Photography by Randy Hanna

The journey homeward started with a four hour flight from Serra Cafema to a dirt strip outside of Sossuvlei.  During a three day lay over at Sossuvlei area, we took advantage of shooting Deadvlei.  Four brave soles hit the dunes beyond Deadvlei for a long and strenuous hike deep into the dunes.  This last hike of the trip took a serious toll on my Nikon gear causing failure of the playback and AF buttons in both D300 cameras. This was in addition to my lenses sounding like pepper grinders.   Just my luck, the playback button failed in the depressed position which locked out all button functions to the left of the view screen.  With the histogram no longer available, I was on my own for exposure management.  Thankfully I had been shooting in the desert for almost a week and was well aware of the ‘plus’ exposure compensation when shooting bright subjects such as sand.  What was more challenging was preventing clipping of the blue and red channels during exposure and managing the shadow details with nothing but my shooting experience to rely on.  So why did my Nikons fail?  Simple, I used them unprotected in a 30-35 knot sustained wind in the middle of sand dunes.  Needless to say, sand was getting into everything.  Look out Nikon – all of my gear is heading your way for repairs.

With both cameras down and one more day of shooting, I decided to take a big risk and result to using a safety pin and Eclipse Sensor Solution.  I used one drop of solution (like I would if I had WD40 or a silicon lubricant) around the edges of both buttons and pried them up using the end of safety pin.  After repeating this procedure several times, I had most of my controls back, at least enough to shoot Dune 47 in the late afternoon – at least I thought so.  When taking the classic post card shots of the red Dune from the road, the controls failed again, this time in the RGB histogram mode.  I could not have ask for a better failure, as I was able to adjust the exposure compensation to prevent clipping with an automatic display after each shot.  The following day, was another bush plane ride to Windhoek, then on to Johannesburg, connecting to New York and LA with the final push to Seattle.  Total flight time I would estimate at something like 23 hours from Johannesburg to Seattle, each way (not including some 10 hours in bush planes).   Total air time – my guess is something just short of 56 hours.  This trip was painful, exhausting, challenging, and professionally rewarding as my photography skills were pushed to a new level.  Thanks to my photography, once again I was able to see another corner of the world that is seldom seen and yet most of all – I met some wonderful people that will likely influence my personal and professional life for a long time to come.  Special thanks to my truck buddies, Paul T, Sylvia, Justin, Larry, JP, and of course Andy for the invitation of a lifetime.  I never thought I would be standing on the side of a river looking at the border of Angola.

After South African Airlines lost my checked bag, I treated myself to a business class upgrade.  So here I sit in the LAX Red Carpet Club after a wonderful United meal of smoked salmon, fresh greens, stir-fried shrimp, chocolate and grand vanilla ice cream followed up by a warm chocolate chip cookie. Oh yes,  I almost forgot the raspberry mojito (always thinking of you, Coogan).  Home for two weeks then it’s off to Hawaii for a week of photography and fun in the sun.  I will be processing most of images from Tanzania and Namibia in the weeks to come, so enjoy these few images until the next posting.  Just a warning, if the colors are a bit off it is because I am using a non-color managed netbook that I bought just for this trip so I will have to fix them after I get home.

Star Trails

Nikon D300, 17-55 @23mm, f5.6, 2918 seconds exposure

Sand Storm Over Dunes

Nikon D300, 17-55mm @55mm, ISO 250, f11, 1/2oo sec

Sand As Far As One Can See

Nikon D300, 17-55mm @40mm, ISO 250, f10, 1/200 sec

Golden Light on Dunes of Namibia

Nikon D300, 17-55mm @ 28mm, ISO 250, f16, 1/125 sec

Black & White II Dunes

BTW, there are only four slots open for my Tanzania Feb 2010 trip.  If Africa is on your bucket list, then what are you waiting for?  Come join me for an adventure that will stir your soul and warm your heart.

