African Photography Info

Lone Photographer, Lions Head Cape Town - February Essay

2010-02-05T11:46:00.005+02:00

Lions head has been good to me. I walked up it in 2004 and managed to put together one of my best images of the moon rising and the sun setting simultaneously. This was stitched into a panoramic, which I have printed up to 4.7m long!
So I wasn’t exactly expecting much on my walk up Lions head this last December, I mean, I had covered the place really well in 2004. What I didn’t remember though, is just how beautiful Cape Town looks from that beautiful vantage point on top of the head. I took the camera along, leaving all tripods and other camera kit down at the bottom. If photos were to be taken, they were going to be snaps- nothing serious. Or so I thought.

We reached the top and settled into an awesome picnic complete with Camembert, tapenade and red wine to complement the sun setting over the Atlantic. What a way to end your day! As the sun set, the wind picked up and clouds started drawing over Table Mountain. We were about to head back down the mountain when I noticed another photographer taking pictures of Camps bay below.
I realised that this was a great image- except I had left my tripod down in the car…

Fully reliant (and optimistically trusting) on new technology, I pushed the ISO up to 1600, rested the camera on a bag and snapped off a few frames at 1/3 sec. Very, very slow, but I needed the image!
This was the one that came out sharp and in focus. The rest were image blurs (probably due to the red wine.) It was an agonisingly long wait to see if the images were sharp on the laptop.

Was taught a small lesson on top of the mountain.
Never drop the standards you set.

Exposure information:
Nikon D700 - 18-35mm lens
Exposure – f 4.5 Shutter Speed: 1.3 sec
Exp. Comp. 0. EV
ISO - 1600
Flash - none
Exposure mode– Manual, Metering Mode– Matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 20mm
Camera resting on bag

This article first appeared on Shemimages.com

Botswana Tour Trip Report, December 2009. Part 2

2010-01-13T13:51:00.012+02:00

December 2009 was a good month for C4 Images and Safaris. Firstly we had a 2-week safari to Botswana and then it was Christmas holidays for us!

We wont write about the holidays, but we do want to share with you a great photo tour to the Okavango region of Botswana. Ill document each day as the tour went along.

The tour was led by Shem Compion and Greg du Toit. There were 7 clients and between us we had 3 private vehicles for our sole photographic use.

Part 2:

Day 8
Leopard at dawn. What a way to start the day. It was a classic scene- a large tomcat resting on a low horizontal branch with the sun softly glowing through the clouds. A perfect set up, but unfortunately an unwilling model. The beauty of travelling into such wilderness areas is that animals like this male leopard determine your photographic success. In this case, this leopard might not be seen for another year by another vehicle and we were very fortunate to see him. That is the beauty of true wilderness areas. The morning wasn’t a waste though- we enjoyed photographing a black bellied bustard doing its champagne cork courtship pop and an open billed stork fishing away on fresh water mussels. Tea time was to be the real treat though, as we witnessed nearly 150 elephants emerging out of the bush to drink, play, mud wallow and swim in the lagoon in front of us! It was a sight to behold and we slowly got right in amongst these silent giants- brilliant! We left one hour later with some of the elephants still not having completed their watery activities!
The wattled crane is a highly endangered bird- with the Okavango being its largest breeding ground- so it was very pleasing to be able to approach a pair preening in the last light of day. It was the closest I have ever been to a pair and they gave us a real show, calmly cleaning their feathers with the wattles swinging away.

Day 9
This morning was rain filled, which doesn’t always make for great photography. However, it does bring out the unusual animals and a honey badger was spotted while Harry spotted and photographed a caracal out stalking!
Unfortunately the rain continued in the afternoon, making photography impossible.

Day 10
After the rain, out comes the Velvet mites! These tiny creatures attracted the interest of all on the vehicles and resulted in some very unusual poses with many bottoms facing skywards trying to get nice and low angles on the mites!
However, the best was to come, as we tracked the wild dogs and found them lying up in the shade. The next few minutes turned out to be one of the best sightings of 2009, with all the wild dogs getting up and playing in a pool of rainwater. I have written about this in a post entitled “wild dogs in 409”, but I will say it again- this was simply magnificent animal behaviour of the highest order. Great subjects, good light, excellent action, repeated motion, willing subjects and excellent positioning!

That afternoon, we sat with the wild dogs again and followed them as they went off on the afternoon hunt in perfect golden light. You could say it was a “wild dog day”.

Day 11
Cheetahs and wild dogs. Lagoon camp is famous for its wild dogs and by the end of the day we knew why. It started with finding the three brother cheetah, who posed on a termite mound before heading off to hunt Impala which once chased ran right past one of our vehicles! In the afternoon, we found wild dogs running like crazy dogs along the road- a kill had been made and the adults were coming back to the pups. Again we witnessed brilliant behaviour of these dogs playing, regurgitating, chasing and feeding in an open clearing.

Day 12
Rain hampered our start to the morning, but keeping a keen eye out on the weather, we headed out as soon as it started to clear- that being 13h30. A long afternoons drive it was going to be- and what a smelly one it was. A dead elephant was located, attracting hundreds of vultures and marabou storks. The fighting and hissing around the carcass was something to behold. The area surrounding the dead elephant was littered with hundreds of scavengers filled to the crop with food. They decorated the large dead trees like Christmas decorations!
We left the smell and headed to a peaceful lake where we photographed hippo in lovely light before the sunset stopped us and we photographed in the opposite direction. (Were far from the hippo by now!) En route back to camp we chanced upon the rare roan antelope. It was many peoples first sighting of one and although it was shy, we all got a good look at its “clown like” facial features.

Day 13

Last day blues were to be banished by the excitement of the morning’s sightings. Cheetah buffalo and wild dog saying their good byes were the morning’s main attractions. We followed the cheetah, scent marking and patrolling- making for very good images. They rested up eventually and we were off to find the buffalo- a nice breeding herd with oxpeckers providing that extra bit of colour.

From there we raced back to camp for brunch and the flight back to Maun, civilisation and unfortunately the end of a wonderful tour.

The start of the rainy season is my favourite time in the bush. Everything comes alive, the migrating birds are back and the animals are dropping their babies. Some mornings, you can literally feel the bush buzzing with excitement.
With our clients on this tour, we certainly had a few days of “buzzing excitement”!
Thank you to all our clients who once again provided a great tour.

At the start of our safari, I asked one of the clients what they were particularly interested in. “Insects”, they replied… well at least I had just completed an insect book! However it highlights a typical C4 Images and Safaris safari. We aren’t here only for the big 5 and their kin. We take tours for people who enjoy experiencing nature in its entirety; and then photographing it to capture its beauty.

Botswana Tour Trip Report, December 2009. Part 1

2010-01-13T12:32:00.012+02:00

Day 1
Arrival started in South Africa and the first game drive started in Rietvlei Nature Reserve, near Pretoria. This allows visitors to see and photograph species they wouldn’t see in Botswana. Thus the first day started with black wildebeest, blesbuck and white rhino as the new species to be seen. Of course the highveld birds were in full song and this allowed us to see a few grassland birds.

Day 2
The flight to Main is hot, but the reward is worth the heat. Kwara camp greeted us with its open lagoon filled to the brim with hippos. It set the scene for the afternoon game drive; which led us straight to a large male lion. He had been mating and lost his mate. So we followed him as he roared away trying to contact his lioness. The soft evening glow of the late afternoon glanced off his mane beautifully, allowing for some great portraits. A great start to the tour!

Day 3
Our morning drive started photographing plains game- and even a fungus growing out of elephants dung was photographed at teatime! The afternoon turned very dark with overhead clouds and didn’t offer us much until sunset, when we witnessed one of the most stunning sunsets of 2009. It certainly was also the most photographed sunset in Botswana!

Day 4
Oh my what excitement wild dogs bring! We discovered them early morning running along as they do. For a frantic hour we followed them across floodplains, mopane bush and into apple leaf thickets. They provided an assortment of photo opportunities, making all us photographers very happy.
This afternoon we transferred to Camp Okavango, or Camp-O as it is known. It’s a water-based camp, with our focus being birds, hippos and macro work.
The first afternoon was off to the Hippo pool, where we watched a small pod snorting away in the golden afternoon light.

Day 5
This morning’s focus was the remotely located Godikwe lagoon. Godikwe is the largest breeding colony for marabou storks as well as one of the most important heronries for egrets, herons and other storks. The colony for some reason was not nearly as large as it has been in former years; however, it still provided some excellent opportunities for large birds at close quarters. The beauty of the location is that due to its remoteness, the birds don’t know humans on the island and thus allow you to come really close to them. The photography was excellent, but just being so close to a variety of bird species and seeing them interact was a real highlight.
The afternoon was one of the most relaxing game drives ever taken! It was time for the Mokoro ride on the shallow waters of the delta. Gliding along in a mokoro, is one of the most under rated experiences of the Okavango. It is a silent, smooth ride that makes you concentrate on the essence of the delta. The cleanliness of the water, the thousands of tiny fish, the way the water lilies wind their way up from the bottom and the tiny reed frogs clinging perilously to the reeds all combine to give one of the most serene experiences ever.

Day 6
The last day at Camp O was one concentrating on birds, with the odd hippo thrown in for good measure. The technique was to glide slowly down the reed lined channels approaching birds slowly and quietly. It does seem that the real insect bloom hadn’t occurred in our area yet, as the normal sheer number of birds weren’t evident. However, our persistence paid off and we managed to get good images of slaty egret, squacco heron, African darter, white-throated bee-eater and the beautifully marked malachite kingfisher. The day ended with another splendid sunset overlooking a shallow lagoon. To cap it all off, 30 wattled cranes flew in to roost in the shallows just at sunset, prompting us to all drop the drinks and set up the cameras!

Day 7
From Camp O it was up north to the refurnished Lebala camp on the edge of the Linyanti swamp. We started with a bang, as a young leopard stalked in between thickets in search of prey. The most exciting scene being when it chased an African wild cat right past our vehicle! After the excitement, the leopard went on the search and with some good positioning, we managed to predict it moving onto termite mounds to scan, providing us with some beautiful photo opportunities!
From there it was off to the waters edge where we photographed waterbirds and hippos in abundance. Another excellent days photography.

C4 Delta Safari, December 2009

2010-01-13T11:39:00.015+02:00

Words and Images by Greg du Toit.

Just prior to the Christmas holidays I had the pleasure of co-guiding a photographic safari with my good friend and colleague Shem Compion. The group we had the pleasure of leading were all from the UK and all experienced travelers and photographers. Landing in Maun, we had some time to kill and Maun, not exactly a buzzing metropolis, meant that we walked across the road to a small pilots café for a soda. While sitting whiling the time away, the group suddenly became excited and most notably Eric and Lesley! I swung around to see what was causing the excitement and sitting upon a lamppost were to rather common Pied Crows? I immediately realized that my traveling companions were not the usual shutterbugs interested in only hunting down the ‘big and hairies’. No, this group comprised keen naturalists and birders using photography as a tool to document and record all of nature’s splendours! This excited me a great deal as the wet season in the African bush simply heaves with life! Most photographic safaris run during the winter time when the big game concentrates around the last remaining water pools and although this is a good time for the predators and mammals, my favourite time in the bush remains the summer time when life abounds in all its forms!

Looking back, the 12 day safari certainly was a celebration of life and this indeed in all its forms! The first camp that had the pleasure of hosting us was Kwara in the northern reaches of the delta! Who can forget the cicadas singing so loudly that their friends in the south of France would have been able to hear them? There were so many special and unique moments on the safari that it is impossible to share them all? For me, the highlight of Kwara was certainly not the beef but rather following a pack of Wild Dog through the bush! It was such a privilege to follow a truly wild pack of hunting dogs as they simply went about their frantic high-paced daily routine. The dogs would turn to and fro unperturbed by the thickets of Kalahari Appleleaf trees! How our drivers managed to not get lost I really do not know? Our poor safari guests had to duck and dive to avoid random branches striking them in the face or perhaps even knocking them clean off the vehicle! At one point I became concerned and glanced back only to see John merrily performing some in-camera editing while branches tore all about him? He seemed not the least bit concerned about his health and in hindsight the tangible energy and excitement of the dogs rubbed off on us all. Other highlights from Kwara were spotting a rare Serval and enjoying two of the most splendid sunsets imaginable!

After three pleasant nights in Kwara we enjoyed some duty free shopping at Kwara International before taking a lengthy 10 minute flight to Camp O! This camp is water based and all our activities were on boats of sorts! The first afternoon saw us whizzing along narrow channels that bisected waterborne Papyrus forests. Without the slightest forewarning, we happened upon a large hippo pool and spent the next hour photographing! Well that is too say, all, except poor Pauline who suffers from Hippophobia! We were unaware of her chronic condition and tried our best to avoid hippo for the rest of the safari which included removing the hippo-shaped butter dishes from the breakfast table! Although the birdlife at Camp O was disappointing, our bird list was indeed creeping up as the camp gardens graciously offered us sightings of Kurrichane Thrush. A highlight at Camp O was no doubt the Mokoro Canoe trip, which gave us opportunity to get close and personal with the tiny yet gorgeous Painted Reed frogs.

From Camp O, our next stop was Lebala, North of the Delta and in the Linyanti region. This was a most beautiful tract of pure wilderness with two distinguishable highlights:

The first being the spotting and subsequent photographing of a beautiful leopard amid lush grass and termite mounds! To see Africa’s most striking predator amidst the superb green foliage of the summer bush will remain a highlight for some time to come! Another very special sighting saw us enjoying our morning tea on the banks of a small lake. An elephant herd appeared out the bush on the opposite side of the lake and proceeded down to the water’s edge. Gazing back to the brush line, we were surprised to see another herd making its way down to the water and then another and another and another. The elephants just kept coming until an entire clan lined the lake fringe leaving some of us spellbound and the rest of us frustrated at not being able to capture the immensity of the sighting on camera? Even Brian, who is no stranger to photographing immense Antarctic panoramics, seemed overwhelmed?!

Our last stop of the trip was at Lagoon Camp and although the weather stopped playing ball, we still managed to end on a high note with wild dog sightings almost everyday as well as a superb cheetah sighting. As I mentioned at the beginning however, our group was not just about the big five and we enjoyed getting down low and personal with velvet mites and fungi! A very special sighting at Lagoon was finding a Whalberg’s Eagle on a fresh Yellowbilled Hornbill kill!

The food throughout the safari was exquisite but perhaps none more so than at Lagoon Camp where they provided additional protein in the form of flying ants (termites actually)! Who can forget my bush-whacking colleague (Shem), walking up to the lantern aloft the dinning table, grabbing a flying ant and gulping it down with a look of glee upon his face?

When all is said and done, the safari was a sublime experience that offered up not only many memorable sightings of wild dog, cheetah and elephant but also many unique, smaller and more peculiar sightings (see photos attached). My only regret to the entire safari was promising Eric and Lesley 200 bird species, only to land in Jo’burg on 198 species! Glancing up at the airport terminal I was hoping to see a Rock Pigeon and a Little Swift but alas my time was up!

Thank you ever so much to my traveling companions Eric, Lesley, Brian, Fiona, John, Harry, Pauline, Maggie and Peter. It was a pleasure hosting you and I hope to do so again in the future!

Masai Mara tour report back- November tour

2009-11-27T10:10:00.006+02:00

When advising a tour to a client, we at C4 Images and Safaris always decide on the best destination by weighing up various factors that will make a tour successful. It’s not necessarily about having a happy client or showing them a good time.

To us it is about showing them the best game viewing for their specific requirements so that they can get the best images. It’s as simple as that, and for us, that is all that matters.

So when we were asked about where is the best place in Africa to photograph predators on a daily basis, we pointed to that piece of land in the heart of East Africa- the Masai Mara. Going in the first week of November, I wasn’t expecting the migration, and the client knew as much. We were there for the predators, and there were other advantages…
• Tourist traffic has significantly decreased- meaning less vehicles
• Predators are all in excellent condition from the feast of the migration
• Many predators have cubs/pups now due to their good condition from the feast of the migration
• Grass is still very short, making visibility and photography very easy

And the best advantage of all for us on this tour? The migration was still in the area! We had millions of wildebeest on the open plains around camp.
Nature is a wonderful thing sometimes. The beauty of it all is that we are just visitors in the dynamics. This year the migration stayed very late and we lucked out. Next year will invariably be very different, as each year is here.

But on this tour we had that extra bonus. What a brilliant tour it turned out to be, with great image taken by all!
It’s as simple as that, and for us, that is all that matters.

The Chiefs Island Experience - Isak Pretorius

2009-11-18T13:10:00.019+02:00

Chief’s Island in the heart of the Okavango Delta is known as the predator capital of Africa. C4 Images and Safaris has just concluded its first of many safaris to the island and the place had more than lived up to its reputation and everyone’s expectation. We met our guests at O.R. Tambo International from where it’s a two hour flight to Maun and then a 20 minute flight into camp. Flying low over the Delta is always thrilling with spectacular views of this unique waterway system alive with large herds of elephants, buffalo, giraffe, and zebra which are easy to spot from the plane. This got the safari off to an exciting start.

We were looking forward to sunny weather and good photography. Chief’s Camp is located on Chief’s Island on the edge of a large floodplain hidden away between beautiful Jackalberry and Sausage tree woodland. The lounge, dining room, bar and pool are situated on a large wooden deck overlooking the floodplain and became our general meeting area for the next few days doing everything from our afternoon photo workshops, eating, relaxing and talking photography while watching nature unfold in front of us. Growing up amongst the animals in the surrounding areas, our guides Ali and Ishmael were masters of predicting animal behaviour and locating our photographic subjects. They had obviously dealt with many photographers before and knew exactly how to position the vehicle for us to get the perfect shot. Chief’s Camp is also different from anything we’ve experienced before in that they’ve modified their vehicles for driving through water. A lifted suspension and snorkel did the trick but occasionally we had to lift our camera bags and feet off the floor during the deeper crossings. Twice during the safari we had water over the floor of the vehicle that drained away quickly once we got through. Apart from the thrilling sightings this added some additional exhilaration.

The game drives took us onto both the floodplains as well as the higher dry areas of Chief’s Island itself. It provided typical Okavango Delta scenery of wide open plains with grazing herds of animals and islands of woodland vegetation and palm trees. Game viewing and photography were excellent with numerous sightings of lion, leopard, huge herds of buffalo, elephant, lechwe and the other general game like zebra, wildebeest and giraffe to name but a few. The Delta is of course also a bird paradise that provided us with terrific photographic opportunities of many “specials” like wattled crane and slaty egrets. The water level on the floodplains was dropping quickly, leaving behind numerous pools with trapped fish. We came across a number of pools with hundreds of yellow-billed storks, marabou storks, hamerkop, and egrets all trying to make the most of the fish’s misfortune. One afternoon we did the makoro experience where you get close encounters with birds and some of the Delta’s smaller subject while gliding quietly over the water.

Each day usually starts with a wakeup call from staff who also brought us coffee in bed. This is followed by a light breakfast, morning drive and early lunch after which there were time for relaxation. The afternoons were spent doing the photography workshops that included lectures on light, composition, technique, digital workflow and processing. Afternoon tea and game drive followed, after which we had time for relaxing drinks and dinner.

This safari would definitely be remembered for a spectacular late afternoon fast moving thunderstorm on our last afternoon drive, and a sighting where a black-backed jackal had killed a baby impala. As a natural history sighting this was very special, though gruesome at times. It was an opportunistic kill by the jackal of a few day old impala amongst a large herd of impala. I will also never forget the water crossings that we did with the game viewing vehicles. In areas better suited for makoros than vehicles we made our way through the water en route to the sightings. In one particular incident, our guide Ishmael were driving over a dry area of the floodplain when he spotted some lions in the distance. At that specific place we had a deep water filled deception between us and the lions and it would have taken us too long to drive around and through the water at the shallower regular crossing on the other end to get to the lions. Ishmael asked me if I think we should attempt to drive to the lions straight from there through the deep water. Not knowing what difference my opinion would make anyway, I think I was more curious than anything else to see how his attempt would unfold. I told Ishmael to go for it. Amazingly with water high over the bonnet of the vehicle and tyres gripping slowly but surely at the sandy bottom, we made it through and were rewarded with great photography of the lions and then lechwe running through the water.

