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96 images Created 6 Jan 2012

Image of the Month

Each Month Vincent adds a new image to this selection that he considers special.
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  • Sunrise hits Kilimanjaro Mountain, as seen from Amboseli Kenya.
    VGR_20221116_6162-Edit2.jpg
  • White Rhinoceros on the Kenyan highland plains.
    VGR_20221118_0090-Edit.jpg
  • An old Gemsbok bull at rest as a summer rain storm approaches, advanced by  wind and white dust
    VGR_20221231_0235.jpg
  • An Elephant mother and her calf welcoming the first rains after a destructive and long drought at Amboseli National Park, Kenya.
    VGR_20221116_7154-Edit.jpg
  • One of the last remaining big tuskers and one of his Masai protectors.
    VGR_20221117_9922.jpg
  • Close up portrait of one of the last few remaining big tuskers.
    VGR_20221117_2692-1.jpg
  • Lunar Eclipse over the surreal landscape of Makgadikgadi's Kubu Island.
    VGR_20220516_0884-Edit-Edit-3-Edit-2.jpg
  • One of the Okavango Delta's main channels, meanders through the lush green landscape.
    VGR_20220423_7780-Edit.jpg
  • A territorial male lion in the verdant green Nossob River Valley at sunset.
    VGR_20220130_9639-HDR-Edit.jpg
  • A Cheetah in action, chasing Blue Wildebeest in the Auob River Valley.
    VGR_20220127_2638b.jpg
  • Scorpion (a Kalahari Burrower -Opistophthalmus wahlbergii) revealed in the darkness of the night by a UV light.
    VGR_20211225_0400.jpg
  • Frontal portrait of White Rhinoceros, emphasizing its magnificent horns.
    VGR_20211124_7041F.jpg
  • Beautiful young leopard descending a magnificent Nyala Berry tree somewhere on a river bank in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve.
    VGR_20211002_5732b2.jpg
  • Three members of a Barn Owl family in their favourite tree.<br />
Ghostly pale and normally strictly nocturnal, Barn Owls are predators of the night. These very successful hunters have excellent low-light vision, but it is their impressive hearing, aided by their satellite-dish-shaped faces, that enable Barn Owls to locate mice and other rodents even in total darkness. This species’ eerie screeching call, a long-drawn-out shriek, is unmistakable and a familiar night-time sound in the Kgalagadi.
    VGR_20210817_8878a-CL.jpg
  • An Oryx emerges from the dust cloud lit by the last rays of sunlight reaching the Noddob valley floor.
    VGR_20170802_9710c-Edit.jpg
  • An African Giant bullfrog surfaces from its puddle. After being buried in the mud for months, this is his quality time.
    VGR_20211122_4298.jpg
  • Portrait of a Red-tailed monkey in the Bigodi Swamp of Kibale Forest in Uganda.
    VGR_20191116_9604.jpg
  • A leopard in an acacia tree scans its environment for prey in the last rays of sunlight of the day.
    VGR_20190302_3822b_1200x800_DIASEC.jpg
  • Portrait of a back-lit Kudu Bull at sunrise in Botswana's  Khuste Game Reserve.
    VGR_20190716_8796.jpg
  • Seeing an electric Kalahari lightning storm unfold in the distance over the open Kalahari landscape, mostly in the late afternoons, is a sight to behold. Being in the middle of one on the other hand can be downright terrifying! At the commencement of the rainy season the first local thunderstorms start to occur, which can set the dry bush ablaze.
    VGR_20180929_4502b.jpg
  • 'The King of Dusk'<br />
<br />
As dusk sets in, a magnificent Kalahari black-maned lion wakes up under a fiery summer evening sky. This is the time for him to start his 'day'. <br />
I creatively used flash here to make the lion the main visual focal point against this colourful sky.
    VGR_20180206_7830a.tif
  • 'River of Gold'<br />
<br />
A long exposure scene from inside the amazing SOF Omar Cave, Ethiopia.
    VGR_20171130_8876a-HDR.tif
  • Close-up of a temporary sky-light feature inside the crater of the Erta Ale Volcano in the Danakil Depression, Ethiopia, Africa
    VGR_20171122_3564.jpg
  • 'The Mountain Priest'<br />
<br />
An orthodox christian priest stands on the tiny ledge on a steep cliff that leads to his hidden rock-hewn church high up in the mountains of the Gheralta region in northern Ethiopia.
