Wildlife Photo Tour

Herding Longhorns on the Ranch Photography Workshop

If you’re looking for a good time, peace and quiet, wildlife and fresh air, you owe it to yourself to visit the Double Circle Ranch on Upper Eagle Creek, Arizona. I just completed my four-day Cattle Ranch Photography Workshop there. My clients and I stayed in large, walled tents with hot and cold running water. Each tent had individual bathrooms and showers attached. Along with various species of wildlife, we photographed a Texas Longhorn Cattle Drive up close and personal. I will definitely put on another photo workshop there, hopefully as soon as this fall.

Tom Whetten Cattle Ranch Photo Workshop

Announcing my next African Safari set for February 1-11, 2010.

During our safari we plan to enter the Ngorongoro Crater and visit areas such as the Serengeti, the Masai Mara, and other Wildlife Areas such as Amboseli in Kenya and Lake Manyara in Tanzania. Our accommodations will be lodges similar to the Seronera Lodge in Tanzania and Camps such as the newly opened Nasikia Luxury Camp where we can sit around a camp fire and listen to the sounds of Africa. To see photos from my last safari visit my African Safari Photos gallery.

This photo safari is a real bargain priced at $4,995 without skimping on quality. Other African photo safaris put six people per vehicle – I’m limiting the number to three so everyone has room to move around and take the photographs they want.

Sign up for the February 2011 African Safari now while seats are still available!

Announcing my next African Safari set for September 4-15, 2010. This photo safari is a real bargain priced at $5,395 without skimping on quality. Other african photo safaris put six people per vehicle – I’m limiting the number to three so everyone has room to move around and take the photographs they want.

During our safari we plan to enter the Ngorongoro Crater and visit areas such as the Serengeti, the Masai Mara, and other Wildlife Areas such as Amboseli in Kenya and Lake Manyara in Tanzania. Our accommodations will be lodges similar to the Seronera Lodge in Tanzania and Camps such as the newly opened Nasikia Luxury Camp where we can sit around a camp fire and listen to the sounds of Africa. To see photos from my last safari visit my January 2010 African Safari Photos gallery.

Sign up for the September 2010 African Safari now while seats are still available!

Here is my new video, “Scenes from Amboseli National Park.” It includes images of wildlife and scenery in Kenya, including Mount Kilimanjaro (in Tanzania) towering behind. These photos were taken on my Photo Safaris to Africa in 2009 and 2010. Ed Bustya, my Web Daktari put the video together using photos I had taken with my Canon 5D Mark II and my Canon 1D Mark III along with my other photo safari camera gear.

Music “AngloZulu” by Kevin MacLeod – Incompetech.com

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One of the participants on our most recent African Safari in February has posted several videos and photos from our trip. I’ve embedded one of Nick’s videos here for you to see. You’ll see that it even features yours truly “graciously” crossing a treacherous rope bridge. Enjoy!

Nick took the video with his Canon 7D and Canon 5D Mark II. You can see the rest of his Africa videos here on YouTube.

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The average day time temperature for our African photo safari in Kenya during January is about 77 degrees with a night time average of about 53 degrees. January is a dry time of year in Kenya and Nairobi so we shouldn’t have rain, the key word is shouldn’t.

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Space is limited in the vehicles and our luggage goes with us from lodge to lodge so please bring soft sided luggage – one less that 30″ long and one less than 20″ long. I generally use one 30″ bag for my clothing which is sufficient. Remember, we want room for photo gear.

Clothes that are wash and wear, mix and match, casual cotton or poly blends work best. While most lodges have one-day laundry service, I generally do my wash in the tub or sink and hang it in the room to dry. I like to wear safari-type cloths with lots of pockets preferring tans, browns, grays, and olives staying away from white or extremely light colors. I recommended you bring a hat, two pair of lightweight pants, one pair of shorts, three lightweight shirts (long sleeve or short sleeve), three pairs of socks, comfortable tennis shoes, sandals, a very light jacket or heavy shirt & underwear. Dinners tend to be a very nice affair so I recommend the ladies bring a light dress or skirt and blouse and the gentlemen bring slacks and a nice shirt, nothing formal just nice.

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I carry on all of my photo gear so I have to pack it with care to get it all on. I use a backpack that meets international airline carry on restrictions and wrap each body or lens in small bubble wrap. I also carry a laptop bag that will hold the computer and a bunch of other stuff. I recommend taking at least two camera bodies and a variety of lenses including your 500mm or 600mm f/4 if you can get it on the plane. This was my first African Photography Safari and I didn’t take my 600mm – that won’t happen again. On this trip, my equipment consisted of three camera bodies: the Canon 1D Mark III was my primary wildlife camera, the Canon 5D Mark II was used for scenic shots, and a Canon 50D as a back up. My lenses were all Canon: a 300mm L f/2.8, 70-200mm L f2.8, 24-105mm L f/4, 17-40mm L f/4, a 1.4X and a 2X extender. Additionally, I took a Canon 580EX II Flash, cable release, and a variety of miscellaneous stuff. Tripods and monopods are not needed and get in the way. Buy a bean bag of some type that can be filled there with rice or bird seed in Kenya as we stand and shoot out of the vehicle 99% of the time. We will empty the bean bags prior to flying home.

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Elephant at Dawn Under Acacia Tree

Located in northern Tanzania, Tarangire National Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife including elephant, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, lion, leopard, and cheetah, and if you are really lucky, you may see the African wild dog. The Tarangire is famous for its huge herds of elephants, in fact, on the afternoon game drive I counted over two hundred elephants in a lush green area about a mile and a half square. Additionally the Tarangire is a birders paradise with over 517 species of birds.

Our stay at Tarangire National Park was short, but I was able to get some very good photographs, especially of birds. A final plus for the Tarangire is that it doesn’t draw quite the droves of tourist that the rest of the Tanzanian northern circuit gets.

