A year has almost come and gone since I arrived in this magical place. Every day is special and every day is different but what stays the same is that not one day goes by without something astonishing happening. I woke up this morning to find Richard Siwela, my partner in crime, waiting at my vehicle with a big smile on his face. The passion and excitement still very evident in a man that has worked at Londolozi for almost 40 years. I think that small gesture is a testament to what Londolozi is, a place with amazing people who are passionate and enthusiastic about their job as facilitators of a showcasing spectacular wildlife. I could not have asked for a better year. This week in pictures is dedicated to all the remarkable people that I have the pleasure of working with everyday. Let me know which of the pictures is your favourite.
There is something intriguing about a leopards tail. Here, the Mashaba female leopard curls her tail while lounging on a fallen over tree. Canon 5D Mark III, f2.8, 1/320, ISO 400
This is not a common shot for the daylight hours as scrub hares are nocturnal animals but one should always expect the unexpected in nature. Here a scrub hare freezes to watch a young leopard walk by. Canon 5D Mark III, f3.5, 1/50,ISO 400
Young leopards tend to have a little more energy that the older crowd so one should always be ready for something different. While casually following a very full Vomba Young male he suddenly lunged into a tree after an irritating ‘Go-Away’ bird (a Grey Lourie). I tend to prepare for the unexpected so always have my settings ready for the best shot and then hope it happens. Canon 5D Mark III, f2.8, 1/250, ISO 100
The wild dogs have been back on Londolozi in the past week with their incredibly curious pups. Here one decides whether or not he should chew on my tire. Going back to the cropping ‘rule of thumbs’ the simple square crop would often be frowned upon but in this case I think it works well and sometimes due to the animals behaviour it is unavoidable. I’m not sure if you agree? Canon 5D Mark III, f2.8, 1/500, ISO 400
A Saddle Billed Stork probes for fish and frogs in a small pan. Canon 5D Mark III, f2.8, 1/3200, ISO 100
Summer is a time of babies, water, and lush vegetation but it is also a time of snakes. However to see a snake is very rare and on this occasion a few angry birds gave this snake away. Here is a Boomslang nestled in a buffalo thorn giving me a beady eye. Canon 5D Mark III, f2.8, 1/640, ISO 100
In a previous blog written by Kate, she gave a great tip on Playing with Texture so I thought I would have a go with playing with this tip a little. I’m rather proud of the results and I have started to encourage all my guests to take some texture shots. Canon 5D Mark III, f2.8, 1/400, ISO 4oo
This young male leopard has been popping up all over Londolozi but he has chosen to stick around the area in which he was born, around the camp. The Vomba young male catches a quick drink before disappearing into a thicket. Canon 5D Mark III, f3.5, 1/200 ISO 400
After a quick thundershower the last rays of the sun lit up the sky beautifully. Sun rises and sun sets are a major hit with all guests and there is no wrong way of taking them as it’s a case of capturing the colours. Canon 5D Mark III, f2.8, 1/160, ISO 400
It often doesn’t often work out when taking photographs directly into the sun, but every now and then it does and the result is breathtaking Canon 5D mark III, f2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100
The Nanga female leopard catches one of the late lambs just as it was getting dark. I don’t often change my ISO but in this case I had to as the light was gone and the photographs were looking rather blurry so always look at the light and adjust the ISO accordingly, preferably before the animal does something amazing. Canon 5D Mark III, f2.8, 1/200, ISO 800
The Marula season is in full swing, and the elephants love it. I found this pile of fresh elephant dung with a gem right in the middle Canon 5D Mark III, f6.3, 1/40, ISO 100
The lone ranger still very much king of his castle. With the weather looking rather ominous and the guests wavering I suggested we go out and search for the Cheetah and thank goodness we did. It adds a wonderful dynamic to game drives having the cheetahs back in play. Canon 5D Mark III, f2.8, 1/8000, ISO 500
‘I love my children, well…sometimes’ The dark maned male bonds with the Tsalala cubs. Canon 5D Mark III, f 2.8, 1/320, ISO 400
Campan, the warrior, poses for a quick shot with Melvin and his guests in the background. Canon 5D Mark III, f2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100
This photograph probably won’t win me any awards but it is none the less a very cute elephant calf, still wobbly on his feet and staysing very close to his mother. Canon 5D Mark III, f2.8, 1/200, ISO100
The Mashaba female leopard up in a Marula tree. Canon 5D Mark III, f2.8, 1/3200, ISO 400 This is my favourite of the week, which is yours?
Written and Photographed by Richard Burman
I love portraits and I love the wild dogs so that is my favorite. I am trying to ID a photo of a bird I took there. I am not a birder but find them a challenge to photograph and like to know the names of the ones I get. Can you help?
Thanks
Hey! Tsalala sub is Tsalala female. So happy to see the three lying there with the male.
Love the photos! I was so glad to see the Nanga female, as I haven’t seen photos of her in a while. My favorite!
My favs are the cheetah posing and the cubs with their dad.
Love the wild dog
My favorite would have to be the male Lion with the cubs. I love family portraits!
Love the tail. I have a couple of my own of “the tail” that amongst favorite Lonfolozi photos. Thanks for keeping me in touch with all from halfway around the world.
NEIGHBOUR! Awesome photos! well done
Campan is awesome as usual, but the elephant skin is beautiful & my favorite.
I loved them all, but the cheetah silhouetted against the sky took my breath away. We will be back at Londolozi on April 1st, no fooling—counting the days!
How can I resist the unabashed trust of the baby lions cuddling with the king!
Great photos, The cheetah photo is my favorite!
Lovely, thanks Richard.
Fantastic photos Richard…all of them! I love the eye contact you captured with the wild dog pup, so that’s my favorite I think. The photo of the Cheetah is also spectacular…and I don’t think there is anywhere else on Earth where the sunsets are as beautiful as in South Africa, which your photo has managed to capture so well. Thanks so much for sharing your photos…what a way to end the week!
Thank you Richard. How often do you meet wild dogs in Londolozi?
Brilliant photos Rich, well done!
Congratulations on your 1st Anniversary! Beautiful they all are, but the King of the Jungle with his kids is special, as is the Cheetah silhouette. Thanks for sharing & making my weekend special.
A year already! Hope the second one is as good, look forward to some more pics.
Kate
I agree with Rowena, seeing acceptance of the now third Tsalala lioness is awesome! (way to go BiBi)
Great photo’s Bergkat!!!
Congratulations on your first year !!!Lovely photos .THe male lion bonding with his family is very special and so is the leopards and the cheetah.
Hi Richard, I know I’m late to this party so I’ll say I agree, the cheetah photo took my breath away as well, and I also love the b/w leopard tail. And sunsets always get me…every single one. Thank you!
Hi Richard – I almost deleted all my Londolozi photos after seeing yours – you are some photographer……the Boomslang was awesome. Thanks for making our return trip to Londolozi more exciting that the first – didn’t think that was possible. Also thanks to Richard Siwela – quite a man.
Look forward to your next blog.