Posted on

2018-04-16: Monochrome Monday

I’m starting the week off with an adorable baby elephant that I had the pleasure of spending part of my last morning on safari with.  It never hurts to start the week with something sweet 🙂

Wishing you all a fantastic week ahead.

20180416_MM.jpg

Posted on

2018-04-22: Wide Angles Project

My wide angles only project took a bit of an unexpected detour this week, into video editing.  I took loads of GoPro stills and video during my 2016 trip to Uganda and Kenya, and never did anything with them.  I think I edited one, possibly two GoPro still images.   Since the GoPro is by design a very wide angle camera, I thought going through my archives to find some still shots might be fun, but it turned out that compiling a video was more compelling.

I’ve created a short video that follows my journey through Uganda; from Kihihi to Bwindi, onto Ishasha, the Kazinga Channel, the Kyambura Gorge, Kibale Forest and then ending in Entebbe.  The still image for the post and the video of the Batwa tribe were shot with my Nikon camera, but the balance was all with the GoPro, generally on a head mount or out the window of a vehicle.  Video is not something I’ve ever spent much time on, but it does provide a good feel for what the areas, and a little glimpse into what the gorilla and chimp treks are like.  Pardon the shakiness at times and awkward head bobbing; when I was with the gorillas I was taking stills with my Nikon while wearing the GoPro on a head mount.

I hope you enjoy this week’s project. I’ll be going through my Kenya videos for next week.

Wishing you all a fantastic week ahead.

 

 

 

 

Posted on

2018-04-10: WPC – Smile

The photo prompt of the week is smile; either an image of a smile, or something that makes you smile.  Since baby animals are a universal crowd pleaser, here are a fewer images of youngsters that have made me smile.

I hope you enjoy!

20170512-DSC_4861
A trio of cheetah cubs braving a late afternoon windstorm.  Their mother was nearby, definitely ill at ease because of the weather.
20170514-DSC_5619
Looks at the big full bellies of these lion cubs.  They were going back and forth between the females, greeting each with affection.
20170516-DSC_7766
A pair of leopard cubs playing amongst the fallen branches in a ravine.  These two were all over the place; there Mom definitely had her work cut out for her.
20170516-DSC_6755 copy
The tiniest lion cubs I have had the privilege of seeing.  Their Mom had brought down a giraffe calf, but these two were more interested in playing than feeding.  They were under 3 weeks old.
20170516-DSC_7263
An elephant calf having a go at the balance beam 🙂  He came pretty close to ending up in a heap on the ground, but recovered from it well.
20170517-DSC_8340
I don’t think I have ever seen anyone smiling as much as our ranger when we were at this sighting.  To say he was thrilled is a complete understatement.  A dream come true, once in a lifetime moment on safari.
20170517-DSC_8560 copy
This is where mama leopard stashed her two youngsters.  The hollowed log didn’t make for the best photo opportunities, but it did make for a very safe spot for these leopard cubs to stay hidden and out of danger.

WPC: Smile

Posted on

2018-04-09: Monochrome Monday

A trio of cats to start the week.

Wishing you all a fantastic one ahead 🙂

20170507-DSC_3505
This leopard was the star of many of my images one evening in the Okavango Delta.  We stayed with him while he lounged in the tree, while another vehicle from the lodge was making its way over so some late arriving guests could spend some time with him as well.  Since I had spent over an hour with him at sunset, this night image under spotlight was captured just an opportunity to play around later with editing.
20170511-DSC_4723
As soon as this young cheetah rested her head down, she was invisible in the grass.  With the location she was in, I am still in awe of the tracker that spotted her.
20170515-DSC_6410
The king of the savannah heads off to patrol his territory (or find some shade for a nap).  Given the amount of time lions sleep, it was probably the less glamorous sounding second option.

 

If you’d like to see more images like this, head over to my gallery to see some of my favourite.  And remember, you can find beautiful textiles with my images on my Vida site.

Posted on

2018-04-08: Wide Angles Only – Cottonwood Park

It’s only the second instalment of my wide angles only topic for the month, and I was honestly ready to bail on it already.  The days when it was nice this week, I was knee deep in work and couldn’t sneak off with my camera.  Then the weekend arrived with the promise of more free time to get out and explore, and for the most part, dull, grey skies have been the order of the days.  Add to that the slowly melting snow carpeting the landscape in a dirty blanket and you’ve not really got the recipe for epic landscape images.

But, despite all that, I went out for a wander in one of the local parks yesterday and I had a great time.  Sure it was muddy and slushy and lots of paths and areas were inaccessible, but it felt awesome to go out and shoot.  It was also fun to be limited by only having one lens with a small range, and having to focus on things that wouldn’t probably be my first inclination.

I’m definitely going to have to get creative though if I am going to come up with something for each Sunday of April.  Stop by next weekend to see what I have come up with.

I hope you enjoy the selections for this week.

20180408_WideAngles1
A foot bridge heading into Cottonwood Park in Prince George.  1/150 sec, f13, ISO 400 at 10mm.
20180408_WideAngles2
Do you feel like you are being watched?  The park features several carvings in the massive trees that line the paths.   1/180sec, f6.4, ISO 400, 10mm
20180408_WideAngles3
Another view of one of the carvings in the trees.  1/450sec, f6.4, ISO 400, 10mm.
20180408_WideAngles4
This is as colourful as the day was when I was out wandering.  Even then, I still applied a “colour boost” filter during editing.  1/5800 sec, f4, ISO400, 10mm
20180408_WideAngles5
The trees reaching their barren limbs up towards the sunshine.  Soon, there will be leaves to obscure all the birds that chirped and sung as I wandered along.  1/340 sec, f20, ISO 400
20180408_WideAngles6
I had never contemplated photographing a small, fast moving bird like a chickadee with a wide angle lens.  But the birds in the park are so tame and used to people, that I had one land on my hat while I was taking images of the face in the trees.  I crouched in front of this stump after seeing the birds landing on it, pre-focused, and waited for one to stop by.  1/680 sec, f4, ISO 400 at 24mm
Posted on

2018-04-03: WPC Rise/Set

The photo challenge topic of the week is sunrise and sunset.  Here is one of each from my travels in Southern Africa.

20170517-DSC_8210 copy
Sunrise on my last dat of safari.  May, 2017.
20170505-DSC_2376 copy
A flock of red-billed quelea searching for a spot to roost as night falls over the Okavango Delta.  May, 2017

 

 

WPC: Rise/Set

Posted on

2018-04-02: Monochrome Monday

Does this bring back memories of childhood for anyone else?  Of the times when your sibling was being a complete jerk and Mom looked on and told you to sort it out for yourselves??? 🙂

Happy Monday Everyone!

20180402_MM.jpg
Got your tail!  A pair of leopard cubs play under the watchful gaze of their Mom.  Londolozi, May 2017.