The Roika Tarangire Tented Lodge where we stayed is a well maintained with spacious walled tents, great beds and a private bath. Unfortunately I didn’t think the food was on par with the other places we stayed.

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Red-Billed Hornbill in Flight

Elephants and Mount Kilimanjaro

Amboseli National Park offers one of the most classic and breathtaking views of Kenya, with Mount Kilimanjaro (in Tanzania) as the back drop. At 18,652 feet, Kilimanjaro dominates the plains like a powerful god ruling the world from his white capped throne. In fact, ancient Swahili and Arab legends tell of a great inland mountain with a terrible god living at the top. As punishment for anyone daring to approach his throne, he would paralyze their hands and feet. Interesting how inhabitants of tropical areas described being frozen. Mount Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania but the most spectacular view is from Amboseli National Park.

Grey Crowned Crane

Back to Amboseli, we arrived at the Amboseli Serena Lodge in time for lunch and then an afternoon game drive. The lodge is truly wonderful. The accommodations were on par with an upscale US hotel. Meals were buffet and well prepared, again very westernized.

Despite your first impression that this is nothing but a dry, arid and dusty land, you soon become educated. Amboseli has plenty of water year round, it’s just underground. The snows of Kilimanjaro melt, soaking into the porous subsoil layers of volcanic rocks. These underground streams bubble to the surface forming two clear springs in the center of the park. Water also oozes up at several other points in the park creating large marshes like the Loginya Swamp. These swamps and marshes have become private spas for elephants, hippos and buffaloes.

Wildebeests at Sunset

During my stay in Amboseli I photographed some truly huge elephants and hundreds of other plains animals. What I didn’t see at Amboseli were cats. In fact, I didn’t get a photograph of any predators.

From Amboseli my tour took me from the north side to the south side of Mount Kilimanjaro as I headed for the Tarangire National Park.

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On this year’s African Photo Safari in the Ngorongoro Crater, we witnessed a lion attacking a zebra. Dr. Marcus P. Borom caught the attack on video, which you can view below.

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Many wonder what it is like to travel in Africa. Questions like; what are accommodations like, is the food safe to eat, is it tasty, what about the water, and how do I get around? All are good questions. Here is some of what I’ve learned. Here are photos of vehicles and accommodations on my last African Photo Safari.

Accommodations:

Mara Simba Lodge in Masai Mara on the African Photo Safari

On my tours we stay in two kinds of accommodations, Lodges and Tented Camps. Lodges compare to any medium-priced motels in the US. Most have twin or queen size beds, ceiling fans, no air conditioning, and westernized bathrooms. Because these accommodations are located great distances from civilization they generate their own electricity. I’ve stayed in lodges and camps that are surrounded by electric fences to keep wildlife out and others that are patrolled by Maasai Warriors for the same reason.

Tented Camps are just that, camps that are set up with large walled tents with a thatched roof canopy over the tent to keep the sun off. Each tent has hot and cold running water, showers and toilets. The beds are just that, beds not cots with sleeping bags. They also generate electricity for the camp and guests.

Meals/water:

Food at both lodges and tented camps is very good. Most meals are very westernized. Breakfast generally has two or three kinds of eggs, bacon, ham, toast, French toast, potatoes, fruit and a variety of drinks including fruit juices, coffee, and tea. Lunches are hot meals with meats, potatoes, rice, raw and cooked eatables, breads, deserts and drinks. Dinner will have chicken, pork, beef, maybe some game meat, two or three starch dishes, several different vegetable and fruit dishes, a couple of deserts and drinks including alcohol (drinks are always extra). Many lodges and camps serve their meals as a buffet.

Don’t drink the water, drink bottled water. To find out if ICE is safe to use and made from filtered water I always ask the manager. Most accommodations filter their water for ice as they use it for ice tea.

If you want snacks during the day you have to take them with you as Circle K’s and 7/11’s haven’t made it into the bush.

Transportation:

African Safari Vehicles on the African Photo Safari

Touring is from 4×4 extended vehicles with lift top roofs. These vehicles will seat seven plus the driver, however when I lead a tour I have two seats removed and only put four clients in each vehicle. More than four it is just too crowded. With the roofs in the up position even the tallest person can stand up to view wildlife and African scenery. Because wildlife is wild and dangerous you are seldom allowed out of the vehicle while on a game drive, generally two to three hours.

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Black Rhino on the African Wildlife Safari

After spending two nights at Lake Nakuru we headed for the next stop on our African Wildlife Safari, the Masai Mara National Reserve. This Kenyan National Reserve is located in south-western Kenya and covers about 950 square miles. Effectively it is the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. This reserve, also spelled Maasai Mara, is named for the Maasai people and the Mara River which divides the area. The ecosystem is open grassland with areas containing clumps of the distinctive acacia tree.

Lions Mating on the African Wildlife Safari

We arrived at the Mara Simba Lodge by mid-morning. After a great luncheon buffet and short nap, we were off on our afternoon game drive. During the two days we spent on the Masai Mara we photographed lions mating at 15′, cheetahs hunting, and thousands of other mammals, birds and reptiles. In fact wildlife viewing is excellent year round on the Masai Mara including Cape buffalo, elephant, hartebeest, zebra, giraffe and big cats are in abundance. We photographed four of Africa’s “Big Five” rhino, elephant, Cape buffalo, and lion Leopard was the only Big Five I didn’t photograph on the reserve. The rivers are home to large numbers of hippos and crocodiles. Also calling the reserve home are 452 species of birds including 53 raptors.

Please note that the Black rhino is severely threatened, with a population of only 37 recorded in 2000 on the Masai Mara. I think myself extremely lucky and privileged to get this photograph of the Black Rhino above. Not much of a photo as photos go, but I got to see and photograph Black rhinos on my African Wildlife Safari!