    VGR_20171118_1360.tif
  • 'The Rock Climber'<br />
A Walia Ibex on a steep mountain slope in the rugged Simien Mountains.
    VGR_20171112_8859.tif
  • 'The Conjurance'<br />
Over the years Khutse has been incredibly productive for me when it comes to dramatic skies; the Kalahari is true big sky country! <br />
Here is my favorite of another epic scene that unfolded during a sunset on my last trip.
    VGR_20171001_7377a.tif
  • 'Racing through Fairy Land'<br />
Herd of Gemsbok run across Namib desert plains strewn with enigmatic Fairy Circles
    VGR_20170808_1677.tif
  • 'Spot the pussy' <br />
Serval cat in its preferred habitat, tall grasses, making it near invisible. In the original RAW file of this image the cat was actually extremely invisible, but I decided to process the image a bit more than I normally do, to bring out the cat and give it a more artistic look.
    VGR_20170626_2506.tif
  • 'Mystical Blue'<br />
An artistic abstract take on the immensely beautiful, and somewhat mystical, Chinhoyi Caves in northern Zimbabwe. More Zim images to follow soon!
    VGR_20170624_2227-HDR-Edit.tif
  • 'Clash of the Titans'<br />
Dramatic stormy sky at sunset over the Kalahari plains of the Khutse Game Reserve at the end of the rainy season.
    VGR_20170413_4235-HDR.tif
  • 'Okavango River Glory!'<br />
<br />
An amazing fiery sunrise over the always tranquil Okavango River near Shakawe in northern Botswana is this month's highlight I wish to share. It is moments like this that make my day!
    VGR_20170322_3675_HDR.tif
  • 'One in a thousand'<br />
This massive baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) is one of many baobabs rooted on one of the rocky hills that make up the Kgwebe Hills in Northern Botswana.
    VGR_20160909_3427.tif
  • 'Stress in Paradise'<br />
<br />
It is about time for an elephant image as the Image of the Month!<br />
The Paradise Pools area in Moremi is a stunningly beautiful area. This particular evening the peace and tranquility was disturbed when, out of nowhere, a small herd of ellies came barging through the still reflective pools.
    VGR_20160806_0482.tif
  • 'Apex predator'<br />
A large flock of red-billed quelea dancing across the flood plains of the Okavango Delta is certainly a sight that impresses. The bird of prey that flies inside this flock literally tops off this image.
    VGR_20160805_8675.tif
  • In celebration of Botswana's 50th Independence I figured a zebra image would be fitting. This small herd of zebra walks across a flooded plain in the Okavango Delta at first light as seen from the air.
    VGR_20160804_9294.tif
  • 'Mom is the Best!'<br />
Time for some unmatched cuteness. This is a portrait of an adorable lion cub cuddling with mama in gorgeous light in Nxai Pan National Park. Honestly, what could be cuter than this?
    VGR_20160802_8779.tif
  • 'Bathing in the Dust'<br />
<br />
Zebra dust-bathing in the (almost dry) Boteti River bed at Khumaga. This is one such place that is so iconic of Botswana to me, even though it may not feature on most tourists' itineraries.
    VGR_20160731_5328a.tif
  • June was an exciting month with a trip to the Virunga National Park in the DRC to photograph Gorillas and Volcanoes!<br />
This was one of my favorites from the Gorilla visits . More images and a new gallery to follow soon!<br />
<br />
A female Gorilla framed by out of focus vegetation.
    VGR_20160604_2596.tif
  • This month an abstract close up of the radiating patterns of the fascinating lava lake in the Nyiragongo Volcano, Democratic Republic of Congo. Being here felt like connecting with the origin of the earth, of life even. In combination with the Gorilla experience I dare conclude that a visit to Virunga was a journey to the origin of species too and therewith to my very own.
    VGR_20160601_1424.tif
  • 'Namaqua Chameleon hunting'<br />
'Namaqua Chameleon hunting'<br />
<br />
Chameleons are awesome! This particularly beautiful, co-operative and active specimen we spent a long time observing and photographing in the coastal dunes of Namibia. This is a wild specimen, but 'baited' (or rather fed) with bred grubs. Do yourself a favour when in Swakopmund and join one of Tommy's Living Desert tours.