Chief’s Camp delivered the magic of the Okavango Delta in many ways. During our last evening we showed a presentation of the top images from the safari from every guest. It was wonderful to see everyone’s own interpretation of the last few days and how the different photographic techniques we taught got put into practice with great success. It was sad to leave the island and although the flight back to Maun over the Delta was something to look forward to, it was of little comfort. We all wanted to visit Chief’s Island again soon!

Thanks Charl, Semma and the rest of the staff for making this a trip of a lifetime.

Chiefs Island Photo Workshop Trip Report Part 2

2009-11-17T13:46:00.014+02:00

Day 3 and 4

We returned to the leopard kill in the morning to find that the famous tree-climbing lions of Chiefs Island had climbed high into the thorny acacia and pulled down the carcass. The leopard was nowhere to be found of course, but the lions were great subjects in the early morning light. From there we spent time at one of the drying pools of water photographing yellow-billed storks fishing. The number and diversity of birds in the delta is something to behold- and it is one of the best places for bird photography.

The afternoon was a time to experience the mokoros of the Delta. This pirogue like boat is the best way to experience first hand the quiet tranquillity of the waters. It is also great for landscapes and macros photos. From there we spent time with some wattled cranes, a delta speciality, feeding and displaying. Our sunset sundowner was a mix of photographing zebra’s backlit into the setting sun and 5 bull elephants walking quietly past our vehicle, some 20m away. We almost didn’t have time to finish our drinks!

Day 4
This morning we spent 45 minutes at a small lagoon. It was a great spot for all sorts of action. Hippos fighting and yawning, squacco heron fly bys, fish eagle hunting and a slaty egret fishing nearby. From there we headed north and into some spectacular woodland and onto some open floodplains. Herds of lechwe greeted us. Three male lions and a leopard nearby also greeted us- we literally had our choice! That was until we had to pull the other vehicle out trying to cross the channel. Just another part of the delta experience! On the way back to camp we had baboons with babies to entertain our cameras- and us just the right way to finish off a drive.

The day had started with some cloud and it built up all afternoon with a large storm brewing up in the east. With the sun still shining in the west, this gave us some beautiful and intense light. First up it was some baboons backlit, their fur picking up the halo of light beautifully.

Then the wind started blowing strongly at the approach of the storm and looking in the east we saw a rainbow developing, so we hurriedly went in search of some subjects. First up was a palm tree- an icon of the Okavango, then some lechwe and impala with the rainbow right on top of them. The intensity of colour was so strong that you didn’t need a polariser to capture the beauty of it.
Nearby we found two male lions. The quality of light on them was perfect, and then the wide-angle image of a dark and moody sky with the rainbow in the background was just the cherry on top. Brilliant in all respects!

Day 5
The last morning led us out to the floodplains for the last time and we spent quite a bit of time with a herd of 500 buffalo, photographing them, the egrets and the oxpeckers in various modes. We found a very productive pool with lots of birds in, which we decided to stay at. It paid dividends as no more than 8 species of birds came within 5m of our vehicle. The pied kingfishers hovering right next to us was a highlight, as was the slaty egret hunting 2m from the vehicle. This was a perfect way to end another very successful workshop with C4 Images and Safaris.

After lunch it was I the charter flight and off to Maun for the quick flight back home. The beauty of the Okavango is that it is so remote, yet you can access it via charter flights in no time at all. Perfect for a photo workshop like ours to maximise your photography time and minimise your travel time.

Click here to see part 1 of the report.

Chiefs Island Photo Workshop Trip Report Part 1

2009-11-17T13:26:00.014+02:00

We have just held the first of our Chiefs island Photo workshops.
Chiefs camp is based on the northern tip of Chiefs Island, within the heart of the world famous Okavango Delta, in Botswana. The camp lies in the Mombo concession, reputed as one of the best concessions for wildlife viewing in Africa and termed the “predator capital of Africa”. This caused quite a lot of excitement amongst us, who were hosting the workshop, and of course our clients too! Expectations were high…

Day 1
We arrived and settled in. Logistics worked perfectly- landing in Maun, we transferred straight to camp in a Cessna caravan. First game drive was out on to the open flood plains and the “Lechwe plain” we were to get to know over the next few days. Herds of wildebeest, lechwe and zebra led us to a large herd of buffalo- about 300 strong, where we spent time photographing tem with yellow billed oxpeckers. From there we drove onto finding our first lions, right on time as the light had softly turned a golden hue. Perfect for the eager cameras.

Day 2
An early start led straight to some ground hornbills feeding on insects in the fresh green grass. The sun was perfect and softly lit the birds as they threw up their morsels before eating them. From there we noticed two fish eagles hunting in a pool. We positioned near a bush they were using and had them repeatedly come to and fro as they searched for their breakfast- making for some dramatic in flight images of these magnificent birds. The other vehicle was photographing lions in the morning light, but we were quite content with the fish eagle! From there it was lechwe in the water and more lions before heading back to a deserved brunch.

The afternoon was a classic and will go down as one of the best game viewing drives ever.
Out of camp we found a leopard resting in the shade. He had been courting a female, which others saw, but not us. He did oblige with some beautiful poses though, so quite happy! Leaving the leopard, we noticed an elephant bull walking in the channel. I noticed a mud wallow 5m from us, so decided to wait and see what happened. The bull came straight to the wallow and proceeded to splash, throw, roll, rub and scrub himself in the mud! He was so close we could hear him sigh as he rolled on his side. Simply beautiful! That was not all though, after his bathe, he wandered to within 2m of us, gently sniffing and inspecting this large, brown camera, clicking vehicle. It was a hard decision to choose between the wide angle or the long lens!

After the elephant left, we headed on and 1km later we stopped right next to a troop of baboons. We had just stopped when to our right some impala snorted their alarm. Looking into the thick bush, a jackal was spotted, and below it, an impala fawn. It had just made a kill. Startled by the vehicle, the jackal walked a few meters away. We watched quietly and all of a sudden the impala stood up. The jackal realised this and the chase began. It ended up with the jackal chasing the fawn down and making the kill. No photographs were taken, as we did not want to influence the hunt and kill. This was a time to watch and see nature play out.
We left the kill site, and headed down a channel to find 6 lions at sunset, about to begin their nightly foray. Now it was time to head back to camp, as darkness was upon us. However, in the headlights we saw another leopard! This time with a fresh kill of an impala. It dragged the carcass across the channel and pulled it up into an acacia tree.

What an end to a fabulous drive! We were all exhausted from not only taking photographs, but also the excellent sightings we had just witnessed!

Click here to read part 2 of the trip report.

November Essay, Masai Mara Moods

2009-11-06T11:51:00.004+02:00

The thread of this essay is simple. It’s about mood.
Sometimes an image is more about a feeling, than being technically perfect or a good, clean portrait of a nicely placed subject. It’s about how it makes you feel- an emotional response.

I was lucky enough to spend another week in the Masai Mara this week. It was a great safari- Great client, the migration was still there (very late this year), the wildebeest were crossing daily and there was hardly anyone else around. We had the vast plains literally to ourselves; our daily agenda played out by natures hand leading us to leopard kills, 3 week old lion cubs and hundreds of thousands of animals right on the plain at our camp. Of course having a wildebeest crossing right at camp also helps- especially waking up to the honking of wildebeest preparing to cross. What a way to start a day! Get out of bed, have some good Kenyan coffee and walk down to the Mara River with cameras to photograph in the golden morning sunrise light. It was literally picture perfect.

It was on the last afternoon drive that we saw dust rising along the Mara River. We drove closer, and there before us were about 5000 wildebeests anxiously preparing to cross in the last rays of the day. The frantic back and forth of the beasts caused dust so thick that at times we couldn’t even see them. The crossing started and we drove into position. It was just us, alone we sat in silent awe at this spectacle playing out in front of us. The noise, golden light, dust, hooves and water combined to create one of the most atmospheric scenes I have seen in a long time.

We were caked in the dust, it gritting our teeth and cloaking our eyes. We revelled in it, shooting the scene with feverish intent. The tension was intense and we felt it in the scene. It was all I was aiming for in my images. I hope this does it some justice.

Exposure information
Nikon D700 - 70-200mm lens
Exposure – f 5.6 Shutter Speed: 1/500sec
Exp. Comp. - 0. EV
ISO - 400
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– centre
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 155mm

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

Mashatu Trip Report - Part 2

2009-10-15T14:33:00.006+02:00

Part 2 of our Mashatu photo workshop trip report. The workshop was lead by Isak Pretorius. All text and images by Isak.

Game drive 5, Monday afternoon: The weather cleared and we were in for a sunny few days ahead. Not far from camp our first sighting was a leopard stalking impala. As if the leopard read a book on photography it provided us with perfect photographic moments, walking slowing towards us over big flat rocks with the sun perfectly over our shoulders, and golden light illuminating the eyes of the leopard. We could not ask for more. Unfortunately the impala caught sent of the leopard which spoiled the stalking attempt, so we moved on to landscape opportunities of big ana trees in a dry riverbed, and a colony of whitefronted bee-eaters. Our drive finished with star photography when we identified a beautiful shepherd's tree on an open plain. We had so much fun trying different angles and getting the exposure correct that Daniel had to radio in to camp that we were going to be and hour and a half late for dinner.

Game drive 6, Tuesday morning: After all the excitement of the previous evening we were all keen on taking it slow this morning. The euphorbia’s on top of the white cliffs in the Mujali river provided good opportunity to do early morning landscapes. Not far from that we stopped at a big pool in the riverbed where we spent the rest of the morning watching impala, baboon, and kudu coming to drink. The birdlife was also impressive with a black stork and pied kingfisher fishing in the pool and green pigeons coming down for a drink.

Game drive 7, Tuesday afternoon: I asked the group if there were any of the photographic opportunities we had which they’d like to do again and the unanimous answer was to go back to the bee-eaters. We headed straight for the bee-eaters colony and on the way there we stopped for more landscapes of big trees in dry riverbeds. This became a popular theme on our trip because everyone loved the creative opportunities that it provided. As promised we ended up at the bee-eater colony again, after which we had sundowner drinks before heading back to camp. On our way back we identified a tree for a star trail and could managed a twenty-minute exposure before the moon started to rise over the horizon.

Game drive 8, Wednesday morning: Trying to make the most of our last game drive we were desperate to find anything interesting to photograph. It was not long before we found a large herd of impala running, redbilled queleas, and two few-day-old crowned lapwing chicks and their parents. Soon after that we heard on the radio about some baboons harassing a leopard and we headed straight for it. On top of a hill we found our favourite leopard, the young male, lying in the shade of a bush being followed by about eight young male baboons. The baboons were all around him and very cautious in their attempts of mock-charging the leopard, probably just to drive him away far enough away from the rest of their troop. The young male baboons were quickly joined by more baboons, including a few big males with big teeth. The mock changes continued and although in the beginning the leopard did not look to care too much for them, he now started feeling more and more vulnerable and made a few charges at the baboons himself. The tension mounted and it was like a pressure cooker getting ready to explode. After another charge by one of the big male baboons the leopard made a run for it, and as soon as the leopard turned his back to the baboons and started running away, all hell broke loose. The whole lot of baboons ran after the leopard and was on his tale in a matter of seconds. Some of the baboons pulled the leopard’s tail and in a cloud of dust the leopard retreated to lying on his back, claws in the air and ready to defend himself. The baboons were all around him, jumping over him and attacking. This all happened in a matter of seconds. Then, the leopard saw a gap, got up and ran as fast as he could away from the baboons. The baboons stopped, turned around and went back to their troop, happy that the leopard was far enough away from their young ones. As a natural history moment this was something spectacular which none of us will ever forget.

After all this excitement we stopped for coffee at a baobab tree in a dry riverbed where we had a last chance to do some landscape photography. We headed back to camp for brunch before heading home.

Meeting as strangers and leaving as friends, the trip was a huge success where everyone learned a lot and got great shots. Mashatu delivered again and it’s a pleasure to work in an area that provides such good and unique opportunities.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris Blog

Mashatu Trip Report - Part 1

2009-10-15T14:04:00.008+02:00

The name “Mashatu” originated from the local people describing the area’s Nyala berry trees and the danger of big snakes lurking in them. On the recent C4 Images and Safaris photographic workshop at Mashatu, I was wondering if this name didn’t have to do with leopards instead. The sightings we had of leopards were plentiful, exquisite and a privilege to see so much of their behaviour -something that I will remember this trip by... This tour was lead by Isak Pretorius. All text and images by Isak.

The group of photographers on our trip was very keen on exploring all genres of nature photography. It was a joy to work with them and we fed off each other’s energy doing everything from standard wildlife portraits, wide angle portraits, slow shutter speed motion blur, zoom blur, landscapes, backlit, flash photography, star photography and star trails. Of course it makes life very easy when a reserve like Mashatu offer these opportunities in bucket loads and we have a guide like Daniel who is just as keen about us “getting the shots”. The highlight of our trip was an incident between a leopard and baboons and although it was a great photographic opportunity it was probably a “once in a lifetime” natural history moment that we will never forget. Read more about this in the breakdown of our game drives below.

Game drive 1, Saturday afternoon: A bit of drizzle could not dampen our enthusiasm and at 3:30pm we were off on our first game drive. Not far into the drive we stumbled upon a familiar face. It was the young male leopard we had seen earlier in the year, famous for the incident where he had been inquisitive about a porcupine. He is probably the most beautiful leopard I’ve seen – perfect skin, and getting quite muscular now, with loads of character. He did not disappoint! We found him on the bank of the Nyaswe River grooming himself and getting into the most interesting positions physically – something the most flexible athlete could not do. After the grooming session he walked around looking for impala and climed into a couple of trees to gain vantage point. This turned out to be a mistake as he had wondered into another big male leopard’s territory who spotted the intruder in one of the trees. The young male got chased away by the other bigger male and soon both of them disappeared over a hill. Not far from that we came across a female leopard with a freshly caught impala which was to big to get into a tree. She was sitting under a lead wood tree trying to eat some of the impala to reduce the weight to drag it into the tree. A few attempts to get the impala into the tree failed and then she lost the kill to the big male leopard that also tried to get it into the tree but failed. He then dragged the kill to a nearby bush and that was the end of an exciting first game drive.

Game drive 2, Sunday morning: We woke up with the sound of raindrops falling on dry leaves, but luckily photographers is a different species altogether and with raincoats on we left camp excited about the opportunities that rainy weather brings. We found some rain soaked impalas standing under a tree and made the most of ground hornbills and painted snipes in a dry riverbed before there was a break in the clouds. Our gamble with the weather paid off when we found the young male leopard in a Mashatu tree trying to stay dry. This ended off our game drive on a high note.

Game drive 3, Sunday afternoon: After the first of our afternoon workshops on digital workflow and Lightroom, and a piece of Magret’s famous lemon meringue pie, our afternoon drive commenced. Spring has sprung at Mashatu and the creative juices got flowing when we photographed newly sprouted mopane leaves backlit against the sun and the shadow of a hill. Other highlights of the game drive included following a large flock of redbilled queleas and a klipspringer. We were photographing the klipspringer in beautiful soft light when he started staring intensely in one direction and making alarm calls. Our guide, Daniel, had not finished his sentence telling us that this is typical behaviour when a klipspringer sees a predator, when down the hill came a leopard walking straight towards us and climbing into the tree next to us. The game drive finished with drinks at a sloping hill with a beautiful baobab tree where we did a star trail.

Game drive 4, Monday morning: At camp there was talk about a pride of lions in the Southern part of the reserve and that became our objective for the game drive. After photographing some of the usual stuff on our way there, we found the lions doing what they do best… lying around! A few portrait shots later we were off and stumbled upon a breeding herd of elephants. The elephants at Mashatu are the most tranquil elephants you'll find anywhere. We positioned ourselves a hundred meters or so away from, but right in the way of the moving herd. The elephants walked past us, only meters from the vehicle. This is photography bliss! We found several herds moving in an easterly direction and after getting all the standard shots it gave us the opportunity to try several different kind of shots as well… low angle wide shots, motion blur and zoom blur.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris Blog

October Essay - Masai mara, Cheetah

2009-10-07T14:18:00.004+02:00

It’s not until you leave the Masai Mara that you realise what a spell it puts on you. In my case, the morning after my return, I was on an early drive to the lowveld of South Africa. Spring was in the air, the temperature was mild, and I was heading back into the bush with the wheels of the Landy humming away underneath me. It was a perfect time to reflect on my last week and tour to the Mara: Our location was perfect, the game viewing had been great and the photos were, well, just excellent.

It’s hard not to take clichéd images of the Mara. The place has been so well covered by many very good photographers over the years that one can almost tell where each image was taken. So working there as a photographer can be tough, as all your images can seem generic and “done”.

But some images of the Mara are iconic.
These are the ones that have come to symbolise the region via its special characteristics, moods, and features of the landscape. Indeed, images of the crossings of the Mara River are exactly that. An icon of the region.

Another icon of the Mara is the cheetah; my favourite animal. Seeing it at play in the early morning on the open plains is something one does not forget in a lifetime. The scene of a cheetah, standing proud on a fallen log is also one of those classic Mara scenes. No matter how many times you see it, its one that gives you that feeling of an open wilderness, untouched. It’s an image I have been wanting for years.

So when this scene happened upon us one morning, it was a frenzied few seconds in which we stopped the vehicle, frantically pulled out the cameras and fired off a handful of images to record this scene. The whole thing took perhaps 5 seconds. It felt like years, it was beautiful and I felt privileged.

Back in South Africa, the Landy was humming up the Abel Erasmus pass, one of this countries most beautiful drives. My thoughts wandered again back to the Mara. At that moment one of Ben Harpers songs started playing on the iPod. The pass climbed steeper; I dropped a gear, opened up the window and let the wind blast in on my face as I overlooked the open valleys below.

Suddenly it all just fell into place.
The songs title was “Blessed to be a witness”.

Exposure information
Nikon D700 - 200-400mm lens
Exposure – f 7.1 Shutter Speed: 1/320sec
Exp. Comp. 0 EV
ISO - 400
Flash - none
Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Beanbag support in vehicle

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

National Geographic/Getaway Digital Photography Workshop

2009-10-02T10:11:00.005+02:00

Shem Compion will take you through taking images with digital cameras, showing you the advantages of this medium in today's world. It will also discuss how to manage and organise your digital files so that you can find them when they need to be published. Lastly Shem will discuss how to get your images 'out there' for the world to see. Expect innovation, creativity and stimulating ideas about your images, web marketing and publishing.

Themes

* Digital cameras and how they changed the camera world
* Why you should be a better photographer with digital
* 5 stars for image management- workflow and editing
* Searching for gold- finding order amongst 50 000
* creating- showing the world your images
* Guerrilla marketing

When: 21 November 2009
Where: Muldersdrift, Johannesburg
Cost: R700 per person
Bookings: Tracy-Lee Behr
021 530 3379
tracy-lee@ramsaymedia.co.za

Saving your soul, Earth Lodge, Sabi Sabi.

2009-09-01T12:46:00.003+01:00

This essay has come about via a recent shoot I did for a client. No it wasn’t a glamorous wildlife shoot in a remote location. It was an interior shoot- and I thoroughly enjoyed it… if you think I’m mad, read on.

When deciding to become a professional wildlife photographer, many thoughts go through your head. It’s a life call: the romantic notion of shooting award winning wildlife images with National Geographic printing each and every of your stories quickly subsides into the reality that you are a small fish in a very large, shark infested pond. Its about that exact moment when it also dawns on you that things like admin, accounting, marketing, websites, bills, overheads, equipment and offices need to be maintained and paid. Precisely then you either you go back to your current day job, or you somehow (for some goodness knows what reason) neglect those challenges and head on blindly into the world…

A few months later you realise wildlife photography is not all about National Geographic with endless days of exotic wildlife; it’s like any day job- you have to pay the bills.
Its not embarrassing, Frans Lanting did it, Chase Jarvis did it, almost every photographer at some stage in their career has waited tables, photographed birthday parties, weddings, shoes (yes that was me…) or some other aspect of your career you just do not like to do. You do it cause it pays the bills.