Crocodile and Electric Fence on the African Wildlife Safari

This lodge was also surrounded by an electric fence like many others. One evening during dinner I watched a huge crocodile try to enter the compound only to receive a shocking experience when he got to the fence. He got the message and returned to the river.

I truly hated to leave the Masai Mara, but other places awaited so we headed for our next stop in Kenya was Amboseli National Park.

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Leopard Licking His Chops for African Photography Safari Blog

For seventeen days in February, 2009, I lived a Teddy Roosevelt adventure. OK, it wasn’t quite like the way Teddy did it, but my African Safari was a real thrill that I’ll cherish the rest of my life. My safari wasn’t a big game hunt but an African Photography Safari in Kenya and Tanzania.

We started our safari by flying from Tucson to Nairobi by way of London, arriving early in the morning. At the Nairobi airport we were picked up by Somak Travel, one of the leading safari companies in Kenya.

After breakfast we headed north arriving at the Sarova Lion Hill Lodge in Lake Nakuru National Park. The first thing I noticed as we arrived at the lodge was that it is surrounded by an electric fence. In fact, many of the lodges use electric fences to keep unwanted wildlife out.

After 30 hours in the air or at airports and a 4 hour drive, I was a whipped pup. No matter, after lunch and a quick nap we left the protection of the lodge and headed out on our first game drive. Simon, our driver, had to become weary of our questions but never let on or missed a beat. He answered every question and seemed to know every bird, reptile and mammal by name. He even loaned us his well worn copy of Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania so we could study the various birds we saw.

When asked about our chances of seeing the big cats, lions, leopards, and cheetahs, he said we would see lions and cheetahs without a doubt, then apologized saying he hadn’t seen a leopard in three months and wasn’t sure we would see one on our safari. He clearly knew that leopards were a big ticket item for tourists to see and as we wanted to photograph them he could sense our disappointment.

Not to worry, within the two hours of leaving the lodge Simon spotted two leopards in a densely forested area. We waited for some time to get photographs we would be proud of. Because we were patient, we were rewarded with several really nice photographs.

During our afternoon game drive we saw wildlife by the hundreds, six lions laying in the shade, a female White rhino and calf, hundreds of antelope, birds, and Cape buffalo. It was a glorious start for any safari.

The Lake Nakuru National Park is really well maintained and cared for. Regulations of the Kenyan Park system forbid anyone in the park prior to 6AM and after 6:30PM to allow wildlife to act like wildlife. Staying at the Sarova Lion Hill Lodge is a very nice experience. Housing consisted of separate bungalows (dd) with electricity, private bathrooms, and showers. Meals were on par with most US restaurants, we were fed three buffet meals a day.

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Lake Victoria, another stop on our African Wildlife Photography Safari, is the world’s second largest freshwater lake and has an area of more than 40,000 sq miles. The lake itself is not a park or reserve. Being only 3-4 hours from the Maasai Mara in Kenya it’s a good place to stop off before continuing on to the Mara.

Bird species found around Lake Victoria, but rarely if ever seen anywhere else in Tanzania or Kenya, include the Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Blue Swallow, Swamp Flycatcher, Greater Swamp-warbler, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Yellow Warbler, Carruthers’ Cisticola, Papyrus Gonolek, Red-chested Sunbird, Red-headed Quelea, Slender-billed Weaver, Yellow-backed Weaver, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Black-throated Seedeater, and the Papyrus Canary. For a list of birds that we may see and photograph on the African Wildlife Photography Safari at Lake Victoria visit Kenya Birds.

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The place to be in February is the Ndutu Conservation Area and that is exactly where my African Photography Safari will be. The animals that trek around the Serengeti National Park plains migrate from Kenya’s Masai Mara National Park area in August and arrive here just south of Serengeti National Park in February. This is where many species of wildlife give birth prior to their migration north into Kenya. Since Ndutu is a conservation area and not a national park, driving outside the indicated roads is allowed here.

The Ndutu area in southern Serengeti is the best place to be on an African Photography Safari for the annual wildebeest migration. For up to seven months of the year, the huge herds remain in and around this area. A striking characteristic of this area is the stunning acacia woodland, which is immediately surrounded by the short grass plains. Within this wooded area is Lake Ndutu, one of the Rift Valley’s soda lakes.

Animals from the annual “Great Migration” are not the only wildlife to be photographed here. Elephant, lion, cheetah, leopard, buck, hyena, bat eared fox, and African wildcat are just a few of the species we may see as they live here year round. The woodlands also provides wonderful habitat for hundreds of species of birds and opportunities for bird photography on my African Photography Safari.

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Maasai Wanderings is the tour operator I use when I lead my Africa Wildlife Photo Tours to Tanzania. One of the goals of Maasai Wanderings is to provide opportunities to those who otherwise would not have received them. They use a portion of their profits to provide assistance in these areas by funding various projects that they initiated themselves. Along the way they have received intermittent funding boosts from individuals from around the world.

In 2008, Maasai Wanderings began assisting in Esilalei, a Maasai village along the shores of Lake Manyara. Together with Into Africa UK and Belafrica (Europe), they built their first classroom – a Nursery school for 120 students. The elders of Esilalei heard along the ‘Maasai Grapevine’ of the success of Ilkurot (another project supported by Maasai Wanderings) and spent many months finding out who were responsible. They knocked on the gate at Maasai Wanderings who had no hesitation in bringing education back into the village.

Maasai Wanderings hopes to continue expanding the school with the first classroom for the primary school. During December 2008, three groups of students from Brisbane Girls Grammar (Australia) participated in building projects in both Ilkurot and Esilalei – the results have been amazing. There have been desks and murals painted, holes dug, playgrounds established, plastering and many other well appreciated chores. It was such a success.

