world. While it is always fun to return to Seattle and discover what little things changed, but man, change was everywhere around me upon my return. The big changes included:

1.  Nik Software is now available for $149.00 for the entire suite. Normally HDR or Viveza would cost this much alone. I use Nik products in just about every image that I process. I would suggest that you get it now, as we have no idea what Google will do with the product line.  You can get this software here.

2.  Nikon released a new, and much needed, 80-400mm Zoom. Still at an f-stop of 4.5-5.6, it sports a much faster focusing system, and Nano-crystal lens coating, making this a great safari lens for those that can’t justify the much more expensive 200-400mm.

3.  Nikon released the D7100, which returns another full stop or two more sensitive than the D7000.  Built as a pro-consumer body, this is a great camera for those interested in a 1.5 crop sensor.

4.  Posterious died with short notice. Posterious, the posting service that I used to post to my blog from the bush, was absorbed by Twitter about a year ago.  With 5 days notice, they folded their doors and left me searching for alternatives to support live blogging from the bush while I’m out on safari.

5.  The Hasselblad H5D series is now shipping to the US. After tons of trouble with the H4D series, this new release is the one that I have been waiting for. Better lens / body connections, new menu systems and weather-proofing make this a solid medium format camera that will last well into the future. I cant wait to get my hands on one.

6.  Last and certainly the least, is the big Adobe announcement for LR5. If the past trend of releases continues to be true, we might see a LR5 release by the end of June or July.  Looking at the LR5 Beta, the big improvements include:

  • Very powerful advance healing bush that allows for non-circular click and drag corrections
  • New Radial Filter for off-center vignetting and elliptical local adjustments
  • Upright in the Lens Corrections to automatically straighten photos and fix perspective
  • Smart Previews supporting off-line editing of photos
  • Grid and guide overlays for library, develop, and tethered captured
  • PNG file support
  • True fullscreen mode
  • Page numbering and layout saving in the Book Module
  • Videos can be included in slideshows
  • Windows HiDPI support
  • New smart collections criteria

I hope to release the final details on the Mountain Gorilla and Massai Mara safari (scheduled for early March), a June trip to Botswana, and Iceland in August, just as soon as I possibly can. If you are on my mailing list, you will receive advance notice of these safaris before they are posted on the web. As usual, space will be limited across all safaris, so start thinking about your desires.

I’ll post a few notes from Namibia before I depart for Tanzania again on the 12th of May, including Martini Madness. Meanwhile, I’m on the road heading to Atlanta to see my youngest daughter graduate with her second Masters. Rumor has it that she will soon be employed with a top notch consulting company in Washington DC.

Cheers and happy photo’ing

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Posted in Africa, Mountain Gorillas, Namibia, Photo Gear and Reviews, Photography information, Rwanda, Safari, Tanzania, Tools and Techniques | No Comments »

Na’ankuse Vist and Last Post for 12 Days

Apr 3rd, 2013 by

After traveling for so long, we scheduled a down today (HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICKI at EYES ON AFRICA) with a wonderful visit to Na’ankuse (meaning ‘God Watches Over Us’, in bushman) Wildlife Conservancy.  Starting off at 0600 hours, we took an hour drive to the conservancy and witnessed a killer African sunrise along the way.  We photographed Caracal, Lions, Cheetahs, and African Wild dogs.  Great fun for everyone and a wonderful experience.  Following a great lunch at the lodge, we returned late afternoon to the Galton House for some camera equipment cleanup and reset for our next adventure – the early morning flight to Wolwedans Dune Camp, then onward to several camps north, completed our trip at the most remote camps in Namiba, Serra Cafema.

Due to the remote locations that we will be visiting, I will not have any access to internet.  Time to unplug and take some photos.  I’ll start posting upon our return.

Cheer to all.

Posted in Namibia, Travel | No Comments »

A Quick Day in Frankfurt

Apr 1st, 2013 by

As I mentioned in my previous post, we had a 13 hour layover in Frankfurt before our connecting flight to South Africa.  Our plan was to hit the town after catching up on some light email in the Star Alliance Lounge.  Before we get to the city adventure, here is the last sunrise we saw before touchdown.

