From the editor’s desk Last Month’s Top Shot Winner Facebook Cover Shot Winner Volunteer Encounters Ranger’s Report
• • • -
•
Community Focus
• •
Photography Reflections Photography Focus
•
Research Focus
If there’s one overriding and common theme to any discussion lately, it’s undoubtedly the weather. As much as we’ve had the odd thunderstorm and joyous sprinkles of rain, the majority of the month has seen clear skies, a bright sun and baking heat over our heads. It’s meant that we’ve all, staff and volunteers alike, had to take further care with ourselves and each other as simple tasks multiply in difficulty and small oversights could have severe consequences. The game in Buffaloland and Klaserie has been noticeably dry and quiet, with animals hiding from the sun and sticking to the shade – making game drives all the more difficult no matter what the objective is. It seemed more often than not that only stupid animals out in the sun were us! We’ve all soldiered on though! In true Dumela style, we all recognise how important the work is and more importantly we all have a passion and determination that not only gets the work done, but gets it done with a sense of joy, comradery and enthusiasm that diminishes the weather’s hold over us.
Subscribe by mailing: warthogpost@africanimpact.com to keep yourself updated with the latest news! Cover shot: Klaserie Sunrise – Samuel Cox, Photography Assistant, England
At African Impact Greater Kruger we have kick-started our 2017 projects! So to update and summarise our 2017 achievements so far:
Look for patterns Nature provides plenty of patterns for us to take advantage of with photography and they can be a lot of fun to experiment and get creative with. Zebras and their stripes are fantastic examples, especially when you get several close together or interacting. Focus your attention to the mixing and juxtaposing stripes and see what abstract qualities you can pull off to make your photos unique.
Conservation Education classes have begun with Grade 8. We have completed baseline testing and completed our first Unit on plants, flowers and their importance to humans and wildlife! We have had some fantastic combo volunteers who have breathed life and fun into our lessons for the past month!
The students have enjoyed the lessons and we had some students worried that when Unit 1 was over we would not return! But we assured everyone we would be back for Unit 2! And next month we will see the results of our testing and how students have understood the material. We are in the planning phase for the school garden and have managed to buy our mealies for braai from the High School to ensure we are buying locally and supporting the existing garden as we go! We have also assisted our partner Eco Children at Mahlati and Seganyane Eco Villages. In preparation for planting we assisted at Seganyane creating compost baskets for the keyholes. We also travelled to Mahlati to paint bookcases for their new library! Eco Children are establishing the new look library for the students at Mahlati and we assisted with painting the new bookcases and sorting books into those suitable for the library and what ages they are suitable for. Great work by volunteers on a baking hot day!
‘Safari’ The word ‘safari’ is Swahili and comes originally from the Arabic word ‘safar’, meaning ‘a journey'. It was introduced into the English language at the end of the 1850’s due to famous explorer Richard Francis Burton. The term since has taken on more of a stylised meaning and is associated with a certain type of dress sense – usually khaki clothing, pith helmets and slouch hats as an example. Since the release of the film ‘Out of Africa’ the term ‘safari chic’ arose which also included interior design and architecture.
At Reading Club we have also kick started a great 2017 with Grade 7 students at Seganyane. In the our first session we were fortunate enough to have received a donation from Shilla Patel, our amazing Photography volunteer from the UK of 40 dictionaries to our students at reading club. We have given one dictionary to each student to help increase their vocabulary. Between Shilla and other volunteers stationary donations we also gave out our ‘Reading Club starter packs’ including 2 pencils, a pen, eraser, sharpener, highlighter, colouring pencils, a small memo notebook and A5 notebook for students to use at Reading Club and school this year. We have also been assessing students for their reading ability so we can group them according to ability. Students at reading club have been reading with volunteers to improve their English literacy and have also taken part in some literacy games and challenges. These have included an Alphabet Hunt around the school and a very popular bear hunt! One volunteer read ‘Going on a bear hunt’ and the students then went on their own bear hunt to find bears hidden around the school! The bears each had one word written on them so students could write the word and then search for their definition in the dictionary. Helping them to use their dictionary and increase their vocabulary. All in all a great month in the community which research, photography and combo volunteers have all assisted with to make planning and lessons a great success!
We can show how the Hippo has an affectionate, not just aggresive side, we can show the industrious dung beetle working away (the flies here, incidentally, point like an arrow towards the subject – I trained them myself), or a lonely impala with a long way to go.