Visiting Esilalei

Located on a key road for visiting national parks in the northern circuit, Esilalei is a convenient addition to most safaris, and many safari drivers are familiar with it. From Arusha, after turning left at the Makuyuni junction, Esilalei is 17.5 km down the road. From Serengeti-Ngorongoro-Manyara, Esilalei is about 16 km after MtoWaMbu. The boma (a traditional Maasai enclosure) is open every day 8 am – 6 pm. Visitors may come without notice.

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Grey-Headed Kingfisher at Lake Manyara on the African Photo Safari

Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania is a small but scenic park we plan to visit in February as part of my African Photo Safari. It is ideally suited for a few hour’s exploring and wildlife watching at the start of a safari and/or a morning at the end, as it lies on route to and from Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. The park is about 200 square miles with a the alkaline lake covering about 140 square miles of it. The Manyara is an excellent place for bird watching and bird photography with flocks of Pink Flamingoes standing around the shallow lake and several hundred other species of birds including African Gray Hornbill, Grey-Headed Kingfisher, and Vitelline Masked Weaver.

The rivers and riverbeds provide scenic vistas for wildlife watching including elephant, giraffe, cape buffalo and wildebeest. Warthog seem to thrive here, growing notably fat with large tusks. Additionally this is a natural playground for baboons and several species of monkeys.

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Masai Warriors Spring into the Air at Masai Mara

The Masai Mara National Reserve is another must on any serious African Photography Safari. This reserve, also spelled Maasai Mara, is named for the Maasai people and the Mara River that divides the area. The reserve is located in Southwestern Kenya and covers about 950 square miles. It is effectively the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Much of the reserve is open grassland with areas containing clumps of the distinctive acacia tree.

The Masai Mara National Reserve is famous for its diverse population of wildlife including the annual migration of zebra and wildebeest from the Serengeti. This migration is so immense that it is called the Great Migration. Over 1,300,000 wildebeest, 400,000 gazelle and 200,000 zebra make this annual migration.

Apart from the seasonal migration, wildlife viewing and photography is excellent year round. Wildlife including cape buffalo, elephant, hartebeest, zebra, giraffe and big cats are in abundance. In fact all of Africa’s “Five Big” – the rhino, elephant, cape buffalo, leopard, and lion can be photographed on the reserve. Please note that the Black Rhino is severely threatened, with a population of only 37 recorded in 2000 on the Masai Mara. The rivers are home to large numbers of hippos and crocodiles. Bird photographers will be thrilled by 452 species of birds including 53 raptors.

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The Ngorongoro Crater in Serengeti National Park is a World Heritage Site and is a must on any photography safari to southeastern Africa.

The Crater is the world’s largest volcanic crater that has not become a lake or had its wall eroded away. The floor of the Crater covers about 100 square miles and is about 4,000 feet above sea level. The rim is nearly 7,000′ above sea level.

Wildlife abound in this closed environment with a population of close to 30,000 animals such as zebra, gazelle, and wildebeest. There are a few species of wildlife such as giraffes, topis, oribis, impalas, and crocodiles that do not reside there. Amazingly, all of Africa’s “Big Five” (rhinoceros, lion, leopard, elephant, and cape buffalo) call the Crater home.

Ngorongoro Crater Lion Attacks Zebra

On my last visit to Ngorongoro Crater I was able to photograph four of the “Big Five” wildlife with the exception being a leopard. I was able to photograph 12 different leopards on my last safari, just not in the Crater. One of the highlights of the Africa photo safari took place in the Crater where I photographed a sequence of a large male lion attacking a zebra. Visit my Africa Photo Safari gallery to view the photos.

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The Serengeti was first discovered by white men in 1913 when Stewart Edward White, an American hunter recorded in his journal: “We walked for miles over burnt out country… Then I saw the green trees of the river, walked two miles more and found myself in paradise.” The Maasai call it Siringitu – “the place where the land moves on forever.” At about 20,000 square miles they are right..

Within the Serengeti is the Serengeti National Park itself, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Maswa Game Reserve, the Loliondo, Grumeti and Ikorongo Controlled Areas and the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Over 90,000 tourists visit the Park each year.

Nearly one million Wildebeest and 200,000 zebras migrate annually across the Serengeti through a variety of parks, reserves and protected areas.

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Grey Crowned Crane

When you want to see wildlife, all kinds of wildlife, go to Africa. During my 17-day photography safari in Kenya and Tanzania we saw hundreds of species of birds. The birds were incredible with some looking like they’d been painted with an air brush. Two specific birds really caught my eye, the Lilac breasted Roller and the Grey-Crowned Crane. These two birds were wonderful to see and photograph. Take a look in my Gallery – African Bird Photo Safari to see a variety of the birds we were able to photograph. The Yellow-collared Lovebirds were beautiful while the Silver-cheeked Hornbill were really unusual.

I had such a great time I’m leading a twelve-day photo tour back to Africa in February of 2010. On this tour we’ll head for the Ngorongoro Crater, the Masai Mara and the Serengeti to photograph the incredible wildlife that we will see.

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By Dawns Early Light

Lilac Breasted Roller

I just returned from a seventeen day wildlife photo safari to Kenya and Tanzania.  What a thrill.  I’ve posted photographs from my trip on my web page.

We visited and photographed Masai Mara, Amboseli, and Lake Nakuru National Parks in Kenya.  In Tanzania we safaried through Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Arusha and the Serengeti National Parks.

Africa is an incredible place, everyone should visit there at least once in their life.  I’ll post more information and photos later.

