Photo of the Day

Acacias, Sunset and Dust, Ndutu, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania. February 2005

Canon 1DMkII, 24-70mm f/2.8 L, 1/640 @ f/9, ISO 160

Photo of the Day

Flight over the Namib Desert, Namibia. September 2008

Canon 1DsMkIII, 24-105mm

Photo of the Day

Kolmanskop, Namibia. September 2008

Canon 1DsMkIII, 16-35mm, 1/20 sec @ f/8, ISO 100

I absolutely love photographing the deserted mining town of Kolmanskop, Namibia. It is an excellent location to exercise many different techniques: low light photography, reflected light studies, architecture and color. This is one of those unique locations where you can photograph at any hour of the day, as most of your shooting is done indoors. I had passed by this scene earlier in the morning, but there really wasn't much to photograph. I came back later, and as I was passing by the house I noticed the light coming through the wooden slats in the ceiling. Bravo! It was great seeing this room come into its own, with all of the light patterns reflecting off of the blue and yellow walls. It may not be noticable in this small representation on the blog, but I like how the sand dune is framed through the doorway. Cool light = foreground and warm light = background.

Photo of the Day

Afternoon Walk

Vumbura Plains, Okavango Delta, Botswana. September 2008

Canon 1DsMkIII, 400mm f/4 DO IS, 1/400 sec @ f/8, ISO 800

Photo of the Day

Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia. September 2008

Canon EOS 1DsMkIII, 24-105mm f/4 L IS

Photo of the Day

Quelea

Okavango Delta, Botswana, September 2008

Canon EOS 1DsMkIII, 400mm f/4 DO IS, 1/1250 sec @ f/4, ISO 800

Botswana game drive vehicles

Four Ducks in a Row

Okavango Delta, Botswana

Our illustrious guide Tony jumped out to grab a quick shot of Derrick, Thomas, Mark and myself on a morning game drive. The vehicles in Botswana are not typically like the one in this image, as most are of a newer generation if you are staying at a Wilderness Safaris camp in the delta. What this image illustrates is how a typical configuration will be with  3 rear rows of seats, with each row slightly taller than the one in front of each other. I actually prefer the front seat position, as this allows me to chat with the guide, make recommendations for subject selection and vehicle placement, and it is also a good position for taking a photograph. The lower(st) position(s) are good for being at eye level with your subject. The middle and rear seats are also great as sometimes grass can be in your way between you and your subject, and these rear seats can help get you a different angle with nothing in the way. There are no bad seats in any of these vehicles, and all guides will work with you to make sure that all photographers have a good shooting position.

Game Vehicle, Okavango Delta, Botswana

Teya, John, Michael, Linda and Forest

Here we have a vehicle that has been configured the same from a seating point of view, but with the addition of an overhead sun shade. Note: many camps can remove the sun shade at your request if you prefer to have a wide open view for shooting birds in flight. It is a personal decision, as well as a camp's decision. It is common for camps to leave the canopy on during the warmer months of the year, and will remove it during the cooler months of the year. I don't have a real preference either way, but I do see both sides. Having the canopy off is good if the upright bars are in your way, but you might want the canopy for the hot sun in the warmer months. Camps are less likely to change the canopy setup if you do not have sole use of the vehicle, as your decision will affect others and their safari experience.

Photo of the Day

Helicopter Time

Canon 1DsMkIII, 15mm fisheye

Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana, April 2008

Here is the helicopter we use in Botswana. It is a Jet Ranger 2-blade configuration, and Peter Perlstein the pilot is one of the most professional people in the business. He also tells great bush stories. When we fly with him, we are able to take the doors off, and 3 photographers can shoot at a time. Each photographer has his/her own spot to shoot from, all with fantastic views. In my own experience, a minimum of 1/1000 shutter speed is required to pull off a sharp image. 4-rotor helicopters might be less, but 1/1000 is a safe place to be if you can pull it off. Shutter speed priority should be used over aperture priority, or full manual mode if you are comfortable with it. In my experience shutter speed priority is better than manual mode because the light is always changing. I prefer to use 2 cameras, something like a 24-70 or 24-105mm on one camera and a 70-200mm on the other.