I added three more black and white prints to the store this week, two African Buffalo portraits and one Noble Lion. There’s now nine in the Limited Edition collection, the first six are here. Sizes begin at 30cm and 40cm wide respectively and go up to 80cm or more. There’s more info and print specifications at Print Info.
As is the end of year thing for many photographers, a top pictures of the year is in order. 2011 bought much success for me, in particular that of the Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year award and its book cover, but that photo was taken in 2010 even if in some sense it belonged to 2011. But my top five’s criteria is that they were taken in 2011. So here, in no particular order, are my five for 2011.
In August I took seven other keen photographers down to the Mara, and those who shared our truck were taken by this zebra pair. It is not uncommon to see zebra pairs like this, it partly acts as a defense mechanism (and it’s been suggested that their opposing tails keep their faces free of flies). But what made this one special was the clear and clean background they were set in. The three of us picked up on this, and this is my take. This one is available as a print here, and you can see a colour version here too.
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Well there we are. My picture A Flick of the Tail graces the cover of this year’s rather prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year annual. After twenty years of collecting and admiring the books, I now find that I’m on one. Needless to say, I am quite delighted.
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Last week, myself and seven others visited the Masai Mara to photograph and experience the annual wildebeest migration and none of us were disappointed. Within minutes (literally) upon arriving at camp we found ourselves running to the river to see our first wildebeest crossing. In the next few days, we witnessed two more, even though we were aware of others still.
One morning we were down by the river first thing – just after 6:00am – and found ourself using ISO settings of 6400 and even 12800 sometimes to catch a crossing. A little later, when the light was a little brighter there was a part two of the crossing, and on this occasion I noticed a steady stream of vultures and maribu storks flying over the top of the assembling wildebeest which had gathered down at the riverside. I managed a couple, and this is one of them.
This was a week long tour organised by myself at last a minutes’ notice (well, two months’ notice anyway) and we were all delighted with the experience we had, very much exceeding everyone’s expectations. It is a precursor for more to follow, and I will certainly have more lined up for next year. Keep an eye out here if you’re interested in one, or subscribe to my newsletter here if you want to be the first to know.
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One point five million wildebeest cross the Mara River every year on the way to or from Kenya and Tanzania. On this occasion, some 10,000-15,000 traversed at this point in the river, taking almost an hour and a half to pass. What a photograph cannot capture is the sound, and I also think any photo would find it difficult to catch the mayhem involved as well.
This one small part of the crossing last September featured one wildebeest who found himself facing the wrong way while trying to make it to the other side. The surge of his fellow wildebeest made it near impossible to turn. I watched for a while but eventually lost sight, so I did not know what became of him.
It is one of three images that reached the final round of the Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year for me this year. Which was a good bonus because I entered this quite literally at the last minute, because I felt I had nothing to lose by doing so.
Taken using a Nikon D700 with 70-200 zoom lens at 200mm, f/5.6, 1/350th, and ISO 400.