    VGR_20160527_7912.tif
  • One of my favorites and in my opinion one of the most dramatic, of my series of images of two male lions killing an adult bull giraffe.
    VGR_20160419_3962.jpg
  • This is one of a series of images of two male lions killing an adult bull giraffe, shot earlier this year in the magnificent Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. An awesome sighting to say the least! To see the entire series check my 'Series' Gallery Collection.
    VGR_20160419_3107.jpg
  • It is not an every day occurrence to see a Giant Eagle Owl wading through water! On my recent visit to the Kgalagdi Transfrontier Park I had a serious thunderstorm at night and the first thing I came across after I eagerly started my morning drive was this big bird enjoying the refreshing rain puddles. Shooting was a challenge with the light being still very low, but at least this old wise owl was not bothered by my presence and I managed to get a few images of this unique sighting.
    VGR_20160306_5835.tif
  • A landscape photographer, my friend Johan, at work at the spectacular Epupa Falls in Namibia one glorious morning in February with the falls in flood after the recent rains.
    VGR_20160206_2066.tif
  • At the very last light of the day, a magical rainbow appears over the skeletons of deceased acacia trees at the famous Deadvlei in the Namib Desert in Namibia
    VGR_20160128_5841.tif
  • 'Road into the unknown'<br />
<br />
Where will the road we take this new year bring us?<br />
<br />
This road is leading to the namibian coastal town of Luderitz. Due to the clash of the hot desert air and the cold air from the Atlantic ocean, morning fog is an almost daily occurrence.
    VGR_20160126_4231.tif
  • 'Wild Silhouette'<br />
I simply could not resist photographing this big bull giraffe in silhouette against that gorgeous sunset sky. The scene reminded me of my Wild Scenics logo. A symbolic image choice as the first 'Image of the Month' for 2016 to start off the year well!
    VGR_20151229_7799.tif
  • This image of the month does not need much comment does it?<br />
<br />
What is interesting to add is that at first I was not at all happy when this lion cub and its two siblings decided to start playing right at this signpost since I normally prefer to omit man-made elements from my images. In this case, however, with the 'No entry' sign becoming the subject of play things worked out for me after all.
    VGR_20151121_5272a.tif
  • 'Reflections of Death'-<br />
This bull giraffe died here on the shore of the Boteti River in Makgadikgadi National Park, Botswana. It is the end of October, the 'Season of Death' as I like to call it. Mostly though it is the drought combined with the heat that kills the weak and gives predators the advantage. In this case, with the river still holding water, it could impossibly have been the drought that killed this big bull giraffe. What did kill it remains a mystery. Despite the macabre nature of the scene I was interested in using the giraffe's unusual position and its reflection in a wide angle composition.
    VGR_20151029_3730b.tif
  • A magical sunrise scene with rainbow of the magnificent Victoria Water Falls in Zambia.<br />
<br />
Later that morning, on my way out of the Park, a tourist asked me where the rainbow was coz he did not see a rainbow over the Falls! As if it should just permanently be there in the same position all day long for the tourist to see...
    VGR_20150808_9692b.tif
  • White-breasted Cormorant taking flight on the Kafue River.<br />
<br />
'Cormorant take-off'<br />
<br />
Yes, it is just a common White-breasted Cormorant! And yes technically the image is under-exposed! But that is exactly what gives the image its graphic and artistic appeal.
    VGR_20150727_5879.tif
  • A single grey heron stands motionless in the shallow waters of the immense Sua Pan salt flats painted with colourful soft pastel hues at dusk; a scene of pure serenity.
    VGR_20150718_1482c.tif
  • This image was a result from a test shoot I did recently with my new ultra-wide 11-24mm lens. Going as wide as 11mm is challenging, but also a lot of fun and it opens up many opportunities to obtain fresh perspectives of common and previously shot scenes, like this Mokolodi Lake View from amongst the reeds.
