A very early morning on the Mara Plains with sun kissed grasses and balloons in the air.
Nikon D3S, 24-70mm @ 65mm, f/6.3, ISO 800 at 1/200 sec, 6 images stitched together.
Cheers and happy photo’ing
Photo of the Week
Dec 19th, 2011 by Randy Hanna
Shallow F-Stop Usage
Nov 29th, 2011 by Randy Hanna
I almost always shoot in aperture mode, as it allows me to control the depth of field or zone of focus. I use this technique to control what the viewer “sees” in my photograph or to call attention to a particular part of the image or to isolate the primary image from the foreground or background. Combing this technique with the image compression of a telephoto lens, one can really start to isolate the subject. In the image below, I used a wide open aperture on a 200-400mm zoom set at 310mm and focused just in front of of the cheetah. Focusing in front of the Cheetah allowed me to keep the first cat in crisp focus while allowing the second cat (only three feet behind the first one) to go past soft focus and begin the transition into the blurred background. The result is a tact sharp cat in the foreground with a pleasing out of focus background, yet showing enough detail in the second cat to maintain interest. Having shot with the 200-400 for a number of years, I am pretty good at guessing the hyperfocal distances (I’ll save that topic for another post) within my normal shooting ranges. Like most shots, when you take your time and make use of your knowledge, you will increase your chances of walking away with a solid image.
Outside of the Massai Mara Plains, two brothers on alert.
Nikon D3S, 200-400mm VRII, set at 310mm, 1/320 sec, f/5.0, matrix meeting, aperture priority
Cheers and happy photo’ ing.
Tags: Africa, Eyes On Africa, Kenya, Mara Plains Camp, Masai Mara, Safari, Wilderness Safari Company
Happy Thanksgiving To All
Nov 23rd, 2011 by Randy Hanna
Cyber Monday
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
Baghdad, Iraq
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
Veterans Day
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!
Safari Update – What Worked Well On My Last Safari
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:
- Ramadan did not pose a problem while in Dubai. Before you go, spend time learning to work around cultural events in foreign countries.
- While Fairview was nice and always my first choice for lodging in Kenya however, you need to stay in the main building (rooms 3 and 5).
- Transfers with additional camera equipment between Kenya and Tanzania with Precision Air, was relatively painless.
- All coordinated transfers were painless.
- Packing and planning well in advance for differing conditions reduced shooting stress.
- Mobile camp at Senera (unit) was really special – fast response by Thomson’s to alter location to better support photography clients (BIG PLUS – these guys are simply the best).
- Mobile camp at Kekogona was perfect for northern work and river crossings.
- Inverters in the trucks are great support.
- Amod tracking device was flawless, and worked well on rechargeable batteries.
- Hyperspace worked great, less the combat card issue and having one of the units dropped which fractured the hard drive connection point.
- Jerimah Beach Hotel in Dubai is THE place to stay (not cheapest)
- The maps that Thomson’s provided was used often buy all of the travelers – great resource.
- Difficult but rewarding hike up the side of Mount Meru. This was an optional trip for some of my travelers. Great to do if you are in shape.
- English-Swahili ‘Useful Phrases, TMP Book Department – TABORA’ – the best book I’ve seen thus far.
- A visit to Shangaa, was rewarding as usual.
Cheers and happy photo’ing
Tags: Africa, GPS Tracking, Nikon, Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, Thomson Safaris
Sometimes A Sign Says It All
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
From Kauai – The Old Sugar Mill at Koloa
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
Safari Update – 27 Aug 2011 – Quotble Notes
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.
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Cheers and happy photo’ing