artsupreme wrote:
Don't sweat posting that image, I'm glad you posted it. Before I had been to Africa it would bother me seeing animals get taken down on TV in safari videos. But once I got there and saw my first kill in person I learned it didn't bother me as much because you realize this is how the food chain works and it happens every day out there. My first kill experience was a poor zebra that was taken down by a female lion. She held her down while struggling without fully suffocating her for quite some time while she waited for the male lion to show up so he could eat first. I was about 15ft away and down wind...I can't describe the smell as I had never smelled it previously, but it was a smell of warm fresh meat on another level. And the loud sounds they make while tearing into the muscle and bones...it's much louder than one would expect.
The thing that will always bother me is watching the babies get hassled or taken. Watched a Topi being born and while the Mom was trying to clean her two Jackals show up and start pestering and snapping at the baby for a couple hours. Also saw a baby giraffe and impala in the same situation. Those are not fun to watch, but it's likely you'll see something like this while on safari....Show more →
Thanks for your thoughts and input on this. You are so right - this is a part of the natural world. It is hard to watch and frankly, I am glad that I did not see a baby animal get taken. It does happen every day whether or not we witness it.
The zebra kill must have been incredible and with the sounds and odor, more than what we normally take in with just visual sensory input. I just cannot really image it.
Last night, I finished editing a shot from the period when the crocodile was taking the wildebeest. It did not have quite the sharpness that I wanted, most likely from the dust in the air and the need to use the dehaze filter to try to deal with it. However, I hope that it still portrays the risk and feeling of rushing that the wildebeest experience while doing the crossings.
berimbolo wrote:
What lodges in the Okavango Delta and Chobe NP do people recommend? Is March a good time for Botswana?
Still the green season which means it will be very wet in Chobe and the Delta making it harder to see animals.
If you are set on going to Bots in March then head to Savuti - the animals will migrate there from the river to find grazing areas.
Or you could opt for the Kgalagadi or even the Central Kalahari. However be prepared as it doesn't have the infrastructure it does in the north east and such you have to be very prepared.
robert_in_ca wrote:
Still the green season which means it will be very wet in Chobe and the Delta making it harder to see animals.
If you are set on going to Bots in March then head to Savuti - the animals will migrate there from the river to find grazing areas.
Or you could opt for the Kgalagadi or even the Central Kalahari. However be prepared as it doesn't have the infrastructure it does in the north east and such you have to be very prepared.
Decided to book a Masai Mara trip instead. Will confirm on Tuesday for 7 days in late Feb and early March. Botswana will have to wait for 2026.
Abuttolph wrote:
Thanks for your thoughts and input on this. You are so right - this is a part of the natural world. It is hard to watch and frankly, I am glad that I did not see a baby animal get taken. It does happen every day whether or not we witness it.
The zebra kill must have been incredible and with the sounds and odor, more than what we normally take in with just visual sensory input. I just cannot really image it.
Last night, I finished editing a shot from the period when the crocodile was taking the wildebeest. It did not have quite the sharpness that I wanted, most likely from the dust in the air and the need to use the dehaze filter to try to deal with it. However, I hope that it still portrays the risk and feeling of rushing that the wildebeest experience while doing the crossings.
Very cool shot, it shows how massive some of those crocs are.
Here's a screen shot from an iPhone video of that first kill. The zebra put up quite a fight and was kicking hard but the lioness was just too strong. The zebra ended up collapsing right next to our vehicle and it was quite an experience to witness my first kill this way. It was getting dark and we were so close I don't think I took to many photos, but in the iPhone video you can hear the bones and tendons popping very loudly as they dug into the hind leg for some nice warm fresh meat. As I mentioned previously, the smell was very intense.
I'm all booked for Feb 24-March 4 in the Masai Mara.
Got a decent premium economy flight with KLM for only 2100 CAD from Toronto to NBO.
edit: If anyone knows of any hotels in Amsterdam that have early check in, please ping me. I'm going to spend 1 day in Amsterdam instead of having a short layover. Weather in Toronto is unpredictable at the best of times, but especially in the winter, so I thought it was safer to give myself some buffer time in Amsterdam.
berimbolo wrote:
I'm all booked for Feb 24-March 4 in the Masai Mara.
Got a decent premium economy flight with KLM for only 2100 CAD from Toronto to NBO.
edit: If anyone knows of any hotels in Amsterdam that have early check in, please ping me. I'm going to spend 1 day in Amsterdam instead of having a short layover. Weather in Toronto is unpredictable at the best of times, but especially in the winter, so I thought it was safer to give myself some buffer time in Amsterdam.
Expedia has a list of 'early ck in' hotels
btw - i lived in Amsterdam for a few years - late Feb might be a bit gray and drizzly, but mild temps.
wait, i think i just described Amsterdam for 9 months out of the year.....(Summer is hot and Sunny though)
Hopefully, you're able to enjoy the day there, it can be a lovely city.
ecarlino wrote:
Expedia has a list of 'early ck in' hotels
btw - i lived in Amsterdam for a few years - late Feb might be a bit gray and drizzly, but mild temps.
wait, i think i just described Amsterdam for 9 months out of the year.....(Summer is hot and Sunny though)
Hopefully, you're able to enjoy the day there, it can be a lovely city.
Thanks!
Fortunately, Amsterdam will likely be much nicer than Toronto in Feb (also likely nicer than Toronto any time of the year).
I need some help deciding on a second body. My main body is an A1. I had previously used the A9 as my second, but my A9 is dying and can't be relied on.
Im thinking A7RV because its about 2500 CAD cheaper second hand than the A1 second hand. Any thoughts? I'd probably have the 70-200 F2.8 on my second body and swap with something wider like 16-35.
Have you considered renting a second body? That's what I ended up doing. My thoughts on a second body is to consider how important it is to have the same button layout and configuration. A second A1 would be nice to pick up and not have to think about setup. Just a thought.
Cduff406 wrote:
Have you considered renting a second body? That's what I ended up doing. My thoughts on a second body is to consider how important it is to have the same button layout and configuration. A second A1 would be nice to pick up and not have to think about setup. Just a thought.
I have. Renting a second A1 for ~14 days is nearly $2000 CAD, which is what put me off.
What I've done in the past is buy second hand gear for a trip, and then sell it later. The possible depreciation cost was much lower than rental costs. However not actually owning the gear does have it's advantages of course.
Btw, I hope it's ok if I do this here, but if anyone's interested; I'm organizing a 12 day photo trip to Kenya in february with another photo host and due to a cancellation we have two spots left. Takes us to Tsavo, Amboseli, Samburu and Ol Pejeta. Happy to send anyone more info / link to the webpage if you like (send me a PM)
, unfortunately don't have much choice as this is just an add-on to utilize the extra day we have after our hunting trip.