The past week has been a week I will remember for a long time to come. The bush has been blessed with the temporary relief of rain. After a long dry period that most of the country has experienced the rain has offered new lush vegetation along with a week-long period of overcast conditions, which have been absorbed by all out in the field and welcomed with open arms by guides, trackers and guests. Having said all this it has been a week of experimentation. Below I have put together a selection of different images in which I have played around in different conditions and different settings, leaving my comfort zone as a photographer, whether it be night photography or taking my camera out in the pouring rain. By opening yourself up to vulnerability you are challenging yourself to new heights and as daunting as it may be, one will usually be pleasantly surprised with the great things one can achieve.
As the week draws to a close I leave this quote to all the photographers out there…
” Photography is not about cameras, gadgets and gismos. Photography is about photographers. A camera didn’t make a great picture anymore than a typewriter wrote a great novel ” – Peter Adams
Enjoy this Week in Pictures…
One of the Matimba males quenches his thirst after devouring a buffalo. ISO 1250 F2.8 1/320 sigma 120 – 300mm @300mm
Spending time with a large herd of buffalo is always great; the sheer numbers that surround you is simply incredible. These animals always offer great photographic opportunities, whether it is with a wide angle lens capturing the whole scene or a single buffalo giving you the beady eye as it walks past. ISO 800 F4 1/800 Sigma 120 – 300mm @300mm
Three of the Majingilane were found in the heart of Londolozi, lying on the airstrip one rainy morning, after what we can only assume was another confrontation with the Matimba males as both parties had fresh wounds. This is the first time I have ever taken my camera out during the rain and I am pleased that I did. ISO 1000 F2.8 1/1250 Sigma 120 – 300mm @200mm
I am always looking for something new, a different angle or something unique. In this case the leopard was facing away from me and partially blocked by a tree stump but the end result is something different yet still beautiful. Iso 500 F2.8 1/640 Sigma 120 – 300mm @300mm
With all the rain over the past week we have seen a definite rise in the Sand River. As water flows over the causeway, crocodiles lie in ambush, waiting for any fish to wash over. I really like this photograph as the eye is the central point and has such striking colour. ISO 800 F2.8 1/400 Sigma 120 – 300mm @300mm
A shivering stare as a matimba male watches over his kill. Playing with different angles can often give one a result far better than first imagined. ISO 640 F2.8 1/2500 Sigma 120 – 300mm @300mm
The Inyathini male. A year ago I saw this male for the first time. He erupted from the side of the road and headed for the hills but through the great work and patience of the guiding and tracking team he has begun to relax around vehicles, allowing us into his personal space to capture images like this. ISO 1000 F2.8 1/200 Sigma 120 – 300mm @300mm
Over the past while I have opened up myself to night photography. Patience is the golden rule and if one has patience one can create incredible paintings of the evening sky. ISO 1600 F4 30,0sec Canon 14 – 24mm @18mm
An image I have been trying to get for a very long time; a backlit rhino. I did this by lowering shadows, increasing highlights and then lowering the black in the entire image; the end result is an image that emphasises the animal’s key features. ISO 800 F2.8 1/1000 Sigma 120 – 300mm @300mm
Textures. ISO 640 F5 1/400 Sigma 120 – 300mm @300mm
A wet Majingilane male shakes his head to remove excess water before heading off the airstrip to seek shelter from the ongoing drizzle. ISO 1000 F2.8 1/1250 Sigma 120 – 300mm @300mm
I played around quite a bit with post-processing in this image as I wanted to put all the emphasis on the two zebra and really bring out the mood of the photograph. ISO 800 F2.8 1/8000 Sigma 120 – 300mm @300mm
Using picture styles in-camera allows one to change sharpness, contrast, saturation and colour tone which is advantageous as very little work – if any – is needed in post processing. A leopard on a rock is always a great photographic opportunity. ISO 1000 F2.8 1/500 Sigma 120 – 300mm @300mm
The use of angles and a big zoom allowed me to take this close-up of the zebra and emphasise the beautiful markings around the main focal point: the eye. ISO 800 F6,3 1/2500 Sigma 150 – 600mm @600mm
Any time you capture two of these elusive animals in one shot is incredible. The Mashaba female and her 10 month old cub treated us to a morning full of life lessons as the adult showed off her well-tuned skills of climbing, stalking and pouncing, things the youngster is learning fast and will use more and more of in the months to come. ISO 1000 F2.8 1/3200 Sigma 120 – 300mm @120mm
My absolute favourite picture of the week. A star trail. Have a great weekend every body. ISO 100 F4 shutter left open for 40 minutes Canon 14 – 24mm @ 16mm
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Stunning images Trevor. Love the star trail.
what is the condition of the both coalitions? Which coalition has more serious injuries 2 Matimba or Majingilanes?
These photos are wonderful, this is Londolozi……………. thank you so much for sharing them with us.
Trevor,
A fabulous set of shots. Looking forward to our next trip from April 2nd. If I can emulate your prowess I’d be very happy! Andy
Super photos, some real wall candy
A great selection of photos – very atmospheric! Love the lion images in the rain and the watchful crocodile!
Great pictures
beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing!
Marais Erasmus the two Matimba males were separated two nights ago we assume due to the Majingilane males. Three majingilane males crossed into Londolozi and at some time during the evening of the 16th they met up with the darker maned Matimba male. The Darker maned Matimba male has a slightly swollen nose with a cut and the scar nosed majingilane male was bleeding from the mouth while the dark maned majingilane male was bleeding from the mouth as well as a swollen back right foot.
wow impressive. I thought numbers matter in fight but not for Hairy Belly. I always wondered this Male had a crazy mane but not now, he is truly is an amazing Male Lion.
Interesting that the Black Maned Majingilane seems to be more injured. But nice job by Hairy Belly. I assume he quickly took off, right?
Love the “rinse cycle” of the great male shaking off the rain ..wow stunning pictures all thank you
Fabulous shots just love the rhino espesially. thanks a million
Trevor I love all your pictures, especially the Rhino & Leopard next to the tree. Thanks once again for making my weekend special. So glad that you have had welcome rains. Have a great weekend & look forward to the next blessing from Londi <3
All really stunning images Trevor! I love the Majingilane shots and I’m happy to hear that there were no serious injuries on either side. The image of the crocodile is terrifying, the pictures of the Zebra are beautiful, and your star trail shot is incredible. All really fantastic! Thanks for a great week of pictures.