Being in the bush a lot, I managed to get involved in photographing lodges. From a financial point of view, it was a good sideline in lean times; but more and more I realised that I actually enjoyed the work. So when I was approached by Sabi Sabi to photograph their Earth Lodge, (voted the 3rd best hotel in the world), I was somewhat interested, intrigued, and challenged.

It’s at times like these that questions arise in the depths of your soul about doing what you love and “selling out” to commercial photography. I studied my approach and realised that yes, I can label my self as a wildlife photographer, but in truth, I am a creative photographer. It took some time to realise, but give me a photographic challenge, and I will be there trying to solve it with some creative angles, light and sheer tenacity, regardless of the subject matter. And that is exactly what I did.

Guess what? I enjoyed it. I approached it like any wildlife subject I photograph. I researched my subject; I studied other works on the lodge and challenged myself to produce something new. It was a good shoot with hopefully excellent results. However, the crux of it all was that I had fun. I was creatively stimulated and I was creating images of worth. As a wildlife photographer I’m not sure I want a “name” as an interior photographer, but if I can shoot at locations that challenge me as this one did, then yes, I will be there, working the angles and playing with light until I get my shots. If any one ever said this was “selling your soul”, then I must have the worst job in the world…

The day it hurts me to work in these environments Ill be the first to say no more (I only photographed shoes once, before saying no more!). But until then, if it can supplement wildlife work and keep me out in the bush, then yep, I’ll be there.
Creating.

National Geographic/Getaway Wildlife Photo Workshop

2009-08-03T13:55:00.007+01:00

Join Shem Compion on this unique one day photo workshop where he will take you through the most important aspects of wildlife photography and digital workflow. Not only will he cover the usual techniques but he will also be highlighting how you can use digital workflow to easily get your work out there for all to see. Shem will also be talking about marketing your images and getting them to the right people. It promises to be popular talk, so get in touch with Tracy-Lee for booking information.

When: 4 October 2009
Where: Kloofzight Lodge, Muldersdrift
Cost: R700
Bookings: Tracy-Lee Behr
021 530 3379
tracy-lee@ramsaymedia.co.za

Click the image for larger version.

Dusting Desert Elephant

2009-08-03T10:05:00.004+01:00

It had been a long drive. Sesfontein, the town where we were based is far from anywhere. The last 100km of ‘main road’ took 2 hours- that after 2 days of hard driving on gravel toads to get here. We were all knackered, travel sore and far from any conveniences of soft lodges. As far as I’m concerned, Damaraland is frontier country- a place with long roads that lead to petrol refuel pumps and nothing more. It’s a place of endless plains and mountains and wind and dust. And it’s beautiful; stunningly so.

The following morning was another full day- Driving up the Hoanib Riverbed in search of the elusive desert elephant. It takes about an hour and a half to get into the actual riverbed, but once in, and surrounded by the huge cliffs and arid mountain scapes you just stare in awe at the wonder of the place you are in. Water, still from the good rains in March, was seeping down the riverbed, creating a splash of blue and green amongst the harsh, browns and dustiness of the mountains. It was simply spectacular.

The real beauty of this area is that the animals here are all free roaming. No fences, no reserves- just wilderness. We saw huge lion tracks, giraffe, gemsbuck, baboons, springbuck and some very interesting wading birds due to the water in the riverbed. But by11h00 we had not yet seen an elephant- and it was hot. Of course we continued and by midday we reached a water hole, where we found a bull elephant drinking. Not being a reserve, these elephant are a little bit belligerent, so we kept our distance. As he finished his drink, he walked closer, to a dusting spot. With the backdrop of the rugged damaraland mountains, it was a perfect scene. The elephant started dusting enthusiastically right in front of us. I’m not sure how much of it was bravado, or how much was true dusting. Either way, it was really impressive!

I started out shooting wide, showing the elephant in its environment, and then worked closer until this frame came into the viewfinder. On seeing it, I knew it was destined for black and white, as I wanted to emphasise raw, rugged, dry, and dust in this series of images. This image shows exactly that.

We arrived back at Sesfontein after dark around 18h30. It had been a 12-hour long game drive in the dust and heat. However, the joy of finding these elephants far outweighed any long day. The hard work had been put in, and the rewards had been quite sweet.

What defines a desert elephant?
The main adaptation is that they can go without water for much longer than normal elephants, which need to drink at least once a day. Desert elephants also travel much further distances and will walk 40-50km, (with 80km being recorded) per day to get to water. These two are their most characteristic features. These elephant are not a different species to the normal African elephant; their name should really be “desert adapted elephants”, but are generally termed as “desert elephants”. Perhaps in a few million years they will be another species…

Exposure information
Nikon D300 - 200-400mm lens
Exposure – f 6,3 Shutter Speed: 1/1000sec
Exp. Comp. 0. EV
ISO - 250
Flash - none
Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 260mm
Beanbag support in vehicle

Shem Compion

This essay first appeared on shemimages.com

Elephant crossing, (and camera crushing) at Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana.

2009-07-01T10:52:00.007+01:00

One of my favourite sayings harps back to the days of the A-team, when Hannibal, the leader of the motley bunch would say, with thick cigar in his mouth: “I love it when a plan comes together”.

This was how I anticipated my weeks of anticipation for my 8 days to be spent here at Mashatu where for the first 4 nights I was hosting a photo workshop with my company, C4 Images and Safaris where you can see what we saw and photographed here. Trust me, it was another cracker, not to be forgotten in a while, and that’s what I said after the May workshop… Nevertheless, the reason I was so excited was after the workshop, I stayed on to do some marketing work for Mashatu.

My excitement stemmed to the planning of a specific shot I wanted since my last visit 6 weeks ago. Mashatu’s elephant population is extremely relaxed. So much so, in that I was willing to put a wide angle lens low on the ground right next to their daily routes on the ‘elephant highway’ to get a scenic and wide image of these large animals.

Studying the elephant movements of Mashatu on my many visits here, I knew a scene exactly where in it would take place. Each time I had been here, I had seen herds of elephant crossing. Of course, as soon as I came prepared, nature and Murphy being as they are, all the elephants had changed tack, with their daily routes coming from a completely different angle. Oh the joy of working with wild subjects!

For 4 days I studied the movements of the elephant with the rangers. We concluded that there was no real exact daily movement like in the summer months. The elephants were moving widely into and out of the mopane veld- making predictions very difficult. In the end we decided to stick with any relaxed herd we could find and anticipate their movement to place the camera down. His worked very well, and I managed to get some great shots with different scenes. However, the image of a herd crossing the river still eluded me. Added to that the fact that the elephants weren’t staying long at the water sites, we were having a rough old time of things.

Day 8 arrived and still that one shot eluded me. Leaving camp we found a herd in mopane. This would be our last attempt at the desired image and so we stayed with the herd until they headed directly to the Mojale River. We drove ahead and anticipated where they would exit out the far side. A nervous and wet minute in water followed, as I set up the camera in a dead bush right on the side of the waters edge. Then the wait began. Where did the elephants come out? 100m upstream of the camera... With Bashi, my (elephant whispering) ranger enticing them closer with some soft words, the herd slowly moved down towards the camera. It was an agonisingly long 20 minutes as the herd moved right past the camera, totally ignoring the clicking. After a week of looking for good scenes and crossing points, I was getting my shots.
All I could think was “I love it when a plan comes together”!

Exactly then, a bull elephant walked out of the bush into the river and started smelling some of the female’s. He was sexually active and clearly had one thing on his mind- meaning his mood would not be very friendly. He walked past my camera and immediately heard the shutter. His trunk snaked forward into the bush and sniffed at the camera. By now I had turned from celebratory, to a nervous wreck. The elephant grabbed my camera, throwing it into the wet mud. It was like watching a man throwing a sweet into the ground.

It stopped clicking, obviously. And the elephant left it alone. We quickly drove closer and got the camera out of the mud. It had been buried half into some sandy mud- hard enough to hold my weight… Intense stuff! After a quick inspection, all worked, good work Nikon.

I did end up with my shots, but a lesson was learnt: Don’t start your celebrations before the last elephant has come along.
I guess that is why the A team had BA Baracus!

Exposure information:
Nikon D300 - 10.5mm fish eye lens
Exposure – f 8 Shutter Speed: 1/160sec
Exp. Comp. 0. EV
ISO - 400
Flash - none
Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 10.5mm
Gorilla pod
Remote release.

Shem Compion

This essay first appeared on shemimages.com

Improve Your Photography - Part 12, Creative Techniques

2009-06-17T09:36:00.007+01:00

Once we know the technicals of photography, we can now venture out with creativity and
capture scenes. However, there are still a few techniques that can be used to increase the
quality of your images. What is important is that when you see a scene, and you want to
photograph it, you must have the ability to know what technique works for that scene.
Basically it is applying the correct technique to the correct scene to get the best result.

Flash
Probably the most misunderstood of features on a camera, the flash is there to light up a
scene when the camera deems a situation too dark for it to take a decent picture.

There are a few types of flash: Normal, Fill in Flash, Red eye reduction and Rear curtain sync
flash.

Normal flash
This is the everyday flash that occurs when you pop you flash up. It is designed to illuminate
the entire scene that it sees. This means that anything that is in front of the scene will be over
exposed, as it will receive too much light. This is often the case with portraits of people as
they are too close to the camera and in front of everything else. The way to prevent this is to
have the flash dialled down a bit so that the flash is only powerful for short range. This will
give a better overall effect. It also helps the recycling time of the flash, as it does not use as
much power as normal flash- so it allows you take images faster and it saves your batteries.

Red eye reduction
The closer the flash is to the lens of the camera, the more chance of Red eye being prevalent.
Red eye is caused by the reflection of the flash into the lens.
How to reduce red eye:

• Have a hot shoe flash and bounce flash off ceiling or hold flash away from the camera
and direct it onto subject. Of course this is not always possible.
• Red eye reduction mode on camera. Camera pre fires flash so that subject’s pupils
dilate and then the camera takes an image with flash.
• Subject looks into bright light before taking picture- effect is same as red eye
reduction.
• Post processing- this is done on the computer.

Fill Flash
Fill flash is a small amount of flash that the camera emits to help the image. It is one of the
most useful ways to improve your daytime images. It is best used in shadows, under trees and
in harsh day lighting. What is important is to realise that fill flash is there to fill in shadows
only. This means that it is a subtle effect and if a viewer cant see that flash was used, then the
effect is successful. I am a firm believer in Fill flash. It turns horrid daytime photos into
acceptable images that you can use for family albums. Must also remember that many
weddings are taken in full daylight, so this is where fill flash saves the day for those
photographers. Probably its most creative benefit is that of when used when shooting against
the sun. The fill flash fills in the detail of what would normally be a silhouette. This gives an
image a lot more substance and evens out the contrast in an image.
Rear curtain sync
This is the most creative flash effect and it produces ethereal and mystical effects. What
happens is the shutter opens for the exposure and the Flash only fires at the end of the
exposure. If used with a slow shutter speed, can create beautiful effects and blur is created by
the slow SS, but the flash freezes the subject when it fires.
Best results are had when used with a support- being a tripod, beanbag or by resting against a
pole or wall.

Filters
Filters are pieces of glass that fit onto the front of a lens, either by screwing on or via a drop
in system. There are many types of filters and they provide many types of effects, many of
them not natural in look. I will concentrate on two types of filters that re very useful and help
in producing better and more balanced images.

Polarising filter

This is a circular filter that screws onto your lens. The front section of the polariser turns,
increasing and decreasing in strength of polarisation as it turns. It gives the best results are
when used at 90 Deg to the sun. The polarizer is best used in mid day light conditions, forests
and over water.

What it does:
Daylight: Adds contrast and saturates colours
Forests: It reduces the leaf shine (glare) on wet leaves- makes for a much better
resultant image
Water: Reduces glare over water- excellent for “seeing” into the water.
The graduated Neutral density filter

Used mainly traditionally for landscapes, but it use is not confined to scenery. I find this one
of my best travel lenses. The filter is one half clear glass and the other half a dull grey colour.
What it does is balance the exposure of the sky with that of the land. This balances the
exposure so that the entire scene is made equal and you dint get an image of a dark
foreground and a bright sky.
Panning
This technique is used for capturing various forms of motion. It means that you follow your
subject, as it is moving. It is important to try and keep your movement as smooth as possible
with the moving subject. There are various ways types of effect that you can get from
panning, depending o your shutter speed.
Most common:
Pan with subject to get your subject sharp and background a nice blur. This type of shot is
good to start around 1/250 sec.
It is sometimes nice to make your subject a blur. This equates into a very abstract effect and
uses a much lower shutter speed. Anything from 1/10 sec will give you a blur of movement.
It must be remembered that this is a difficult technique and the success rate can be quite low.
Luckily you have a digital camera and you can practice and adjust our settings to get the
desired result.

Improve Your Photography - Part 11, Patterns and Creativity

2009-06-08T10:52:00.008+01:00

Creativity is considered as being divergent thought to create a solution. Thus it means
‘breaking ‘ the rules, but still being aware of those rules, especially when it comes to
photography.
The word pattern is a very diverse one. In photographic terms, it could be described as
something worthy of repetition, an artistic or creative design or a composite of traits.
It is clear that these two combine together in the creative realm of photography. The outdoors
are full natural patterns that we just need to open our eyes to and photograph. This is where
your knowledge of the camera comes in. if you can see a pattern, you can make it more
evident through the camera and the control you have over the camera, especially aperture.

How aperture affects the way you see patterns

Aperture determines your DOF.
By selecting your DOF, you can create even more impact in an image. It can add great DOP
throughout an image and show a pattern in its entirety, or it can select one part of a pattern
and leave the others a soft out of focus blur. These selections may seem simple, but they are
extremely effective in creating a stronger impact in your image.
Using aperture you can also select certain subjects and isolate them from a scene. This is
probably the most powerful manner that a selective aperture can influence an image and is
extremely effective in isolating subjects from the image or the background.

Creativity with Shutter speed

Shutter speed determines if you freeze or blur your photograph. This obviously lends itself to
more creative applications. A fast shutter speed freezes motion and is thus good for action
A slow shutter speed causes blur: so when used on a tripod, it can be used for some really
creative effects.

Shutter speed selection

Still Portrait - 1/60 sec
moving portrait - 1/125 sec

Action
Walk- jog- 1/250 - 1/500 sec
Sport and fast action - 1/750 - 1/1250
extreme action- birds in flight, snowboarding etc 1/1250 - 1/2000

Blur - (Tripod required)
Slight water blur - 1/30 sec
complete blur - 2 sec and more

Night Photography

This is a great way of experimenting with your photography, as the results are fascinating. A
tripod is essential here as well as a cable release, but a self-timer on the camera will also
suffice. Night colours are very warm and saturated, making for strong images, especially if
there are moving lights in the picture.
A few tips:
• Shutter speed can be from a few seconds- through to a few hours
• If you are taking a photograph of a city scene- results are much better after recent
rain, as the streets will reflect the lights nicely in the image.
• Use a low iso (200). You want the best image quality and your camera is on a tripod.
• In the evening and especially so in winter, there is a ‘blue hour’ about an hour after
sunset. This is when the sky is still slightly blue, but not yet completely dark. It is the
best time to take night images, as it adds ambiance to the image.
• Dusk and dawn, are excellent times to do night photography. This is because the light
colours are extremely beautiful and subtle. Our eyes don’t actually realise these
colours and cameras render them a beautiful colour.
• When shooting stars: for a circular trail of stars, aim your camera to the south
(southern cross) and the whole sky will whirl across your frame.

For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

Leopard Portrait, Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana

2009-06-05T11:34:00.003+01:00

Its funny how things work out. I’ve always ascertained that the large cats are over photographed. In that vein, for my personal work, I try to keep away from them and focus on the smaller things.
Fortunately though, I do come across the big cats relatively often and have had the pleasure to witness and photograph some spectacular interactions. These are wonderful to photograph and see, but it is one part of the wildlife world where I know “everything has been covered”.

There is no denying that these large cats, and the leopard in particular, are very special creatures, and have a special charisma about them. It is also no wonder that they have dedicated followers, with safari goers and photographers alike stalking them out from behind every bush. Indeed, if a reserve or lodge has good, relaxed leopard or lion sightings, the “value” of the lodge increases greatly! The demand to see these cats reaches such a fever pitch that there is a term coined when people get leopards into their heads. Its called “spotted cat fever”, and I have a seen a few instances where people actually start hyperventilating whilst stalking a leopard in thick bush. I’ve also seen photographers trying to put their flash on backwards, so much was their excitement that they could not even perform a simple function in the anticipation of this spotted denizen of the forest!

Due to the fact that there are so many people out photographing these big cats, I do tend to give them the slip. That is unless they are actually doing something and are photographable… if not, I would rather be photographing insects backlit. Far more challenging and rewarding!

There are however the exceptions. I was privileged enough to be at one of the best leopard setups and sightings recently. I was leading a photo workshop up at Mashatu, in Botswana with C4 Images and Safaris. We had come across this young male leopard on the first night and knew he was very relaxed around vehicles. On the second evening, we heard that this same leopard had been discovered by the other photography vehicle, led by Isak Pretorius (our other photo guide). Luckily we were only a couple of minutes away and as we headed around a corner of the dry river bed, the scene opened up in front of us, just as it has before in all my dreams of the perfect set up.
The river ran east-west. The leopard was sleeping on top of a dead log, washed down by the recent floods, in the middle of the river. It was facing west, into the setting sun, the bank behind it was already in shadow, making it stand out and glow in the evening sunlight. There were no branches or other distractions to the scene. It was simple, clean, and by golly, damn beautiful. It is at these times that you take a breath, take a step back and just enjoy the pure beauty of such a scene. All the ideals of not taking pictures of large cats go out the window and the camera started working. This is a studio set up in the bush. Things could not get more beautiful or better set up! We all had spotted cat fever trying to get the best images. I actually realised how hard it was to do the scene justice, as it was so well set up.

It was then that the real action started. A porcupine walked into the scene… (I wont deal with that here- you can read more about on my blog.) But we had just witnessed such a stunning set up and it’s in times like these that you realise why there is never the “perfect shot” of any species of animal.
A leopard sighting like that one was a very refreshing slap in the face. Im all for the different animals and shots, but when a scene comes along like that, it makes you feel like a beginner again, shaky, excited and damn happy to be a part of such beauty!

Exposure information
Nikon D3 - 200-400mm lens
Exposure – f 4 Shutter Speed: 1/20sec
Exp. Comp. -0.3. EV
ISO - 1000
Flash - none
Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 400mm
Beanbag support

Shem Compion

This essay first appeared on shemimges.com

Wild Dog Ghost -Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana

2009-05-05T11:27:00.001+01:00

This may be the shortest essay yet, as this months image is one that “just occurred” through a bit of playful experimentation- even if the sighting was pure bliss.

I was hosting a photo workshop at Mashatu through my company C4 Images and Safaris and we had just spent the last hours of the day photographing a pack of African wild dogs in glorious sunlight. The scene was perfect, with the dogs awake, alert and at times very curious, walking to within a few feet of our vehicle- perhaps attracted to the sound of the clicking shutters, as all of us composed and photographed away.

After the sun had set, we watched the dog’s disappear into the mopane bush setting off on a fast trot. We drove off, content and happy and ready for a sundowner. It was here where we were chatting excitedly away about how stunning these dogs were to photograph when we noticed behind us, in an open plain some movement.

It was about 30 minutes after sun set, so the dusk was quite full, yet through it we saw 16 wild dogs trotting silently not 10 meters from us. They totally ignored us and trotted alertly past as we stood, stunned by the silence and the proximity of these charismatic creatures. I picked up my camera, aimed the lens and fired one frame. Being so dark, I knew the exposure would be long, so I just panned with the movement of the dog as it ran along.