    VGR_20150605_0280b.tif
  • Gemsbok are uniquely beautiful antelope with their striking black & white facial markings and extremely long straight pointy horns. The entire scene of a herd of these graceful ungulates one early morning before sunrise in Khutse appealed to me, but what makes this image strong is the positioning of the three Gemsbok. Study the image, look at the positioning of these bold faces and how the horns point towards the same point and follow the markings along the body outlines and see how they all connect, perhaps than you see what I see. The setting full moon in the background is the proverbial 'icing on the cake.
    VGR_20150105_6070b.jpg
  • This is why I love the rainy season in Botswana so much; it offers the opportunity to see incredibly dramatic scenes such as these.<br />
<br />
A storm cloud formation with rainbow at sunset above a lone Mopipi Tree in the beautiful Moreswa Pan in the Kalahari's Khutse Game Reserve.
    VGR_20150103_5389d.tif
  • I recently commented to one of my photography buddies in reply to his remark that he wants interesting subjects to shoot, that since he is a good photographer he can create art with any animal subject, even a mouse! <br />
To illustrate my point here I remembered I was shooting some very ordinary and common ground squirrels in Khutse earlier this year. All the squirrels did was eat, but what made the scene was the abundance wild flowering Vlei Lilies. These beautiful flowers grow only for a couple of days so my timing, shortly after the first rains of the season, was perfect.
    VGR_20150102_4812b.tif
  • With the Holiday season just around the corner I figured I shall bring you in the mood with a glorious coastal scene from one of the best spots in South Africa for a break; Cape Town. <br />
<br />
To me it is surprising how calm this 25 seconds long exposure appears, whereas in fact the wind was blowing with a gale-force, continuously blasting me and my camera with sand. The conditions made this image therefore a rather difficult one to create, but looking at the result I am glad I did go out on that beach to face the elements and conquer them.<br />
<br />
This view of Cape Town City and its iconic Table Mountain was created at Sunset Beach, Table View.
    VGR_20141117_3812.jpg
  • Traditional Penguin New Year's Swimming ceremony! <br />
But seriously, these African Penguins were remarkable walking in a circle, or at least so it seemed for a brief moment. Image created at Boulders' Beach, Simons Town, South Africa<br />
More penguin images in the recently added Cape Town Gallery.
    VGR_20141117_2334a.jpg
  • 'Kwando Dogs' - A pack of Wild Dogs walks in single file as they start the afternoon hunt.<br />
No, not the most spectacular of my wild dog shots, but I liked the single file line up, and especially the light and the inclusion of the habitat, which give this an artistic quality.
    VGR_20140907_9194a.jpg
  • A beautiful female leopard poses in perfect light atop a large termite mound for some drooling photographers...<br />
This must have been the most memorable photo opp on my most recent private photo workshop in the famed Kwando concession in northern Botswana. Thank you, Miss Kwando!
    VGR_20140907_2704.jpg
  • To the first-time safari-goer, the hippopotamus may seem like a big, fat, unattractive, lazy – and boring -  creature, which spends most of its time lolling around in the water doing nothing. However, few people know that there is a more dynamic and spectacular side to these enormous artiodactyls. The unrivalled territoriality of this semi-aquatic quadruped often translates into an unbelievably short-tempered and aggressive personality. Particularly, the males are continuously fighting each other for dominance and territory. A hippo’s continuous ‘yawning’ is not really to express sleepiness; rather the size of its teeth to warn off intruders and contestants! Splashing water by shaking its massive head is another warning sign and definitely not innocent play!
    VGR_20140830_2366a2.jpg
  • Erosion patterns in the famous Deadvlei pan most remarkably resemble the shape of a dead acacia tree, the trees that make the Dead Vlei so special.
    VGR_20140530_6738.jpg
  • Spectacular sunset over the 'Sperrgebiet' in the Namib Desert, as seen from the Kolmanskop Hill at Kolmanskop Ghost Town near Luderitz, Namibia.<br />
During a recent trip to the awe-inspiring Ghost Town of Kolmanskop we had the most unbelievable sunset. Unfortunately it was all happening behind the koppie, which meant I had to get on top! A gamble, but I decided it might well be worth the effort and I ran up that koppie and reached just in time to capture this spectacle.
    VGR_20140527_6392S1.jpg
  • Botswana has some wonderful 'surprises' for those who dare to venture a bit off the beaten tracks; the Gcwihaba Caves are one of these. This almost abstract image of torch light beaming through openings casting shapes of light on the cave wall , was my favorite of a recent adventure to these fascinating caves.
