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Archive 2016 · Few from Savanna

  
 
beavens
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Few from Savanna


Last few are squeaking out. After this there is only one more morning drive to share. Sad times indeed. We'll just have to make a return trip!

***NON-CRUCIAL INFO: Kinda long, so skip on down to the pics if you want.***

If you're curious about the title 'mhisi', it's Shangaan for hyena. Shangaan is the local language in the area that we stayed in the Sabi Sands. The rangers use a combination of Shangaan and Zulu to communicate between each other with spottings in order to keep the guests surprised by their encounters vs. knowing beforehand what they are driving to view. My wife and I watch Safari Live (

LIVE safari steams twice a day!!!) all the time and eventually began to pick up on what was what when they were talking about animals. So we were prepared for our trip with some inside info! We like surprises as much as the next people, but having a line on what's going is always a lot of fun too. Unfortunately the first lodge we stayed at had their rangers use earpieces, so we couldn't hear the radio chatter. But here at Savanna the radio was loud and proud! Now when we heard stuff on the radio or by the ranger/tracker we only shared it with each other - we never told any of our fellow guests at any time because who are we to spoil anything? We were finally able to let the ranger in on the secret during a drive where there weren't any other guests onboard for a portion of the time. Over the radio crackled something about a large heard of buffalo and if our guys knew where they were hanging out (we saw them the previous day - the mono pic in kinda harsh light I recently posted was one of them). My wife spoke up and told Dave (ranger) that they were near this specific waterhole and he turned around in a bit of a surprised manner and said "How.." and she replies with "The large herd of buffalo? Yeahhh, we kinda did some research before the trip." Dave was now pretty shocked and asked Abraham (tracker) how good his Zulu was.

In addition to the animal names, we tried to research some common phrases in Shangaan. I'll tell ya, we butchered the hell out of some pronunciations and would forget even some basic phrases like "good afternoon" at times. But the reactions from the Shangani people when we would greet them or say thank you in their language was 1000% worth it. I've never seen people light up with shock and amusement at the same time like that. One young woman who tended the bar most nights would get giggling fits when we would say good evening or thank you very much. And we're fortunate enough to have scored an email address from one of the employees who said he would be happy to help us learn more!

Now, to the pics.

Jeff




1 - Muzzling Mom






2 - Young Buff






Mhisi in Profile (Color)






Mhisi in Profile (Mono)




Sep 27, 2016 at 11:10 PM
sbeme
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Few from Savanna


Love the first Cape Buffalo image!
Excellent eye contact in second.
Excellent conversions all around.
Nice that you got so close to the hyenas, at least in terms of photographic opportunities. They are nasty!
Scott



Sep 28, 2016 at 07:22 AM
beavens
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Few from Savanna


sbeme wrote:
Love the first Cape Buffalo image!
Excellent eye contact in second.
Excellent conversions all around.
Nice that you got so close to the hyenas, at least in terms of photographic opportunities. They are nasty!
Scott


Thanks for the feedback, sir! Oh hyenas - such a misunderstood bunch. Everyone claims how ugly they are, but I find them adorable. Extremely interesting social structure with the women ruling everything. The highest ranking male is still lower on the totem than the lowest ranking female. At the previous lodge we were able to witness a portion of a pack feeding on a stolen impala kill after dark on an afternoon drive. The sounds of their powerful jaws crunching bone was intense!

Jeff



Sep 28, 2016 at 07:29 AM
ben egbert
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Few from Savanna


All nice. you make B&W sing. The first is my favorite Buff, the second one is good but would be better without the other buff at the left.

For the hyena, I prefer the color even though the B&W is well done, a large part of the attraction of the animal is it's color.



Sep 28, 2016 at 10:50 AM
beavens
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Few from Savanna


ben egbert wrote:
All nice. you make B&W sing. The first is my favorite Buff, the second one is good but would be better without the other buff at the left.

For the hyena, I prefer the color even though the B&W is well done, a large part of the attraction of the animal is it's color.


Thanks a lot, Ben! Coming from a color guy that really means a lot to me.

How would you feel about the left buff burned down some?



Sep 28, 2016 at 10:53 AM
ben egbert
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Few from Savanna


beavens wrote:
Thanks a lot, Ben! Coming from a color guy that really means a lot to me.