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Cactus Wren taken at "The Pond At Elephant Head Photo Ranch"

For a great place to photograph wildlife, visit the “Pond At Elephant Head Photo Ranch” 35 miles south of Tucson, AZ. Bill Forbes, the owner, has provided a place for photographers to photograph the variety of birds and small mammals that come to drink at his 8′x16′ pond. The pond is surrounded by several movable photography blinds and two in-the-ground photography blinds.

Ladder-back Woodpecker taken at "The Pond At Elephant Head Photo Ranch"

To enhance your photography experience there are numerous movable feeders and perches around the pond allowing you entice wildlife to perch where you want them for your photograph.

For a list of wildlife and information about this photo ranch contact Bill at 520.444.4469.

Greater Roadrunner taken at "The Pond At Elephant Head Photo Ranch"

My Northern Arizona Photography Tour from April 28 to May 1, 2009, covers a lot of ground in Arizona. This Photography Tour and Workshop in Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, the Wave in the Paria Wilderness (subject to permits), Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado river, and the Grand Canyon.

Upper Antelope Canyon-Heart 19076

Antelope Canyon is a small but spectacular canyon cut through sandstone over thousands of years, by rushing water flooding into Lake Powell (Colorado River). This geological formation is located in northern Arizona on the Navajo Nation and is one of their tribal parks.

Tours through Upper Antelope Canyon take about an hour of easy walking. You are dropped at the entrance by 4X4 vehicles for your tour. A guide will lead you through the canyon. It is breathtaking to say the least. As a photography tour we are allowed to stay in the canyon for four hours and guide ourselves.

Upper Antelope Canyon

Walking through Lower Antelope Canyon is another proposition altogether. You are required to climb up and down steel ladders throughout the canyon. This portion of the canyon is a moderate to hard walk and climb.

Photography tours to Monument Valley is a must for the serious photographer. Located in both Arizona and Utah, the Valley is a Navajo Nation Tribal Park. The Valley contains some of the most striking and recognizable sandstone buttes, mesas, monoliths and spires in the southwest.

Hunt's Mesa, Monument Valley 8390

Totem Poles, Monument Valley 8065

The Wave, Paria Wilderness Area

Paria Wilderness Area requires a $7 permit and a 2+ mile moderate hike. The wilderness area is managed by the BLM who only allow 20 permits a day for the area, ten on line and ten walk-ins. Getting a permit can be extremely difficult. On my last Photography Tour to the Wave there were 82 applicants for the ten walk-in permits. I’m happy to announce we were successful.

Horseshoe Bend, Colorado River Page, AZ

Grand Canyon

Vivero Verapaz Orchid 2315

Vivero Verapaz 2290

As a follow-up to my article on Orchid Photography at the Vivero Verapaz Orchid Nursery I’m presenting three photographs of miniature orchid.  These were extremely hard to photograph as I didn’t have my macro lens with me.  Yep, I committed heresy by not taking everything I could on the trip.  I hope the Photographic Society of America doesn’t throw me out for such a serious sin as not having everything you might need.  When I lead a photography tour to Guatemala in the spring, I’ll have everything I need and then some.  I hope you enjoy the orchid photos.

Vivero Verapaz 2344

Canon’s review of the newest EOS digital SLR, the Canon 5D Mark II. A full frame camera at 21.1 Megapixels and the first EOS with full High Definition video capability.

Compact, lightweight and with environmental protection, EOS 5D successor boasts a newly designed Canon CMOS sensor, with ISO sensitivity up to 25,600 for shooting in near dark conditions. The new DIGIC 4 processor combines with the improved CMOS sensor to deliver medium format territory image quality at 3.9 frames per second, for up to 310 frames.

Triggered from Live View Mode, HD video capture allows users to shoot uninterrupted at full 1080 resolution at 30fps – for amazing quality footage with outstanding levels of detail and realism. The integration of HD movie capability into a high-end 21.1 Megapixel camera opens a multitude of new possibilities for photojournalists and news photographers. With its full frame CMOS sensor and outstanding ISO performance, the EOS 5D Mark II will appeal to any photographer in search of the finest camera equipment available – from studio and wedding to nature and travel photographers.

“Professional photojournalists and wedding photographers already choose the EOS 5D for its discrete size and outstanding image quality,” said Mogens Jensen, head of Canon Consumer Imaging. “The addition of HD movie recording opens a new chapter for EOS. It creates new possibilities for EOS photographers to capture and share their stories and to stay relevant in a rapidly changing digital landscape.”

Key Specifications
* New 21.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor with improved EOS Integrated Cleaning System (E.I.C.S.)
* New Full HD 1080 resolution movie recording
* 3.9 frames per second continuous shooting
* High performance DIGIC 4 providing superb image quality
* Maximum 310 large JPEG images in a single burst with a UDMA card
* 3.0″ VGA (920k dots) Clear View LCD
* ISO 100-6400 (expansion from 50 up to 25,600)
* 9 AF points + 6 Assist AF points New CMOS sensor:

The above article is copied from DPhoto Journal and is a Canon news release.

Vivero Verapaz Orchid about the size of a pencil eraser

Vivero Verapaz Orchid

Part of my Guatemala Photography Safari was spent in and around Coban. Just a few miles out of town is the world famous Vivero Verapaz Orchid Nursery. This nursery has more than 650 varieties of orchids, including the monja blanca or white nun, an albino looking variety found in this region.

Vivero Verapaz Orchid 2236

I spent about 8 hours over two days photographing orchids at the Vivera. Every time I thought I was finished the workers would show me another plant to photograph. What a thrill. Visit the my gallery for more Orchids.

While I was in Guatemala only a few varieties or orchids were in bloom so I intend to lead a photography tour to Guatemala in early spring to photograph Mayan Ruins, Native Peoples, as many species of orchids as possible. Watch my web site for more details.

This is the third installment from my Guatemala Photo Safari.  I really had a great time photographing Guatemala, the scenery, wildlife, people, and Mayan culture and ruins. 