This is the result. Probably not to everyone’s taste, but it brought back to me the same feeling as when I was there and the feeling of elation in seeing them so close and on foot. These ghosts of the dusk hour, shadowing through the bush portray to me a beautiful sense of movement and also reflect their conservation status, as they are critically endangered. To me it seemed a fitting metaphor.

It goes to show what playing around with a camera can produce- never a dull moment when you are prepared to push the boundaries and add another element to a scene.

Exposure information
Nikon D300 - 200-400mm
Exposure – f 4 Shutter Speed: 2 seconds
Exp. Comp. 0
ISO - 800
Flash - none
Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 400mm
Handheld

Improve Your Photography - Part 10, Aperture and Shutter Speed

2009-04-20T10:48:00.004+01:00

For any control over the camera, one has to know how aperture and shutter speed combine to
create an exposure.
An aperture is defined as: The device that controls the amount of light entering a camera.
It controls the amount of light entering the camera through a circular diaphragm designed
blade.
The aperture opens in a circular manner. The wider the aperture, the more light it allows
through. And vice versa for when it is closed down.

Shutter speed: A shutter blade that allows light to enter the camera for a determined time.

Exposure:
Exposure is the resultant image that a camera produces once the shutter release is pressed. It
is the resultant image that comes from a combination of the shutter speed of the shutter and
how much light the aperture let through the diaphragm.
Aperture and shutter speed are the two controls a camera uses to make an exposure on the
film when you "take a picture". Shutter speed is the speed with which the camera's shutter opens when the picture is taken. It is the "click" you here when you push the button.

You probably have seen a dark picture or light pictures; these are illustrations of incorrect
exposures. With Compact cameras, these properties are most of the time beyond your control,
as the camera is working in “auto” mode. The more control you have over an image, the less
incorrect exposures you will have. We are lucky that cameras produce good results 95% of
the time- allowing us to enjoy our photography without worrying too much.
However, creative control comes with you controlling the camera, so your camera will have
to move off the “auto mode” and start working in Aperture” and “Shutter” Priority modes on
your camera.
These modes give you control over what aperture to use and how you can control the
resultant image, allowing extensive creative control.

Added to this equation is Depth of Field (DOP).

Aperture also controls Depth of field. The smaller the hole in the diaphragm; the greater the
DOP. The larger the hole in the Diaphragm; the narrower the DOP. We will cover this later,
for now lets look at shutter speed.

Things to consider when choosing a shutter speed:
There are some basic rules that we need to know:

• Most individuals cannot hold a camera steady (without blur in the photo) for anything
slower than 1/60 of a second.
• Subjects need to be extremely still/steady in order to not show motion/blur in the
image less than 1/60 sec
• Fast moving subjects tend to need shutter speeds of 1/250 of a second or faster into
order to freeze motion or prevent blur.
• The faster the subject, the faster the shutter speed needed
• Low levels of light limit one to a slow shutter speed
• High levels of light may limit one to fast shutter speed
• Thus for low light- one needs support to get a steady shot (or flash)
• For High light levels, can hand hold and good for action shots
ISO
Iso is the digital cameras sensitivity to light. As with film, and asa, iso is determined by an
increase in numbers. As each number doubles, so does the sensitivity of the sensor.
Ie: iso goes up as 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 etc
With each increase, the sensitivity of the sensor increases.
If all other factors were to remain constant and iso had to increase, then the shutter speed
would have to also increase. For each increase in iso, the shutter speed would halve. This is
due to the sensor being twice as sensitive to light (it needs half the amount of light to make an
image) and thus the shutter speed halves.
One problem with iso is that as it increases, so does images quality decrease. Thus it is almost
not worth taking photographs at iso’s above 800, unless you are going for a specific effect.

Conclusion
Shutter speed, aperture and iso go hand in hand in determining how your creativity. You need
to know how they affect one another and how you can use them to your advantage.

For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

Improve Your Photography - Part 9, People

2009-04-14T10:44:00.002+01:00

2. People

People are probably the most photographed subjects around. Photos are always taken at
gatherings of friends and families. Thus it makes sense that you need to photograph it
properly.

A few ‘ rules’ when taking portraits of people:
1. Fill the frame
2. Make sure your subject’s eyes are open. A tip is to take two photos, the second
right after the first, so that you capture the open eyes, or else a more relaxed
expression.
3. Turn the shoulder towards the camera. Have you ever thought why models
always have their shoulders towards the camera? It’s because it creates a leading
line and opens up the image, instantly bringing in depth into the image. Ok you
don’t have to pout…
4. Raise the chin. This is not a given, but it also a trick from the modelling industry. A
raised, lifted, or chin pushed slightly forward make the person look a bit more alert and it makes them open their eyes more. It is important to not overdo this
technique, as a high raised chin does not look nice at all.
5. Choose your background. Portraits are the one time when you can choose your
setting, so make sure you have the best spot available. A dark background with even
colours is always a nice start. Look out for bright spots in the background that may
be a distraction in the picture.
6. Make your subject laugh or smile. Any relaxed person is going to be easier to
photograph. A few test shots with the camera will also help them relax whilst you
talk to them, show them a picture on the LCD and get ready for a better shot. One of
the most famous portraits of all time, of Sir Winston Churchill, was taken in a light
moment. The photographer, Karsh, stopped Mr Curchill and asked for a photograph,
Winston reluctantly obliged. Karsh set up the shot and then grabbed the cigar out of
Winston’s hand. As he did so, he took an image. As soon as Winston realised that it
was a joke, he broke out into a broad smile, and Karsh grabbed the next shot. Only
two images taken and both were to become legendary.
7. Get to the level of the subject. If you take a picture of a child from adult level, you
will get a picture of a child from adult level, and not a very flattering one. Get down
to the level of the subject and take the photo at their eye level. This increases the
intimacy of the image

Portraits in the environment

This is where you can use a wide angled lens to photograph people. Use the mantra, ‘get
close, go wide’. Meaning get close to your subject and use a wide angled lens. This technique
shows the environment where the along with the person. It can often show a picture of a
person in their work environment. Another benefit is that you can combine this technique
with other composition techniques to increase the overall impact of the image

Candid Photography
Similar to environmental photography, candid images are those that capture scenes or
happenings when people are unaware.
It is the type of people photography that focuses on spontaneity to make the image rather
than a proper set up of camera equipment. This is the typical “fly on the wall” type of
photography and is extremely enjoyable when nice images are captured. Children are easy
candids, as they often play in the own little worlds. They are good to practice on.
Its important to note that in many countries today it is illegal to photograph people who you
don’t know in public places. This law is in effect in many first world countries and relatively
strictly enforced.

Action and sport
Sport and action are always the most difficult photos to get. Use the sport mode in your
camera to make sure you get the fastest shutter speed. Also use the burst mode to get as
many frames per second to capture the action. A good technique to learn is to pan with your
subject, as it is moving. If the subject is running from left to right, then keep a steady pan in
the same direction. Even if someone is on a trampoline, pan up and down to catch freeze the
motion of the person jumping. When there is action, always remember to keep your eye on
the viewfinder so as to be ready for the shot you want.

For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

A Landscape of Insect - Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

2009-04-10T10:41:00.002+01:00

Two years ago, I met good friend Duncan MacFadyen for a birthday drink one Thursday evening. For a present, I gave him a fine art print of an image I had taken at Tswalu reserve, a stunning reserve in the Kalahari of which Duncan manages all the conservation research for. In the excitement of the moment, we decided there and then that we would work together to produce a book- him doing the text and I the photography. It was seemingly innocent talk, but waking up the following morning, we both had that nagging feeling that we had started something that would not go away. That evening was to be the spark for “A Landscape of Insects”.
Over the course of these last two years, Duncan and I have worked through numerous proposals; ideas and processes of how produce this mass of work. We are both new to this game and it all meant a lot of meetings and e-mails flying back and forth planning new ideas and solutions.

Both of us being “bush people”, the real part was when the fieldwork was to begin. To both of us, this meant the project had really begun and we were on our way to actually, physically producing something. During this process, we have been able to visit and work on some spectacular reserves across South Africa. These properties cover varying habitats, meaning we are seeing and photographing a great diversity of insect life. I was relatively new to the “insect world”, but with the help of Duncan and Ruth Müller from the Transvaal Museum, I have learnt to distinguish a Graphipterus from a Graphiurus and no longer squeal at handling a ground beetle! It’s been a great experience and one that has taught me a lot of the natural history of insects, as well as photographing them.

Photographically, it has been a great challenge for me. Macro work is traditionally a technical realm of photography. My aim though, was to make it an artistic realm- One that a reader could relate to and see the insect within its environment; not just on a black background. Zendré kept repeating to me: “Context, I want to see context.” Naturally, I listened…

So a few rules were established.
We would always photograph in natural light. No set up studios. (Except for some real close ups done with specialised equipment)
Insects were photographed in situ, in the outdoor environment, where they naturally occur and the insects would be doing something. We didn’t want any insect stuck onto a plant- all our insects were to be alive in their own environment.
This proved tougher than expected. One thing we learnt very quickly, is that insects fly- and fly very fast! Needless to say though, we persevered and have managed to get some excellent results- of which all will be in the book when it launches in December.

I was still adamant to break new boundaries though- test the limits of equipment and try new angles. I consulted with various photographers in the industry and decided to try a fish eye lens in the insect world. A fish eye lens is an extreme wide-angle lens that has an angle of view of 180°. It requires extreme care when working with it to not get ones own feet in the shot!

Our latest field trip was to Tswalu and the reserve was in full summer bloom. Every blade of grass was green, the devils thorn flowers were out in bloom and very importantly, insects were everywhere.

It took me a short while to locate this blister beetle feeding in a patch of tribulus flowers. Getting down low on my stomach and 5cm from the beetle, the fish eye lens opened up a new world to me. In the foreground was a beautiful flower, whilst it still captured one of the icons of he Kalahari: A camel thorn tree with a sociable weavers nest. The image came together instantly and I got up covered in thorns and red Kalahari dust.

As I down loaded, I immediately knew the new lens had done what I wanted. This image, to me, captures the essence of what we are trying to achieve with our book. It shows an insect going about its daily business in a landscape that we all know, and many of us love to visit. But the beauty extends beyond the tree and the nest (and the lions), it too extends to the beautiful spotted blister beetle feeding happily away amongst some yellow flowers. That is exactly what we will be showcasing in our book.

Exposure information
Nikon D300 - 10.5mm fish eye lens
Exposure – f 18 Shutter Speed: 1/250sec
Exp. Comp. -0.3. EV
ISO - 200
Flash - SB900 -0.7 TTL BL FP
Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 10.5mm

This article first appeared on Shemimages.com

Improve Your Photography - Part 8, Colours, Shapes and Patterns

2009-04-09T10:36:00.005+01:00

Introduction

With the knowledge gained from recognising the different types of light and the basics of
composition, the next level is to start applying these skills in the great outdoors. We are
blessed with a climate that begs to be photographed and I always believe it a sin not to take
advantage of the great weather that we have. This section is dedicated to showing you how to
take better images of everyday scenes. Pictures that we like to take while on holiday, portraits
of your children, and other examples are covered to help you enjoy your photography more.

The section is broken up into three headings:

1. Colour, shapes and patterns
2. People, portraits, candids and action
3. Travel, holiday and landscapes

1. Colour, shapes and patterns

Our eyes see a multitude of colours and shapes every day. The secret is to be able to
recognize the ones that compliment each other and then frame them in an image. Below are a
few types of ways to create balance in an image. The more you recognize such shapes
patterns and colours, the more your mind will be stimulated; It’s an ongoing learning process.
To be able to train your eye is an essential part of improving your eye for colour, shape and
patterns.

Balance by colour- Eyes are attracted to colour. A small area of bright colour can balance a
much larger area of duller colour. Typically, your three primary colours of red, green and
blue compliment each other and one another.

Balance by value – the contrast between light and dark often makes for a nice balance

Balance by shape – complicated shapes are much more interesting to the eye and it lingers
on it compared to simple shapes.

Balance by texture – a variegated dark and light pattern is much more interesting than a
smooth pattern

Balance by position – a large item closer to the center of an image can be balanced by a
smaller item closer to the edge. In western art a heavier subject is placed on the left and
balanced by a smaller item on the right due to the fact that we read from left to right.

Balance by eye direction – heavier elements can direct your eye towards a smaller item

Patterns

Patterns occur naturally, we just need to look to find them. Again it is a matter of training
your eye. Flowers on a bush can make for very simple patters in a natural setting, whilst
people can be placed behind one another to make a pattern for an image.

Patterns are typically seen as:
• Repeat of the same form or shape. Triangles and circles are often repeated in nature
• The repetition of lines
• Repetition of a structure
• People behind one another
• Stacks of objects piled up together
• A row of buildings
• A stand of trees

Patterns can also be isolated and reflected as an abstract. Most abstracts are derived from
close ups of repetitive forms.
For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

Improve Your Photography - Part 7, Composition

2009-03-31T10:34:00.004+02:00

Composition basics

Now that you know how light works, now you can apply basic compositional techniques to
work with light. We are adding more elements to photography to give it more structure and
also give it more impact. It is important to note that you can add certain compositional basics
to together in an image to give it more impact.

Rule of thirds

Used by Artists for hundreds of years, the ‘Rule of Thirds’ rule are imaginary lines drawn
dividing the image into thirds both horizontally and vertically. You place important elements
of your composition where these lines intersect. As well as using the intersections you can
arrange areas into bands occupying a third, or place things along the imaginary lines. Good
places to put points of interest are; third of the way up, third of the way in from the left etc.
You will note that if you divide an image into three, the ratio will be 0.33 this is one of the
Fibonacci numbers as well as the fact that the second third, 0.66 is also very close to the
golden number. So the rule of third is also linked to the divine numbers.
Using the Rule of Thirds helps produce nicely balanced, easy on the eye pictures. Also, as you have
to position things relative to the edges of the frame it helps get rid of ' tiny subject surrounded by
vast empty space' syndrome.
One last thing about the Rule of Thirds- Once you have got the hang of the Rule of Thirds you
will very quickly want to break it! This is fine. These 'rules' are best used as guidelines and if you
can create a better image by bending or ignoring rules then shoot away.

Drop the “Cross hairs” Syndrome

Many new photographers use what I call the “Cross hairs” syndrome when photographing.
They think they are looking at their subject through the sight of a rifle and try their best to bisect
the subject right through the middle of the frame! This is one sure way to ruin an image. Place your
subject to the left, right, top or bottom, to get a better feel to your composition. (Portraits may be an
exception and are discussed further along)

Leading lines

An image can be a nice looking picture, but without using an object in the foreground to give
depth, it will remain just that; a nice image. Great images tell stories and a leading line is a way to
tell a story with a photo. Diagonal lines leading towards your subject (especially if it is small) are
an excellent way to draw a viewer into the image. (The rule of thirds comes into effect here as
well!)

Even horizons

The heading says it all. A good image has even horizons. Skew horizons can make what may have
been a great image look decidedly ordinary.

Subject placement (Subject looking out of frame etc)

If taking portraits or head and shoulder photos of animals, it is a good idea to frame the
subject to the one side of the frame with them looking out of the image into the empty space.
Another example is for a driving motorcar. Place the car in the frame so that the car is driving into
open space. This gives the image balance.

Balancing foreground and background

As with leading lines, foreground interest is very important to balance out an image. By
placing a subject in the foreground of a landscape image, you help draw the viewer into the image
and give it depth.

Landscape and portrait mode

Photographers often forget that you can turn the camera sideways and photograph in another
format. The horizontal format is called landscape and the vertical format is called Portrait mode. As
the names indicate, Portrait mode is best used for portraits. I find this mode great to emphasize
scale and leading lines into pictures.

Changing angle

By changing your angle at which you look at a subject, you can create a completely different
point of view. This is a powerful way of altering your composition and can affect the image
greatly. By simply walking closer, kneeling down or moving side wards you can alter the
background, the angle and shape you view your subject. I use this compositional tool greatly when
approaching a new subject.

Frame filling/Impact

You have heard it before and you will hear it again- Fill the frame. This gives the image
impact and keeps the viewers attention. Other compositional basics also pertain to this section, i.e.
leading lines and foreground interest. A picture may have a small subject, but by using foreground
interest, you are using the whole frame and thereby filling it. For action, sport and portraits, a
subject that fills the frame makes a very high impact image.

For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

Improve Your Photography - Part 6, Composition

2009-03-24T10:31:00.003+02:00

Definition- The combining of distinct part or elements to form a whole; the manner
in which such parts are combined or related.

Composition is a very individual choice and has been the subject of debate for many
hundreds of years. When photography was first as in its infancy, it looked to the history of
the arts for inspiration in composition. There they found the rules that had been used for
many years before photography. Using these classic rules, photography developed its own
style and technique, but the basis rules of composition remain and are still widely used today

With regards composition, one of the great street photographers, Henri Cartier-Bresson,
wrote in his book:

“A photographer can bring coincidence of line simply by moving his head a fraction of a
millimeter. He can modify perspectives by a slight bending of the knees. By placing the
camera closer to or farther from the subject, he draws a detail…
and you’ll observe that, if the shutter was released at the decisive moment you have
instinctively fixed a geometric pattern without which the photograph would have been both
formless and lifeless.”
Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1908-2004. The Decisive Moment- 1952

The Fibonacci sequence and the Golden numbers
Leonardo of Pisa (Fibonacci) is considered the “greatest European mathematician of the
middle ages. He was responsible for many mathematical contributions. However, his greatest
contribution came from working out a puzzle about rabbits.
It was:
How Many Pairs of Rabbits Are Created by One Pair in One Year
A certain man had one pair of rabbits together in a certain enclosed place, and one wishes to know
how many are created from the pair in one year when it is the nature of them in a single month to
bear another pair, and in the second month those born to bear also.

He then went on to solve and explained the solution:

Because the above written pair in the first month bore, you will double it; there will be two pairs in one month.
One of these, namely the first, bears in the second month, and thus there are in the second month 3 pairs;
of these in one month two are pregnant and in the third month 2 pairs of rabbits are born, and thus there
are 5 pairs in the month; ...there will be 144 pairs in this [the tenth] month; to these are added again the 89 pairs
that are born in the eleventh month; there will be 233 pairs in this month. To these are still added the 144 pairs
that are born in the last month; there will be 377 pairs, and this many pairs are produced from the abovewritten
pair in the mentioned place at the end of the one year. You can indeed see in the margin how we operated, namely
that we added the first number to the second, namely the 1 to the 2, and the second to the third, and the third to the
fourth and the fourth to the fifth, and thus one after another until we added the tenth to the eleventh, namely
the 144 to the 233, and we had the above written sum of rabbits, namely 377, and thus you can in order find it
for an unending number of months.

From this we get the number sequence of:

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987…

Basics of Fibonacci sequence: Add the last two numbers to get the next.

The Golden Number
There is a ratio in nature that repeats itself. This number is referred to as the golden number,
golden mean or divine number.
It is a number runs to infinity and is called PHI- 1.618…
The inverse number is phi - 0.618…
At least since the Renaissance, many artists and architects have proportioned their works to
approximate the golden ratio; especially in the form of the golden rectangle, in which the ratio
of the longer side to the shorter is the golden ratio, believing this proportion to be aesthetically
pleasing. Mathematicians have studied the golden ratio because of its unique and interesting
properties.

The golden number repeats itself in nature over and over again. IN the curl of a sheep’s horns, the
human body, flowers, petals, trees, almost all nature has the proportions of the golden mean in their
make up.
The relationship between the golden number and the Fibonacci sequence is that if you divide the
each number by its neighbour, you get to the result of PHI, or the golden number:
Fibonacci sequence: …13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377…
144 / 89 = 1.6179775…
89 / 144 = 0.6180556…
So it is seen that the Fibonacci sequence has a strong link to the golden mean. Along with the
golden number, we also see the Fibonacci numbers repeated in nature very often. These are not an
absolute, but the numbers are often repeated on flower petals, antlers on deer, leaves from a whorl
etc
Our eyes, from the day we are born, see the Fibonacci sequence and the golden mean in every day
subjects. These compositions are ingrained in our minds and we thus accept them as pleasing to the
eye. They form natural compositions and are our ingrained reference when we look at a picture,
look at art or take a picture.
"There is a close association in mathematics between beauty and truth"

For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

Improve Your Photography - Part 5, Light

2009-03-18T10:27:00.004+02:00

Introduction
We live in a diverse and continually changing environment. By using photography, we are able to capture these changing moments in time and record them as images. However, it is the manner in which we capture the images that determines the reaction to the final image.
We can define photography as “painting with light”. I prefer a different expression, “capturing
light”. Photography is a mixture of science and art. We use our minds to frame a picture, and that is the art part of photography; capturing the image on film/digital sensor, is the science part. By being able to see light, we are able to concentrate on composition, and once we master
composition, we head into more creative realms. It is these principles that I want to teach in these notes: To view and capture a scene; with emphasis on light, angles and composition.

