Photo Safari Report: Hermann | Marula Lodge | 27 Sep – 2 Oct 2015

I have taken several bookings this year for individual photographers wanting a private safari where they can concentrate on their own photography with my assistance. Since I have good links to many camps, I can arrange safaris for single photographers at very competitive rates – if you are interested in this, please get in touch for rates. You might well be surprised!

I finished a safari with Hermann on 2nd October. Even if September is always a fantastic month, I am astonished at the amazing sightings we enjoyed when I look back over the photos. Here’s a selection of the best…..

A couple of Waterbuck listen to the calls of baboons nearby.

All is calm in this gorgeous glade…..

….until a spotty hunter appears – lightning fast – from the gully and removes their male who was feeding nearby.

After feeding for a while, the leopard is displaced by hungry lions drawn to the area by the warning calls of impalas and the smell of a fresh kill! No shots of the lions and leopard together as the smaller cat fled as soon as the lions approached!

One half-eaten impala doesn’t go round many lions, so there was some squabbling over body parts….

…..and the largest lioness left with the….err….lion’s share.

The following morning was more serene with beautiful sightings of elephants….

…..ever-alert puku…..

….and ever-pannicky guinea-fowl.

A couple of very obliging Carmine bee-eaters used the same bush as a hunting perch.

Lions had killed a buffalo one night, but it was out in the open without any shade, so much of the carcass was left to the scavengers…..

….while the lions panted in the evening heat.

We always make a point of photographing subjects in good light, whatever the species, and this Red-billed hornbill became the object of our attention for some time as we discussed lighting angles and background options.

This Fish-eagle kindly performed the can-can while we waited for her to fly…

After a hot and (fairly) quiet morning, we were alerted to the presence of this leopard by the calls of Pukus. He had just killed an impala and was desperately trying to get it into a tree. But youth and inexperience got the better of him and he had to settle with feeding on the ground.

Vultures knew they would get their chance in the end…….!

We caught up with these lions just before they settled to sleep for the day – the yawns of the youngsters signal that they will soon become ‘flat-lions’ and unlikely move for the rest of the day!

Returning towards camp late on morning, we found over 50 elephants in one dambo. They were too spread out for me to include all of them, but by stitching a panorama, I could convey the glory of being in the presence of such a group.

Later in the week, we played extensively with interesting lighting options, seeking unusual opportunities that might be missed by more generalist photographers. Here a shaft of light lit a fish eagle, requiring adjustment of camera settings to maintain the effect.