These photographs are of individuals I’d seen in the open-air market and again in the Plaza next to the market.  This market takes the entire width of two parallel streets for about three blocks.  The two main streets were connected by four side streets that were also full of people selling their wares.

Baby Sitting

I saw this young girl carrying a toddler several different times and places in the market.  I never saw her with an adult nor stop to speak to one.  I made the assumption that she was baby sitting a younger sister while one or both of her parents were either shopping or selling.  I was able to get this photograph in the Plaza.

 The old gentleman with his back towards us is about 5 foot nothing

Greating Old Friend with a Kiss on the Hand

and a half.  He was a very small man.  Over a three hour period I saw him several times walking all alone in the crowd, doing a market place equivalent of window shopping.  I later found him in the Plaza sitting on the ledge.  As I watched, trying to get a facial photograph, an old friend came to visit.  They first did a one pump hand shake and then the old man kissed the others hand.  The joy that they seemed to have at seeing each other was something that truly warmed my heart.  They were still holding hands and talking when I left.

Market Place Children Not At Play

This photograph of two young girls selling fruit in Antigua was typical of what I saw, young kids working, not playing.  Of course she has her Cell Phone!

Guatemala is a beautiful place to visit and a better place to photograph. I’m really looking forward to leading a Nature Photography Tour there next year.

Today I’ll talk about people that I had the chance to photograph. The first thing you need to understand that the Guatemala Indians do not like to have their picture taken. Not now, not ever, never! They seem very shy around Anglos. The rest of Guatemalans are very helpful, extremely friendly, and they’ll even pose for you.

Fower Woman Hiding Face

Here is a lady in the market place at Antigua selling flowers. When she saw us walking with cameras she hid her face and kept it hidden until she thought we were no longer looking to get her picture, Wrong! While JL and Jason (see previous article) were talking to another flower vender, I played James Bond and got this shot of her. I learned the technique from JL. Let the camera hang low on the strap and take a hip shot using your thumb to press the shutter. I took it one step further and put my remote release on the camera and only touched the camera to get it pointing in the right direction. Note, use a wide angle lens so you capture the entire shot.

We went to three different Market Places on the trip spending most of the mornings in each one. I used the James Bond method of photography to capture the photographs.

Well Dressed Man About Town

Sad EyesCarrots Into Shopping Basket

Here is a photograph I took in Antigua of a man living on the street.  He said we could take his photograph for a few quetzales.  I called it Hard Living.

Hard Living

Copan's-Tony-the-Tigre-(jaguar) 700 AD

What a November. I spent sixteen days in Guatemala on a Photo Safari photographing Mayan Ruins, open air markets, Mayan descendents in their colorful tribal dress, and of course, wildlife. The day before Thanksgiving I flew to Guatemala City where I was picked up by my photography partner J.L. Christman and our driver/interpreter Jason Garby. Jason is a college student on a short break, who learned English from watching TV. His English is excellent and I would recommend him to anyone planning on going to Guatemala. If fact I’m planning on leading a Photography Tour to Guatemala next year and plan to use him.

Jason in front of a Ceiba tree

Without exception I found the people very friendly, courteous and wanting to help. With the exception of the Mayan Indians I was allowed to take photographs anywhere of anyone doing whatever. The indigenous folks just plan didn’t want their photos taken.

 I’ll write more later and attach more photos

Sandhill Crane

Bosque del Apache Wildlife Area Photography Tours and Workshops are loads of fun. Having five or six other photographers to talk to and get ideas from enhances for me what is already a great experience. During the afternoon lull we set up a computer projector and view some of our favorite photographs critiquing each others work with an eye for improvement.

Bosque is located off I-25 about 20 miles south of Socorro, NM. It is an easy trip to fly into Albuquerque and either rent a car or have your tour guide pick up. Socorro has several nice motels.

Sandhill Crane

From November to March Bosque del Apache is home to 60,000 Snow Geese, 30,000 Sandhill Cranes, thousands and thousands of waterfowl, eight or so Eagles and a variety of mammals.

You want to be set up at least 20 minutes prior to dawn so you don’t miss any of the action at dawn. At dawn 40 to 60,000 Snow Geese take off at once that sounds like a frieght train going by. Just after dawn the Sandhill Cranes begin to lift off and head for the fields to eat.

After you have taken enough photographs to fill a semi you start driving the 20 or so miles of roads to photograph various wildlife like song birds, waterfowl, cranes, and mammals. At about 10:30 the light is a little harsh so it’s back to Socorro for a nap or down load time, lunch and critiques.

About 2:30 we head back to Bosque and photograph geese and cranes as they leave the fields and head back to their roosting areas on the shallow ponds. We get back to Bosque after dark and generally have dinner prior to returing to our rooms to down load again and get ready for tomorrow.

Sandhill cranes at Dusk

If you have not taken a Bosque del Apache trip you need to consider putting it on your agenda

Elegant Trogon

I have been a busy bee but having a great time.  I just realized I haven’t posted any information on Bird Photography Tours and Workshops.  Taking photographs of birds is one of my favorite photography adventures.  Every time I’m out photographing birds I come away with a good feeling about life and the world.  Bird photography helps me put things in perspective.  Visit workshops on my web page www.wildlifephototour.com for more information on tours and workshops.

I lead Bird Photography Tours and workshops throughout the southwest and Costa Rica.  Southern Arizona is one of the hot spots in the country with hummingbirds and Elegant Trogons in the summer and Sandhill Cranes and raptors in the winter. 

Hummingbird

During the summer months I conduct workshops at the Pond at Elephant Head where we concentrate on a variety of wildlife including baby Quail, and Cardinals etc. at the pond itself.  When the light gets harsh we move under a canopy and set up the hummingbird photography studio with four flashes and the Photo Trap Photography Trigger System.  We also spend time in Madera Canyon one of the Elegant Trogon hot spots.  Elegant Trogons are a Neo-tropical bird migrating to the US in the summer and only to southern AZ.

