Photography by Randy Hanna

I am in the process of getting ready to head off to Africa again.  In doing so, I am taking some time to rearrange my image storage and management scheme.  Just finishing up with my images from my May 09 Namibia trip in hopes of releasing the Namibia gallery before I leave – we shall see.  So here is the shot, deep from the dunes inland from our Skeleton Coast base camp.  Looking at this image, I was instantly transported back to the dunes; a place that I found very difficult to photograph, yet a place that I must return to.

'Morning Glow' over the inland dunes of the Skeleton Coast, Namibia

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I will be leading two safaris into Tanzania during 2011.  These will offer two distinct seasons of Africa and both will feature opportunities for viewing and photographing one of the great wonders of the world, the great wildebeest migration (as long as Mother Nature cooperates).  We will also pursue photography of Cheetahs, Lions, and Leopards as well as huge elephants herds and the incredibility wildlife rich and scenic Serengeti Plains.   February 2011 will  offer that magic splash of green that comes after the fall rains, while August brings the classic African tans and browns in the landscape.  As with all of my Tanzanian safaris, I will be using Thomson Safaris for my logistical and travel support. I have used Thomson’s since my very first adventure into Tanzania and the are simply the best of the best.   The proof of this is in the numerous awards that they receive and their ever-constant commitment ecotourism as well as their commitment to the indigenous people of Tanzania.  Their most recent awards include the National Geographic Best Adventure Outfitters on Earth for 2008 and 2009 and the Conde Nast World Savers Award for 2008.

Jan 27 – Feb 8, 2011

Aug 14-26, 2011

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Not very often does one run across an application that makes your life simple when it comes to taking photographs.  In this case TPE  is free, available for Mac, PC, was well as the the iPhone.   While there are many applications for the computer and iPhone which annotate sunrise and sunset for a given location, this little beauty stands apart from the crowd as a true interactive planning tool.  The Photographer’s Ephemeris  can depict  sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset PLUS it will show the actual sun angle at any give hour from any given location, all with the Google Earth / Google Maps in the background. TPE is fairly simple in concept: 1) display a Google Map 2) choose a date 3) calculate and display a bunch of astronomical data.  The tricky part comes from the connection between 1 and 2. Most similar programs and web-sites have you select from a pre-defined list of locations, where, presumably, things such as the relevant time zone are already saved – not much help if you are in the middle of BFE and it is not on the pre-defined list.  I love it as a planning tool and will use it in planning my outdoor shoots.  As an example, the screen shots below indicate the sun angle by the thin yellow line, while the thicker yellow/orange lines indicate sunrise and sunset direction.  Lots of detailed explanations are on the site so give it a look.

Head on over to The Photographer’s Ephemeris and run the tutorials, download the application.  If you like it be sure to come back and toss the author some coins for his efforts.

Cheers and happy photo’ing

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Before I start sharing photos and stories from my Feb 2010 Safari, I wanted to address one question that I am often asked:  Why do you always use Thomson Safaris?  While they are one of the oldest and most established tour companies in Tanzania, specializing only in Tanzania, I only have to turn to the quality of their guides for the real reason.  Sure accidents will and can happen, but there really is no excuse for being careless and not knowing your surroundings.  The images below show a proper river crossing, even though we had to drive a little bit out of the way to find a safe crossing, and a not so proper river crossing.  Every time I see an accident like this, I am reminded just how lucky I am to always have some of the best guides in the business on my trips.  The guides of Thomson Safaris are trained to always put the safety of their clients first and game viewing second.  Nuff said and the photos below speak for themselves.

Tarangire River Crossing Thomson's Style

Nikon D3, 70-200VR @ 110mm,ISO 250,  f9 @ 1/1250 sec

River Crossing Done the Wrong Way

Photo by Lori Kruger

Cheers and Happy Photo’ing

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I’ve been back from an all NIKON safari for about two weeks and I must tell you – the memories remain fresh and sweet, and will for some time to come!   Over the years of travel I have come to expect the unexpected yet, these safaris never cease to put a smile on my face.  Although we battled a huge attack of Tsetse flies (due to the abnormal rains), all of the photographers brought home the ‘bacon’ as far as photographs were concerned.  Steve returned with very nice images of a leopard in a nearby tree and a pair of Cheetahs walking directly toward him while shooting from the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater.  Kathy and Roger were at the right time at the right place and photographed two female lions taking down a Cape Buffalo, a sight that the guides see once or twice every 20 years of guiding.   Of course, I was well out of position and missed the entire take-down, so I just did some cool landscapes with the Nikon 14-24 on the D3.  I am looking forward to processing them as b&w’s.

Electronic connectivity from the start, plagued us throughout the trip and as a result, I was unable to post any updates while in county, other than the 6 Feb post below.  Now that all have safely returned and the photos are starting to roll in, I will begin posting the results in a few days.  For me, I have started the process of wading thru more than 5,000 images taken across three camera bodies.  BTW, my 600VR toasted itself while making a sunrise shot of a large male lion perfectly posed on a hillside with wonderfull light, we we decended into the Crater.  Something about shooting a 600mm at 125/sec across a bean bag with very low light well; let’s just say it gives me a sinking feeling (we shall see as the power of photoshop goes about some serious sharpening of this image).

Special thanks to the entire safari enthusiasts on this trip including Kathy, Steve, Lori, Dave, Roger, Marla, and Ed.  Of course, the trip would not have been a success without the wonderful organization and support of Thomson Safaris and our expert guides, Kelio, John, and Mohammad.   Stay tuned for the photos as folks begin to return to their regular lives.