Cheers and happy photo’ing.

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After flying for nearly 18 hours, I finally arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa.  In the beginning of the flight, I thought I had really scored big time by landing a seat in the exit row with nearly five feet of foot room.  What I soon learned was that the exit row seats were somewhat smaller than normal (width wise) and had a special air bag thing embedded in the waste belt.  Together, I had to wedge myself into the seat.  I guess I need to shed a few more pounds before the return trip.  Overnighted at the InterContinental next to the airport in JB.  This am, I am off the Windhoek, Namibia where I will do some exploration of the city and try to link up with a friend of mine that I served with in Iraq.  The one day layover in Namibia is a safety stop to ensure that our bags reach us before me move on into the outback of Namibia.  The following morning, I board a charter flight for the Skeleton Coast. I can hardly wait to start shooting.  Here is a larger map of the area.

The photo below demonstrates what happens when you shoot through the polarized plastic window of the aircraft with a polarizer on the lens of the camera.  Only in very special conditions can these two polarizers work together.  As you can see in the photograph, they are not working together.  This is largely due to the distance between the camera lens and the window as well as the differing types of material.  In special cases, where two polarizers are sandwiched together (machined glass to work together), they will work as a variable density filter (VND).  VNDs are often used by landscape photographers to slow the shutter speeds down.  The most common use of slower shutter speeds using VND is to  create motion in water falls or wave action while still being able to manage your exposure.

What I like about this shot is the reflection of the wing art .

Till the next internet connection……..

Randy

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I’m off for a couple of weeks to photograph a wonderful and inhospitable place known as the Namib and Kalahari Deserts.  Namibia has been on my bucket list for several years and only recently have I been afforded the opportunity to take this journey.  During this trip I will be visiting such places as the great Skeleton Coast,  Serra Cafema, and Sossusvlei – home to the highest sand dune in the world.  The hike along the knife-edge rim to the top is strenuous, requiring 60-90 minutes of taking two steps up and sliding one step down nonetheless, I’m going to get to the top.  I have been told that the view from the top of this dune into other valleys and of the mountains beyond is simply marvelous and I can’t wait to photograph this landscape.  Due to no internet connections in the middle of nowhere, I will not be posting until my return.  So for now, take a look at the maps below to see where I am headed.

From Seattle, I’ll fly into Dulles then onto Johannesburg, South Africa.  After a 16 hour flight, I will overnight in Joburg in prep for my flight to Windhoek the following day.  From Windhoek, I’ll be flying into the northern area of Namibia along the Skeleton Coast.  Several days in this region, then onward to Sossusvlei.

The Sossusvlei, Namibia’s famous highlight in the heart of the Namib Desert, is a huge clay pan, enclosed by giant sand dunes. Some of the spectacular hills of sand are, at a height of 300 meters, the highest in the world. The dunes of the Namib Desert have developed over a period of many millions of years. It is thought that the vast quantities of sand were deposited into the Alantic Ocean by the Orange River. This material was subsequently moved northwards by the Benguela current to be dumped back onto the land by the surf.

The coastal dunes developed as a result of this and were shifted further and further inland by the wind. Wind continuously reshapes the patterns of the huge dunes of the Namib Desert. It timelessly forces the grains of sand on the flat windward slope upwards to the crest of the dune. Here they fall down in the wind shade. The leeward slope is therefore always considerably steeper than the windward side.

While I am excited about photographing some of the oldest deserts in the world and the indigenous people that inhabit them, I am not looking forward to the very lengthy plane rides to and from.  Cheers and until I return, do some research on the areas that I have mentioned in this posting.

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After a brief lull in my photography, I’m back at posting some of the shots from my Feb 2009 Safari to Tanzania.  The Ngorongoro Crater is always a magical place for me.  With the rich diversity of wildlife confined to an area about 10 miles square, I am always surprised as to what I will see and the animal interactions.  So before moving on to the Serengeti, here are a few additional images from the crater and our camp site.  Photo credits:  Larry B – photos 1 & 5;   DeAnne B – photo 6;  Katherine H – photos 9 & 10.