Original definition: The method of recording the image of an object through the action of light,
on light sensitive material

The actual phonetics are derived from Greek words:
photos = Light
grahphein = to draw

This term was first used in the 1830’s when the first photographs were produced. Today, due to the different types photography that has evolved, the definition has evolved into many different forms.

Light in photography- colour and quality of light

On earth there is one major source of light, the Sun. As the sun rises each day, it moves from being on the horizon, to right above us and then down onto the horizon again. This rising and setting affects the quality and colour of the light that reaches us. At dawn and dusk the oblique angle of light produces very warm colours of red and gold. This is due to the blue and green colours of sunlight being filtered out by the band of atmospheric dust that lies just above the Earths surface. (You could say that pollution has helped create warmer colours for photographers in the cities) Red and yellow rays are thus predominant during early mornings and late afternoons.
During midday hours, the sun shines directly down onto the Earths surface. There is little
atmospheric dust to filter out the suns rays and hence the colour of the light is more normal. Of
course, there are exceptions to the rule. Overcast days produce good, soft light in the middle of the day allowing for good photography throughout the day!

Of more importance though, is that it will show you how everyday subjects can change in their
appearance due to one factor- Light.

Due to the Earths movement around the sun, we experience seasons. During summer months, the sun rises and sets at a very perpendicular angle. This causes the light to be of good quality, but becomes very strong and harsh early on in the day. During the winter months, the sun rises at a more oblique angle to the earth and shines light at a low angle for longer periods. The quality of the light lasts longer in winter as it does in summer. The quality and colour of light are the foremost indicators of how you are going to go about your photography. They set the stage for you, your camera and the images that you create. Of high importance, is that by looking at Light, It will show you how everyday subjects can change in their appearance due to that one factor.

Types of light- Front lighting, Side lighting, Back-lighting

The angle at which light strikes a subject can have a dramatic effect on what we see. Front lighting is described when you see a subject with the light shining from the front. (You are
between the sun and the subject) Front lighting shows very little shadow and thus very little
depth; images are very representative and two-dimensional. This is the way we were all
taught to take a picture. “Look into the sun when you are having your picture taken” was the
cry I always used to hear from my mom!

Side lighting is when the sun is shining at right angles to the subject. It shows great detail and
texture in the subject as well as bringing out a third dimension in the image.

Back lighting is when the light is shining from behind the subject. (The subject is between you and the sun) Almost always a silhouette, backlighting is very effective for subjects with a
recognisable shape. Subjects with fur or hair often have a ring or halo of light around them,
creating stunning effects. This is probably the most difficult of the three lighting techniques
to master, but can be the most rewarding!

Mood and atmosphere

Other climatic factors can contribute to create mood and atmosphere. Cloudy, overcast skies
can create a feeling of doom. Likewise, dust in golden light can create a very peaceful and
ethereal scene. These elements can be very powerful in adding emotion, mood and
atmosphere into an image.

Diffused light

Cloudy skies are often a blessing in disguise for capturing images. You can photograph
during the midday hours, shadows are reduced and colour saturation is very nice. Clouds act
as a big filter and diffuse light so that it falls very evenly. This type of light is very good for
taking portrait shots of all sorts of creatures.
For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

Improve Your Photography - Part 4, Intro

2009-03-16T10:25:00.002+02:00

Pixels and how they see light

Definition- Pixel- A contraction of the term picture element, a pixel in a camera is a light
sensitive electrical unit that captures light as it falls on it. A pixel can only capture one colour of
light; hence, digital cameras have pixels that capture red, green and blue, surrounding each other.
This allows an image to be captured correctly. A pixel on a computer screen is not light
sensitive- it is a square of light that shines a single colour as part of a whole image. A megapixel
is Equal to one million Pixels

Image size- The image size that cameras advertise often run into the millions. I.e. A 6 million
megapixel camera. This is a huge number and is determined by a simple multiplication of sides
of the sensor.

By multiplying the two sides of the sensor, we get to the figure of 6, 049 080 pixels- or 6,05
million megaPixels.

Digital zoom vs. Optical zoom

Digital cameras often advertise a zoom on a camera as being 15, or even 20 times in length.
It is even advertised on digital video cameras as going up to over 100x zoom! This is very much a
marketing ploy on the optical Zoom.

Optical zoom is just what it says it is: the camera uses the optics of the zoom on the camera to
zoom into the image and compose the image. The sensor reads the light as it falls through the lens
and uses the lenses magnification powers’ to create its image. This means it is relying on the clarity
and quality of the lens to make its image.

Digital zoom uses the power of the sensor to create its image. Once the power of the lens has been
used up, i.e. it’s at full magnification; the camera then zooms in on the sensor to make the image
larger in the frame.
Much like cropping into an image on a computer screen, the camera is cropping into the sensor and
magnifying what is in the middle. This then produces your zoom effect. As you might have
noticed, there is one inherent flaw with this method- there is a proportionally greater loss in image
quality the more you use the digital zoom. This produces images that may not match other prints
where the digital zoom was not used.

Settings on a camera

• Auto mode is good for taking images in every day snappy mode.
• P mode is better as it gives you more control. You choose when the flash goes up, thus
allowing you more creative control
• A, S, M Modes are used for more control by the user. If you are comfortable using these
modes, then by all means use them.
• Exposure compensation (+/- button) is an easy way of altering your exposure.
o If an image looks too dark on the LCD, then dial in some add (+) exposure
o If an image is too light, then dial in some (-) into your exposure
• Focus mode. Make sure you know how to focus on a subject and then hold the focus while
you re-compose your image
• Burst mode- know where your burst mode is for action and sports
• Vari modes- these are in camera settings with the running man, mountain, flower etc. They
are an excellent way of allowing the camera to make the decisions for you regarding your
choice of photography.

For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

Improve Your Photography - Part 3, Intro

2009-03-09T10:21:00.004+02:00

Limitations of digital cameras

The limitations of a digital are the same as those of any camera. Of the electromagnetic spectrum, we as humans can only see a tiny portion. This is called the visible light spectrum. See below.

There is light on either side of the light spectrum; our eyes just cannot see it.
The difference in light intensity between dark black to brilliant white is 14 times intensity. Each of these intensities is called ‘stops’. Our eyes can easily absorb the difference of light between each of these 14 stops. Thus, on a sunny day, our eyes can see detail of a sunlit park as well as in the shadow under the tree.

A camera on the other hand, has serious limitations with regards to what it can record at any given time. See below.

A camera can at any one time only record:

Black and white film - 9 stops
Colour print film - 7 stops
Slide film - 5 stops
Digital - 5 stops

This shows obvious restrictions to cameras. High contrast scenes cannot be recorded properly and the camera will either give very white, blown out areas, or dark black areas in high contrast scenes. Sometimes this can be used to the advantage of the user and can help with their creative ability.

For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

Improve Your Photography - Part 2, Intro

2009-03-04T09:51:00.003+02:00

Introduction to Digital cameras
A short history on digital cameras

In the 1980’s, with video cameras becoming more and more popular with consumers around
the world, there were thoughts of attempting the same thing with still cameras. Only a few companies actively pursued these notions. Two of them were notably, Sony and Kodak.

Kodak had begun research into digital cameras from as early as 1975, when they produced the first digital camera in a laboratory. This camera, designed by Steve Sasson, was about the size of a large microwave.

Kodak dedicated their research towards still cameras and, coupled with a Nikon F3 camera, they produced the first digital camera with a 1.3 megapixel (mp) sensor. Once the world heard of this, there was a large scramble amongst companies to get their R+D divisions into looking into digital imaging. The race had begun, and it was an unusual camera maker that made the first commercial digital camera. The Apple computer company, in 1994, produced the first consumer digital camera. It looked somewhat like a pair of binoculars and took tiny images for computer screen use only. But it was the start and Kodak and Sony soon followed suit with their own cameras in the same year. After a few years of bad design and computing logistical nightmares, all major camera companies were actively involved in the digital imaging research.

I believe that Nikon made the first major breakthrough in pro digital imaging. In 1999, just in
time for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Nikon released the D1 camera. It was a Professionally built camera, with a 2.1mp sensor and a buffer that allowed it to take 4 frames a second for about 18 frames. A major advancement in showing the world that digital was ready for the fast moving sports and journalism world. The response was immediate: At the Olympics the following year, almost 80% of the cameras used by the Sports photographers, were Nikon D1’s. After this point, companies and public realised that digital cameras were here to stay and were a part of our lives.

In the film world, a specific camera was generally replaced every 7 years or so. In the digital arena, some camera makers were turning over new models of the same camera every 14 months! More recently, camera companies are touting ‘Intelligent pixels’. This is very true that all pixels are not the same and if a pixel in one camera can capture a ray of light better than another pixel, in another camera, you are going to get a better image. Hence, more marketing has now gone into this part of the market- where companies are selling image quality rather than quantity. It reflects the true nature of the market though, as people want good images, and not large files of bad quality.

The advantages of digital over film

There are many immediate advantages that digital has over film.
They are:
o A LCD screen to instantly review your images. For novices, this is great to check up
on composition, whilst for the enthusiast and professional, it is an excellent tool to
review exposure on.
o EXIF data on image. All the camera settings at the time of shooting the image are
automatically tagged onto your image. This allows you to see what date, time and
exposures you shot your image at.
o Print only the prints you want. This is a cost saving exercise par non.
o Shoot as many images that you like with the option to delete bad images. Another
cost saver and also an opportunity for people to experiment more with photography.
o Edit your own pictures. This feature has turned many casual photographers into
Photoshop experts! Users, can with very simple software, edit, manipulate, add
borders, text and make cards for all manners of use.
o Memory cards have more capacity for images than film. Now cameras can hold
hundreds of images on one memory card, making travelling a lot easier.
o Memory cards can be reformatted to allow continual use.
o Different file formats can be selected for various uses. An image format in camera can be used for e-mail quality images and another for print quality images.
For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

Improve Your Photography - Part 1, Intro

2009-02-04T09:43:00.001+02:00

An introduction to course and digital cameras

Introduction

Photography, like most arts, is a combination of science and art. A painter needs to know his tools
and his paints very well before he can start working masterpieces. This often takes years off
technical training and skill. Photography was the same until a few years ago. Film based cameras
made the learning process a slow, tedious and expensive one. If a student was serious about
photography, then each exposure had to be recorded as photographs were taken and then linked to
the actual photo when the printing had taken place. Now we have the joy if instant feedback via
LCD on the back of the camera. This has made the learning process exponentially faster, and even
more so with training. Feedback can be delivered in a matter of seconds and this really accelerates
the learning curve. However, the fundamentals of photography still remain and the basics of shutter
speed, aperture and exposure remain the foundations of photography.
What this course delves into is the fact that cameras now do almost all of the science for us. With
this confidence in the bag, we can thus concentrate on actually improving technique and images
through your creativity.

Philosophy of course

Teach clients to see the Art of photography through their own creativity.
Improve the results of their images through practical application of the lessons taught

Science vs Art

As mentioned, every photograph is a combination of science and art.
Science is the actual combination of shutter speed and aperture to create an exposure that is
pleasing to the eye. It is the basis of every image taken with every camera. If the exposure is
incorrect, then an image won’t work and be discarded. Many people concentrate on producing
technically precise images. Hours can be spent on producing an image that has the correct depth of
field with the corresponding correct shutter speed to ensure that an image is exposed perfectly. An
image like this can often be exceptionally boring. And luckily for us, we have the advantage of
technology on our side. As a professional photographer, I use the cameras meter readings for my
photographs about 85% of the time. I believe that for about 90% of all images, a camera will
produce the correct exposure.

This makes the photographers life a lot easier and now there can be more concentration on actually
taking a picture that looks good. A camera that takes well-exposed images is the biggest boon to a
photographer as they can concentrate on making a good image with their own creativity.

Art- The ability to create balance in a photograph. Balance is created via a combination of
light, composition, feel and colour combinations. Other factors like iso and depth of field are
technical methods that help creativity.

What is creativity?

Creativity- The art or power to invent. The ability to create knowledge/ingenuity.
In photography, and through creative use, images can:

• Tell a story
• Create atmosphere, mood and feel
• Compliment colours and create balance
• Lead a viewer into an image
• Create anticipation
• Give intrigue

For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

Skimmimg the Light, Okanvango Pan handle, Botswana

2009-01-26T12:26:00.001+02:00

October on the Okavango River is the end of the dry season, meaning the river level is low- low enough to expose sandbanks; which in turn attract a few species of birds to nest on them. One of the birds we wanted to photograph was the African Skimmer. A large, striking black and white bird with an orange-red bill, the African Skimmers’ status fluctuates between near-threatened and endangered in the Red data book and was until recently described as locally extinct in South Africa.

The reason why they are threatened species? When Robert’s Bird book states that skimmers nest on open, exposed sand banks, they aren’t joking. The first few days on the river we noticed hippo tracks right next to nests, crocodiles sunning on the banks next to skimmer nests and elephants walking through the reeds near sand banks. Without any human interference, I could clearly see how nests could be so easily destroyed. And that is before a herd of buffalo comes down to drink; which is a common occurrence further down the river…

So it was with dismay that on our last day on the river that our guide took us past a sandbank that had about 10 nesting pairs on it. As we rounded the corner, I was amazed to see three mokoros (dugout canoes) on the sand bank and 6 men fishing on the bank. Of course the skimmers were going ballistic and their chicks were scurrying around in the scant grass cover on the sandbank. I was livid and after convincing our driver, we boated up to them and asked them very nicely to leave. It all ended well and they agreed to leave the sandbank, but the reality of the situation was there for all to see. These birds really do breed in marginal conditions and in a very small time frame- seeing all these interference as we did; their vulnerability became very apparent.

Thus I pose the question- what are our images doing to help species such as the African Skimmer? The large numbers of bird photographers, fisherman and tourists who visit this specific area, pumping hard currency into the lodges, are evidently not having much visible and practical effect on the ground. We saw the result right there with those fishermen.

It’s been something I have been thinking about for a while now: “What influence do the photographs we take have?” It’s a question that provokes a lot of interest from conservationists and nature photographers alike.
I’ve heard arguments that photographs, just by being printed in media, create awareness of the species or places they represent. That may be somewhat true, but it’s not of direct benefit to conservation. Through some mediums they do affect their conservation, but what does a certain brand of Brandy actually do for the status of the Fish Eagle that they use as their Symbol; Other than draw metaphors between the bird they represent and their brandy? We see nature and wildlife represented in the media every day but with very little or no actual benefit to the actual species or areas they represent.

This question was brought to the fore when photographing the skimmers. I always like to photograph subjects in unique ways and especially in different light. This was exactly the same here. I was very keen to represent this bird in a different manner to the norm. Seeing the results, of which this is one, it struck me. “If I want to show subjects in a new manner, or different light- why is that?” The answer became quite clear: “To make people appreciate these beautiful creatures”. If people appreciate, they will respond. But it had to go one step further. I still feel that an image on its own is just that- an image.

That is how the inspiration for ‘Mutual Benefit’ came into being.
To be able to make my images worth more than their commercial value, I decided to make them available to all natural history research, education facilities and conservation projects- FOR FREE.
This is my way of giving something back to the places I visit with all the photographs that I take. These images now have a unique opportunity to be part of science, teaching, learning and research- attributes which directly contribute to the saving of the animal species we love to photograph so much.

Thus this image is quite poignant- the skimmer is flying in the absolute last light of day. Does it represent a future fading into darkness through lack of conservation and research, or does it represent a new dawn of forward thinking and pro-active conservation?
The optimist in me believes in the latter. Also, I know this image was taken in the first light of day…! Significant?
I hope so.

Exposure information
Nikon D300 - 200-400mm
Exposure – f 5 Shutter Speed: 1/1000sec
Exp. Comp. - 0. EV
ISO - 500
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Manual, Metering Mode– centre
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 380 mm (570mm 35mm Equivalent)
Handheld on Boat

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

Ocean stars. Whale trail, Southern Cape, De hoop Nature reserve.

2009-01-25T12:29:00.002+02:00

Over the last year, I have been working on small, but very specific, personal project. It’s got no time constraints or deadlines. I just want to put together a few images- with the same theme- that conveys a strong message. A message that I believe strongly in and one that I think people should know about: a small contribution to conservation. I suppose you could call it a photo essay (excuse the pun…), but I would rather see it as a collection of images of conscious thought.

One of my favourite sayings is that “Life is too short to drink bad wine”, although I surely didn’t believe that in my student days… There is a lot behind those words and they ring quite true to the statement.
If a wine maker decides to make a good wine, first he has to choose the land, or the terroir, for the vines to grow on. This is very important: If the soil is too loamy or to clayey, the vines will either drown and die very quickly or they will produce fruit that is juicy, plump and only good for eating as a grape from the greengrocer.

Vines like hard, dry, rocky, unforgiving soils on which to grow. I can’t tell you exactly why, but they do- and once planted there, they need a lot of love and care. A good fruit for wine is one that produces a small fruit with all the flavour put into the skin. Why? because wine gets its flavour from the skins of the grapes, not the flesh.

So the conundrum for the wine maker: plant a vine in hard ground, water it too much and give it too much love and all you will get is a nice juicy grape good for eating. But leave it be and it wont fruit at all. There needs to be a balance- coax the vine, tease the vine with small amounts of water so that it thinks it must produce fruit, and it does produce fruit. But the fruit it produces are small and with little juice, and the skin that covers them is thick, full of tannins and makes for excellent wines. The vine works hard, in near unforgiving circumstances, on the brink of surviving and reproducing to produce a little miracle. So a very fine balance is struck- make the plant suffer slowly, but not too much- and from that will come the ultimate reward.
This is all very easy to say. But only the top wines in the world manage this formulaic balance.

Photographing the night skies may be an easy thing to say: pop out there, aim camera at sky and snap away. Well I found out it is not as easy as that so my little personal project: To photography night skies in natural, wilderness areas to show the beauty and vastness of the night.
There are a few immediate problems here; ambient light from towns travels a long way. You really do need to be in a wilderness area, far from any lights to not get any interference from man-made lights in an image.
Then, the weather… This has been the crux of the matter. Of the 12 nights in the Kalahari, 5 nights on the cape coast, 13 nights on the Mozambican coast, 6 nights on the west coast and numerous other nights in wilderness areas I can count on one hand the good nights I have had to photograph on. The combination of clouds, smog, and mist often contributed against me.

Getting to wilderness areas is difficult enough, but managing to find the right conditions to get good results makes this a story of perseverance. Watching the stars is becoming as rare as seeing a cheetah kill. This is more about showing someone the stars. It is showing the night skies as we are supposed to see them; when no cities were polluting the air and smog wasn’t a household word.
In this age of pollutants and city living, getting out into wilderness areas is even more important than ever, if only to smell the fresh air. Another part of being out there is seeing those vast night skies. When you see them, you know you are far away from anything man made- and to me there is great value in that alone.
That has become my project- to show people the beauty of the night skies and encourage them to get out into wilderness areas to experience those stars stretched across the velvet sky. If things carry on as they are, it may become even more rare than seeing a cheetah kill…

And so it is like wine- a simple project that teases, coaxes and tempts me for images. When at first it seemed quite simple, I found there is actually a fine balance between suffering and success. I hope in the end we see real reward of it all.