Cheers and happy photo’ing

Randy

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Yes, it is 6 days before wheels up and the start of another wonderful photo safari into Tanzania.  This Feb will bring a farily small but very focused group of photo safari enthusiasts to the wilds of Africa.  At this point I always start checking weather and migration status realizing that the rains in the the Serengeti will drive the herds in a variety of directions.  It is not uncommon for these herds to move some 30 miles or more per day to reach the fresh grass that is reach in nitrogen, which will spawn the brith of hundreds of thousands of young wildebeest.  From the current weather patterns, it looks like we will be right in the middle of the migration.  Seeing millions of Wildebeest across the Serengeti Plains is a sight that simply can not be  adequately described in words.

For a great summary of the migration check out WATCHwild.com.  This link presents a great annual summary along with a flash based interactive map of the migration path.

For now, I am busy doing some dry runs on packing and figuring out how to address the new bag restrictions associated with travel from Europe to the US (see previous post).  For the first time, I am seriously consdering checking my Nikon 600mm.  Not very happy about that, but I guess that is why I have insurance!  I am also in the final days of delivering a number of large high-res prints in support of a beauty salon in Seattle.  It has been a fun and challenging time in the studio and I continue to learn more and more about throwing light in the studio.

Looking at my safari schedule, I will have very limited email access so live postings will not be as frequent as usual.  Those of you that have my sat phone, use it if you need it.

With lots of personal events happening this past year, I intend to find time to do some personal reflection as I sit around the camp fire looking at the stars and pondering life.  Other than Namibia, I can think of no other place that I have been to that has clear skies and stars so bright that a flashlight is not needed during the night hours.  What a great place for reflection.

Cheers and happy Photo’ing

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Effective 4 January 2010

For travel from all foreign locations to the United States,
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued new security measures for all flights departing from any foreign location and traveling to the United States. These are in addition to the normal screening that all customers go through to enter secured areas. All customers should allow extra time for check-in and the boarding process and, as always, should check their flight status before departure.

Specific cities/countries carry additional restrictions. 

As an example, for travel from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to the United States Effective December 30, 2009, customers departing from Amsterdam Airport (AMS) en route to the United States will be limited to one carry-on bag, which may not exceed 45 linear inches or 114 linear centimeters (length + width + height). Medical assistance devices will be allowed in addition to the single carry-on item.

I have looked at several airline sites and have found considerable disparity, or a serious lack of updated information concerning this new requirement.  The most comprehensive information seems to be from United at http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6867,53307,00.html#amsterdam

I am now giving serious consideration to taking the appropriate container to Africa, then using DHL to ship back to my office.  This will keep a very expensive piece of glass out of the hands of the TSA animals.

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Proud Massai Warrior on the Serengeti Plains

Nikon D300, 17-55mm @ 31mm, ISO 200, 1/200 sec @ f8

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The Treasury as seen from the Siq

Nikon D70, 12-24mm, December 2004

Petra is the treasure of ancient world, hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains, boasting incomparable scenes that make it the most majestic and imposing ancient site still-standing nowadays.

Petra is considered the most famous and gorgeous site in Jordan located about 262 km south of Amman and 133 km north of Aqaba. It is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now a UNESCO world heritage site and one of The New 7 Wonders of the World.

The approach through a kilometer long, cool, and gloom chasm (or Siq) a long narrow gorge whose steeply rising sides all but obliterate the sun, provides a dramatic contrast with the magic to come. Suddenly the gorge opens into a natural square dominated by Petra’s most famous monument, The Treasury (El-Khazneh), whose intricately carved facade glows in the dazzling sun.

More facades beckon the visitor on until the ancient city gradually unfolds, one monument leading to the next for kilometer after kilometer. The sheer size of the city and the quality of beautifully carved facades is staggering and leads one to reflect on the creativity and industry of the Nabataeans who made Petra their capital.

For me, Petra was breathtaking, and I will never forget my initial reaction as The Treasury came into view from the Siq.  I hope to return soon with better camera equipment than I had in 2004.

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The Sands of Namibia

Nikon D300, 17-55 @ 17mm, ISO 200, f10 at 1/160 sec

Deep in the sand dunes of Namibia, I was presented with a rolling light show of highlights and shadows as the sun rose from my left.  With the camera having significantly less dynamic range than the human eye, it is always a challenge to record an image that depicts, as close as possible, the scene as it was seen by the eye.  As many of you know, I am a technical shooter.  Shooting in the deserts of Namibia was truly a personal and technical challenge for me which resulting in pushing my photography skills to a new level.  Amidst a sea of sand, I worked hard to incorporate an artistic approach in many of my images.  I found myself paying a great deal of attention to lines, shapes, highlights and shadows to tell the image story.  Thanks to JP Caponigro and Andy Biggs for pushing me into this artistic journey!

This image is a good example of the use of hyperfocal distance knowledge to achieve the desired zone of focus.    Using hyperfocal tables, I was able to determine that focusing on the sand, 10 ft in front of me, the hyperfocal distance would be 5.37 feet (using f10 and the D300 at 17mm), resulting in a near focus limit of 3.48 feet and a far focus limit of infinity.  After determining these values, I simply reset the focus to 5 feet and shot.  To make all of this easier, I now use an iPod for my hyperfocal distance calculations rather than lugging around 10 pages of tables.  Thank you Mr. Apple.

Cheers and happy photo’ing

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