After all day in the crater, we are treated to a wonderful sunset from our camp site.

Noon at our camp site

Kelio, our expert guide, was always checking on something for me.

Hippo pool

Flamingo lift-off

Yellow bark acacia tree close up

Running wildebeest

Mother's first kiss

When not shooting, eating or sleeping, we were in the camera tent.

Many photographers, like Larry, tried hard to escape the camera tent.

As we depart the crater, I treat you to the often-seen tourist view of zebras.

After 1 1/2 days in the crater, we say so long to the 8th wonder of the world. and begin our trek to the Serengeti

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Looking Back To…..Ngorongoro Crater

Attempts to update the blog were unsuccessful once we left the comforts of Gibbs Farm. So, now we’re back in the US and I’m posting those updates – belatedly – from the comforts of my home!

From Gibbs Farm we headed northwest to the 8^th wonder of the world – Ngorongoro Crater.  This geologic feature is 185 square miles, 12 miles wide, and was once an active volcano likely higher than Mount Kilimanjaro.  Its collapse resulted in the world’s largest intact caldera that maintains its own wildlife and forms its own weather patterns.

We stop at the park entrance to get a briefing from one of our guides on the geologic history of the area; then we head up the long winding road to the crater rim.  We pause for an awe-inspiring look at the crater floor, spotting herds of Cape buffalo and watching as a rain storm drenches a distant part of the crater.  Soon we arrive at our next camp site, nestled in the canopy of the tall flat-top acacia trees that are found above 5,000 feet (the camp is 7,500 feet above sea level). The cool damp forest camp, a pleasant reprise from the heat of the day, seems like a tree house oasis. That afternoon and all of the next day we leave the cool forest to enter the world of the crater floor, observing numerous resident wildlife species. We witness the challenge of a new-borne gazelle as it tries to stand for the first time, admire from a distance an endangered black rhino and baby, watch as lion cubs playfully romp in the early morning sun, spot a cheetah on the prowl among a herd of gazelles, and laugh at the antics and unique galloping of the wildebeests. We also spot a family of hyenas eyeing its next meal, as well as a herd of elephants, numerous hippos, zebras, and too-many-to-count species of brilliantly-colored birds.  Our crew got a lot of great photos as evidenced by a few examples below.

