South Africa – Page 22 – Jennifer Sawicky Photography

September 22, 2019

2019-09-22: Photo Art – Rhinos

Today is World Rhino Day, so I decided to combine that with my photo art project for the month, and edit some of the rhino images I took on my last trip.

I won’t go on and on about the plight of the rhino, and of the greed, arrogance and ignorance of humans that has fuelled their decline and cluttered news feeds with horrifying photos of poaching. Other people can do that far better than I.

I simply want to live in a world where rhinos can live in peace. And I will hold that thought in my mind and in my heart, and hope that it becomes a reality.

As with all the other posts in this series, these images were created from photos I took, modified primarily using Topaz Studio to create these effects.

September 11, 2019

2019-09-11: Wordless Wednesday

September 9, 2019September 8, 2019

2019-09-09: Monochrome Monday

Like impala, vervet monkeys can sometimes be seen so frequently from camp and when out on game drives that you stop paying attention to them, or taking the time to take photos of them. The alarm calls of the vervet monkeys can sometimes lead to predator sightings, so they are definitely an animal worth paying attention to out in the bush. They are interesting and inquisitive animals, and can often be seen up in the trees near camp buffet tables, trying to work out the best way to steal a muffin.

None of the vervet monkeys in the photos below were up to any such mischief (though I have seen it happen many times). These were from two different troops that we stopped to spend time with while out on game drives in May.

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September 8, 2019

2019-09-08: Photo Art – Giraffes

I’m focusing on photo art this month, and decided to start things off focusing on giraffes. The easily recognizable shape of a giraffe meant that no matter how far I took the editing, the shape of the animal would still be recognizable as a giraffe.

Since I don’t have any natural talents in drawing and painting, creating these painterly interpretations from the photographs that I take is my opportunity to set aside the need to keep an image looking realistic, and instead focus on what the image is saying to me.

I hope you like my selections for the week; check back next Sunday to see the next instalment.

DSCF0209 copy-Edit — I took this image in a lot of different directions before coming up with this final edit. It is almost starting to resemble a photograph of a giraffe painted on the fabric.

DSCF2515 copy copy-1-Edit — The rosy tint and soft focus effects give this image the feel of a vintage photograph.

DSCF2750 copy-1-Edit — Even though they are enormous animals, giraffes have an amazing ability to blend into their surroundings. I wanted to highlight the camouflage nature of the coat in this edit.

XT3X2698 copy-Edit — This giraffe image reminds me of some of the animal paintings I have seen in old stately homes.

September 2, 2019

2019-09-02: Monochrome Monday

Today I wanted to share a few of the images that I captured while driving the Panorama Route in South Africa earlier this year. It’s a beautiful scenic drive with lots of opportunities to stop and take short walks to view waterfalls and breathtaking vistas, like the three rondavels. If you are travelling to South Africa, it is definitely a day trip worth taking.

I hope you enjoy my selections for the day, and wishing everyone a fantastic week ahead!

DSCF0110 copy-Edit — The three rondavels under stormy looking skies (not a drop of rain fell during the entire time I spent in South Africa though).

DSCF0115 — Some of the small waterfalls at Bourke’s Luck Potholes, another stop along the panorama route.

August 31, 2019

2019-08-31: Birds – Shades of Blue

Travelling through southern Africa, pretty much any time of year, will provide the opportunity to see a great variety of birds. Today I chose to focus on ones with feathers in shades of blue. I hope you enjoy the variety of images today, and wishing you a wonderful weekend!

DSCF0874 copy-Edit — A lilac breasted roller

DSCF0927 copy-Edit copy — A burchell’s starling

DSCF2172 — A pair of cape glossy starlings

DSCF2569 copy-Edit — A cape glossy starling

XT3X4113 copy-Edit — A wire-tailed swallow

DSCF0017 copy-Edit.jpg — A double-collared sunbird

DSCF0891 copy-Edit.jpg — A lilac breasted roller

August 28, 2019August 27, 2019

2019-08-28: Wordless Wednesday

August 26, 2019

2019-08-26: Monochrome Monday

It’s no secret that I love elephants, and that I love editing elephant images in black and white. Here are a few from my most recent travels. I hope they brighten up your Monday 🙂

DSCF2572 copy-Edit — This little elephant was precocious and kept all of us laughing and smiling as he played with sticks and branches, tossing them over his head.

DSCF3044 — A mama guiding her young calf across the road to join the rest of the herd.

DSCF3718 — Another adorable youngster; this one was very inquisitive and spent lots of time near the vehicle, seeing what we were all about.

XT3X3671 — A large bull elephant in musth. Our guide was very cautious as this guy approached us on the road, but the elephant turned off into the bushes, after giving his head a dramatic shake at us.

XT3X4281 — Drinks stop while Mom graves.

August 25, 2019

2019-08-25: Red-billed Queleas

It seems a little bit strange creating a blog post that doesn’t actually show you what a red-billed quelea looks like up close. I don’t think on any of my trips to southern Africa I have managed to get that type of shot. What I wanted to share with you today was some shots of the stunning murmurations that the quelea display.

These little birds are the most abundant bird species on earth, and many farmers consider them a pest, given the way they can strip a cultivated field in the blink of an eye. I can understand the devastation that they cause when they end up in cultivated areas on mass, but watching them out in the bush against a colourful sunset is an absolute sight to behold (and definitely one worth putting down the sundowner glass of wine, and picking up the camera).

My only regret is I didn’t switch into video mode at any of these sightings; I’ll put that on my to-do list for the next time. 🙂

I hope you enjoy these images, and wishing you a fantastic week ahead.

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