The third most popular post of the year was a response to a topic from Cee’s Fun Foto website, Black and White Close Ups. Of course, I featured my favourite animal, the elephant. 2016-06-04: CBWC-Close Ups
I spent a lot of time in Kenya amongst elephants and managed to get a good number of close up shots that I liked. I hope you enjoy this one as well.
The end of the year is a great time to reflect on the path that has been travelled over the year, and the ones that you hope to travel on in the coming year. 2016 has been an interesting, and really good year. The photos below encompass some of my thoughts about the various paths that I am on.
There are times when the path is clear; you know where you are going and the way is easily defined. If you have to retrace your steps for some reason, it’s easy to get back where you started.
Sand Forest, Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa.
On some days, the path might seem barren and you feel all alone, but you never know what might pop up ahead.
A saddle billed stork takes to the road. Amboseli National Park, Kenya.
Sometimes others will doubt that you are on a path at all; they will question your direction and your vision. But you know exactly where you are going.
An elephant heads towards the river for an early morning drink. Ishasha Sector, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda.
Sometimes you need to create your own path. You can’t see where you are headed, and if you try to turn around, the way is just as obscured. Going on intuition is the only way forward.
A leopard moving through the tall grasses, Ishasha Sector, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda.
Sometimes the only thing to do is take a break, rest, and return to the path later on. This is especially true when you have no idea what you are doing, or where you are going!
Silverback Makara rests on one of the game trails in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest, Uganda.
Something a little different for today’s Monochrome Monday. During last week’s full moon, the moonrise happened while I was out on my afternoon walk with Spencer. I hadn’t planned on taking any photos, but it looked so lovely rising above a farm in my neighbourhood, I had to try to capture a few quick shots. It was also -28C and standing still for any length of time was not going to happen (neither was spending much time without my mittens on!)
Handheld with a fairly slow shutter speed, I managed to get a clear shot, but it was so dark and noisy, it wasn’t going to work as a traditional landscape shot. So I played around instead, and came up with this interpretation. It’s very dark and moody, but I liked it and thought I would share.
For the coming year, I plan to continue to challenge myself to explore new places, walk my own path, and plan adventures to the places that call to me.
That’s what I did in 2016, and it has been a fabulous year.
From my time in the Masai Mara in September, the dawn of a new day.
As promised on Sunday, another selection of birds of Southern Africa.
Enjoy, and have a wonderful day!
The beautiful lilac breasted roller.A yellow-throated long claw seen at Phinda.A pied kingfisher in the reeds of the Okavango Delta.A lilac breasted roller… even the guide couldn’t figure out exactly what it was doing.A lappet-faced vulture seen in the Kalahari Desert.Guinea fowl roosting in the treetops.A glossy starling.A common fiscal.