Afternoon descent into the crater floor

Photo by Randy Hanna, Nikon D300, 17-55mm @ 55

Wildebeest look out on high ground; Ngorongoro Crater

Photo by Colleen Kill, Nikon D90

On the rim of the Crater

Nikon D300, 17-55mm @ 30mm, time release

Wildebeest being wild

Photo by Jean R, Sony DSC-H9 compact digital

Wildebeest and Zebra in the Crater

Photo by DeAnne B, Cannon XTi Rebel, 100-300mm

Forest area of the Crater

Photo by Larry B, Nikon D300, 24-120mm @ 36mm

Lion cub on fallen tree

Photo by Larry B, Nikon D300, 200-400mmVR @400mm

Two Bulls at the watering hole in the Crater

Photo by Larry B, Nikon D300, 200-400mmVR @ 200mm

Wildebeest kicking it up

Photo by David R, Nikon D60, 55-200mm @ 200mm

Lion cub in grass

Photo by Randy Hanna, Nikon D300, 200-400mmVR @ 400

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Tarangire, Gibbs Farm or Lake Manyara – really a challenge to pick which place to favor!  However, two days in Tarangire resulted in our spotting of three leopards (more than most people see in an entire safari!), two cheetahs, hundreds of elephants, lots of giraffes, and of course the too-many-to-count gazelles, wart hogs, impalas, and water bucks.  Really can’t imagine better two days!
Of course now that we’re at Gibbs Farm, feasting on the organic home grown vegetables and home-made breads, and sipping on some terrific organically grown coffee, this now seems to be the perfect spot!  Nestled against the national park forest, Gibbs Farm provides a respite from the dust of the safari. As I write this bog from the desk in my cabin, I’m overlooking the lush, green, and seemingly endless valley planted with corn, coffee and numerous other vegetables.  To finish off the day, we walked to a clearing in the forest where I demonstrated the Nikon Creative Lighting system as we photographed several Masaai in their traditional dress (see photo below).
And finally, our day trip to Lake Manyara is not to be forgotten. We visited the hippo pool and got a special treat — most of the several dozen hippos were out of the water due to the cool weather. Several of the younger males put on a great show of aggressive positioning within the herd – a great exhibit of big mouths, big teeth, and lots of dust as other hippos cleared out of their path. Tomorrow we scoot to Ngorongoro Crater –  this will be out last update until the end of the journey.  Meanwhile, enjoy some photos from the travelers on this safari:

Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

Photo by Colleen K;  Nikon D90 w/ 70-300 mm @ 240 mm

Tarangire National Park

Photo byJack N; Nikon D90 w/70-300 @ 280 mm

Maasai Portrait, Gibbs Farm

Photo by Colleen K;  Nikon D90

Randy giving the Massai a look at the photo session results

Photo by Katherine H, Nikon D300 w/ Nikon 17-55 mm

Elephant having a scratch with baby taking in the instructions @ Tarangire

Photo by Jean R; Sony digital compact

Tarangire National Park, Eurasian Roller

Photo by Larry B; Nikon D300 w/ Nikon 200-400VR

Lake Manyara National Park, Baboon

Photo by Katherine; Nikon D300 w/ Nikon 200-400VR

Lake Manyara, Blue Monkey

Photo by Jean R; Sony compact digital

Tarangire National Park; Elephants in the swamp

Photo by Randy Hanna; Nikon D300 w/ Nikon 200-400VR

Lake Manyara National Park, two hippo males playing rough

Photo by Randy Hanna; Nikon D300 w/ Nikon 600mm VR

Lake Manyara National Park, Continuing the play

Photo by Larry B; Nikon D300 w/ Nikon  200-400VR

More to follow………………………………………………

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Our excursion to Arusha National Park to find Colobus monkeys today exceeded our expectations. Not only did we find one Colobus family but FOUR of them. Located only within this Tanzanian government park, the Colobus monkeys live only in these hills and are hard to spot because they stay in the trees and are well-concealed with their black and white fur. Diligence paid off today, as we were lucky to see and photograph four of the families – take a look at a few photographs captured today by my fellow photographers:

Photo by Randy Hanna

Nikon D300, 600mm VR

Photo by Randy Hanna

Nikon D3oo, 600mm VR

Larry captured this monkey flying thru the air

Nikon D300, 200-400

Photo by Randy Hanna

Nikon D300, 600 mmVR

Photo by Katherine

Nikon D300, 200-400mm VR

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Mountain Village Resort Guest Quarters, Arusha, Tanzania

Nikon D300, 17-55mm @40mm

After over nighting in Amsterdam and again in Dar el Salaam, we made it to Mountian Village Resort just in time for lunch.   After lunch, I’ll be spending time with four safari-goers that have arrived two days early and getting all of my equipment ready.  Tonight I’ll be discussing how to configure your camera for safari as well as the pros and cons of various settings unique to the Nikon D300 and D90 such as selective and continuous focus, spot vs matrix metering, 3D focus tracking, depth of field controls and de-linking the focus from the shutter.  Tomorrow, we are off for a short mini-safari to Arusha National Park, home to the Colobus Monkey.  BTW, the name “colobus” means “mutilated one” and refers to the missing thumb. Later in the evening,  I’ll be linking up the the main body of the safari group as they arrive at the airport, then back to Mountain Village for a restful night with an exciting day greating us at sunrise.  After a healthy breakfast and a quick safari briefing, it’s off to Tarangire National Park where we  will search for the large Elephant heards that are resident to this area.  Rains have been somewhat below normal in this area, so the game viewing around the water’s edge should be great.

