Images, thoughts, and crib notes from near and far.
Nov 21st, 2011 by Randy Hanna
While everyone is getting ready for Black Friday, I ran across this wonderful opportunity from one of my favorite training outlets, the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. I don’t receive any commission from this plug however, I will tell you that this is a wonderful training site and well work the money. Enjoy and next week, we will get back to the safari fun as I close out my final session from my past Safari, What Went Wrong.
Cheers and happy photo’ing
Nov 12th, 2011 by Randy Hanna
This Veterans Day, I decided to take a quick walk backwards in time to 2004. Stationed in Baghdad, Iraq and behind the walls of the most notable community, the Green Zone, I often looked to my camera as a sanity check for all that was going on. I traded all of my film cameras for my first digital Nikon shortly before I left, so I could quickly send photos back home keeping friends and family up to date. My trusty D70 went everywhere with me, and looking back, I must say I captured some nice imagery. Below is a winter dusk photo of our compound as an Iraqi woman leaves a days work behind.
Dusk in the Compound
Nikon D70, 18mm lens, ISO 250, f/3.5 @ 1/10 sec
No matter how challenging the times were, I was always taken aback by the architecture of the Mosques. Although strictly prohibited, I would have given my eye teeth (as they say) to see and photography the interior of a number of the Mosques as well as countless numbers of other buildings scattered throughout the country.
Somewhere near Camp Victory
Nikon D70, 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 190mm, ISO 250, f/8 at 1/1250 (it’s always bright in Iraq)
Cheers and happy photo’ing
Nov 11th, 2011 by Randy Hanna
Today is Veterans Day, once known as Armistice Day after World War I. President Woodrow Wilson said in 1919 that it should be a day “filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.”
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life wrote a blank check made payable to ‘The United States of America ‘ for an amount of ‘up to and including my life.’
A veteran is a man/woman who fell in love with his country, for better, or worse – for richer, for poorer – in sickness and in heath.
A veteran is a man/woman who is willing to lay down his life for the Statue of Liberty so that her poor, her huddled masses, her homeless, her tempest tossed may breathe free and may enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
A veteran is as a man/woman who does what he must – in spite of personal consequences – in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – for that is the basis of all human morality.
A veteran is a man/woman who gets a lump in his throat when he sees our beloved flag and he’ll fight to protect our beautiful bunting from those who would dare to dishonor it.
A veteran is a man/woman who pays his taxes, willingly; serves his country, honorably; and cherishes his freedom, passionately.
A veteran is a man/woman well-deserving of our appreciation, our love, and our prayers 365 days a year.
To all of the Veterans and those military service members currently serving, thanks for your service.
A special thanks to my daughters, Coogan and Alexis, both Veterans!
Nov 6th, 2011 by Randy Hanna
After each safari I consult my travelers and make a list of what went well, as well as those things that need improvement. For this post, I will highlight what worked well for us or those things that made our lives on safari just a bit better (or a lot in some cases). Before we get to the list, I would like to share the photo below. I seldom have my photo taken, but Steve was able to capture my sheer joy of being in the bush. If I had my way, I often wonder if I could find a way to simply live there.
That Safari Grin
The top fifteen tips or observations of what worked well on the last safari:
Cheers and happy photo’ing
Tags: Africa, GPS Tracking, Nikon, Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, Thomson Safaris
Oct 23rd, 2011 by Randy Hanna
While walking around the Fairview Hotel in Nairobi bringing to the end of another exciting safari month, I came across this sign located just outside of the stairs leading down the wine cellar. Of course being a wine guy, I had to have a look. What I found was a wonderful old world cellar stocked with mostly European and limited South African wines; seems that they have yet to discover the new world. Anyway, I could not pass up grabbing a photo of the sign – a sign that says it all.
Nikon D3S, 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 6400, 1/25 sec at f/5.0 (hand held)
This image was taken here. Yes, I shot this at ISO 6400 and hand held it at 1/25 sec and without any noise treatment or color correction – straight out of the box, as they say. I have been shooting with the D3S as my primary body (D3 is my backup) for more than two years now and I continue to be amazed at the low noise and its ability to capture fine details in low light. This camera really causes me to push the limits when it comes to shooting in low light conditions. Controlled breathing, strong abs, and solid camera holding positions are the keys to getting images like this. Remember, I am shooting upward at a sign that is over my head and therefore you will see just a bit of angular distortion. I love the colors of the warm light and the details in the post. A slight angular tilt of the camera added some emphasis to the lines.