    VGR_20140219_5287b.jpg
  • On a recent scenic flight over the Okavango Delta I was hoping to get something unique, yet typically 'Okavango'. As we took off at sunrise I was cursing the clouds that were packing together in the east; this was not what I had hoped for. Luckliy, however, it was the fragmented clouds with the sun beaming through that created a very dramatic beautiful, typically 'Okavango' scene.
    VGR_20140218_4565S.tif
  • A handsome proud male leopard in his prime on the open plains of the Deception Valley. <br />
This is one image from a recently added Gallery titled 'Leopards in Sepia'.
    VGR_20140215_2122B&W.tif
  • Elephant herd with baby in their midst approaching over a pan covered with elephant droppings.<br />
My latest addition to the gallery and currently my favorite image in print. Come and see it and you will understand why.
    VGR_20131128_6134.jpg
  • When shooting a famous landmark like the Victoria Falls it is extremely difficult to create unique and different shots. One early morning shoot I was fascinated by how the sunlight struck the spray of a small isolated trickle (it was the dry season). It created a rainbow, but not a traditional arc as we normally see it; instead it appeared as continuously moving 'flames'.
    VGR_20131116_9436.jpg
  • Angry territorial bull hippopotamus charging head on!<br />
This month Air Botswana's in-flight magazine 'Peolwane' features my photo essay titled 'Hippo Power'. This in-your-face image is part of that essay as a full page print.
    VGR_20131011_7398b.jpg
  • This month a totally different perspective: an aerial view of an Elephant bull crossing the, at the moment not so mighty, Zambezi River just upstream of the Victoria Falls. This image is all about textures; the water ripples, the sandbanks and of course the trail of stirred up mud. Furthermore, each angle from the air as we circled around the elephant provided a different and unique perspective. More images of this event to follow soon.
    VGR_20131010_5573b.jpg
  • The strike of this Green-backed heron fishing is so fast that even with my fast 11 frames-per-second camera I only got two shots of a single strike!<br />
I liked this frozen moment with the wing stretched for balance and the nice water splash, even though its head is completely submerged.
    VGR_20131006_9951.jpg
  • An African Skimmer in flight above the Chobe River is back lit by the very bright sun light reflecting from the water surface.<br />
Generally as a a rule in photography one should avoid having 'blown out' areas in an image as is the case here. However, rules can be broken at times in search of creativity!
    VGR_20131003_5120d.jpg
  • Me, all by himself, at a campfire under a huge Baobab and the Milky Way on an uninhabited island somewhere in Sowa Pan in wild Botswana. This is the reason why I am a Nature Photographer!<br />
But am I truly 'Alone?' When you are camping next to a babobab, you are not alone; these trees have souls...
    VGR_20130729_9624a.jpg
  • The far Eastern corner of Botswana is very different from the rest of the country and one of the main attractions is the beautiful Limpopo river, which forms the border between Botswana and South Africa. The riverine forests with its mighty trees had me fascinated.
    VGR_20130728_9089a.jpg
  • Creating good pan-blur shots is not easy at all and involves a lot of trial and error, but to me it is fun and even addictive in a way. I am not easily satisfied with these kind of shots though and also this one is not perfect, but it was one of the better ones from my recent trip and I kind of liked it due to the splashing water.
    VGR_20130530_6826.jpg
  • This month features a rather  abstract image, a favourite from a very recent visit to my beloved Sossusvlei sand dunes. The patterns in the sand all converging to a 'Black Hole', a shadow patch behind a dune ridge, combined with the interesting play of light and shadow, had me fascinated for a long time. These sand dunes are full of inspirational abstract patterns and the longer I walk amongst them, the more I 'see'.
    VGR_20130523_2190.jpg
  • This may look like an unfair battle, but believe me, it was a completely innocent one.<br />
<br />
The two rhinos 'fighting' were moving rapidly from right to left and in the original frame of them in this position the small one appearing from the dust is only half in the frame. Seeing it I immediately regretted it was not there entirely. However since I was shooting the action sequence at a high frame rate and panned with the subjects I had captured the 'content' beyond the right frame edge and decided to try and stitch that on; this is the result. Further I cropped the bottom off, which was the (bright) water of a waterhole and OOF grass in the FG, to focus all the attention on the rhinos.<br />
<br />
The image title refers to the uncertain future of this amazing animal species.
