Last Minute Offer Zambia 2013

Due to a cancellation we now have 2 openings on the Beyond The Great Rivers tour to Zambia.

Book now and get a 500 Euro last minute discount!

More information on this amazing safari here.

Daniella (left) and the lodge manager trying not to wet themselves.

A Hippo In The Museum

Nature's Best has announced the names of the photographers who will be displayed in the upcoming awards exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.

My winning hippo shot from Zambia is one of only 40 images that will be on display.

The Awards exhibition will open to the public on June 7, 2013, and run through the beginning of 2014.

Miss Zambia

I've been on safaris in all African safari countries, and Zambia is easily one of my favorites. It's not as crowded as the Masai Mara, the Serengeti or Kruger, not as expensive as the Okavango, you can drive off road, you're not limited to opening or closing times of the parks, you can get out of your vehicle, and there's lots of water. During the hot dry season that's where all the animals will be so and that's where most of the activity will be.

Zambia is not your typical safari destination. It is not as open as the Masai Mara or the Serengeti for instance, where you can spot the animals from miles away - you have to work harder for your shots. To me, that's what makes it so much more fun and rewarding. Especially because the scenery in Zambia is so spectacular with giant winterthorn trees dwarfing even the elephants, and the famous Zambezi river with highest hippo density in the world. The Zambezi is an animal magnet in the dry season, and where all the animals go, that's where the predators are as well.

Leopards are my favorite big cats - they're just stunning. When we're in our bush camp in Zambia, I always plan a few leopard drives, where we specifically search for leopards. So far we have always been successful, just like last year. We left our camp very early in the morning to drive to this specific area where we had seen a leopard earlier in the hope to spot her again in good photography conditions. Well, we couldn't have been more lucky.

Miss Zambia, seducing us with her fiery eyes

There she was, Miss Zambia, the prettiest leopard in the country, walking along the tree line. She was very relaxed with our presence, walked towards a termite mount, climbed up and lay herself down in the most elegant of poses. I asked our guide to reposition our vehicle to get the beautiful side lighting, and after that it was just a matter of clicking away. Bad photographs were simply impossible. We train our leopards well! ;-)

When the sun got higher and the light harsher, she got up and walked away. Our cue to slowly drive back to camp and have breakfast.

If you would like to join us on this spectacular trip and learn more about photography and composition, please check out our website for more information, dates and prices. There is currently a discount of 500 euro per person on the last two seats of the Zambia tour in September.

Nature's Best Awards 2012

This year's results of the 2012 Nature’s Best International Photography Awards have been announced, and the hippo shot that I took on the Beyond The Great Rivers tour in Zambia (see previous blog post) was chosen as a Highly Honored winner. 

It was also picked as one of the cover images for the Fall/Winter issue.

Selected from nearly 20,000 images from photographers in 46 countries, some 500 photos made it into the semi-final round of judging and only 129 images made it to the finals. A selection of Highly Honored winners will be displayed in the annual photo exhibition at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. opening June 2013.

Back from Zambia

Just returned from Zambia for this year's Beyond The Great Rivers tour - it was awesome. Great group, great sightings (leopards!) and great scenery.

We've been on safaris in most African safari countries, and Zambia is easily one of our favorites. It's not as crowded as the Masai Mara, the Serengeti or Kruger, not as expensive as the Okavango, you can drive off road, you're not limited to opening or closing times of the parks, you can get out of your vehicle, and there's lots of water. During the hot dry season that's where all the animals will be so that's where most of the activity will be.

We used small boats to photograph the wildlife on the shore (elephants, crocs, buffalo, etc.) and in the water. One of my favorite animals in and around the Zambezi is the hippo. They're big, dangerous, often shy, and very photogenic - that is, when they're not submerged :-)

I haven't had time to select or process any images from this year's trip yet, so here's one from last year. Shot while sitting on the bottom of a small boat to get the low angle. We banked the boat at a safe distance from a pod of hippos, an hour or so before sunset.

The key to success when photographing hippos, is patience. The moment you stop near a pod they usually submerge and only show themselves every now and then to take a deep breath. After a while however, they get used to your presence and get more relaxed. Hippos are very territorial and can be ill-tempered - a dangerous mix. They can be aggressive towards people, but also towards other hippos. And when hippos have an argument, there's always a lot of noise and splashing involved.

This hippo had a brief conflict with one of its neighbors, which resulted in a series of intimidating big head and teeth displays. This shot is basically the end of that little quarrel, and I liked the profile, the expression and the soft directional light.

If you would like to join us on our next Zambia workshop, please check out our website for more information, pictures and tour impression video clips.

Hope to see you there!

