p.1 #1 · A month in Ruaha & Serengeti Nat Parks- Tanzania. Pt1
Congratulations to marc2307 for winning Feature Thread of the Week with 3 votes - View Previous Winners
My first post for over 3 months, my apologies, have been quite busy editing large numbers of images for work projects.
This recent month long Ruaha/Namiri TZ trip has been one not easily forgotten.
With lost bags, escaping a fatal plane crash by 24hrs, a smashed D5 & 400 f/2.8E long lens combo (on only my 4th day!!) which saw my 70-200 +1.4tc become my long prime and how one quickly must adapt to such setbacks, always a good reason to carry 3 bodies.
Highlights were four ........yes 4 amazing Caracal sightings, a zebra birth, great close encounters with a cheetah mum and sub-adult to a magical last day sighting of a lioness walking & carrying her 3 x four week old cubs over 4 km from their birthplace in the marsh to their new Kopje home to join the rest of her 10 other siblings.
Can't wait to return here again for the Gnu calving in 6 weeks time.
I"ll try not to bore you with an overload of images, so here are a selection of 8.
"Yawning for attention"
Here a very relaxed sub adult female cheetah approaches my vehicle, lies down to stretch and yawn under an early evening sky on the open plains of Namiri/Serengeti.
Her mother was also just feet away. Such a treat! (captured with monopod/flipped ballhead & L bracket @ ground level + Camranger remote)
Nikon D810
Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 G2 (love this new VC equipped lens, every bit as good as the twice as expensive Nikkor VR version plus it's 41mm shorter!)
f/6.3
1/400s
ISO1250@ 68mm.
"Golden hour ascent"
6.19am and the 3 yr old male leopard known as "Moyo" climbs a tree to a beautiful golden hour sunrise, opportunities like this happen very rarely and was thrilled to capture him in such an iconic pose and soft golden light.
Ruaha Nat Park- TZ.
A magnificent dark maned male from the Vidimbuni pride struts his stuff whilst on early patrol on the grassland plains of Namiri, Central Serengeti- TZ.
A young lioness (possibly her fiirst litter) carries her 3 x four week old cubs over 4 km from their birthplace in the marsh to their new kopje (rock outcrop) home to join the rest of her 10 other siblings and taking the total pride number to 23. What a joy to witness and document!
Namiri plains- Central Serengeti, TZ.
A wonderfully camouflaged male leopard known as "Ghost" descends from inside a beautiful Sycamore fig to grab his warthog prized kill below.
Ruaha Nat Park- TZ
4 x six month old lion cubs from the Mdyona Ju pride seek the shade and shelter of a rock outcrop at the foot of Kimilamatonga Hill in Ruaha's Nat Park- TZ
p.1 #2 · A month in Ruaha & Serengeti Nat Parks- Tanzania. Pt1
please do share the details, since there is no such thing as boring details for Africa
let me be the first to congratulate you on these fantastic pictures and sorry for the loss of your gear, since that can be devastating. the first leopard pic is to die for.How did you get the eye level shots of the cheetah and the sleeping lion?
you got my vote
p.1 #7 · A month in Ruaha & Serengeti Nat Parks- Tanzania. Pt1
kdacharya wrote:
ah, I see it now, though I do not understand it.
It's a quick and simple low level tool KD.
Comprised of a monopod, sm/med ballhead and a plain L bracket, coupled with the CamRanger (white unit) and controlled remotely via my tablet or iPhone.
p.1 #8 · A month in Ruaha & Serengeti Nat Parks- Tanzania. Pt1
Mighty nice set Marc ! Such beautiful compositions . The loss of your lens, certainly did not affect your ability to get some marvelous shots, there is hope for those of us who don't have a 600mm
p.1 #9 · A month in Ruaha & Serengeti Nat Parks- Tanzania. Pt1
marc2307 wrote:
It's a quick and simple low level tool KD.
Comprised of a monopod, sm/med ballhead and a plain L bracket, coupled with the CamRanger (white unit) and controlled remotely via my tablet or iPhone.
p.1 #14 · A month in Ruaha & Serengeti Nat Parks- Tanzania. Pt1
Superb.
Don't stop posting.
And I really enjoy your giving some detail about locations, backstory etc.
I had 8 wonderful days in TZ. A month seems outrageous.
And scary, the way it evolved for you initially
p.1 #19 · A month in Ruaha & Serengeti Nat Parks- Tanzania. Pt1
Oh my! What a great series. Can't wait to see more. I am sorry about your gear, but count yourself lucky you missed the plane crash! What was the story there?
and how one quickly must adapt to such setbacks, always a good reason to carry 3 bodies.