In the winter a photo tour to Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area in southern AZ to photograph the 30,000 Sandhill Cranes is a blast.  Many of those Lesser Sandhill Cranes migrate from as far as Siberia.   On the agenda for January is a tour to Aransas, TX to photograph the endangered Whooping Cranes.  I charter a boat to take just the tour to where we can get great photographs.  We tour the central TX coast photographing anything we can find including the Crested Caracara, the spectacular bird on the Mexican Flag.

Sandhill Cranes over the moon

Cactus Wren

Western-Diamondback-Rattlesnake

Here are a couple of photographs from my Wildlife Photograph Reptile Workshop conducted at the “Pond At Elephant Head”.   These photographs are of a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake at full Strike.  To capture the high speed strike of a rattlesnake you need to use an electronic photo trigger or you’ll miss it, your reflexes just aren’t fast enough, no one’s are.  I use the Photo Trap Photographic Trigger System in my reptile , bat, and hummingbird workshops.

Western-Diamondback-Rattlesnake

Timber-Wolf Reflections

Grizzly-With Stolen-Elk

Timber Wolf

I headed back to Teton National Park to try to get photographs of the Moulton Barn with the Tetons behind it to replace the photographs taken during the snow storms.  Here is one of them.  Because of my success at barn I thought about Yellowstone and, like the bear that went over the mountain to see what he could see, I decided to drive back through Yellowstone one more time – what a stroke of luck.  I came upon a “Jam” – about twenty cars parked along the road and everyone out watching something.  That something was a wolf pack feeding on a large bull elk.  As I watched the wolves a large grizzly came up and took the elk away and started to eat.  I photographed the event about three hours watching the wolves come back several times just to keep the grizzly honest.  I’m sure that the black wolf is a direct descendant of the evil wolf that tried to get “Little Red Riding Hood,” you decide.

Moulton-Barn-Grand-Tetons

I have to say, this is one of those experiences that makes me glad to be alive and a photographer.  Visit my web page www.wildlifephototour.com for more information on upcoming tours and workshops.

Tom

Coyote with dinner

While I was in Colorado I had an invitation from one of my Photography Tour  www.wildlifephototour.com clients to travel to Yellowstone Park and onto Montana for a week or so of shooting.  Needless to say I took her up on the invitation to share expenses for the trip.   We did have a bit of a problem, it snowed every day.

Attached is a wildlife photograph taken in Yellowstone of a Coyote with a bird that he had just caught for dinner.  Unfortunately I failed to photograph the capture.

Moulton Barn in Teton National Park

This shot is of the Moulton Barn photographed in Teton National Park just after and before snow storms.  I had been hopping for a great shot with the Teton peaks in the backgound, but alass it wasn’t to be.   Look for up coming information on Photographic Tours to Yellowstone and the Tetons.

Nature photography in Colorado is really something.  Fall colors are stunning and waterfalls are still falling

Waterfall Below Cinnamon Pass

hard.   Photographing waterfalls can be an extremely memorable, especially if you fall in one with your camera and all.  Let me start at the beginning.

I decided to get an early start and shoot fall colors on the way to photograph several waterfalls in Yankee Boy Basin above Ouray.  I left Cortez early heading north on highway #145 toward Telluride.

Waterfall Below Imogene Pass

Every thing went well and I was able to get numerous photographs before Murphy’s Law took over, “If Something Can Go Wrong, It Will.  Well it Did!  I tried to reach a small area in the middle of the stream to get the composition I visualized, then “Murphy”.

As I started the 4×4 drive out of Yankee Boy the oil cooler on my diesel blew, spewing at least a quart of oil

Waterfall In Yankee Boy Basin

out of the radiator coolant overflow and onto the ground.  After waiting for a couple of hours for the tow truck, and a fifty mile wrecker ride to the Ford dealer in Montrose I arrived back in Cortez in a rental car just prior to ten pm.  I don’t like Murphy!

Attached are a couple of photographs I’ve taken of Colorado waterfalls as part of my Nature Photography Tours.  The waterfall to the right is the one at Yankee Boy.  I took this photo after I fell in and was still mid stream.

I you have questions or comments please add them, Tom

Fall Colors

Here are a couple of  nature photographs  I’ve taken over the past several days, in and out of a snow storms I might add.  I’ve been having the time of my life and even scared witless a couple of times on very narrow, cliff sided, and snow packed two track roads over passes that I’m not sure were made for man.  At least not modern man.  These roads are left over from the gold and silver mining days in early Colorado.  How they cut them out of the rock I’ll never know.  I use the KOA Kampground in Cortez, CO as my base.  Some suggest using Durango as a base, but I find it too crowded and busy being a hot tourist and college town.

I’ve been photographing fall colors along what is call the “San Juan Skyway.”  The “Skyway” makes a loop heading north from Cortez, through Telluride, to Ridgeway.  At Ridgeway the “Skyway” does a 180 heading south through Silverton to Durango.  At Durango it heads west back to Cortez.  Along the “Skyway” you have a chance to go over, around and through some of the most spectacular country in the west including Passes over 11,000 feet like Cinnamon, Engineer, Imogene, Ophir, Black Bear.

Clear Lake Above Timber Line

Cinnamon Pass is 11,800 feet and can be accessed on a two-track road out of Silverton.  The trip from Silverton to Lake City is about thirty miles and took over three hours.  It is definitely a 4×4 road as are all of the roads over the passes.  Once below the timber line I photograph the fall colors.  For a great day, do a loop from Silverton to Lake City by way of Cinnamon Pass then return from Lake City to Silverton by way of Engineer Pass, also in the 11,000 feet class.