Marsel

Zambia 2011 fully booked

It's still far away, but our Beyond the Great Rivers tour in Zambia for next year is already fully booked. We're planning to have the dates for 2012 online somewhere during the spring of 2011. For those who didn't manage to get a spot - we'll keep you posted.

Special offer for Zambia and Kenya (September 2010)

Book in May and get 250 Euro discount on our photo tours to Kenya and Zambia!

TEst We go to Kenya to photograph the migration, one of the most spectacular events in the world. Tens of thousands of wildebeest and zebra stream into the Masai Mara during the migration, and we will be right in the middle of the action. This is also the perfect time to see lions, leopards and cheetahs which all try to take advantage of the huge concentrations of game during this period. We will be staying in a mobile tented camp, set up privately for our group in two very strategic locations inside the Masai Mara. You can't get any closer to nature than this! All tents have private facilities and the camp staff will take care of your every need. You'll be camping luxury style. This trip offers you the best opportunities to get those amazing shots of the migration that you have always wanted!

Zambia is one of the last remaining unspoiled safari destinations. This Squiver photo tour takes you to South Luangwa NP, with its lagoons and riverine woodlands, and the Lower Zambezi NP, with elephants and buffalo grazing along the Zambezi river. You can shoot from vehicles, boats, canoes and on foot! Likely subjects are elephant, hippo, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, lion, and leopard, to name a few. Non-photographing partners will also enjoy this trip. You can book an extension to Victoria Falls; a location not to miss while in Zambia!

Interested in one of these trips? Make sure you book before 1 June 2010 and get 250 Euro discount! More info on www.squiver.com/phototrips.html

New photo tour to Zambia

During our second visit to Zambia last year, we decided that we definitely wanted to set up a photo tour to this spectacular country, and so we did!

Zambia is one of the last remaining unspoiled safari destinations in Africa. On this trip we will start in South Luangwa NP, with its lagoons and riverine woodlands, where elephants cross the South Luangwa river every day. The park and its water host large concentrations of wildlife, including over 400 bird species. We continue to Lower Zambezi NP, with elephants and buffalo grazing along the Zambezi river and on its numerous islands, and get eye-level shots of hippos. The safaris on land offer wildlife in beautiful settings with big winterthorn trees. We will shoot from vehicles, boats, canoes and on foot! You can top off your safari with a visit to the famous Victoria Falls. You can view an impression of this tour on video, by clicking the image below:

If this unique tour has your name on it, don't hesitate and make a booking now - this will be an exceptional African experience!

On photo assignment in Zambia

We're back in Johannesburg again. The last two weeks we have been on an assignment for two lodges in Zambia, and we had a fabulous time. We had photographed for this lodge before for the Wild Romance book, and they asked us back for some additional shots for their new brochures. We made some new shots of an existing room and some of a very new one that they were still building when we were there.

All the time that we were there, there were either elephants in the camp, or very nearby. One afternoon Daniëlla and the lodge manager had a relaxed chat on the verandah when an elephant walked by and briefly stopped to check them both out. They sat there motionless without making a sound to not to disturb the animal in any way, and after a few seconds it moved away again - a truly breathtaking experience.

Also part of the assignment, was to photograph a walking safari. This is one of the many cool things you can do in this area, and definitely not something you can do in most other African parks. Marsel wanted to photograph an elephant standing underneath one of the typical big trees, with a small group of people at a safe distance in the background. Photographing an elephant is one thing, but to photograph one with people in it is quite something else. We used two vehicles; one with Marsel in it and a guide, and one with the 'actors.' The idea was to have four people in the shot: two tourists, a guide and a security guard. We drove around the area, searching for elephants, preferably standing in good light and eating from a big tree. When we found one, Marsel would take position and direct the other vehicle to the spot where he wanted the people in the frame. He would then make the composition while the four actors would get out of their car and slowly and quietly walk into the shot. Obviously, with wild animals it is very important to keep a safe distance - both for the people and for the animal. By using a long lens Marsel was able to compress the perspective, pulling the animal and the people closer together in the shot.

To get a good shot was not easy to say the least. It takes time to find a good potential shot and then to all get into the right position, and by the time everything was set, the elephant was already starting to walk away or decided to turn around for a nice butt-shot. We eventually got the 'money shot' not far from our camp. A large elephant was feeding from a large tree and was not in a hurry to move - we gratefully took advantage of that!

Zambia: a hidden gem featuring the Zambezi River

We have just left Zambia, which we visited for our book on Africa. It is beautiful, combining great game viewing from a vehicle with boat trips on the Zambezi River or even from a canoe. Approaching animals from the water gives you a different (often eye-level) perspective and you can get quite close to them. Zambia is still relatively unknown as a safari-country, making it not so crowded or touristy. A real gem!