I hope to show you the final result of the project soon- for now, this image is from the Cape coast, taken on the whale trail hike.

Thanks to Pieter Walser for the late night call about the wine facts. If you want great wine, have a look at his website. Moment of silence took me by storm! www.blankbottle.co.za

Exposure information
Nikon D300 - 12-24mm lens
Exposure – f 5.6 Shutter Speed: 1024 sec (17minutes)
Exp. Comp. - 0. EV
ISO - 200
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– manual, Metering Mode– matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 13mm (20mm equivalent)
Tripod and cable release

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

Bat eared Fox, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, SA

2009-01-09T12:33:00.000+02:00

Style. The word has many meanings. To some it is the type and manner in which you wear your clothes. A snowboarder either has a good riding style or a bad one. In sports, style is even judged in competitions- surfers are judged, amongst other attributes, on the style in which they ride a wave.
In the sports, style usually comes with time. A more natural feel for what the person is doing and in doing so, the body naturally relaxes and “style” improves.
Style can also be a reflection of the times. Artistic styles have come and gone. A certain style that is en vogue this century certainly will have changed by the next.
There are even management and business styles. Remember the bold coloured ties of the 80’s- yes that was a style- and they were supposed to represent assertiveness… That is just an example of a management style mixed with bad fashion sense- but there have been and are many different styles in which businesses are run.

In Photography, there too, are many different styles. Actually, from the outset, when photography was invented, in 1835, there were two different styles that developed. These helped defined photography as it is today, but at the same time split the world as to what photography actually is. Is it an art form, or is it a representation, a documentation? These were philosophies that helped developed the medium, but we can talk about that another day.

Basically, the style of photography has many forms and guises. In nature photography, there are very distinct styles that vary according to geography. The Americas, the UK, the Scandinavian countries and east and southern Africa all have very distinct and varying styles. You may ask how is this possible- surely there is some overlapping. Well no. They really are different and if you want to improve your photography, then studying the different photographic styles from each region will be of great help. Being one who practises what he preaches, I have lately been really intrigued by the style of the Scandinavian photographers. The intimacy that they get in an image as well as the strong use of composition has had me studying their images late into the night. But what has really kept me in front of the computer in those late hours is their use of light. Perhaps it is their lack of light up there in the north, but when they get good light, they sure know how to manipulate it to their advantage.

Back to this months photo essay; this last week I was in one of South Africa’s jewels- the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (see here for more info on a Photo Workshop with C4 Images & Safaris to KTP) with camera, naturally, in hand.
Early one morning, on the far side of the riverbed, some backlit dust caught my eye. The scene of this bat eared fox scratching for insects against the backlit grass and spider webs was immediately apparent. Yet I was about 150m away and I couldn’t fill the frame at all, so it had to be the environmental image.
At first it was a difficult image to work, but the more I framed it with the camera, the more I liked this image, so I took a good few different compositions. Driving on I pondered sighting and how it had appealed to me the more I studied it. It then dawned on me: I had read the situation completely differently to how I usually take images. I thought back to how I would have reacted to this scene 4 years ago. I concluded that I would have most probably just watched this scene in my binocs and not taken a photo at all.
Then the realisation: My style had developed and changed. I now see photo opportunities in a different light (excuse the old pun) to those a few years ago. As with anything, development has to happen, as well as change.
I suppose it’s a development of style and any person in any profession has to continually stay ahead of the pack if they want to be on top of the game. As long as my style doesn’t represent those ties of the 80’s, then I’m happy it’s developing and changing…

Enjoy!

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure Information:
Nikon D300 - 200-400mm lens and 1,4 converter
Exposure – f 7.1 Shutter Speed: 1/1000sec
Exp. Comp. - 0. EV
ISO - 400
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– centre
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 550 mm (820mm 35mm Equivalent)
Beanbag from vehicle

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

Shem Compion

Fiery-necked Nightjar, Botswana

2009-01-08T12:39:00.000+02:00

There are a few sayings with regards photography that ring true to getting good wildlife images. The most commonly used is: “patience, patience, patience” and it is very true. Most top class wildlife images are a result of hours of field work waiting patiently for a situation to develop; time spent in hides and driving bad roads searching for decent subjects to photograph.

I always say that lion researchers and nature photographers are of the same ilk. For many hours we watch animals doing nothing and when they do something quite ordinary we humans get quite excited by it all. “Well as long we are out there” is another photography saying. This is normally uttered in reference to a day where everything was perfectly in place: the storm clouds had built up in the east creating a beautifully dark slate grey sky as backdrop, the sun has just peeked out from under the same clouds in the west and is casting a golden glow on a lovely open plain. But the subject doesn’t arrive and nothing of great value is photographed. We say these things when we are actually bitterly disappointed about how promising things were, and so we console ourselves that it was good to be out there. Of course it was good to “ be out there”, but hell, we were searching, scouring for a subject to do the scene justice. But that’s just how nature photography works, it tempts, frustrates, teases and plays with your mind until you either give up, or eventually something of value appears and you “get your shot”. That is probably what separates the goods from the greats in our game.

And that leads onto this month’s image and the saying that goes with it- “being prepared”. As much as nature photography tempts us, nature can reveal small beauties in a very short space of time and this is where “being prepared” comes in. I was camping with some bird photographers on the side of a river course on the Okavango River, taking daily boat cruises to go photograph (you can see a collection of the images here as well as on my blog).
On the first evening there, I noticed a fiery necked nightjar perching on a stick on the outskirts of our camp. We ran to pick up our cameras and managed to get a few images of it. However, the image I wanted was of the full moon rising behind it. I tried, but the moon was quite high and a buffalo thorn was hampering my progress to get the angle I needed. (actually it was tearing at my shirt and skin…)
The following night, I was prepared. I knew the moon would rise about 45 min later, so anticipating the nightjar would land on the stick at around the same time, the moon would be just in the right place to be behind the bird. (Another aspect of photographers is their high level of optimism!) I had my camera setup and at the ready. Now I just needed to have the bird do its thing.
For once, everything fell into place. The nightjar arrived on the minute, the moon was positioned perfectly behind it, Dave Barnes lit the bird softly with a light and I snapped off a quick sequence of this beautiful bird.
Easy as that, job was done. Lord Baden Powel would have been proud.

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information
Nikon D300 - 200-400mm lens
Exposure – f 4 Shutter Speed: 1/100sec
Exp. Comp. - 0. EV
ISO - 1000
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– spot
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 400 mm (600mm 35mm Equivalent)
Handheld

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

Shem Compion

Lesser Flamingos, Lake Nakuru, Kenya

2009-01-07T12:49:00.001+02:00

Lake Nakuru has to be one of the most inspiring birding spectacles in the world. 60 000 thousand flamingos are a sight to behold. The noise, the smell and the constant movement and motion all combine to attack the senses in one large flock. I recently spent three nights with clients at this wonderful venue, with the express purpose of capturing these, and the many other birds here, in all their beauty.

Now that may sound like a simple thing to do- 60 odd thousand birds are more than enough subjects to fill a camera: Nevermind spending three days there. Well, it’s not as easy as that. These birds just don’t leave each other alone! The old phrase of “safety in numbers” is very true with these birds. They are very wary of any approach and tend to huddle together as more disturbance comes along. The best method of approach is that of patience. In the 30-degree heat on an open mud flat, that can be quite a task! However, we persevered through the heat and discomfort and all managed to come home with some fairly stonking images.

It has to be said though; Nakuru has not been all good news for the last few years. Only after flamingo numbers drastically dropped, did the Kenyan Wildlife Services start doing something about the problem. I wont go into it here, but expect a blog entry about it soon- as I consider the Flamingo a great indicator species. Happily though the numbers are back and tourists can enjoy these fantastic birds.

It was day two and we had used three sessions to photograph flamingos. The problem with a constant subject (and the beauty) is that things get more difficult as you go along. You get all the standard images, review your work, take some better ones of what you did before and then realise that you now have to push a few limits. You become very fussy; watching backgrounds, waiting for a specific neck turn, a beak in water, a flap of a wing- anything to make your images more unique. To say that flamingos are difficult subjects is an understatement; but when an image comes off, well, it really comes off well, as these birds really do shine in good light. As I said in a before in a blog entry- 60 000 birds and 60 000 shades of pink!

We had spent the morning at the fresh water inlet of the lake. The birds come here to drink and bathe, so we knew the concentrations here would be high. After a few standard images I needed to get something different. So I pulled out the wireless remote, put it on the D200 which was attached to the 12-24mm lens, propped it onto a gorilla pod and walked out to the edge of a spit. I had “dry” tested the remote up to 80m. So I walked away from the camera and waited in the vehicle about 80m away. Slowly, the birds waded closer, and closer and closer. I was snapping with the remote release in the shade of the vehicle and starting to enjoy this relaxed manner of photography. Suddenly, 400m away, a hyaena ran into the birds, searching for a dead carcass. This caused pandemonium amongst the birds. I would guess 5000 birds flew right towards us and right over our heads. A sight to behold! I was snapping the remote as fast as I could while using the other camera with a longer lens.

The birds all departed and the hyaena did not have any success, but it did see my camera at the waters edge. All of a sudden it became a race to the camera. The hyena led with his teeth and jaws; I chased in with a client’s monopod! It all ended happily, as the hyeana decided to leave the scene. I picked up the camera and walked back to the vehicle- eagerly wanting to see what had been captured.

You can imagine my surprise when it only had one image recorded! I was flabbergasted - the only image was one taken right in the middle of the action, when all the birds were flying overhead. I don’t know how it happened, but I’m not asking any questions.

What came out was an image of thousands of flamingos flocking towards us. I had been looking for a different perspective for a while - I think I now have one.

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information:
Nikon D200 - 12-24mm lens
Exposure - f 9
Shutter Speed: 1/750sec
Exp. Comp. : + 0.3 EV
ISO - 250
Flash sync - not attached, Exposure mode - Aperture priority, Metering Mode - centre weighted
File type - NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 12mm (18m @35mm equivalent)
Gorilla pod, remote release

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

Shem Compion

White Faced Ducks - Austen Roberts

2009-01-05T13:23:00.000+02:00

Being close to home for a while makes the feet itch. That may sound like a strange statement, but it is straight talking about what drives me. I like to be “out there”, smelling the fresh, dusty air and reviving the senses with a fresh winters chill on the cheeks as the Land Rover bumps along a single track through the bush. To be honest, that is exactly what drives me, and as tired as I can be at the end of a hard day photographing- up at 4h30, back in camp to talk photography and discuss post processing and then heading out back at 15h30 and dinner till the camp is dead quiet and every one is sleeping- I wake up ready to do it all again with a very certain verve the next morning. It’s as simple as that.

So when I have an extended session back in town- the feet start to itch. For some that may mean mischief, but for me that means I need to get the cameras out again.
Luckily, close to where I live there are some very nice places to photograph. One of those places is the Austin Roberts bird park.
Firstly, Austin Robert’s the person. South Africa’s Audubon, Austin Roberts was a director of the Transvaal Museum of natural history. A great affinity for birds, Roberts’ spent most of his adult life collecting and identifying birds for identification and taxonomic purposes. The result- the definitive bird identification reference guide on the birds of southern Africa. Roberts’ bird book is now in its 8th edition and many avid birders will fondly tell you of their first tattered and abused “Roberts”.

So the park is named after Austin Roberts and of course there are birds there to photograph. White-faced ducks, in their musical collectiveness make up the numbers amongst a few other species. So having itchy feet, I spent a few mornings here working on technique and specific settings. The first instinct with bird photography is to get the bird as pin sharp as you can. This involves setting a high shutter speed to freeze every detail. The result is something as in image 1 of the essay.
However, once a certain type of standard image is captured, I always look for something new and different. And so it was that I went to Austin Roberts each morning with a different mission.
To capture motion.
This proved harder to do than perceived and in doing so I noticed just how much these birds move their heads when they fly. It made me study their heads as they fly and in doing so, I noticed that they keep their head very still as they are landing. So I set up to catch them when doing so.
Eventually I managed to capture an image that portrays the effect I had in mind. (See image 2) A motion of wings and feathers that shows more ephemeral movement than any detail could ever do. And that is just what photography is to me. Fleeting, beautiful and descriptive all at once.
Right near home I managed to rid the itchy feet by watching and observing birds and then photographing them- I’m sure Austin Roberts would have been proud…!

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information
Image 1
Nikon D300 - 200-400mm lens
Exposure – f 5.6 Shutter Speed: 1/1600sec
Exp. Comp. - 0.3 EV
ISO - 640
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– centre weighted File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 460mm (690mm 35mm Equivalent)
Tripod

Image 2
Nikon D300 - 200-400mm lens
Exposure – f 25 Shutter Speed: 1/60
Exp. Comp. - 0.3 EV
ISO - 400
Flash sync– Fired- rear curtain sync, Exposure mode– Shutter priority, Metering Mode– Matrix. File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 380mm (570mm 35mm Equivalent)
Tripod

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

Shem Compion

Lion Chase - Deception Valley, Botswana

2009-01-04T13:36:00.000+02:00

To be frank, I don’t really enjoy photographing lions. They are the laziest animals around, always sleeping, always snoozing and useless for any decent photography.
The problem is that every person who has ever been to Africa has a photo of a lion, well actually many photos of lion, even if they had only one sighting!

I’ve often wondered which lion is the most photographed, as in with a model. In certain National parks, a sleeping lion can cause traffic jams of over 20 vehicles with 4 cameras in each, snapping off enough photos to make a model on a Parisian catwalk smile! The results? You guessed it: sleeping lions. Of course I was once like that too, but looking at all the other good lion images out there, I was always aware of what the standard of photography was.I now have a decent collection of lion images- some of them actually doing things.., but when I head out into the bush, Lions aren’t exactly on the top of my agenda, cause I know there are so many good images out there.

Deception valley in the Central Kalahari is a different kind of place. For most parts of the year, it is a dry dust bowl with nothing much around. Some animals and birds, but nothing compared to the late rainy months: Which exactly where I was on a photo tour in early March. And what a tour it was- the Kalahari was at its most beautiful; with short grass attracting herds of animals and birds displaying and lions everywhere,literally.
Speaking of lions, we actually witnessed some brilliant Lion behaviour.
We had two male lions in a brawl, chasing each other across the grassy fields, roaring and scent marking right next to our vehicles. An amazing experience to say the least!
That evening we found 8 lions just in front of our camp and the next morning we found them in the grassy valley 2km from camp. We picked them up just before sunrise. They were not quiet ready for doing nothing, in fact they were quite active and full of beans, just what photographers look for.
For the next 20 minutes, as the sun glowed through the clouds, the lions played, ran and fought on the open valley floor. It was photographic bliss and one of the few times where lions go from party poopers to front of house entertainers, deluxe.
A Parisian model would have been taught a lesson or two here. I suppose it makes up for all the times we watch lions sleeping on the road.
The law of averages was at play.
Just be out there.

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information
Nikon D200 – 200-400mm, 1,4 convertor
Exposure – f 6,3 Shutter Speed: 1/500sec
Exp. Comp. 0 EV
ISO equiv. - 250
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix, File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 560mm (840mm, 35mm eqivalent), Tripod

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

Shem Compion

Black Bellied Bustard Display - Lebala, Botswana

2009-01-04T13:32:00.000+02:00

It had been a chilly afternoon drive. A Mid-day thunderstorm had struck and drenched the whole area, leaving behind it a trail of mud, dripping trees and dark clouds hanging in the sky. The game drive had been one where you could feel the rain in the air- a hippo even deemed it fresh enough to leave the sanctity of the water and head into the open floodplain to graze. We locked onto him and naturally had a field day with the cameras- especially as there were egrets, herons and about three other bird species feeding in his wake. But it was quite dull- the light was one stop under what it would be to give the scene a nice glow. So we moved on- driving slowly in the cool fresh air, rain ponchos keeping the wetness out.

November in Southern Africa is the start of the breeding season for most bird species. Thus, from a natural history point of view, it is a great time to travel here. From a photo safari point of view too, this is one of the most exciting seasons, as young animals are being born and birds and animals are alike are either breeding or giving birth. The morning chorus is full of the joys of life and it’s probably the only time I can say that I can “hear the excitement of the Bush”.

And so it was that we came across this Black bellied bustard (Korhaan) atop a termite mound calling out to any females that would listen. It is great courtship behaviour to watch, as they extend their necks and emita very slight “Pop” at the height of their neck extension.
Our group, however, was more interested in catching the action, as the light had just peaked from under the clouds. After the first front-lit shots, we moved around him: as the clouds were taking on a special colour and hue from the sunset. The Bustard, not to be outdone, stood his ground and continued his calling- deep in the throes of courtship.
The bird continued calling and the light just got better. Eventually we had enough. We just could not take another image of a bird calling against a stunning backdrop.

Until that is, it decided to leave us… With the backdrop of the Palmtrees in the Linyanti, I decided to shoot wider and zoomed out to incorporate the whole environment. All of a sudden the whole scene took on another feel, especially with that odd, stalking gait that a bustard has silhouetted against a colourful Okavango sky.

That is the image that made it to this Essay- a fitting end to a grand show.

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information:
Nikon D70 - 70-200mm lens
Exposure – f 5.6 Shutter Speed: 1/200sec
Exp. Comp. - 0.3 EV
ISO - 200
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– centre weighted File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 116 mm (174mm 35mm Equivalent)
Handheld

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

Shem Compion

Dune scale - Dead Tree pan, Sossusvlei

2009-01-03T13:48:00.000+02:00

Scale is a relative term. We, as humans love to measure and compare things. How large our house is, how fast our cars are, how many times we hit a ball, the list goes on and each comparison is measured against a previous encounter, an average, or “how the pros do it”. It gives us a level of accomplishment, or something to achieve towards. We use scale to measure our performance at work, home and play. And most times, it just puts things into perspective.

Thus I found myself in Dead tree pan, at Sossusvlei in Namibia. If you have been there, you will know it as one of the most hauntingly beautiful places on earth. The silence at first light is astounding and the dead acacia trees splay their arms heavenwards in a silent grieving. Four of us were there at dawn. Within a few minutes, of arriving each of was alone- that is how easily the large pan swallows you up, as you are trying to contemplate how to capture such a serene scene.

An hour after sunrise the first tourists arrives. The walk across the dunes to get here is long and they aren’t necessarily as obsessively dedicated as photographers who race there at dawn… However, it also means that people are walking into your images, so its time to pack up, the work is done for the day. In doing so, I noticed a tourist walking in the distance of the pan, against the backdrop of the southern dunes. Immediately I was aware of how small he was in relation to the dune. Out came the camera and then this image. All morning I had been trying to capture and show the beauty of the pan, but sometimes it is hard to capture a scene without something to relate to. The human factor in this image just added that extra scale to the image.

As I said, scale is a relative term, but sometimes, it just puts things into perspective.

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information:
Nikon D70 - 70-200mm
Exposure – f 11 Shutter Speed: 1/160sec
Exp. Comp. 0 EV
ISO equiv. - 200
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix, File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 100mm (150mm, 35mm equivalent)
Hand held

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

Shem Compion

Interior Photographer in South Africa

2009-01-03T11:01:00.001+02:00

If you're a hotelier or the owner of a bed and breakfast, you undoubtedly want your guests to feel warm and welcome and you will want them to leave with lasting impressions, so when you advertise your place in a glossy magazine or on the Internet, an interior photographer in South Africa can play a significant role in conveying your desired message of utter comfort to your patrons. Image is everything when seeking to retain existing patrons or new ones, and great original photos by an interior photographer in South Africa can inform and excite, while creating the confidence to book yourself in to such an establishment.

Ideally, a person should be able to imagine themselves using the bedrooms, bathrooms and lounges visually presented by photographs,because the interior photographer in South Africa aims to communicate high quality colour, texture and other detail, as well as the effects of both natural and artificial light within the environment to make it look inviting.

With 2010 soccer world cup just around the corner, many hotels and lodges are busy undergoing refurbishments, and the demand for outstanding and original hotel and game lodge photography is increasing dramatically.