Cheers and happy photo’ing
Tags: Africa, Fairview Hotel, Kenya, Nairobi, Nikon D3s, Safari, Travel
Oct 20th, 2011 by Randy Hanna
Hello everyone. I’m on Kauai taking a much needed R&R and photo break of sorts. Since arriving, it has been raining with heavy cloud cover every morning and the same at night, less last night. While going for some herbs at the local market, I came upon a view of the old sugar mill from an angle that I had not seen before. Fact is, I have never taken this particular cut-off road since they built it some four years ago. On the first pass, it was pretty flat so I continued on for some shallots and my handy ‘Hawaiian Rub’ for the rack of lamb. I decided to take the same road on the way back to the condo, and man-o-man, did the clouds part and I was treated to some very long shadows and golden light. After a number of shots, I decided to head up to the mill for some close-up shots of the structures. At the gate I was greeted by very forceful looking security guards who made it very clear that I was not to cross the gate. I made a couple of jokes about myself with these guys and before you know it, I was able to take a couple of quick photos and off I had to go. I could have spent hours at the mill, but I was pushing it and so were the guards. After visiting Kauai on an annual basis for nearly some 18 years, I have never been so challenged with the rain and clouds, as this trip. My guided trip deep into the highlands to photograph ‘guardian falls’, was canceled due to all of the rain in the upper reaches of the mountains. Despite the rain, it has been good to catchup on reading and writing.
Koloa Sugar Mill
Nikon D3s, 70-200 f/2.8 @ 150mm, ISO 400, f/8.0 at 1/250 sec
Given the age of the old mill, I thought a B&W conversion would be fitting. I processed the image below in CS5, with little assist from Nik Software, to highlight all of the steel structures giving it some additional depth. Man I just love their control point technology. The control point tools, allows me put additional emphasis right where I want it, without some very complicated photoshop work.
Koloa Sugar Mill
Nikon D3s, 70-200 f/2.8 @ 110mm, ISO 400 f/8 at 1/500 sec
Enjoy and happy photo’ing
Oct 15th, 2011 by Randy Hanna
Back home and filled with wonderful memories.
Over the next few postings, I’ll be hitting the highlights of what worked on the trip as well as what did not work or is in need of further exploration. For today, it’s all about those precious quotable quotes from the field. On every safari, there are always one liners that need to be remembered. So here are some of the beauts from the trip:
Kenya: To our driver: Who lives in the large nice houses? Response: “Only the corrupt people.”
Tanzania: Is that a lion or an Ostrich with a tail?
“Haraka Haraka Hyena Baraka”
Warning: Elephants running toward you ARE closer than they appear in your lens.
Is someone going to give us a class on scat identification? There is a nice pile of something over there.
My tent was next to the parade of ants.
Beware of women carrying hoes….I did not take her picture, see……
Kale kakuku kadogo kako kwako kaka (Swahili tongue twister: Is the little chicken at your place my brother?)
Simba mwenda pole ndio mla nyama (A lion that walks slowly is the one who is successful)
Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea.
Always drink upstream from the herd.
—————-
Cheers and happy photo’ing
Oct 10th, 2011 by Randy Hanna
Nairobi, Kenya
Clear skies in the early am, with smog and heavy haze developing soon after 1100.
Today was another full day after our overnight at the Fairview Hotel. The Fairview is my favorite hotel in Nairobi. Not easy to get to and located next to the Israeli Embassy, I think it is one of the most secure hotels in Nairobi – which is not a bad thing. The grounds are lush and the architecture is aged red brick with classic overtones from the days of the British. Departing early, we were off to Giraffe Center to get a special kiss from a Rothschild Giraffe. The three most common species of giraffes in Kenya are Masai, Reticulated, and the rare Rothschild. The Rothschild are best identified by their white ‘boots’ that they wear. By this I mean they have white coloration (no markings) on their feet from the top of their hooves to just below the kneecap.
The Rothschild Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) is among the most endangered giraffe subspecies with only a few hundred members in the wild.[1] All of those that are living in the wild are in protected areas in Kenya and Uganda.[1] Recently it has been proposed that the Rothschild Giraffe is actually a separate species from other giraffes and not a giraffe subspecies.[2] While giraffes in general are classified as Least Concern, the Rothschild Giraffe is at particular risk of hybridisation, as the population is so limited in numbers. There are very few locations where the Rothschild Giraffe can be seen in the wild, with notable spots being Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya and Murchison Falls National Park in northern Uganda. From Giraffe Center and at a given age, the Rothschild Giraffes are re-introduced into an area near Lake Naktau. While inter-breeding can occur, they are taking great care to insure the continued success of the Rothschild.
After spending time at Giraffe Center, it was time for lunch at Utdamani, opened by Dr. Leakey in 1960. Utdamani is a wonderful place for lunch and previewing the native products from across Kenya, not to mention a great place for some last minute quality shopping.
Steve captured a couple of fun snaps from the day. Enjoy and when your travels take you to or through Nairobi, please take time to visit this wonderful conservation facility.
