2017-08-15: Ngala Tented Camp

It was a soggy day flying from Phinda to Ngala, which was my second to last stop on my trip.  It’s tough thought o be too upset about rain in locations where it has been desperately needed for years, and besides, we only had two days with any rain over a four week period, which is pretty fantastic from a sightseeing perspective (especially in an open vehicle).  I have spent time at Ngala previously (you can check out some past highlights here if you want).

We only had two days at the camp, but they were filled with lots of laughs with our wonderful ranger Lee-Anne, some fantastic game viewing, and really great meals.  The first game drive was a soggy one, but we didn’t let that get our spirits down, and we ended up seeing both lion and leopard on the same game drive – not too shabby!

I hope you enjoy a small selection of the photos that I took at this beautiful property.

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Not the most amazing image, but what a sight to see.  I was in the furthest tent from the main lodge, and as I left my room to head over for some lunch, I noticed a pair of elephants climbing the banks on the opposite side of the dry riverbed.  Here one of them pauses to dig a bit in the dirt on the side of the steep bank.
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Fabulous things happen when you follow the clues provided by nature, rather than having a hard and fast plan as to what needs to be seen.  Lee-Anne spotted a large number of vultures moving swiftly in one direction, so we followed the birds and found this young male leopard with an impala kill.
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Family greetings, lion style.  I chose monochrome for this image as I feel it really highlights how well these big cats can blend into the bushes.  I’m sure you didn’t notice the two cats blurred in the background, and you probably wouldn’t see them if driving past on the road either.  Animals have wonderful ways to camouflage themselves.
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After the rainstorm, we woke up to a chilly morning and this grey go-away bird had not warmed up enough yet to fly.  He was perched on a branch right next to the road, allowing me to get a few nice shots.
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If ever a face said “Non shall pass” this is it.  This old bull was lying in our pathway through the riverbed, but we certainly were not going to try and make him move.  Our vehicle may have been bigger, but we went around.
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A lioness looks on towards a herd of zebra and impala.  The herd saw her immediately, so there was no point in moving any closer.
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A small dam and the dissipating clouds from an early morning storm.
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An amazing sky during a small morning rain shower.  We had some rain, and amazing sunrise and double rainbows all at one time.

 

Please visit:
www.jennifersawickyphotography.com for wildlife, landscape and nature inspired artwork.

and

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2017-08-13: Smoky Skies

Wildfires have been raging in British Columbia for the past two months, and while thankfully we have remained removed from the height of the chaos, we are definitely close enough to feel the effects.  My city has been one of several hubs for people that have been evacuated from their homes due to the proximity of the fires, and depending on the wind and other atmospheric conditions, we have been on occasion inundated with smoke.

The past week has been smoky on and off and I’ve been photographing the intensely orange sunrises over the past few days; things turned quite eerie though yesterday afternoon, and this morning the smoke is so thick, I’ll be foregoing my normal walk around the neighbourhood.  It’s rained on and off through the night, and it smells like a huge, washed out campfire outside at the moment.

Here are few images from the past week.

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Sunrise yesterday morning while out walking.  
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A reflection of trees on my car, which was covered in a layer of fine ash.
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Sunset is currently around 8:45pm.  This was last night at 7:01pm.  The sky began turning a strange yellow/grey/green colour around 2:00pm, and it just got creepier as the day wore on.
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Sunrise through a layer of smoke on Wednesday.
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This morning outside my home; the smoke hanging thickly amongst the trees.  An hour later, it’s grown darker rather than brighter.
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Tuesday also provided a rather colourful sunrise through a layer of smoke.

2017-07-20: WPC Unusual

The photo topic of the week is Unusual… which could be taken in just about any imaginable direction.  But I’m turning towards a stunning show mother nature put on while I was on safari.

While staying at Ngala in South Africa, we departed for our morning game drive under dark and drizzly skies, but with the promise of a clearing day ahead.  Our route took us through a very open area, giving us a great vantage to both the east and west.  To the east, the sun breaking through the clouds, the sky on fire with intense colour.  Above us, rainfall.  And to the west, the moon still visible and a double rainbow arcing across the sky.  It was the first time I recall seeing a sunrise rainbow, and definitely the first I’ve seen on safari.

What a morning 🙂

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Please visit:

www.jennifersawickyphotography.com for wildlife, landscape and nature inspired artwork.

and

https://shopvida.com/collections/voices/jennifer-sawicky for textiles inspired by my photography.

 

WPC: Unusual

 

2017-06-16: Feel Good Friday

The skies here have been pretty dreary the last couple days, so I thought seeing a few African sunrises would perk me up.

Wishing everyone a great weekend ahead 🙂

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Sunrise on the Masai Mara, Kenya.  September, 2016.
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A misty sunrise in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda.  September 2016.
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A sunrise with giraffes on the Masai Mara.

2017-06-04: Artistic Impressions

I’m busily working behind the scenes trying to get my photos catalogued and rated so I can started the editing process.  Good thing I still have a stock pile of edited images that I can share.

Today, some of my artistic impression images.

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

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2017-05-05: Feel Good Friday

My images for today are a variety of sunrise and sunset photos from my time in Uganda and Kenya.  Every moment of every day brings some new and different to appreciate 🙂

 

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Giraffes at sunrise in the Masai Mara, Kenya.
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A silhouetted landscape in the Masai Mara.
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A misty morning in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda.
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A break in the clouds at sunset in Ishasha.
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Another sunrise over the Mara.

Please visit:
www.jennifersawickyphotography.com for wildlife, landscape and nature inspired artwork.

and

https://shopvida.com/collections/voices/jennifer-sawicky for textiles inspired by my photography.

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