How would you feel about the left buff burned down some?


Short of total elimination, I am not sure there is much that can be done. I think dark is better than light.



Sep 28, 2016 at 10:55 AM
beavens
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Few from Savanna


ben egbert wrote:
Short of total elimination, I am not sure there is much that can be done. I think dark is better than light.


I figure if I burn the left guy some it'll be a little less distracting and the youngster will have a bit more pop.



Sep 28, 2016 at 10:57 AM
ben egbert
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Few from Savanna


you should do it and show us. You are probably right.


Sep 28, 2016 at 11:05 AM
WalterF
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Few from Savanna


They are very nice I have no other critiques than what has been said. Must have been a wonderful adventure.

Walt



Sep 28, 2016 at 01:22 PM
beavens
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Few from Savanna


ben egbert wrote:
you should do it and show us. You are probably right.


Quick at-work edit below!

---------------------------------------------

WalterF wrote:
They are very nice I have no other critiques than what has been said. Must have been a wonderful adventure.

Walt


Thanks a lot, Walt! It was simply amazing. Scott can attest that everyone needs to visit Africa at least once in their life, although if you make it there once you're *going* to be returning.

Jeff



Sep 28, 2016 at 01:24 PM
lighthound
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Few from Savanna


Excellent back story to go along with this set. (yep, I read all your rambling).

You have posted these in the same order as my picks.

#1 is simply priceless Jeff. Maybe a little tight on the right side IF I had to find a nit.

#2 Yep the left buff isn't helping any but that little guy is so damn cute I didn't even notice anything in the BG. Not sure about burning him down any would help because he's already very dark. Now blurring him more might do the trick if it's really bugging ya, but for me at least, I wouldn't worry about him as the little guy owns this image.

#3 You had fantastic light but this one and the mono aren't workin for me. If he/she was looking at you that would change things a good bit.

I just watched a show on these critters the other night. They said the big cats (all of them including lions) lose up to 60% of their kills from these nasty critters coming in and steeling from them.

And yep, any critter that starts to eat another critter BEFORE it kills it, is nasty in my book. That's just wrong man. That's takin "meals-on-wheels" to a whole nother level.
And look into their eyes and tell me that ain't pure evil inside there.
And lastly... what is up with the females having willies? That's just messed up I tell ya.


Another great set Mr.!


Dave



Sep 28, 2016 at 03:06 PM
beavens
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Few from Savanna


Thanks for reading the rambling!

I appreciate the detailed, well thought out reply as always Dave.

Not terribly worried about the left buff, KINDA like him filling the space there to be honest.

Yeah buddy it's a shame that one didn't turn and look our way - the eyes and ears would have really come out nicely. Hyena are extremely intelligent and crafty - while they do hunt themselves, a lot of their food comes from thievery as ya say. Funny thing about hyena is that they are actually more closely related to cats than dog. Their babies are called cubs. Ahaha yes they've got the big old pseudopenises which are their female reproductive organs (they just look like willies). Now if you want some *truly* hardcore hunting then look no further than wild dogs. They are coursers and hunt very wide swathes at a time, and when they hone in on prey it's utter madness. It's guaranteed that if they come upon some that they will begin feeding while the animal is still alive. Tough to watch, worse to hear, but that's nature. Wild dogs was one of the animals that we wanted to see most. Next time.

lighthound wrote:
Excellent back story to go along with this set. (yep, I read all your rambling).

You have posted these in the same order as my picks.

#1 is simply priceless Jeff. Maybe a little tight on the right side IF I had to find a nit.

#2 Yep the left buff isn't helping any but that little guy is so damn cute I didn't even notice anything in the BG. Not sure about burning him down any would help because he's already very dark. Now blurring him more might do the trick if it's really bugging ya, but for me
...Show more




Sep 28, 2016 at 03:37 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Few from Savanna


My comment about the buff was a nit. The image is still very good as is, but heck, I got to find something, right?


Sep 28, 2016 at 04:07 PM
beavens
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Few from Savanna


ben egbert wrote:
My comment about the buff was a nit. The image is still very good as is, but heck, I got to find something, right?


Nits are what make us better, so nit away every chance you get!



Sep 28, 2016 at 04:10 PM





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