Randy Getting a Special Giraffe Kiss
I Love her Facial Expressions
References: [1] Not one but ‘six giraffe species’”. BBC News Online. 2007-12-21. Retrieved 2007-12-27, Wikipedia; [2] Wilson, Don E.; Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds (2005). Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0
Cheers and happy photo’ing
Tags: Africa, Giraffe Center, Kenya, Safari, Wilderness Safari Company
Oct 6th, 2011 by Randy Hanna
Nairobi, Kenya
Clear skies in the early am, with smog and heavy haze developing soon after 1100.
Departing early, we went to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, where rescued baby elephants are cared for until they are released back into the wild. Everyone became foster parents of an elephant (or two), or renewed their foster status for another two years. While at the Trust, we made an appointment for a special event, just for foster parents later in the day; the running of the elephants.
Back for Sheldrick to participate in the elephants running to their pens for feeding. Funny thing at the Trust, things just seem to happen very quickly and without warning. Before we knew it, the baby elephants were running right at us, and I was NOT camera ready. Talk about acting just like kids, shortly after being fed their special milk formula (made of vegetable material and imported from England), they instantly fell asleep. They will wake again in three to four hours for another feeding. While in the Trust, they are under constant 24×7 care, to the point that a handler sleeps with them, as to comfort them like a mother would. Each handler commits to a two year program at the trust in which he seldom gets to see is ‘human’ family and are rotated among the elephants. This rotation avoids the development of any dependency issues that the elephants might develop.
This trip included the adoption of NAIPOKI. The opening paragraph of the Naipoki’s Orphan Profile starts out: We received an early morning call from Jane Craig at 7.00 am reporting news of a tiny baby elephant that had been rescued from a well in the Namunyak Conservation Area, that was in the safe custody of Hilary and Piers of Sarara Camp. The Kenyan Wildlife Service then called having been alerted about the calf with the same news and we immediately scrambled a team of Keepers and they were at Namunyak in Northern Kenya by 10.30 am. For additional details about Naipoki check out this document which contains the story of Naipoki.
After a full day, we started heading back to the Fairview for rest and a nice meal. Along the way we drove by Kibera, the 2nd largest slum in Africa, with the a population estimate for this area well above 1.8 million. Although this estimate (from our guide) is several years old, the area has most certainly grown by now You can find a wide range of population estimates across the web for this area, and it you are interested, a simple Google search (images) will return a number of heart breaking images. It was another moving sight for me, one that I am still trying to process in my mind (I remain undecided whether or not to show some of the images).
Below are some fun images from the day. Enjoy and if you are ever in Nairobi, please take time to visit the wonderful conservation facilities of Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. While you are there, adopt a baby elephant.
Home Sweet Home
Naipoki at feeding time
Nikon D3s, 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 800, f/8.0 at 1/50 sec
Naipoki's handler
Nikon D3s, 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 62mm, ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/60 sec
These images were taken here
Tags: Africa, Eyes On Africa, Kenya, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Oct 2nd, 2011 by Randy Hanna
Kogakuria Camp Site to Arusha
Weather: Clear skies with a slight cool breeze from the west.
Today was all about travel. We said our good byes to the wonderful camp staff and broke camp at 0800 for the Kogatende Air Strip to meet our aircarft for our trip to Arusha Municipal Airport. With mostly clear skies below us, it was a wonderful flight allowing us to see from above, where we had been over the past safari days. After landing in Arusha, we proceeded to Shanga River House for a killer departure lunch. Shanga as become a very special place to me, one where my face is very well known. It is such a warm feeling to recognized by the crafts people of Shanga, words can’t describe it. The mission of the Shanga River House is to teach deaf and mute native Tanzanian people a skill that will allow them to be productive members of their family. From the Shanga Web site: Shanga Shangaa was founded as a for-profit company to create a community that would support and empower those Tanzanians who have been marginalized by their disabilities. By providing an open and safe environment, disabled Tanzanians are able to realize their potential, develop new skills, build relationships based on respect and improve their own lives. Using recycled materials and producing at a sustainable level allows Shanga Shangaa to continue to expand and offer these opportunities far into the future.
Two years ago, I spent a full day at the River House doing some volunteer photography for some of their promotional materials. I will never forget how the people of Shanga helped me construct a huge sun shade for the photo shoot. It was comical to them to watch this photo guy battle the bright African sun, and we still talk about it when I visit Shanga. Today, Shanga has grown in production size, both in their bead work and in the fabric work. During my visit they the manager announced that they would soon be opening a furniture store in downtown Arusha. Please take time to visit the Shanga web site for additional information.
As we started loading up the trucks, I always remember the smile that comes across my face when I look over my shoulder and see the greeting wall, as seen below.
From Shanga it is off to our day rooms and then to the airport where the safari group splits into two groups, one heading directly home and the others heading into Kenya for two more full days of adventures.
Cheers and ulala salama
Tags: Africa, Safari, Shanga River House, Tanzania, Thomson Safaris, Travel