kenya pics

has been a pretty miserable summer, and i don't just mean the traditional scottish weather! got Marci back 2 days before putting her into hibernation after her breaking down mid July, gearbox now replaced but she has now developed weird ECU problems and with the war chest being empty because of the gearbox this fix will have to wait till next year so we really needed a good holiday to make up for the miserable summer, and thankfully kenya did not disappoint. this was the best beach/safari we have had in the 10 years we have been going.
we visited Ngutuni private reserve in north Tsavo because we went there 10 years ago for our honeymoon. the difference was stark. 10 years ago this was quite lush with large herds of grazers supporting the 3 big cats, not so now, it is largely a dust bowl and grazers only seen in very small groups - a sad indicator of global warming maybe? also went to Masai Mara on a fly safari, seen just about everything except rhino which have moved to the north of the reserve but was not too fussed with not seeing them given the cats are my prime targets. ran into jonathan scott of big cat diary fame whilst photographing 5 male cheetahs, he was over filming for the new series next spring, we got to see an exclusive preview on his laptop of the intro/advert and it looks the biz!
anyway, a few of my fav pics in no particular order and if interested, a few more on the link. https://hipflask.smugmug.com/Holidays/Kenya-2017-safari/

Stunning Greg, hope you get Marci sorted soon.

Great photos. I have not been to Kenya for a while but my recollection is that the weather can vary a lot season to season so hard to read into that.

We were in a couple of the small tented camps in the Okavango Delta in Botswana last year. That is something else if you get the chance with a good amount of game still and the ability to get close on safari and in camp. Mind with the photos you have posted it does not look like you had any problems!

The highlight for us was seeing a pack of wild dogs with pups two days running.

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully Marci will start behaving next year

Really good pictures, what equipment are you using

Nice photos, some time since we were there and like most places change in inevitable

bigbob said:

Great photos. I have not been to Kenya for a while but my recollection is that the weather can vary a lot season to season so hard to read into that.

We were in a couple of the small tented camps in the Okavango Delta in Botswana last year. That is something else if you get the chance with a good amount of game still and the ability to get close on safari and in camp. Mind with the photos you have posted it does not look like you had any problems!

The highlight for us was seeing a pack of wild dogs with pups two days running.

Click to expand...

Cheers. Our budget does not stretch to the delta, wish it did, I would love to have seen the hunting dogs. One of the benefits of the Mara is that you can go off road to get close, of course having a big mutha f'kn lens helps too!

Wack61 said:

Really good pictures, what equipment are you using

Click to expand...

To save changing lens' in the field I use two Sony alpha 77s, one with the big high speed Minolta 300mm 2.8 on it and the other with a sigma 17/70 2.8. For sure, canikon handle noise and low light better but I like the ergonomics of the Sony.

Stunning shots, better pictures than mine from 99 but then I used point and shoot 35mm film camera...

midlifecrisis said:

Stunning shots, better pictures than mine from 99 but then I used point and shoot 35mm film camera...

Click to expand...

99 a really, really nice machine, up there with the best, I just can't afford 1.5k to change one of the 77s for the benefits of full frame much as I'd like to. Yup, like you, I started with with film decades ago so even all these years later, I am still struggling with the changeover. Although digital is instant and that is good, there is a bit of me misses the excitement of seeing what the postie brings back, and let's not forget the embarrassment of finding "no charge" stickers on some of them!

highlander said:

Cheers. Our budget does not stretch to the delta, wish it did, I would love to have seen the hunting dogs. One of the benefits of the Mara is that you can go off road to get close, of course having a big mutha f'kn lens helps too!

Click to expand...

I know what you mean but this was a special occasion. Previous trips to Kenya and Tanzania were a tad more reasonable. These holidays are the most levelling and mellow experiences especially with the communal in camp dining which I had not experienced before. Mind most of the fellow travellers were German or Dutch and - in perfect English as is the way - only wanted to talk about Brexit!

bigbob said:

I know what you mean but this was a special occasion. Previous trips to Kenya and Tanzania were a tad more reasonable. These holidays are the most levelling and mellow experiences especially with the communal in camp dining which I had not experienced before. Mind most of the fellow travellers were German or Dutch and - in perfect English as is the way - only wanted to talk about Brexit!

Click to expand...

It does make you realise how lucky (lazy) we are to be born English when travelling abroad, in Italy last month all the tourist signs were in English and Italian , I walked up to a pay and display car park machine, some Russians were struggling with it so I explained and they understood English , in the Netherlands last year they start talking then realise you don't understand a word so seamlessly switch to English

Very nice. Reminds me of Namibia a few years ago.

Nice composition Mark. Like that.

What fabulous pictures...love the leopards under the tree!
Thanks for sharing
Cheers Wattie

MarkMas said:

Very nice. Reminds me of Namibia a few years ago.

View attachment 45659

Click to expand...

Great country, best holiday I have ever had spending 2 weeks driving a Ford Ranger 2500 miles mostly on dirt roads.

highlander said:

Nice composition Mark. Like that.

Click to expand...

Thanks! My son (12) and I took about 2,000 photos in 3 weeks, and printed 16 of them.

MarkMas said:

Thanks! My son (12) and I took about 2,000 photos in 3 weeks, and printed 16 of them.

View attachment 45661

Click to expand...

Ah Sossusvlei, remember it well. We climbed the Big Daddy at dawn - harder work than I expected!

Wack61 said:

It does make you realise how lucky (lazy) we are to be born English when travelling abroad, in Italy last month all the tourist signs were in English and Italian , I walked up to a pay and display car park machine, some Russians were struggling with it so I explained and they understood English , in the Netherlands last year they start talking then realise you don't understand a word so seamlessly switch to English

Click to expand...

It does help, mind we are not always popular - I was in Zimbabwe recently and entry visas (all paid in hard cash in their official currency, the US$) were more for Brits than other westerners.

MarkMas said:

Thanks! My son (12) and I took about 2,000 photos in 3 weeks, and printed 16 of them.

View attachment 45661

Click to expand...

Lol, yes digital is so easy at the time of shooting but the pain comes later trying to trim all the shots down! A nice set you have there, I'm sure they look good printed off together. TBH, the only ones I'll probably print are the head on zebra, I love the simplicity of the shot, and maybe one of the lion cub shots I've still to process.

Truly amazing photographs and what a magical location - one day I would love to make a trip like that !