    VGR_20130215_7718_man_stitch_a_crop.jpg
  • This is an image from 2013 I dug up from my unprocessed RAW files when searching for zebra images. It may well be too 'arty-farty' for many, but it really appealed to me, particularly in black & white.
    VGR_20130213_4697B&Wa.tif
  • An old Kalahari King wounded by the quills of a porcupine. His blunt canines reveal that this is the type of prey he is forced to go for in his last days. Admittedly and very unfortunately framed too tight (I can't wait for that Canon 200-400/4 with TC to become a reality!), but this was the image showing off the blunt canines and quills best.
    VGR_20130205_9506.jpg
  • n summer lightning storms commonly occur in the Kalahari. Photographing them however is not that easy and conditions simply have to be a bit in your favour. In this case we were lucky to find ourselves in such a situation whereby it helped that the storm was in the distance, that it was not raining where we were, nor that there was too much wind to complicate matters even more. The only thing that disturbed us and gave us a bit of a fright was an animal on the run passing closely by in the pitch dark night.<br />
<br />
Lightning bolts are never following one another frequently enough when you are trying to capture them and also in this case I already knew that the most spectacular image would be the result of several exposures blended together.<br />
This image was created out of 6 different exposures, all 30 seconds @ f/2.8, ISO 250 and 400 for the lightning bolts and ISO 2500 for the stars.
    VGR_20130202_7421Sa.jpg
  • Yet another B&W image as my IOTM. This time a high-key approach to a misty Deadvlei scene. I tried a handful of different conversions and it was the strong graphic result of the high-key version that appealed to me. A good example also that maximum detail throughout in lights and darks is not always important. I thought this to be a fitting scene for the December month; with a little imagination you see dead Christmas trees in the snow!
    VGR_20121025_5888B&W1.jpg
  • A group of large bull elephants covered in white mud stand motionless like life size statues around a waterhole in the barren landscape of Etosha National Park. A passing dust devil set the mood and provided an opportunity for a unique scene. The image begged for a B&W conversion, particularly since it makes the dust devil stand out even better due to the black on white contrast. I only wish I would have been able to direct the elephants into a compositionally better grouping and more attractive individual poses, but they did not want to listen.
    VGR_20121023_5605.jpg
  • And the type of advance to be wary of when the female happens to be an elephant!<br />
<br />
Generally elephant bulls are very tolerant and allow close approach, as long as they are not in musth and as long as you respect them and don't piss them off that is, but females of a breeding herd are a totally different story and need to be treated with much more care. Our boat drifting close to the shore quite far from a herd already prompted this female to approach us head on to show how big she is and to warn us off. Staying humble and calm luckily kept her calm too.
    VGR_20121013_4636.jpg
  • Flies! These horribly irritating, annoying, buzzing, disease-bearing and sucking little creations bother us all and most mammals possibly a lot more than us. Meerkats are no exception. Here two budding flies are approaching an unsuspecting relaxed little Meerkat that is seemingly enjoying a quiet moment of the day in the busy Meerkat way of life, but not for long! Poor little Meerkat.
    VGR_20120823_5303.jpg
  • It was the fierce wind on the very top of Kgale Hill that made it feel as if it were below zero. What kept me going in this horrible cold was the sheer beauty of this dawn as well as the technical challenges imposed on me by the wind and darkness. Doesn't Gaborone City look peaceful when it is still half asleep?
    VGR_20120526_0746a.jpg
  • Probably one of the most awesome aspects of wildlife photography is the acceptance by animals into their world. This beautiful female Bateleur allowed me to get closer and closer as she was drinking from a small waterhole. When we arrived there were in fact 6 individuals at the waterhole! All but one took off on the sound of our vehicle, this one however seemed not to care. Call me strange, but the few quiet minutes I spent with this magnificent bird will remain one of those encounters I will cherish forever.