Imogene Pass is over 13,000 feet and gives you a spectacular view of the San Juan Mountain Range.  You access the road to Imogene Pass in the center of Telluride and head east over the pass ending up in the Ouray.  Again the nature photography was spectacular but only on the east side of the pass.  Heading up out of Telluride sends you through the ghost town of “Tommy Boy” at about 9,000 feet with very few evergreen trees and completely void of trees of color.  Tommy Boy was a working gold mine in late 1800’s and sold for over $2,000,000 in about 1902.  Do the math, what is $2,000,000 in today’s dollars

Ophir Pass heads east over the mountains about thirty miles south of Telluride.  This pass is not as spectacular to me as others but is worth the drive.  Fall colors can be found on the eastern slops like Imogene.   After a thirty plus mile drive over 12,000 feet the road brings you to the highway between Durango and Silverton.

I haven’t taken the Black Bear Pass trip yet and based on snow fall in the last several days I’m not sure I’ll have a chance this year.  Most locals say to avoid it, we’ll see.

Although I don’t have Colorado Nature Photography and Wildlife Photography Tours scheduled at this time I will be shortly so keep checking.

I just got back to southern Colorado’s San Juan Mountains to photograph nature scenes with an emphasis on fall colors.  I arrived just in time as the colors have just turned and are purely spectacular.  I had a chance to get out this afternoon and have attached one of the photographs I shot.  I’ll list more as I take them.

Columbine Flower at Yankee Boy Pass

In late July the flowers at 10,000+ feet are spectacular.  I spent two weeks in the San Juan Mountains in southern Colorado photographing nature and flowers, what a great time.  I’m not a botanist and probably couldn’t pronounce the names of the flowers even if I knew how to spell them but I didn’t let a little thing like that get me down. I was based at the KOA Campground in Cortez  which allowed me great access to the mountains.

Mountains Flowers below Cinnamon Pass

I recommend some time during the last two weeks of July or the first week of August
Get a forest map to locate access onto the forest and enjoy.

What is the best focal length for bird photography?

The question seems easy enough, bigger is better! That said the Canon 1200mm, f/5.6 has got to be the best, right? Well, it is if you can afford a lens that costs as much as a car, and you have a gun bearer to carry it for you. Actually, the question is very subjective.

Years ago when I started in photography, the fastest-longest lens I could afford was a used 300mm, f/2.8 (speed & length are both important). That purchase was closely followed by both the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters making the 300mm a 420mm, f/4 or a 600mm f/5.6, respectively. The teaming of teleconverters with the 300mm worked very well, and I was able to get some really nice shots, including the elusive Elegant Trogon. The system was lightweight and easy to handle. That said, the 300mm with teleconverters is not my choice for bird photography, but it was what I could afford at the time.

I don’t want anyone who reads what I say to believe it is the only correct opinion. Because everyone has different requirements and needs, the correct answer will be different. I have a client who is confined to a wheel chair and has limited mobility in his arms. To tell him he has to use a 600mm weighing 12lbs would be ridiculous. With all that said, what I recommend for bird photography is the fastest-longest lens you can afford and handle and that will maximize the features of your camera. My camera will allow me to use a 600 mm, f/4 lens and still auto focus with both the 1.4x teleconverter at f/5.6 and the 2x teleconverter at f/8. Some cameras can’t, so keep that in mind.

300mm, f/2.8 lens, best ever made
++ Very fast lens
+ lightweight easy to handle, 5.6lbs
+/- gives you 420mm at f/4 with a 1.4x teleconverter minimum length
+ gives you 600mm at f/5.6 with a 2x teleconverter, tack sharp
+ medium cost, about $3,800
- requires you to be fairly close

400mm, f4 lens the minimum recommended length and speed
+ fast lens
++ lightweight easy to handle, 4.3lbs
+ gives you 560mm at f/5.6 with a 1.4x teleconverter
- high cost, about $6,000
- requires you to be fairly close
-? your camera may not auto focus with a 2x teleconverter at f/8

500mm, f/4 lens, the next up
+ fast lens
+- medium weight fairly easy to handle, 8.5lbs
+ gives you 700mm at f/5.6 with a 1.4x teleconverter
- high cost, about $6,800
-? your camera may not auto focus with a 2x teleconverter at f/8

600mm, f/4 the workhorse lens of most professional bird photographers
+ fast lens
+ gives you 840mm at f/5.6 with a 1.4x teleconverter
- very heavy, difficult to handle, 11.8lbs
- very high cost, about $8,000
-? your camera may not auto focus with a 2x teleconverter at f/8

800mm, f5.6, newest from Canon
+ moderately fast lens
- heavy, may be difficult to handle, 9.9lbs
– extremely high cost, about $12,000
-? your camera may not auto focus with a 1.4x teleconverter at f/8.
– your camera will not auto focus with a 2x teleconverter at f/11.

Now that I’ve thoroughly confused you and myself, I do most of my bird photography with my 600mm, f/4 lens with the 1.4x teleconverter, giving me an 840mm at f/5.6. I generally don’t use the 2x with the 600mm lens.

If you have any questions or comments, please post them.

Thanks for visiting.

Tom

PS If you are considering a 400mm f/4 or longer lens keep in mind that Canon announced a new 800mm f5.6 super telephoto lens. So in the future watch for used Canon super telephoto lens like 400, 500 and 600mm f/4 lens from reputable dealers like Norman Cameras www.normancamera.com , J & R www.jr.com , B & H www.bhphotovideo.com.

PSS Before you run out and buy a fast-long lens I suggest you borrow or rent one, and see if you can handle it in actual shooting conditions. You may have to walk some distance so weight should be considered. Be sure to try the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters with your camera. Most photography guides will rent or lend you a lens while on their tour.