With January disappearing in the blink of an eye, it’s evident that we hit the ground running at the start ofalso thecreate new year and we’re keeping the fast pace going! The past four weeks has been hard work We can confusion but just rewarding and the achievements certainly go to highlight the dedication and hard within theas image to make as theever viewer look a crocodile’s workdeeper, that’slike been put in byeye all. seen through another croc’s mouth, getting the audience to engage with Our photography volunteers have been working round the clock and have recently produced an a photo, get them thinking.
unbelievable 503 photographs, which boils down to roughly 25 photographs PER DAY. Professional photographers seldom achieve anywhere near this number so it goes to show the level of work that’s Bringing two elements together, we can put makeforth. a suggestion – here being
that African Impact works with snakes – so you can see that even Included in that hard work has also seen 55 photographs of lions being submitted to Research and with few variables, a photograph over 11 more hoursand spent becomes moreon Community based projects. In terms of developing themselves as photographers, our volunteers have put in over 31 hours into inductions and presentations, whilst also complicated.
spending 34 hours out on location in Klaserie alone – covering just under 300km on game drives.
This, for me, is part of my fascination with forget photography But let’s not what- the the work culminates towards… 27 new photographs have been added to our control we can have over what we prestigious Database a remarkable number and has set the benchmark rather high for the rest of the want to communicate, by simple year. Let’s keep ourIt’sfingers inclusion or omission. also crossed we can maintain such a level of both quantity and quality. where we have a responsibility, in not only what we say, but how we say it. There is no way we can get that perfect image, that puts an idea in another’s head with no confusion whatsoever. Striving towards that perfection, however, is what keeps the photographer coming back.
Crop your way!
Don’t limit yourself to the standard 6x4, 7x5 and 8x10 aspect ratios. It’s YOUR Use what’s on offer. photograph so crop it Natural lighting is always however going to beyou waywant. betterThe than photograph is more anything man can important than theit!frame manufacture, so use The so make prioritise hours just sure after to dawn and just your image anything before sunsetover (the golden hours) else. give light with a beautiful, rosy quality (which is why most romantic shots are set at sunset). ‘Bad’ lighting can work in your favour. Atmospheric conditions can lead to moody shots, so maximize any definition in overcast clouds to make sure it doesn’t look painted out. Rim-lighting (a technique used in studio lighting setups using a designated ‘hair light’ for Lion cubs start to eat meat models) and silhouetting can at about 3 months are have a very dramaticand effect. weaned at about 6 months. Just because you can’t get into They stay with their mothers the right position doesn’t for about 2 years,trybyfor which mean you should the stageRemember they have–joined the shot. let nature inspire pride’syou! trips.
On a personal level, being surrounded by like minded photographers, full to the brim with enthusiasm and passion, is something that makes daily life not just easier but so much more rewarding. The hyena has one of the strongest bites in the animal kingdom, registering around 1,100 pounds of pressure. This enables them to easily crush their prey and chew through bones which brings in extra calcium. This crushing power also enables them to eat fast, which comes in handy when feasting on a kill in groups as it often gets competitive. Due to their power, Leopards will often leave their kill to avoid confrontation and injuries which could prove fatal to a lone predator.
Photography is often a lone profession and one can easily slip into a very narrow-minded mindset which does nothing to help progress, evolve and push your work or yourself as a photographer and individual. But seeing other photographers of varying degrees of experience all come together, help one another and infuse each other with excitement and a healthy sense of competition has been more invigorating to me than nearly anything else I can think of in my experience of photography. I love wildlife and the bush, we all do, but I’m equally loving the sense of comradery and development that every photographer helps nurture here at Dumela.
It’s been blisteringly hot as of late but with the heat comes the storm. Towards the end of the month an impressive feat of lightning and claps of thunder passed us by here at Dumela Lodge. It was a couple of hours worth of non-stop electrical displays, sudden bolts charging down to the horizon and stretching out across the dark blanketed sky.
Photographing this event, however, is a little bit more challenging than one would simply believe. Little rain actually fell on us, mere spits but just enough to keep us on our toes when moving camera equipment around outside in the dark. It’s a game of guessing and hopeful prediction, setting up your camera on a tripod and framing an area where you hope lightning will strike. The same rules then apply as you would with astrophotography – leaving the shutter open for 30 seconds and playing with your aperture and iso as you go along to get the best result possible. But, even once the camera was ready to go and you think you’ve got it nailed down as to where the lightning is going to appear, mother nature once again reminds you that she’s in control…
Did you know that elephants have the longest pregnancy of ALL mammals at 22 months?