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So off we go into the unknown train station looking for a stop that we know nothing about.  After several tries, we concluded that the automated ticket machines don’t accept plastic.  OK, time to stand in a long line and do it the hard way.  With a group fare ticket in hand off we go the City Centre or Galleria.  Watching train stop names that we cant pronounce, blur by, all the time wondering, did we miss the stop, we suddenly arrived.  We found  empty streets and closed shops due to Easter Monday.  I deadheaded for what was to be one of the few lunch spots that was open.  Man did we the jackpot.  Great food and lots of it, in fact, too much.  Schnitzel with a mushroom sauce, red cabbage, and potatoes made for a full meal, oh yes and don’t forget the beer.  Off we go to walk this off and man did we walk and walk. We came across a huge and wonderful historic church with some impressive architecture which game me a run for the money with my compact Sony NEX-6 camera.  BTW, I am now fully in love with this camera.  Armed to the teeth with camera gear, we all decided to to have some fun and take only our compact cameras to the city.  What a hoot, it was to shoot this way.  Below are a few shots (inside and out) from the church that demonstrate the capabilities of this wonderful camera.

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church-art

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After touring the church, we made our way down to the Main River where we noted a pedestrian bridge down river a bit.  What good is a pedestrian bridge if you don’t walk across it?  So we strolled across the bridge only to find tons of locks  on the bridge.  Closer inspection of the locks revealed that they were love locks.   Apparently, hundreds of couples have come to the Eiserner Steg, (the pedestrian bridge across the river Main), to show their everlasting love to each other, by attaching a padlock to the bridge (often engraved with their names and the date) and throwing the keys into the river.

This custom has come to Frankfurt from the city of Cologne, where over 40,000 padlocks are attached to a bridge across the river Rhine. The origin is unknown, but similar customs are known from Rome and the Baltic Sea region.

locks-on-bridge

All of the images in this post were taken withe Sony NEX-6 in full automatic mode.  I love it.  Well, we are now off to South Africa in just a few hours so no more posting until we hit Namibia.

Cheers and happy photo’ing.

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Views From The Airplane

Apr 1st, 2013 by

Leaving SEATAC hurdling toward Frankfurt, Germany in an aluminum tube, some 37,000 feet in the air at a smooth 586mph, we were treated to a wonderful view of the Canadian Rockies as we started making our way across the pole.  Eight hours later approaching Germany, mother nature delivered another treat for us, a killer sunrise.  BTW, the Airbus A333 took 46 seconds from throttle up to rotation at 186mph.  For the second leg (Frankfurt to Johannesburg),  we will be flying the monster A380.  Seeing this aircraft side by side the Boring 747, the 747 is dwarfed by a considerable amount.

After stowing our bags in the Start Alliance Lounge, we are ready to hit the bonhauf (train) to downtown Frankfurt for some sightseeing.  I wonder what we will find.  Shooting through the window with my new Sony NEX-6,  frost, scratches and all;  I can tell you I love this little camera.

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Sony NEX-6, Automatic Mode, 16-50mm Lens @ ~ 18mm

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Sony NEX-6, Automatic Mode, 16-50mm Lens @ ~ 28 mm

Cheers and happy photo’ing

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Posted in Africa, Namibia, Travel | No Comments »

Namibia – What’s in the bag?

Mar 31st, 2013 by

For this trip. it is all about landscapes with an occasional opportunity for some wildlife.    My bag of choice for this trip is the new Guru Gear  Bataflae 26L and the Chobe 19-24L Travel Shoulder Bag with the photo insert removed for my laptop and supporting supplies.

The camera equipment for this trip includes: Nikon D3x as my primary workhorse and my Nikon D4 as a backup.  My lens kit will include at 14-24mm ( a fast and fantastic wide angle zoom that reeks of quality), Nikon 24-70mm, another killer lens and my trusty Nikon 70-200mm.  All cameras are equipped with Really Right Stuff brackets.  For my tripod, it is back to the basics with Gitzo G-lock 4 section carbon fiber with a BH55 head from Really right Stuff.  I also have a serious collection of Sing Ray ND filters and his standard and golden polarizers.

This trip, I am also taking the new Sony NEX-6 compact camera.  Really looking forward to using this little beast, as it has a great deal of punch in a compact frame.  You can read more about this camera here.

More from Germany and the Sony during our 13 hour layover.

Cheers and happy photo’ing.

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Namibia Here We Come

Mar 30th, 2013 by

I’m back from Tanzania and UAE only to find myself off the Namibia in a few hours.  Once again, I will have only one day of internet connection while in the capital city of Namibia, so I wanted to give you a preview of what we will be photographing (taken from my 2009 trip) in the images below.  One of the most exciting locations that we will visit will be the Serra Cafema Camp.  This camp  is located in the extreme north-west of Namibia and has to be the most remote camp in Southern Africa, situated on the southern bank of the Kunene River at the foot of the Hartmann’s Valley. The camp is located just inland from the Atlantic Ocean and the Skeleton Coast.  It is a magical place and I can’t wait to return.

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Cheers and happy photo’ing to all.

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