Edition 46: Spring 2009

Considering the goal of Photoschool is to help our readers take better images while on safari, we thought it fitting that this edition, the first of 2009, should highlight the best images captured by you over the past year.

King of the jungle, Linyanti region, Botswana
Nikon D100, Tamaron  70-300 Zoom 1:4-5.6 lens, ISO 800, 1/640th at f6.3
I wanted to capture the essence of a male lion ‘reigning’ over his territory, and to do this I wanted the image filled with a ‘head shot’. I wanted to make the image more interesting by adding some depth, so I framed the image with some foliage in the foreground. As I’d read that capturing eyes makes photos more dramatic, I also purposely tried to manoeuvre so that the branches did not obscure the lion’s eyes. I got lucky when he stared directly at me. He’d just finished chasing off two nomadic male lions that had intruded on his territory – king of the jungle indeed! Taken on 24 December 2008, it was an early Christmas present.
Butch Mazzuka, Colorado, USA

Shade – a tall order, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ20 digital camera
Much like the most recent Photoschool article (The Big Picture, Ed 45, Winter 2008/9), this image was trying to capture wildlife’s relationship with its greater environment. I was hoping to tell the story of the giraffes’ need to find shade in the heat of the day, as well as illustrate how adept acacia trees are at providing it in the open plains of the Serengeti. I also feel the animal tracks tell a story of their own, and add texture to the void. Two lessons for other amateur photographers: always have your camera handy when in an aircraft; and sometimes photographs taken in the middle of the day, when the sun is high, can be very effective.
Charles Kinsey, Bristol, UK

Pain in the neck, Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana
Fujifilm Finepix S5000 digital camera
Despite spending a month helping elephant and leopard researchers in Mashatu, it was only on a four-day visit months later that we actually witnessed our first kill. After dragging the impala through the bushes and halfway up the tree, the exhausted leopard stopped for a much needed rest. Although unintended, the juxtaposition of the predator gaining strength from inhaling life-giving oxygen immediately above the lifeless prey, with the strangulation marks still clearly visible on its neck, is what makes this image so powerful.
Martin Milton, Wimbledon, UK

Role model, Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana
Fujifilm Finepix S5000 digital camera
After several long hours of leopard tracking at Mashatu Game Reserve, we came across a pride of lions. The pride’s presence is likely why our morning’s work trying to find leopard in that immediate area was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, we stopped to enjoy this family at rest. There was a fleeting moment when the cub looked to have so much faith in its older brother. This was a perfect example of one of Photoschool’s recent top tips: ‘take it when you see it’ (The Big Picture, Ed 45, Winter 2008/9). I did and was delighted with the resulting photograph.
Martin Milton, Wimbledon, UK

Drinks party, Etosha National Park, Namibia
Canon 1D MkII, Canon 100-400mm lens
As Photoschool always says, patience is key – a couple of hours observing the comings and goings at this water hole in Etosha National Park were required to capture this image. When we arrived, a giraffe was trying to build up the courage to drink, while an elephant bull wandered nearby. The first lioness’ appearance sent the giraffe scurrying in a nervous frenzy, though the elephant – clearly unimpressed – chased the big cat to the other side of the waterhole. Eventually, after the bull had had its fill and departed, the remaining lionesses appeared for a drink. They spent an hour by the waterhole, and I think this particular shot captures the great group well. I waited until I managed to capture an image with some eye contact.
Steve Mundy, Berkshire, UK