Wildebeest pan blur

[marc]

Moremi Game Reserve- Botswana Sept '09

D3 500VR 1/8s ISO200@f/16 monopod from vehicle. Cropped to panoramic

C & C most welcome

Cheers
Marc

[aim54x]

Very interesting and almost abstract. I like the pano crop

[surenj]

Very interesting picture! Would you try it in BW?

[marc]

B&W with Silver Efex Pro/enhanced contrast in blacks.

[DaveB]

I think I prefer the colour one (maybe with a bit more contrast though).

How long were you there for?

[marc]

How long were you there for?

Thanks Dave

This was a 24 day/21 nights (in camp) safari, that started out with a 10 night mobile camping with MassonSafaris here:
http://massonsafaris.com/index.htm
Highly recommended! Just my wife and I and our guide of 27 years experience, Ewan and 3 assistants in a backup vehicle, pitching tents at private campsites each night in magic locations like the Delta, Xakanaxa, Savuti & Chobe regions. Witnessing 2 sub adult male Lions predating on a Sitatunga antelope, an extremely rare occurrence and something never seen by Ewan or many others before. Getting our vehicle flooded in a river crossing with myself carrying my camera over my head in neck high water! You know,....... fun stuff like that.

Then on to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve with 3 nights @ Deception Valley Lodge here:
http://www.dvl.co.za/activities.html Excellent trackers, with great birding and Lion & Leopard/cubs.

And finishing up with 8 nights in the Moremi Game Reserve@Mapula Lodge here:
http://www.mapulalodge.com/ Where the highlights were witnessing a Zebra birth and resulting 10 Wild Dog pack interaction and earlier seeing them take down an impala (low light distance, unfortunately). Great Leopard images in a tree @sunset.

My wife and I are off to Kenya( Loisaba & Meru and Masai Mara for hopefully migration action) & Tanzania (Serengeti Safari mob camp) for 26 nights from Sept 21.


Cheers
Marc

[Marvin]

Fantastic trips! What a great experience.

[radar]

Marc,

I also prefer the colour version, works very well for me. As Dave mentions, maybe a bit more contrast.

My wife and I are off to Kenya( Loisaba & Meru and Masai Mara for hopefully migration action) & Tanzania (Serengeti Safari mob camp) for 26 nights from Sept 21.

You really live up to your smugmug name

Have a great time.

André

[DaveB]

My wife and I are off to Kenya( Loisaba & Meru and Masai Mara for hopefully migration action) & Tanzania (Serengeti Safari mob camp) for 26 nights from Sept 21.

I get to travel from time to time too, but I'm jealous of you too!

Am I right in thinking that if you're in the Mara in late Sept or early Oct you'll be aiming for the animals heading south? Or are there likely to still be remnants heading north?

I get to go back (leading a safari myself!) in August/Sept next year (to Samburu, Nakuru, then the Mara) for a fortnight, followed by a few days in Zanzibar.

[marc]

Am I right in thinking that if you're in the Mara in late Sept or early Oct you'll be aiming for the animals heading south? Or are there likely to still be remnants heading north?

Thanks Dave

We're staying at Rekero camp in the Mara where the migration is already under way, some 2/3 weeks early!
As I'm sure you know, picking the timing of the migration is a real lottery, all one can do is put yourself in the right location for it to happen. With our timing it's still a case of animals coming up and heading south with the constant crossing over and then a portion of them heading back over again. We shall wait and see and hopefully find some action.
After Rekero, we head off to the south into the Serengeti and follow (hopefully) the migration that's heading that way, giving ourselves every opportunity to witness the event, it has been 17 years since I was last there and will be looking forward to the experience!
Will be keen to see how your trip next year goes.

Cheers
Marc

[zafra52]

Beautiful photograph, but it is the colour one for me.

[Critter]

Banish thoughts of the B+W conversion, the colour version is sublime!

[surenj]

Banish thoughts of the B+W conversion, the colour version is sublime!

(although it was my suggestion!)
The greens have an unexpected contribution to this image!

[Willy wombat]

Im a fan of this image. Lovely abstract