Learning to photograph the lodge or hotel in its environment, and getting to grips with understanding how to create stunning pictures of bedrooms and bathrooms to turn prospective patrons into regular guests,can get you started on becoming an interior photographer in South Africa, because at C4 Images and Safaris, thoroughly exciting courses are offered to enable you to create photographs with a higher visual impact and appeal, and already with only one course you will improve your images significantly, and who knows, before you know it your photo's could be used for websites as well as in popular glossy magazines and other printed media! So contact C4 Images and Safaris.

Related Articles:
* Aerial Photographer in South Africa
* Commercial Photographer
* Interior Photographer
* Lodge Photographer
* Professional Photographer

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris.

Commercial Photographer

2009-01-03T10:53:00.000+02:00

A commercial photographer knows that apart from a thorough understanding of camera operation, lighting,composition, lenses, filters and the special properties of films and papers; it's the creation of a skillful photograph that will respond to the needs of the client. The commercial photographer is more critical and focused because you are not clicking pictures to satisfy your creativity, but rather to a target audience whom you need to please.

Photographers may specialize in portrait, news, industrial, medical, or scientific photography, or they may generalize in a combination of two or more types of photography, but the primary differences lie in the subject matter, work site, type of equipment used, and the amount of precision required for design and composition of the photograph. Commercial photographers take pictures of merchandise, architecture,and scenery for advertising and sales purposes.

Producing a stunning and successful picture requires choosing and presenting a subject to achieve a particular effect and then these are used in a variety of media, including books, reports, advertisements, and catalogues; the simple fact is that the best commercial photographers can do wonders for your business or advertising efforts with brilliant commercial photography, because people look at the pictures on a brochure or calender and make judgements in seconds according to what they see!

C4 Images and Safaris provide an unparalleled selection of photos allowing you to get get up close and personal with your favorite species, and a good deal of our photos can be reviewed in our on-line photo gallery where you will find an amazing array of things found in nature, including birds, bugs, landscapes, as well as colourful pictures depicting the people and the cultures of Africa and Madagascar, so whether you need a photograph for brochures or web sites, you get what you really want because C4 Images and Safaris helps those who demand quality and service.

Related articles:
* Aerial Photographer in South Africa
* Commercial Photographer
* Interior Photographer
* Lodge Photographer
* Professional Photographer

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

Cattle Egret Flight - Ampijoroa, Madagascar

2009-01-02T13:52:00.000+02:00

In terms of wildlife, Madagascar is a marvel of the modern world. As with many islands, the wildlife is quite unique as the fauna and flora have had many millions of years to evolve on their own. Thus we have islands such as The Galapagos, The Falklands, Borneo, Papua New Guinea and of course Madagascar. Of all the islands on earth, Madagascar is perhaps the one with the highest total endemic species of flora and fauna combined. What makes it so interesting though, is that species are still being discovered and described as I write this! Speaking to researchers in Ampijoroa about their subjects, I was astounded to hear that they were doing studies on subjects that were done on most other animals more than 30 years ago. You can literally point your camera at any subject and produce a thesis on its behaviour, such is the lack of knowledge on many of the species. I have travelled far and wide photographing nature and wildlife, but nowhere have I come across nature guides who describe the species by their scientific names. At first I was quite impressed by their intimate knowledge of the various species, but then I learnt that for many of the species, there is no common name, hence the vernacular being in Latin!

So as you can imagine, photographing in Madagascar is quite a treat. New species are almost around every corner. The lemurs and Sifakas add the charismatic appeal that no one can ignore, while the chameleons, frogs and leaf tailed geckos provide a level of fascination I never thought possible for the smaller creatures of this world. Then there are the birds, tenerics, snakes and lastly the unique, out-of-this-world specialities such as the Eye-eye. An animal so diverse in its looks that all I can say is that the wildebeest has nothing on it at all!

Arriving in Ampijoroa, a dry deciduous forest on the north west of the island, we were greeted to a cacophony of birds and sifakas. Everywhere you looked were endemic birds parading in the spring weather, preparing for the onset of the breeding season. I photographed many of the birds there, but what really caught my attention was the breeding colony of the common Cattle egret just in front of our campsite. Approximately 300 birds were nesting in some reeds over the Ravilobe Lake and in doing so, providing some excellent photographic subjects. Thus I spent a morning or two photographing these very common birds. You see, even in a place as unique as Madagascar, when a subject presents itself in excellent light, you take advantage of the situation; even if it is the lowly common cattle egret that occurs throughout Africa.
I hope you agree.

For more info on going on a Photo workshop to improve your photography, visit C4 Images & Safaris.

Exposure information:
Nikon D200 - 70-200 and 1.4 converter
Exposure – f 18 Shutter Speed: 1/20sec
Exp. Comp. -0.7 EV
ISO equiv. - 125
Flash sync– not attached, Exposure mode– Shutter priority, Metering Mode– Matrix, File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 280mm (420, 35mm equivalent)
Hand held

This article first appeared on shemimages.com

Shem Compion

BE A CREATIVE AND PASSIONATE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER

2007-01-06T10:53:00.003+02:00

What's it like to be a professional photographer? What photographic equipment do I need to become a photographer? What makes one photographer better than another? Having the right camera and lenses will make a big difference to the quality of pictures that you produce but it doesn't automatically guarantee good photos. One who is fascinated with the idea of capturing and manipulating images might choose to become a photographer; others do so because they hope to make a living at it, but the simple fact is . . . those who are interested in a career in professional photography must be creative, passionate and professional.

People interested in photography as a profession often find it fascinating to know how professional photographers actually create the kind of photographs they do. While not all photographers earn degrees, all have some sort of training; they have learned how to capture, manipulate, and develop images, understand the dynamics of light and angles, and are able to use all equipment properly.

In order for a photograph to sell, to be acceptable for publication, it has to incorporate three basic components: good composition, perfect exposure, and proper focus, and if you join a class, you will learn the likes of exposures, lighting, horizontal lines and flashes - things you will need to know if you are interested in a career of photojournalism, industrial photographer, or portrait photographer. Some professional photographers work for firms while others are entirely self employed.

If you love observing and photographing wildlife in their natural habitat, then you have something no one can ever take away from you. Passion! Photography workshops can be great learning experiences, and because wildlife photography has some special requirements, nothing beats hands-on learning under a skilled and knowledgeable wildlife photographer, and to be a professional photographer, you need to learn the techniques and secrets from the masters. Let C4 Images and Safaris help you improve your wildlife photography.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

LODGE PHOTOGRAPHER in South Africa creates photo's that showcase a magical getaway

2007-01-06T10:43:00.001+02:00

South Africa boasts a huge collection of wildlife regions teeming with wildlife and landscapes, and situated within these are some of the most prestigious safari game lodges in the world, varying from rustic to luxury accommodation, all with excellent cuisine catering for those who wish to enjoy the wild in style, and the lodge photographer in South Africa captures a rich variety of colours and textures, using a variety of films --black-and-white and colour -- at different speeds and lighting techniques to find flattering or dramatic effects to show off the magnificence of South Africa's lodge accommodation. If you want to have your wedding day at a lodge a lodge photographer in South Africa ensures all emotions and elements are recorded.

Lodge photographers use the environment - after all, that's one of the reasons people choose certain lodges - so whether it's a huge oak tree in the gardens of the fanciest lodge in Mpumulanga or a sparkling pool nestling amongst huge rocks, the natural environment and the objects around you, will create a colourful palette. It's an opportunity to capture the pulsating essence of life going on around and in a lodge.

We are sure that once you have had an opportunity to view lodge facilities, you will realize what an ideal and unique place they are to compliment your very special getaway. Pleasingly different and distinctly superior; a lodge photographer in South Africa captures each uniquely designed room, making optimum use of the exquisite natural surroundings and perfect locations. South African lodges pride themselves on their reputation for warm and decadently luxurious world-class service combined with romance and privacy, and the lodge photographer in South Africa like C4 Images and Safaris have discovered the secrets of how to capture the spirit of a place and bring back images that will turn pictures into a living reality!

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHER IN South Africa conveys a visual message

2007-01-06T10:30:00.001+02:00

If you're a hotelier or the owner of a bed and breakfast, you undoubtedly want your guests to feel warm and welcome and you will want them to leave with lasting impressions, so when you advertise your place in a glossy magazine or on the Internet, an interior photographer in South Africa can play a significant role in conveying your desired message of utter comfort to your patrons. Image is everything when seeking to retain existing patrons or new ones, and great original photos by an interior photographer in South Africa can inform and excite, while creating the confidence to book yourself in to such an establishment.

Ideally, a person should be able to imagine themselves using the bedrooms, bathrooms and lounges visually presented by photographs, because the interior photographer in South Africa aims to communicate high quality colour, texture and other detail, as well as the effects of both natural and artificial light within the environment to make it look inviting.

With 2010 soccer world cup just around the corner, many hotels and lodges are busy undergoing refurbishments, and the demand for outstanding and original hotel and game lodge photography is increasing dramatically.

Learning to photograph the lodge or hotel in its environment, and getting to grips with understanding how to create stunning pictures of bedrooms and bathrooms to turn prospective patrons into regular guests,can get you started on becoming an interior photographer in South Africa, because at C4 Images and Safaris, thoroughly exciting courses are offered to enable you to create photographs with a higher visual impact and appeal, and already with only one course you will improve your images significantly, and who knows, before you know it your photo's could be used for websites as well as in popular glossy magazines and other printed media! So contact Shem Compion at C4 Images and Safaris.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER responds to the needs of clients

2007-01-05T15:04:00.001+02:00

A commercial photographer knows that apart from a thorough understanding of camera operation, lighting, composition, lenses, filters and the special properties of films and papers; it's the creation of a skillful photograph that will respond to the needs of the client. The commercial photographer is more critical and focused because you are not clicking pictures to satisfy your creativity, but rather to a target audience whom you need to please.

Photographers may specialize in portrait, news, industrial, medical, or scientific photography, or they may generalize in a combination of two or more types of photography, but the primary differences lie in the subject matter, work site, type of equipment used, and the amount of precision required for design and composition of the photograph. Commercial photographers take pictures of merchandise, architecture,and scenery for advertising and sales purposes.

Producing a stunning and successful picture requires choosing and presenting a subject to achieve a particular effect and then these are used in a variety of media, including books, reports, advertisements, and catalogues; the simple fact is that the best commercial photographers can do wonders for your business or advertising efforts with brilliant commercial photography, because people look at the pictures on a brochure or calender and make judgements in seconds according to what they see!

C4 Images and Safaris provide an unparalleled selection of photos allowing you to get get up close and personal with your favorite species, and a good deal of our photos can be reviewed in our on-line photo gallery where you will find an amazing array of things found in nature, including birds, bugs, landscapes, as well as colourful pictures depicting the people and the cultures of Africa and Madagascar, so whether you need a photograph for brochures or web sites, you get what you really want because C4 Images and Safaris helps those who demand quality and service.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

Aerial Photographer in South Africa sees life from another perspective

2007-01-05T14:04:00.000+02:00

One type of photography that always grabs the attention of a wide number of people is aerial photography and the aerial photographer in South Africa uses skills to shoot and develop photographs from a plane, a balloon or some other device. Most aerial photography is usually done by professionals offering airborne still photography and video services, although amateur photographers can experiment with aerial photography by using kites, paragliders and remote control planes, attaching a camera to the supports and choosing the right weather conditions. An aerial photographer in South Africa is approached by various contacts to shoot images of property and scenery from the air for brochures etc.

The first known aerial photograph was taken in 1858 by French photographer and balloonist, Gaspar Felix Tournachon, but the oldest aerial photograph known to be still in existence is James Wallace Black's image of Boston from a hot-air balloon, taken in 1860.Nowadays, aerial cameras tend to be digital, and the images are of an outstanding quality, and high-resolution aerial views can be delivered right to the client's desktop on the day of shooting!

Who needs aerial photography, amongst others?

- Construction projects - historical images from an aerial photographer in South Africa capture a moment in time, and provide resources in monitoring changes and help to make decisions which will have an impact on the way our cities and landscapes appear today and for the future.

- Many companies use aerial photographs on their web sites,either for use with a map or pictorial; some have large prints in reception areas or boardrooms.

- Property for sale.

- Books, magazines and brochures for travel agents

With so many subjects, the photographic possibilities for an aerial photographer in South Africa are endless; whatever your photographic passions, you should be able to fulfill them here, but landscapes and wildlife photography offer the greatest opportunities.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

SPECIALIZED PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARIS - not just a safari, an entire experience

2007-01-04T09:48:00.003+02:00

Whether your photography interests lie in wildlife, landscapes, travel or culture, specialized photographic safaris with C4 Images and Safaris will help you explore the spectacular wealth of experiences that is Africa and Madagascar, and capture the very essence of these two stunning places, focusing on the nature and the wild animals that inhabit these truly captivating destinations. Each safari is led by a professional photographer who will share photographic techniques and knowledge with you, as well as igniting a passion in you for enjoying sites that might not be around for much longer.

Yes, the big five are indeed the trophy sightings for specialized photographic safaris, but there is a lot more to see than just these magnificent five - and with our experienced guides, we ensure that you will get to experience this wealth of diversity and experience the wilderness in groups small enough to enjoy nature without disturbing it.

Photographing with like-minded adventure-seeking people in relaxed,magical places allow you to make new friends, and see stunning places while allowing you the chance to create photos beyond your expectations. It's just plain fun.

Guides using a powerful light to spot wildlife will drive open vehicles, giving you an insight into the nocturnal habits of a wide range of species from leopards to owls and hunting lion; just being in a robust four wheel drive, specially adapted for viewing game and photography, allows you to get close to some of the predators and larger animals .... safely.

Staying in canvas tents or luxury lodge accommodation, specialized photographic safaris include everything, making sure that you return to the rat race invigorated and re-charged.
If you are fascinated with Africa and Madagascar, but have never been able to live out your dream, then you'll want to read every word about any forthcoming trips and discover why investing your time in Specialized Photographic Safaris is the breakthrough experience you've always wanted! Visit C4 Images and Safaris to read more.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

SABI SANDS SAFARI TOUR - the success of viewing leopard here is legendary

2007-01-04T09:35:00.001+02:00

A Sabi Sands Safari Tour with C4 Images and Safaris offers exceptional close wildlife encounters, drawing visitors from all over the world to experience a unique area by the promise of an unforgettable Safari experience. Sabi Sands Game Reserve shares a common 50km unfenced boundary with Kruger, and the two rivers, the Sabi and Sand flow through here, sustaining the bountiful flora and fauna. Trackers and game rangers are able to offer exceptional game viewing; the success of viewing leopard in Sabi Sands is legendary.

The concept of a safari conjures up images of adventure,dramatic landscapes and exciting wildlife, and a Sabi Sands Safari Tour allows visitors the supreme opportunity of going on amazing morning and evening game drives in open vehicles, which drive through a wide variety of habitats, allowing you to view the vast interactions of the wild. Guided walking trails can give you the chance to experience the natural environment on foot, because the dedicated, highly trained and experienced guides lead you to discover miracles of nature you may never have otherwise known about.

There has been no hunting here for over half a century and the animals have become habituated to safari vehicles, which means close encounters with animals as they continue unperturbed in their natural daily patterns of hunting, feeding and suckling.

Guaranteed to be exclusive and private, a Sabi Sands Safari Tour means attentive staff and superb facilities will ensure that being in the middle of the African bush does always mean foregoing creature comforts. You'll have the unique sights, sounds and smells of Africa on your doorstep - while still enjoying the kind of style and luxury you'd expect from your Sabi Sands Safari Tour.
The quality of your safari experience has everything to do with the people who arrange your entire safari. At C4 Images and Safaris we guarantee an unforgettable and carefree experience.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

OKAVANGO DELTA SAFARI - a breathtaking adventure of world repute

2007-01-03T15:05:00.001+02:00

The Okavango Delta - one of the true mysteries of creation, is a fragile region with a fair amount of threats, and for this reason, an Okavango Delta Safari serves to provide the photographer with the chance to capture beautiful wildlife as it is now, before civilization threatens to obliterate it forever, because its here where you will still find some of the finest concentrations of big game left in Africa in its unspoilt state. There is something for everyone, and its not surprising that many fear the unhappy future it may face!

Thousands of people have been to the Okavango; some go seeking adventure while others to learn about the regions fauna and flora, but whatever the reason, an Okavango Delta Safari will leave you with indelible photos and impressions of a truly unique wilderness area. Fine lodges with fresh, sumptuous meals and luxury accommodation give you the option of living in the delta in absolute comfort. Paraffin hurricane lanterns and a crackling campfire where you are serenaded by the sound of hippos and frogs breaking the night silence, set the evening ambiance for a true Okavango Delta Safari.

Exciting and exhilarating game-drives provide thrilling, high drama sightings, and our guides, dedicated and committed individuals, keep you in suspense as they share their knowledge of these skulking, hungry creatures. The rare Sitatunga antelope are at their highest density in the Okavango, and stalking these antelope silently by mokoro is an experience never to be forgotten.

An Okavango Delta Safari is not complete without sightings of raptors. Bateleur, tawny, martial and brown snake eagles line the riverbank alongside Lanner falcons, keeping bird-lovers enraptured.
Become part of a phenomenal adventure where a thousand kilometers of river are absorbed into the sands of the Kalahari. Let C4 Images and Safaris absorb you into this magical watery paradise where everything is taken care of for you to enjoy a carefree safari.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

Training Tips for Photographers

2007-01-03T14:27:00.000+02:00

Training tips for photographers gives the aspiring photographer the opportunity to go from taking less than satisfying photos to taking superb, outstanding photos, with sharp clarity and perfect definition.You will be able to take shots that reveal the sheer majesty of the scene, creating a sense of awe; in fact training tips for photographers gives one the confidence to shoot anything, and to know with certainty that the picture will turn out to be the shot you wanted.

To help you down the road to great image making, there are several tips that will enable you to shoot like a pro. The truth is that you can take great photos with a simple camera, or take mediocre shots with the most expensive camera, because ultimately it's not the camera that makes beautiful images; it's the photographer!

Some training tips for photographers:

* Remove distractions - maybe you didn't notice them when you took the photo or because some other distraction just wouldn't move away - however long you waited. What are you really photographing? Never let extra elements distract from what you want to portray because photographs should be concise, and to the point.

* Practice as much as you can!

One of the most important training tips for photographers is to know your camera inside out. You don't need super high-end equipment to create an amazing image; a digital SLR is more than adequate. The eye and knowledge behind the camera are much more important than the actual camera.

* Study photographers that you admire; assess what makes their photos amazing and wonderful, and then try to start seeing the world as they do.

At C4 Images and Safaris, we offer training tips for photographers that will get you to a level where you can produce professional photographs and be confident in your ability to take fantastic shots. We will show you how to further your knowledge in the craft, art, and skills needed for superb photography.

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* Photography Training
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* Training tips for Photographers
* Wildlife Photographer

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris.

Tours for Photographers

2007-01-03T14:06:00.002+02:00

Tours For Photographers in today's high paced lifestyle means taking images and photographs which speak more powerfully than words. You can join a small group designed by and for photographers and travel to places where the trips have been carefully planned and the areas well scouted to such an extent that all the best seasonal movements of wildlife can be captured because of the right timing. In fact, these tours focus on some of the world's greatest wildlife viewing areas. Tours for Photographers are synonymous with guided tours where attention is given to the intricate details of photography, but mixed with the fun and excitement of a holiday in beautiful surroundings,where you will return home a far better photographer!

Whether it's simple snaps of scenery or more serious compositions using the latest state of the art equipment, photographers on these magnificent wildlife tours have even more incentives than most holiday makers, as they encounter marvelously photogenic wildlife and visit some of the most picturesque areas that they would not other wise have ever seen.

Digital technology has made it considerably easier for novices even to practise their skills on tours for photographers where they can effortlessly capture images that in former times would have been the envy of dedicated professionals. Tours are specifically designed for wildlife photographers of varying skills, with a group made up of like-minded people whose ultimate goal will be the quest of providing a variety of colourful quality subjects and travel experiences.