Females can have babies until they’re about 50 years old and tend to have a new baby every 2 and a half to 4 years.
QUICK SETUP GUIDE:
The scientific name for the African Wild Dog means ‘painted wolf’. No two wild dogs have the same markings, which makes them easy to identify as individuals. Like other dogs, they are highly social and usually live in packs of six to twenty individuals with a dominant breeding pair. They communicate through a large variety of vocalizations, movements and touch. When the pups are old enough to eat solids they are given priority at a killer, even over the dominant pair. Unlike most other species, once they reach maturity it is actually the males that stay within their natal pack while females migrate and join new packs.
• Use a wide angle lens to frame as much area as possible. • Use a remote shutter release or put the camera on a timer to reduce shake. • Secure the camera to a sturdy tripod. (note: there may be substantial wind) • Use a shutter speed of 30 seconds • Use a wide aperture (f2.8 – f5.6) • Start with an ISO of 800 but then manage accordingly to how your images come out. • Have plenty of patience
The shutter speed has been set to 30 seconds to gather as much light as possible whilst capturing the full ferocity of the lightning strikes. The framing is wide and covers the area of the strikes. You finally hit the shutter and then nothing. A slight rumbling but nothing else. The shutter eventually closes and then the camera has to taken another 30 seconds or so to process the image. And that’s when the magic show begins but instead of excitement or joy you feel frustration and anger as the camera is missing everything in front of it. The wait is agonizing but once it’s done, it’s time to simply try again. There is no way of predicting or timing a strike. It’s a game of luck, patience and persistence that can pay off with stunning and powerful images. You just have to remind yourself that if it was easy then everyone would be doing it! “If lightning is the anger of the gods, then the gods are concerned mostly about trees…” - LAOTZU
The
There is always a reason you are drawn to something, but that reason isn’t always obvious. For me, Africa was no exception. Ever since I was small, I have always loved anything and everything about animals, from Sunday night documentaries on BBC One, to visiting any wildlife park I was passing; my parents must have been so fed up! Africa has always been top of the list for me. I feel it represents one of the last expanses of wilderness with a freedom that few places have, there really is no other place like it!
The white rhino is the 2nd largest land mammal in the world (after the elephant) and can weigh over 2,000 kilograms. There were once over 30 species of rhino, but today there are only 5 and all are endangered.
Exactly 12 months ago, I was making plans to travel for an extended period of time, mainly around central Asia. I’m fortunate to be self-employed, working as a Horsemanship Trainer & Coach, Model and Fitness Instructor back in the UK (the variation keeps life interesting for sure!), so I have the flexibility that not many do. Asia looked appealing, by my heart had always been set on Africa, and by October, nothing had been planned. Like much in life, time can run away with you. That’s when I made the decision to contact African Impact about their Big 5 Conservation & Research project, and now here I am, writing this from Dumela Lodge in South Africa!
I have always aspired to make a difference in the world, which is why I chose to volunteer with African Impact, with their hands on way of doing just that, and getting you involved from the start; from data research and game drives, to learning more in-depth about the conservation and environmental factors that are needed. I am half way through my stay here at Dumela, and to say it has been an eye-opener would be an understatement. I have met some fantastic people, volunteers and staff alike, experienced wild lions meters from the car, camped out unprotected in the middle of a Big 5 reserve with the sounds of Leopard, Lion and Hyena all around, and sat watching a 70 strong herd of Elephants interact and play on a dry riverbed; an unforgettable sight. I feel we are at a tipping point with conservation which is why I chose do this now. Many species are in rapid decline due to human error, and this could well be the last chance we get to see and help them in the wild. It is still not too late, but the only way that will change, is if we do. The work African Impact does is invaluable to conservation efforts, conserving through field and physical work, and equally importantly through educating, creating an environment in which everyone can take something away. I never wanted to experience Africa from the back of a 5* game viewer, I wanted it raw and to get stuck in and see Africa as it is. I still have much to see, but I can safely say I have done just that.
Be patient!
If you’re struggling to keep up with something small, try to determine it’s path - choose a focal point far enough ahead (particularly good when your subject is on a branch or twig) and simply wait for the right moment to start photographing. Don’t forget, above anything else, try to get the head and eyes in focus unless you’re using a smaller aperture of f8.