    VGR_20120506_1447IOTM.jpg
  • I recently visited the now flooded Lake Xau and surprisingly it is this donkey image that was my favourite of this location, even though it was actually all about the water birds. This poor donkey made an interesting subject at sunset on the Lake's shore. Especially when it stopped to pay its respects to the remains of a fellow donkey. Or maybe it was just catching its breath as moving with your front legs tied together is not easy...
    VGR_20120306_0162a.jpg
  • This Tawny Eagle seemed to really dislike rain! Now, I am not too fond of it myself, but it can produce interesting images. Although technically not perfect due to a rather challenging lighting situation I still liked the end result.
    VGR_20120303_8797M.jpg
  • I simply love dramatic and colorful silhouettes and will not easily forego an opportunity to obtain one, even if it means sacrificing other, more guaranteed, opportunities. This one of a herd of Blue Wildebeest grazing under one of those immensely spectacular colourful Kalahari sunset skies is one of my favorites from the last rainy season, as things just all sort of came together here.
    VGR_20120225_9223.jpg
  • When shooting in rain (and in Botswana we don't get that chance too often, so I am no expert) there are basically two different approaches; one is to use a slow enough shutter speed to blur the rain drops, creating streaks, or two, to use a high shutter speed and freeze the rain drops. The first approach is the more common one. In this case, however, there was enough light due to the conditions, an incoming local storm shower in the late afternoon, resulting in a rainbow against a dark sky plus raindrops reflecting the sunlight. When a fleeting moment like that occurs you are desperate for a subject in the right place and simply have to be thankful for whatever you can find, even if it is not entirely as you had envisaged or dreamt of. Shooting in these conditions was not easy, but a few seconds later shooting was near impossible as it bucketed down..
    VGR_20120130_0595.jpg
  • We were very privileged to witness the birth of a zebra foal during a Nxai Pan visit. The best image opportunities presented themselves after the actual birth when the mare was licking her young that was instinctively learning to balance on its four legs. Amazingly it could walk with ease within 15-20 minutes or so. Whilst all this was going on the lions were roaring only a few hundred meters away...<br />
<br />
Location: Nxai Pan NP, Botswana.<br />
Techs:<br />
Camera Model Canon EOS 1D Mark IV<br />
Shutter Speed 1/800 Sec.<br />
Aperture Value f/8<br />
ISO Speed 400<br />
Lens EF500mm f/4L IS USM + 1.4xTC, Beanbag<br />
Crop is 85% of original
    VGR_20120129_6532a.jpg
  • 'Reflections of Baines'.<br />
The inspirational clump of Baobabs on the fringe of the Kudiakam Pan complex in the Nxai Pan National Park that was immortalized by and named after famous explorer/artist Thomas Baines, cast their reflections in a seasonally flooded Kudiakam Pan. This image was the winning submission in the landscape category in the Botswana 'Images for Conservation' photo competition 2013.
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  • I was concentrating on photographing a hovering Black-shouldered Kite and had positioned myself waiting for it to come closer.  Then I noticed some other bird activity right in front of me on the ground; a female Plum-coloured Starling was chasing off a Familiar Chat from a little termite mound and started feeding on termites. A minute later, after the Starling left, the Chat was back having a feast. Next it was the turn for two little Blue Waxbills, which in turn were chased off by a beautiful male Plum-coloured starling (a.k.a Violet-backed Starling or Amethyst Starling - Cinnyricinclus leucogaster). I was amazed at how many termites this fellow managed to collect at a time. The year sure started off with some good pickings for him!.I never got to photograph the Kite, but I did not mind really; I will get that image some other time..Techs: Canon 1Dmk4 + EF500mm f/4L IS USM lens with 1.4x TC; 1/1250 sec. @ f/7.1, ISO 800..
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  • Normally I would not have been very pleased with a lion that is walking on a man-made track as I would rather photograph it in an all natural environment. However, in this case it did provide me with an opportunity to get the lion silhouetted from top to toe, which in the high grass of the pan would have been impossible to achieve. On top of that the track also serves as a compositional leading line..
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  • This intimate portrait of a male Chacma Baboon is an image from 2011, that I had not processed until last month, believe it or not! The colour version is okay, but this B&W version is so much stronger.
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  • Immature Lanner falcons fighting.<br />
(Captured Experiences Competition 2010- 3rd Place Category Action & Behaviour)
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