Africa – Page 44 – Jennifer Sawicky Photography

You never know what you are going to find when you are out on safari. It gets said time and time again, along with the concept of heading out without expectations of specific things that you want to see. Just being out in the bush is heaven for me, and anything I see is a bonus, so it is pretty easy to stay in that mindset.

While staying at Londolozi, we were on our morning game drive, and our ranger Dave heard about leopard cubs being spotted fairly close to where we were, so we headed off in that direction. We ended up doing a lot of 4 x 4’ing through the bush, and ended up stopping the vehicle at a rather severe downhill angle, to be able to view the cubs at the bottom of a ravine area. Soon enough, they decided that napping next to Mom was boring, and began playing with each other, running around fallen logs, chasing each other and generally acting like rambunctious little kids. The late morning light may have been a bit harsh, but the moment was absolutely epic to experience.

This week’s photo challenge topic, Variations on a Theme, seemed a great opportunity to share a few shots from this wonderful sighting. I hope you enjoy them; editing them has certainly brought back many happy memories for me.

20180130_WPCVariations on a theme_JSawicky0 — Effortlessly moving amongst the tangled roots and branches of a fallen tree.

20180130_WPCVariations on a theme_JSawicky1 — Stalking and ready to pounce!

20180130_WPCVariations on a theme_JSawicky3 — Heading back down to check on Mom.

20180130_WPCVariations on a theme_JSawicky4 — I think that look says “Don’t you dare!”

I posted a few other photos from this sighting, as well as other images from my last visit to Londolozi. You can find that post here if you missed it before.

Please visit:
www.jennifersawickyphotography.com for wildlife, landscape and nature inspired artwork.

and

https://shopvida.com/collections/jennifer-sawicky for textiles inspired by my photography.

WPC: Variations on a Theme

January 29, 2018

2018-01-29: Monochrome Monday

An oryx seamlessly blending in to the surrounding vegetation. If he hadn’t lifted his head, we would have driven past without ever noticing him (which would be a shame, because they truly are a stunning animal that I love watching and photographing).

20170502-DSC_1859 — A oryx spotted on a game drive along the Boteti River in Botswana, while staying at the wonderful Leroo La Tau Camp. May, 2017.

Please visit:
www.jennifersawickyphotography.com for wildlife, landscape and nature inspired artwork.

and

https://shopvida.com/collections/jennifer-sawicky for textiles inspired by my photography.

January 24, 2018

2018-01-24: Wordless Wednesday

January 22, 2018

2018-01-22: Monochrome Monday

I spent time with this cheetah family on the Phinda Game Reserve in South Africa last year. Mother and daughter are pictured here, the two boys were off to the side trying to catch a quick nap. We found them on a very blustery afternoon, and they were all on edge. For us watching, having them on edge was a bit of a blessing, because instead of just snoozing away the afternoon, they were moving around and on the lookout, allowing for more interesting images.

Please visit:
www.jennifersawickyphotography.com for wildlife, landscape and nature inspired artwork.

and

https://shopvida.com/collections/jennifer-sawicky for textiles inspired by my photography.

January 18, 2018

2018-01-18: WPC – Silence

The vastness of the Namibian landscape is what I was drawn to share for the topic of the week, silence. While being out in nature is rarely completely silent, with the rustle of the wind, the chattering of birds, or the sound of distant water just a few of thing things you might hear, it is the lack of man-made noise that makes it so appealing, and so peaceful.

Below are a few images from my time in Namibia.

20170425-P1020564 — A hilltop sunset in the middle of nowhere. The wind was blowing and sandstorms had been whipping through the area, but it was incredibly peaceful.

20170426-P1020631 — The Skeleton Coast. Vast desert and the Atlantic Ocean as far as the eye could see.

20170427-DSC_0994 — I find there is nothing more peaceful and quiet than being outside and watching the stars. I shot this from the deck of my room at Ongava Reserve, but being outside alone, at night, in the bush isn’t the smartest idea, so I only took one quick photo and went back inside to my glass of wine.

Please visit:
www.jennifersawickyphotography.com for wildlife, landscape and nature inspired artwork.

and

https://shopvida.com/collections/jennifer-sawicky for textiles inspired by my photography.

WPC: Silence

January 17, 2018

2018-01-17: Wordless Wednesday

January 16, 2018

2018-01-16: WPC – Weathered

The photo challenge topic of the week is weathered, and I have chosen to share some landscape images captured in the Namibian desert. There, it was easy to see the effects of wind and water on the landscape, both from the ground and from the air.

I hope you enjoy my selections.

20170424-DSC_0583 — While driving through the desert, we came to this spot where the wind and water had carved the sand and soft stone into beautiful shapes.

20170424-DSC_0589 — The tallest of these sand sculptures only came up to my knees.

20170424-DSC_0591 — Some day, these too will be gone, reduced to grains of sand blowing in the wind.

20170425-DSC_0612 — Devil’s Thorn growing in the rapidly drying desert.

20170427-P1020867 copy — Mountaintops weathered flat by the wind. Somewhere between Hoanib and Windhoek, April 2017.

Please visit:
www.jennifersawickyphotography.com for wildlife, landscape and nature inspired artwork.

and

https://shopvida.com/collections/jennifer-sawicky for textiles inspired by my photography.

WPC: Weathered

January 15, 2018

2018-01-15: Monochrome Monday

And another week begins! I don’t know about all of you, but the weekend flew by in a flash for me (which is the exact opposite of how this leopard sighting turned out). We came across this gorgeous male leopard early into our afternoon game drive, and tracked him for a short while along with another vehicle. He went into a thicket and the other vehicle gave up, but our guide Albert predicted where he would come out of the bush, and we reconnected with him and then got to spend time with him when he climbed this tree and the sun set. That other vehicle certainly missed out on a great sighting!

Wishing you a fantastic week ahead.

Please visit:
www.jennifersawickyphotography.com for wildlife, landscape and nature inspired artwork.

and

https://shopvida.com/collections/jennifer-sawicky for textiles inspired by my photography.

January 9, 2018

2018-01-09: WPC – Growth

The first WordPress photo challenge topic of the year is growth. There are lots of directions that this can be taken, but I’ve decided to use it as an opportunity to show off some of the younger generation of animals that I saw on my last safari. The wild is a dangerous place for youngsters, with so many species having mortality rates above 50%. I hope all of these animals have been able to grow strong and healthy.