We assist you in planning your trips and offer various accommodation and tours giving you the option to select what wildlife you particularly want to experience in the type of place best suited to your needs.

Tours for photographers to either Africa or Madagascar with C4 Images and Safaris, whether its self-drive safaris, fly-in safaris or joining organized photographic safaris, whatever your choice, we provide you with the very best to the most enchanting areas.

Tours for Photographers

2007-01-03T14:06:00.000+02:00

Photography Training

2007-01-03T13:57:00.000+02:00

It doesn't matter which career path you choose in photography, photography training will give you the skills needed in order to succeed: visual skills, technical camera and lighting skills, and digital imaging skills. Not only that, you will learn different ways to use your digital camera... and have more fun than you've had since they invented photography. The most important element of success is proper training.

Sound photography training provided by a quality photography company like C4 Images and Safaris can help students gain the skills needed to succeed.This knowledge can launch students into the right direction of obtaining a position in the field.

For the more adventurous types who thrive on travel and a variety of experiences, careers in photo journalism, sports, or travel photography might be for you because they offer the rewards of being in the front-line of breaking news and can even take you to the far reaches of the globe. These fields require creativity and the ability to make split second decisions about creating just the right shot; skills acquired from Photography Training.

It takes hard work to learning both the technical and visual aspects of this field of visual communication. The field of photography is constantly changing as technology advances, so it demands willingness for Photography Training to learn the technical skills needed to create just the right look for your images and possibly for your clients' needs. So contact C4 Images and Safaris for your Wildlife Photography Training now!

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* Photography Training
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* Wildlife Photographer

The article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris.

MASHATU PHOTOGRAPHY SAFARI - home of the giants

2007-01-03T13:53:00.000+02:00

The majority of photographers are inspired by a specific subject like a view or an animal, and to a large extent such pictures are appealing because the subject itself is interesting as well as the way in which it is photographed. Most people who photograph animals and plants are nature lovers, and a Mashatu Photography Safari is not only an enviable arena for photographic artistry, publication of these spectacular images has heightened awareness of the extent and fragility of our natural heritage.

Mashatu lies between the Shashe and Limpopo Rivers, in the wedge of Botswana which lies between Zimbabwe and South Africa. Open plains and sandstone outcrops provide a home for the huge variety of animals,including the largest herd of elephant. Lion, cheetah and leopard are drawn here because of the grazers, and eland, impala, wildebeest,zebra, and greater kudu are amongst those that not only provide a ready meal for the predators, they provide great photographic opportunities on a Mashatu Photography Safari. Catching a special moment on film with these creatures is achieved primarily by being out there in the field and applying the correct technique.

A magnificent pair of Verreaux's Eagles and the majestic African Fish Eagle provide splendid opportunities to explore the unique bird habits, and our Mashatu Photography Safari is intended for both the serious amateur and the beginner who loves what this magical places offers.

On our idyllic Mashatu Photography Safari your accommodation will be insect-proofed tents, and although rustic in character, every facility is provided. Facilities, amongst others, include a purified water supply, plunge pool, and a hide overlooking a floodlit waterhole with campfire dinners where the camp staff will gladly attend to your every need!
The wildlife experience at Mashatu is personalised and the Mashatu experience has been considerably enhanced with the continuous development of adventure activities on offer. Let us at C4 Images and Safaris take you to where adventure and beauty combine.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

Photography Tours

2007-01-03T13:44:00.000+02:00

Photography Tours are fast becoming one of the most popular kind of tours, and why not? Combining beautiful landscapes and animals with an exciting and very gratifying hobby has to be the most perfect way to spend your time. While there are different options for your Photography Tour, the magnificent game reserves we have are simply perfect for photographic opportunities. Each park has its own specialty in species of animals as well as certain seasons that provide for extraordinary photographic opportunities.

These tours offer a range of specialist Photography Tours for photo-enthusiasts, and mostly include the services of qualified photography leaders who will assist you and provide photo workshops along the way; not to mention that you are with a small group of like-minded people who are passionate about photography and wildlife, but also allowing for the utmost attention to be given to each participant. Whether it's a breeding herd of elephants or a clan of vervet monkeys swinging through the trees, you will be able to capture the movements perfectly in the company of the unobtrusive, yet ever helpful masters themselves.

Photographs are representatives of the real world, and your action pictures of animals in the wild will tell your friends back home what an amazingly, enviable trip you have been on.

Photography tours are much more than just tours, they are extended trips with hands-on instructional field work; you don't have to be a pro either as all levels of photographers are welcome; you will be helped with exposure and any techniques that you feel you want to work on.

The great thing about our Photography Tours into Africa and Madagascar is that they are all inclusive, which means you don't have to worry about a thing, except improving your photography skills and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.

Photography Tours are designed to delight the senses in every way and we at C4 Images and Safaris offer an unforgettable experience that you will want to repeat.

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JOIN US ON OUR WEIRD AND WONDERFUL MADAGASCAR PHOTOGRAPHIC TOURS

2007-01-03T13:34:00.001+02:00

The world's fourth-largest island, Madagascar is another Galapagos,a huge island off the southeast coast of Africa. Called by some ecologists as the eighth continent, it broke off from Africa's eastern coast some 160 million years ago and developed in isolation, and today the Malagasy people are warm and friendly, and the land, from the rain forest to the spiny desert to the beaches, is a wonderful place for Madagascar Photographic Tours. Wonder away from the main touring places, and you are likely to stumble across a market, a street fair or a group of musicians; providing highly treasured photographic souvenirs.

On amazing Madagascar Photographic Tours, wide angle lens will be useful for these bold creatures, but you will want a long lens for the shyer forest creatures. A macro lens will be useful because of the weird and wonderful range of insects, the wide variety of chameleons,black widow spiders, boa constrictors and frogs. Taking a close look at some of the tiny plants and animals during Madagascar Photographic Tours reveals an extraordinary world. The most spectacular moth is the comet, one of the largest in the world, with a beautiful silver cocoon.

A visit to Madagascar's most accessible Special Reserve, Périnet-Analamazoatra, is a must for anyone interested in the flora and fauna of the eastern rain forest, and this reserve protects the largest of the lemur family. Your leader on our tour will be Dr Strat Liddiard, who has travelled to Madagascar on many occasions. His passion and energy will ensure that you get to see and photograph all the best that this island has to offer.
If you would love to see one of Madagascar's biggest chameleons,Chameleon parsonii, which is bright green and 60cm long, with twin horns at the end of its snout, then an Madagascar Photographic Tour is a must for you. C4 Images and Safaris is going there in November and you do NOT want to miss it!

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

Professional Photographer

2007-01-03T11:42:00.000+02:00

What's it like to be a professional photographer? What photographic equipment do I need to become a photographer? What makes one photographer better than another? Having the right camera and lenses will make a big difference to the quality of pictures that you produce but it doesn't automatically guarantee good photos. One who is fascinated with the idea of capturing and manipulating images might choose to become a photographer; others do so because they hope to make a living at it, but the simple fact is . . .those who are interested in a career in professional photography must be creative, passionate and professional.

People interested in photography as a profession often find it fascinating to know how professional photographers actually create the kind of photographs they do. While not all photographers earn degrees, all have some sort of training; they have learned how to capture, manipulate, and develop images, understand the dynamics of light and angles, and are able to use all equipment properly.

In order for a photograph to sell, to be acceptable for publication, it has to incorporate three basic components: good composition, perfect exposure, and proper focus, and if you join a class, you will learn the likes of exposures, lighting, horizontal lines and flashes - things you will need to know if you are interested in a career of photojournalism, industrial photographer, or portrait photographer. Some professional photographers work for firms while others are entirely self employed.

If you love observing and photographing wildlife in their natural habitat, then you have something no one can ever take away from you. Passion! Photography workshops can be great learning experiences, and because wildlife photography has some special requirements, nothing beats hands-on learning under a skilled and knowledgeable wildlife photographer, and to be a professional photographer, you need to learn the techniques and secrets from the masters. Let C4 Images and Safaris help you improve your wildlife photography.

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This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris.

Lodge Photographer in South Africa

2007-01-03T11:14:00.000+02:00

South Africa boasts a huge collection of wildlife regions teeming with wildlife and landscapes, and situated within these are some of the most prestigious safari game lodges in the world, varying from rustic to luxury accommodation, all with excellent cuisine catering for those who wish to enjoy the wild in style, and the lodge photographer in South Africa captures a rich variety of colours and textures, using a variety of films --black-and-white and colour -- at different speeds and lighting techniques to find flattering or dramatic effects to show off the magnificence of South Africa's lodge accommodation. If you want to have your wedding day at a lodge a lodge photographer in South Africa ensures all emotions and elements are recorded.

Lodge photographers use the environment - after all, that's one of the reasons people choose certain lodges - so whether it's a huge oak tree in the gardens of the fanciest lodge in Mpumulanga or a sparkling pool nestling amongst huge rocks, the natural environment and the objects around you, will create a colourful palette. It's an opportunity to capture the pulsating essence of life going on around and in a lodge.

We are sure that once you have had an opportunity to view lodge facilities, you will realize what an ideal and unique place they are to compliment your very special getaway. Pleasingly different and distinctly superior; a lodge photographer in South Africa captures each uniquely designed room, making optimum use of the exquisite natural surroundings and perfect locations. South African lodges pride themselves on their reputation for warm and decadently luxurious world-class service combined with romance and privacy, and the lodge photographer in South Africa like C4 Images and Safaris have discovered the secrets of how to capture the spirit of a place and bring back images that will turn pictures into a living reality!

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* Commercial Photographer
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This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

Aerial Photographer in South Africa sees life from another perspective

2007-01-03T10:25:00.000+02:00

One type of photography that always grabs the attention of a wide number of people is aerial photography and the aerial photographer in South Africa uses skills to shoot and develop photographs from a plane, a balloon or some other device. Most aerial photography is usually done by professionals offering airborne still photography and video services, although amateur photographers can experiment with aerial photography by using kites, paragliders and remote control planes, attaching a camera to the supports and choosing the right weather conditions. An aerial photographer in South Africa is approached by various contacts to shoot images of property and scenery from the air for brochures etc.

The first known aerial photograph was taken in 1858 by French photographer and balloonist, Gaspar Felix Tournachon, but the oldest aerial photograph known to be still in existence is James Wallace Black's image of Boston from a hot-air balloon, taken in 1860.Nowadays, aerial cameras tend to be digital, and the images are of an outstanding quality, and high-resolution aerial views can be delivered right to the client's desktop on the day of shooting!

Who needs aerial photography, amongst others?

- Construction projects - historical images from an aerial photographer in South Africa capture a moment in time, and provide resources in monitoring changes and help to make decisions which will have an impact on the way our cities and landscapes appear today and for the future.

- Many companies use aerial photographs on their web sites,either for use with a map or pictorial; some have large prints in reception areas or boardrooms.

- Property for sale.

- Books, magazines and brochures for travel agents

With so many subjects, the photographic possibilities for an aerial photographer in South Africa are endless; whatever your photographic passions, you should be able to fulfill them here, but landscapes and wildlife photography offer the greatest opportunities.

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This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

AFRICA PHOTOGRAPHY TRIP TO MADAGASCAR: Unquestionably unique

2007-01-02T13:03:00.001+02:00

C4 Images and Safaris brings you the tour of a lifetime. If you have seen spectacular wildlife in many parts of the world, nothing can equal the surprises of Madagascar's small-scale marvels, such as the spiny tenrec, the spiders with their golden webs, the weird and colourful beetles and the endearing lemurs. For an Africa Photography Trip to Madagascar, these creatures are absolute winners! For most people, it's the flora and fauna that draws them to Madagascar and any scientific expedition always finds new species; in short, whatever species you are observing, on an Africa Photography Trip to Madagascar, you are unlikely to have seen it elsewhere.

Madagascar is a wildlife treasure-trove of exotic plants and animals who find themselves in beautiful rain forests boasting fantastic orchid gardens, waterfalls, dozens of bird and reptile species, and many different types of lemurs.

Arriving in Antanarivo, known as Tana, is deliciously foreign, and the brightly coloured houses stacked up the hillsides and the rice paddies right up to the edge of the city means that an Africa Photography Trip to Madagascar will immediately produce some enchanting pics!

Maroantsetra is a sought after destination fornaturalists and wildlife enthusiasts because of the nearby island reserve of Nosy Mangabe and the Masoala Peninsula with its pristine rain forest. Nosy Mangabe is an extraordinary beautiful island with sand coves and a hill topped by a lighthouse with lovely views.

Some big days of dedicated birding really pay off on an Africa Photography Trip to Madagascar where you can get delightful shots of Yellow-bellied Sunbird Asities, the Madagascar Yellowbrow, Common Sunbird Asity, as well as others.
Join us at C4 Images and Safaris as we travel through Madagascar in November to a place where you get the world's most photogenic animals, birds and insects. Our trips always coincide with the times nature puts on her best displays. Perfect your photographic skills and take photo's that will help you never forget this unique island with C4 Images and Safaris.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

DO JUSTICE TO THE REGION ON AN AFRICA PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR TO THE OKAVANGO DELTA

2007-01-02T12:54:00.001+02:00

There is a perceptible air of excitement as you alight from your aircraft in Maun, the hot dry air making you acutely conscious of the fact that you are now in the heart of Africa. Four wheel drives are everywhere and there is a hum of activity at the airport where the administrative headquarters of the camps and lodges are located. This is the starting place for an Africa Photography Tour to the Okavango Delta, where the pervading tranquility will make you feel completely at one with nature.

Persistence and patience come easily to those who are at home in the wilds; and an Africa Photography Tour to the Okavango Delta is where your camera should be up and switched on, even if there is not a creature in sight, because a fish eagle could suddenly fly in and land on a nearby tree stump or a submerged crocodile could snap at a frog. To capture an excellent shot, in addition to sharp focus and a lucky angle, you'll also need quick reflexes and a camera with a rapid shutter-release.

Kwara is a magnificent wilderness area bordering the Moremi Reserve. An Africa Photography Tour to the Okavango Delta includes this shimmering and unique watery jewel in the middle of the Kalahari desert because it encompasses a wide diversity of habitats;from lagoons and channels, to open grasslands, mopane woodlands and palm-fringed islands.

At C4 Images and Safaris, we can't help but share our love for teaching photography in such awesome surroundings.
Wild and beautiful environments for photographing nature still abound in Africa, just step off the beaten track with C4 Images and Safaris on an Africa Photography Tour to the Okavango Delta where a good photographer can do justice to the region in pictures, not words.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

PHOTOGRAPHY TRIPS TO THE AFRICAN BUSH: your happiest holiday photos

2007-01-02T12:50:00.001+02:00

Every animal, large and small, in the massive kaleidoscope of flora and fauna upon this planet, fits into some niche within the wilderness scheme of things, and each one finds nutrition, wards off enemies,survives seasonal changes and produces offspring, and it's these survivors who have adapted to changing circumstances, who are the inspiration for wonderful Photography Trips to the African bush where we can witness the thrilling spectacle of the haunting dawn of an African day.

It is only when one has discovered the wonders of Photography Trips to the African bush that one's passions and artistry combine to propel the photographer into an experience unmatched in its spontaneity,creativity and success.

On day and night game drives or bush walks,as the day develops into mid-morning, the shy cheetah emerges from furtive scrub and lolls across an ant heap to study antelope, its face markings and polka dot coat well suited to the immediate environment. The yellow beak of a hornbill flashes briefly in the dazzling sun, while never-still silhouettes of baboon seem distrustful of the comparative quiet, while a pair of fish eagles perch observantly on a tall dead tree. Photography Trips to the African bush make the personal discovery of wilderness a never-ending, completely rewarding process!

Photography Trips to the African bush will give photographers time and opportunity to put new skills into action in the field under the guidance of passionate and experienced photographers.

The common thread uniting those who sign up for photography trips to the African bush is a love of Africa, and more particularly the African bush. Travellers are enamored by Africa's wealth of photo opportunities, and at C4 Images and Safaris we constantly update the range of areas we travel to in order to make sure our clients experience some of the greatest concentrations of wildlife, as well as to experience superb lodgings for an all round ultimate Photography Trip.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

Desert and Delta Photo Safari

2007-01-02T12:46:00.002+02:00

Of the natural phenomenons in the world, the Okavango Delta in Botswana has to be one of the most spectacular. Every year, flood waters drain into what would otherwise be dry Kalahari sands.

These waters support a whole eco-system and attract game animals from many miles away, leading to one of the highest concentrations of large game animals in Africa. Hippopotomus wallow in the reed lined channels, water-birds of all manner fly around the floodplains and herds of elephants and buffalo wade in the shallows. The Okavango offers the quintessential African wildlife experience- and this tour heads straight into its depths. Join C4 Images and Safaris on a Photographic Safari that captures the essence of the Okavango Delta.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

LODGE PHOTOGRAPHY - so good you can conjour up the sights, sounds and smells

2007-01-02T09:43:00.001+02:00

Open grasslands and an abundance of wild animals attract tourists from around the world to the South African bushveld - and there's no better way to experience it than to spend some time in one of the many private game lodges around the country. But which one to choose, especially when lodge photography conveys a welcoming and enticing message through the pictures portrayed in magazines, brochures and the Internet. South Africa's game lodges regularly win world travel awards and are renowned for a sophisticated elegance imbued with the spirit of the wilderness, and lodge photography plays a huge role in showcasing lodge accommodation to the world.

It's a tricky task to take good photographs, but its vital to have photos that are professionally presented, because if your lodge looks shoddy or unprofessional, not only are tourists going to find it unappealing, they're going to associate you with being shoddy and unprofessional.

If you are serious about your lodge, what it looks like inside and out, any photo will simply just not be good enough in today's ever-increasing, critical market place. When creative photographers pick up a camera and enjoy the excitement of taking good pictures, you will be able to immediately glean profits - because that is what effective lodge photography does!

The sounds, the sites, the smells - our pictures of lodges can certainly conjure up some great expectations which the discerning traveller looks for when making a choice.

Elegant lodges are uniquely designed in perfect harmony with nature, offering world-class sophistication and style combined with uncompromising high standard of service, efficiency and personalized attention, all in a relaxing atmosphere, and it is our mission at C4 Images and Safaris to provide lodge photography that relates this message through our pictures. Good lodge photography is about wanting to visit and revisit over and over again.

This article first appeared on C4 Images and Safaris

News

2007-01-01T13:36:00.002+02:00

National Geographic/Getaway Photo Workshop

Articles

2007-01-01T13:25:00.003+02:00

Photographer for Lodge
Photography Tour to desert and Delta
Photography trips to the African Bush
Photography Trips to the Okavango Delta
African Photography Trip to Madagascar

Madagascar Photographic Tours
Mashatu Photography Safari
Okavango delta
Sabi Sands Safari
Specialized Photographic Safaris

Essays

2007-01-01T12:53:00.005+02:00

A Landscape of Insect - Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa
Skimming the Light - Okavango Pan Handle, Botswana
Ocean Stars. Whale Trail, Southern Cape, de Hoop Nature Reserve
Bat eared Fox - Kgalagadi Tranfrontier Park, South Africa
Fiery necked Nightjar, Drotsky's Cabins, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Lesser Flamingos -Lake Nakuru, Kenya
White-Faced Ducks - Austen Roberts
Lion Chase - Deception Valley, Botswana
Black Bellied Bustard Display - Lebala, Botswana
Dune Scale - Dead Tree Pan, Namibia
Cattle Egret Flight - Ampijora, Madagascar
Wild Dog Ghost - Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana
Leopard Portrait - Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana
Elephant Crossing (and camera crushing) - Mashatu Game Reserve Botswana
Dusting Desert Elephant
Masai Mara, Cheetah

Improve Your Photography

2007-01-01T12:15:00.001+02:00

Part 1 - Intro
Part 2 - Intro
Part 3 - Intro
Part 4 - Intro
Part 5 - Light
Part 6 - Composition
Part 7 - Composition
Part 8 - Colours, Shapes and patterns
Part 9 - People
Part 10 - Aperture and Shutter Speed
Part 11 - Patterns and Creativity
Part 12 - Creative Techniques