It is a myth that vultures circle dying animals waiting to feed. They are powerful fliers and soar on thermals whilst looking for food. When they locate a carcass by smell, sight or the sound of other birds feeding, they approach it quickly before other predators find it. When you see Giraffe, you automatically think of this beautifully unusual and unique animal roaming the African planes, but for how long? In the past 15 years, the Giraffe has suffered a population decline of 40%, leaving their overall numbers lower than that of Elephant. But why, and how has this happened? Habitat loss, poaching and climate change have all had an impact on the population, but being the least researched of all African mammals have left the Giraffe on the back-burner. The Giraffe was once said to be 1 species, with 9 subspecies, but the latest research has now recognised 4 separate species, with 5 subspecies, based on location, of genetic data and coat pattern.
Unlike many raptors, vultures are quite social and often feed, fly or roost in relatively large flocks. A group of vultures is called a committee, venue or volt. In flight, a flock of vultures is a kettle and when feeding together on a carcass they’re called a wake.
Here at Dumela Lodge, the Giraffe ID project has been put together to gain us a new insight in to the world of the Giraffe. By creating our unique photo identification kits, consisting of a number of images and key-features per individual, this will allow us to get to know our Giraffe that little bit better. Working with the ID kits will help us to monitor dietary preference and times, general health and wellbeing, to gaining exciting new information on herd dynamics and social structure; something that very little is still known about.
Each find is a step in the right direction to aid the conservation of the Giraffe, with knowledge comes power, of which can be used to preserve and help the species for many generations to come. The name Marabou Stork is believed to have come from an Arabic word for quiet or hermit-like. Due to their appearance from they’re also known as the ‘undertaker bird’
The
As with anything in life, the way in which we experience the bushveld is influenced by our perception of it and of the organisms it hosts. To those on a game drive, bush walk, camping trip, hiking trail etc. any organism can seem either extraordinary or mundane depending on their perception of it. Whether it be the first or hundred and first time you are watching a herd of wildebeest grazing, a pair of impala sparring or a dung beetle rolling the activity can be viewed either way. The viewer’s ideas and feelings about the activity, their knowledge base and the realisation of the purpose and interconnectedness of each individual and the actions they are undertaking can help to change the way in which everything is seen. As guides we are taught to try and show our guests the interconnection between organisms, their various ecosystems and ultimately ourselves. This is an attempt to create a more enjoyable, fulfilling, holistic experience, increase awareness (about the environment as well as ourselves) and alter perception in a positive way. There are various methods of achieving this goal, from discussing the role of the giant ecological engineers (elephants) in physically altering the structure of the environment, to the minute waste disposal teams (termites) that work unnoticed under the cover of darkness to cycle otherwise lost nutrients back into the ecosystem. Every organism be it mammalian, plant, bacterium etc. has a specific and integral niche to fill and without each individuals seemingly unrelated efforts the entire system would not manage to sustain itself.
The
Once this reality has been realised it seems to shed new light on everything you see. Things you would not pay much, or even any, attention to seem to jump out at you as if they have found new energy and purpose upon being noticed and admired by ‘newly opened’ eyes. The reality of the interconnections and relationships of organisms is both humbling and, when investigated closely and in detail, rather upsetting as you come to a greater realisation that the earth, as an entire ecological unit, could and would manage to survive and thrive if humans were altogether removed from the system. Our role of apex predator would be filled by numerous others such as lions and leopards. The land we strip of nutrients through agriculture would have them returned and balanced by micro-bacterium and areas or deforestation would regrow. The pollutants we created would be filtered and degraded, although only after centuries of work through a conjoined effort by the elements and a plethora of different organisms. The earth would find a natural balance that it has not known since the rise of mankind.
Although this sounds negative it is merely an attempt, in writing, to convey a meaningful message that field guides try to convey practically during any given activity. Nature is a complex system with countless components, each of which is integral to its own, as well as the entire systems, survival. Complete removal of any one of these components, big or small, can have disastrous repercussions and we must therefore take care in conserving not only the magnificent giants but also the minute marvels. Mankind, with our generally materialistic and money driven views and values, continues to wreak havoc on our planet but with the altered perception of dedicated, passionate individuals so much positive change is being accomplished. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Explore, inspire, impact.
Check out our newest submissions for this month on: africanimpactphotography.com