Photo of the Day

Lioness and Cub, Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Ndutu), Tanzania, January 2008

Canon 1DsMkIII, 400mm f/4 + 1.4x, 1/400sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400

Photo of the Day

Hippo, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, January 2008

Canon 1DsMkIII, 400mm f/4 DO IS, 1/1000 @ f/5.0, ISO 400, handheld

Back in the saddle

I am back from Tanzania, and I have many blog entries to write in the next few days about my latest experiences and photographs. Now it is time to backup my Macbook Pro to my desktop, start processing images, jump back into my family life and start knocking off the 65+ to-do items on the list that I created on the flight back home.

No rest for the weary.

Photo of the day

Running Wildebeest, Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Ndutu), January 2008

Canon EOS 1DMkIII, 100-400mm, 1/15 @ f/11, ISO 100

Safari wrapup

I am still out in the Serengeti, heading back to Arusha by bush plane tomorrow morning. I will be back out on safari in a couple of days, so I am leaving all of my camera gear here at camp while I am in town.

The rains have been amazing, as they are not expected in the month of January. Ndutu and the central Serengeti is quite green right now, keeping the dust to a minimum. Game is plenty, based on a few statstics I have kept over the past 8 days:

 

97 lions

4 cheetahs
4 leopard (including 2 cubs)
2 rhino
6 serval cats

I don't like to measure trips in this way, but it does give a feeling as to the abundance of wildlife here in Tanzania. We caught up with the migration at Ndutu, with the bulk of the herds in the southern plains to the south.our group had some amazing wildebeest birthing scenes, as newborn calves took their first steps. Bat-eared foxes, jackals, hyenas and vultures were plentiful, as were zebra, topi, hartebeest and eland.

I am looking forward to a day of rest before flying back to camp in the central Serengeti. There is something magical about this place. With rain clouds on the horizon, one can capture dynamic light at all times of the day.

I am having fun with my 6x24 panorama film camera, even though it has limited use. I only brought a 180mm lens with me, which is great for landscapes but limiting for wildlife. I think I have a few shots that I will be proud of. Using a viewfinder on the camera is quite challenging, and I am glad that I am capturing in an ultrawide format, which leaves room for cropping on the sides. I guess it allows me to be sloppy when working quickly.

Safari njema (safe safari)

Safari update from Ngorongoro

We arrived at Ngorongoro today, and after a brief lunch at camp we headed down into one of most game rich areas on the planet. Within minutes we witnessed a cheetah hunt of thompson gazelle, which wasn't successful for the cheetah. It was extremely exciting for my safari group to witness and photograph. There were many high fives and chuckles of joy at the sight. We also had excellent rhino sightings and lion sightings. If you add yesterday's leopard sighting at Tarangire, we have had some of the most amazing sightings that there is to see. We still have another week to go, and I cannot wait to make it to the Serengeti in a few days.

I am able to update this blog from my Macbook Pro computer, as I have a wireless data card connected to Celtel Tanzania's gprs data service. Technology at its finest. Heck, even my Blackberry Curve works in most places out in the bush.

The craft of photography versus the art of photography

I have been battling the urge to abandon all of my 35mm digital equipment lately, in favor of more traditional equipment. The main reason is that I find myself wanting larger printed images for sale, and the only solution I can come up with is to move back to large sheets or rolls of film. I have this drive to create more unique images than what I share or post online, and when I look at the requirements to fulfill a certain vision or look, my current equipment doesn't seem to satisfy the end goal.

Case in point. How can I create black and white images that can be enlarged to 40x60"? The only thing I can come up with is that I need to go back to shooting with a large format camera. But talk about completely impractical for wildlife photography. I am moving away from the more literal color type imagery, in favor of more moody black and white images.

So I have come up with a plan for 2008. I am going to try to think in black and white as my primary driving force behind my images. I have purchased a Fotoman 6x24cm panorama film camera. I am going to shoot both film and digital starting this week in Tanzania. I have absolutely no idea what I am getting myself into with this huge panorama camera, but I think 2008 is going to be fun fun fun. I exposed film for the first time since early 2002, and although I don't prefer film, I can live with it if I am able to yield the results. The proof will be in the final prints that I am able to create.

I wasn't able to obtain all of the kit that I need for my safari that begins on Monday, but I do have a Fujinon 180mm lens for the camera. I have a Nikkor 300m lens, but I am waiting on the proper cone to arrive. Looks like the 300mm lens will have to wait until my Botswana and South Africa trip in April.

Lioness yawning on a kopje, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Canon 1DsMkII, 500mm + 1.4x, 1/640 sec @ f/8, ISO 400

A few days ago I decided to test some of the most common films on the market. I purchased four films: Fuji Provia 400x, Fuji Acros Neopan 100, Kodak Portra 400NC and Kodak Tri-x 400. I do envision that all of my images will be in black and white, but I just don't know. I ultimately decided on the Fuji Provia 400X for soft light and Kodak Portra 400NC for contrasty light. My friend Danny Burk is my preferred person for the scanning of these huge pieces of film. 6x24cm is extremely wide, and only 3 exposures can fit on a full roll of medium format 120 film. I will be taking roughly 20 rolls of film, so only 60 exposures in total.

I really don't know what has gotten inside my head, but I have a certain 'look' that I am dying to play around with. I also anticipate adopting medium format digital in 2008 if all goes as planned. I am in search of larger file sizes, larger prints and a new look to my images. We shall see. In the end this panorama project may not work out at all. But I will feel better that I at least tried it out.

Wish me luck.

Wetpixel Quarterly

My friend Eric Cheng has launched an amazing publication, Wetpixel Quarterly, and if you are interested in underwater photography you owe it to yourself to subscribe to this new publication. When Eric showed me the 1st issue, I was blown away at the quality of photographs inside.

What is Wetpixel Quarterly?

Wetpixel Quarterly is a new print magazine devoted to high-quality underwater photography.

Each quarter, we pack its pages with brilliant underwater imagery from both professional and amateur photographers around the world. As well as celebrating the beauty of the deep, Wetpixel Quarterly provides a forum for a necessary dialog on marine conservation among photographers, researchers, conservationists, and the general public. Wetpixel Quarterly is an extension of Wetpixel.com, the premiere online community for underwater photographers and videographers.

Where can I find Wetpixel Quarterly?

Wetpixel Quarterly is a new publication and is available for purchase online and through select dive shops, fish stores (aquaria), and boutique book stores. The best way to get Wetpixel Quarterly is subscribe or purchase back issues right here (online)!

How do I subscribe?

 
The best way to subscribe is to do it online.

If you are afraid of the web, you may subscribe via phone or snail mail. Pricing for subscriptions can be found on the .
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Here is a quick preview of the first issue. Click through to see more.