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.
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.
A rhino cow and calf seen during a late afternoon game drive on the Ongava Reserve near Etosha National Park in Namibia. We were very fortunate to have several rhino sightings during our trip. Namibia, April 2017.This lion pride was very busy, with 6 small cubs, all of whom were suffering with mange. I am hopeful they all made it through the winter months. South Africa, May 2017.I have few photos of this sighting, as the light was falling rapidly and the cubs were deep in a thicket. But their antics were too adorable not to try and capture. So while their Mom fed on a giraffe kill, these two scampered around, wrestled, and attempted to climb the tree behind them. They even had a few moments of playing with the food. South Africa, May 2017. (1/250sec, f5.6, ISO 25,600)We came across these elephants just after setting out from camp early one morning. They had discovered an underground water pipe and had pulled it up to get to the water. Elephants of all sizes were enjoying a drink as the sun came up. Being amongst the elephants is definitely one of my favourite things; I could have happily spent the whole day with them. South Africa, May 2017.Right after leaving the elephants seen above, we saw this. I don’t think it gets any better in terms of an amazing sighting; we were able to track this beautiful leopard all the way to her new den site, and then spend time watching the tiny cubs explore their new home (a hollow log). South Africa, May 2017.
I decided that this image would be good for a before and after post after finishing the editing, so today I just have the before and after images to share, not all the steps I took to get there.
This image was shot during sunrise whilst on a game drive at Ngala Camp in South Africa. It was quite surreal to have these massive storm clouds, the light from the sun rising, the moon visible and a rainbow all at one time. With so much going on, it was a challenging scene to deal with, and the image ended up rather flat and uninspired.
I decided to edit the single image using Aurora HDR Pro, as I find that the software is great in bringing out the detail and colour in an image, although it can be a little heavy handed at times. Herein lies the editing issue of course; trying to coax the best out of the image you have, without it ending up looking crunchy and radioactive. I layered two different presets within Aurora, blending them at different opacities, and then dialed back the result within Photoshop to find a level of punch that I felt worked for the image, and for my memory of what to scene looked and felt like.
I’d be interested to know any opinions on the edit – did I go too far, not far enough, or just right, based on what I had to work with? Everyone looks at things differently and I am always interested in the reactions of other people.
Straight out of the camera.After some post processing love and attention.
The photo challenge topic of the week is rounded. And while I contemplated creating a post highlighting all the lovely rounded lines on elephants, I decided instead to offer up a bit more variety.
I hope you enjoy my selection of images.
A view from the top of one of the dunes on the Skeleton Coast. Namibia, April 2017.A zebra foal crosses a bend in the road, not too far behind Mom. Ongava Game Reserve, April 2017.Trying to capture the sunset from a moving vehicle is not the easiest task, but I loved the way the light was hitting the curves in the road, so I gave it my best shot. South Africa, May 2017.A lion pauses at a curve in the road, listening for his brother calling from the distance. Londolozi Game Reserve, May 2017.Elephants gather at a bend in the Hoanib River for a drink and a mud bath. Namibia, April 2017.
The prompt for the photo challenge this week is glow; the perfect opportunity to share some photos with some beautiful light.
I hope you enjoy my selections!
Sunset in the desert, seen on a drinks stop from the Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp. Namibia, April 2017.A leopard bathed in the last light of sunset. South Africa, May 2017.Following a lion into the light. South Africa, May 2017.
This big bull elephant was the last animal I saw before heading home from my last safari adventure. We came across him on our way back to camp for a quick breakfast before our flight out. He was moving swiftly along the road, and in musth as well, so we stayed well out of his way. He stopped briefly to check us out from afar, grabbed a small trunkful of sand from the road and let it fly before carrying on his way. The way the light was falling, the sand almost makes it look like he is surrounded by confetti.
Bull elephant on the move. South Africa, May 2017. 1/800 sec, f6.3, ISO 560. Converted to black and white using On1 Photo Raw.