Cheers and happy photographing

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This weekend I leave for Tanzania leading another photo safari and man I can’t wait to get there.  These crazy gray Seattle skies are killing me.  So what is in the bag?  For this trip I will be taking two carry ons.  One Gura Gear back pack (shown here,  and one over the shoulder lens bag for my 600mm VR.  Packed in the Kiboko bag:  Nikon D300 (2), D2x, SB800 flash (2), 70-200mm VR, 200-400mm VR, 10.5 fisheye, 17-55mm, 1.4TC, 1.7TC, EN-EL4a batteries (2) plus those in the cameras, Lacie external hard drives, Hyperdrive Space 250GB (2),  dual battery charger, international cell phone, Better Beamer, remote control timer, CF wallet with cards.  Not pictured are camera cleaning supplies, assorted cords, and a small repair kit.  Oh yes – I almost forgot, I also have one extra shirt, and one change of underwear and socks laid on top of the camera gear.  Tooth brush and other personal items are in the outermost flap.  What is funny about all of this  is that I actually have some room left over.  So what about this bag?  The bag was developed by Andy Biggs, aka Mr. Africa.  I first met Andy in 2007 while on one of his safaris.  BTW, Andy has had a serious impact on my photography skills and has helped me a great deal with my safari efforts.  While on safari in 2007, Andy had an early beta version of his bag along for the ride.  I gave the bag a hard look and made note of those things that I thought made it stand out.  In 2008, Andy sent me a final pre-production bag for trial on my 2008 photo safari.  I must say that the improvements from the beta to the pre-production model were incredible.  For the first time, I had my hands on a bag that was the lightest bag in the industry  and also offered incredible protection for my equipment.  At this point, I need to share with you that my attic is littered with camera bags.  The only thing that I have more of than bags is CF cards, so I have learned a few things about bags over the years – mostly what I don’t like.  The Kiboko bag from Gura Gear performs better than any other bag that I currently own.  When I need to carry two bodies or more  and several lenses, this is my bag of choice.  It is made of heavy duty sail cloth nylon, the type that sail boat sails are made from (that should give you an idea of the strength of this bag), and features a fully adjustable shoulder and belt harness systems.  Being 6 foot 2, this simple adjustment makes the difference between an easy carry and a sore back.  A top and ergonomically correct side carry handle, plus a built in rain fly top off the outstanding construction.  Top notch construction can been seen at every seam, and at every stress point.  The bag is fully reinforced in all of the critical locations.  Ample internal padding dividers are provided, with no need to purchase additional ones.  The double flap design is perfect for those wanting to shoot from the bag.  While on safari, I will simply re-configure the bag so I can have two cameras at the ready plus my 600 VR in my lap.  If you are in search of a top notch, high quality, no non-sense camera and back pack, I urge you to give the Kiboko bag from Gura Gear a hard look.  I think you will find a winner here just as I have.  The down side for me:  After returning the pre-production bag, I had to wait for 4 months until my personal Kiboko bag arrived.  The upside for you:  You don’t have to wait anymore – the bags are in stock and shipping.  Check out the Gura Gear blog.

Cheers and happy photo’ing

Randy

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Mother and Cubs, NDutu Area, Tanzania,

Nikon D300, 500mm +1.4TC

With my departure for my next photo safari in less than 7 days, I simply can’t wait to get my boots dirty again with the dust of Africa.  The above photo was taken on near NDutu Village in the southern area of the Ngorongoro National Park.  I had the wonderful experiance of spending several hours watching this mother with her six cubs.  Our guides estimated that the cubs were about six to eight weeks old.  What a treat.

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