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Guest Report: Thomas Lehman | Legendary Luangwa | Robin Pope Safaris & Lion Camp | 18 – 29 Sep 2018
Dr Thomas - affectionately known as "Doc" on our trip since we had two guests called Dr Thomas! - joined me in September for what became one of the outstanding trips of the year. Doc is an accomplished photographer so I enjoyed working with him and helping him build up a great portfolio of shots. He has kindly written a short summary of his trip with me, and sent me a few of (very) many great [...]
Edward is on Holiday….!
Back on 25th November!
November in the South Luangwa
November is the month in which the rains usually arrive in Luangwa. I remember a year when 110mm fell on the night of Nov 1, leaving the park awash with mud, fallen leaves and battered trees the following morning. But I also remember years where it was still dry at Christmas-time, so predicting the exact arrival of the rains is a tricky business! After the intense heat of October, we all look forward to the relief [...]
A View from the Luangwa – November 2018
I'm really proud to announce that over the 2018 Safari Season, I have been allocating USD $5 per person per night on behalf of each of my guests to a fund for conservation projects in the Luangwa Valley. This small per-bed-night contribution generates a sizeable fund at the end of the season! Firstly, I would like to thank all of you who have travelled with me for supporting my business and therefore helping me to support [...]
Guest Report: Kent Wilson, Canada | Luxury Luangwa | 31 August – 7 September 2018
I met Kent and Ellen Wilson at Tena Tena for the start of 7 nights on my Luxury Luangwa safari in late August 2018. Having grown up in South Africa, it was great to share stories in the bush and show them both around the wonderful Nsefu Sector where Robin Pope Safaris operate two superb camps. Kent had been photographing wildlife for a long time and I was excited to see the results as we shared [...]
October in the South Luangwa
By the time October comes round, we really know that hot season has arrived! The sun rises early and by 07.00 temperatures of 35 degrees celsius are common. In fact, sometimes the temperature only drops as far as 26 overnight! While this might seem to be an impediment to game viewing, in fact, it gives us some of the best sightings of the year. October is about congregations: vast herds of buffalo, formed from multiple smaller [...]
Photo Safari Report: Extended Luangwa | Kafunta Lodge & Lion Camp | 1 – 12 October 2018
My final dry season photo safari started at the beginning of October. This month is known for its intense heat, dusty dramatic light and impressive sightings! But it was also for the wonderful carmine bee-eater colonies that my guests were particularly keen to visit at this time of year. I had been in communication with Sue & Michael for about a year and it was clear that they were experienced travellers and knowledgable wildlife experts....as both [...]
Tour Info: The Light….
Photographers are always concerned about visiting National Parks and wildlife areas at the best time of the year. They usually consider sightings, water levels and concentrations of game when deciding, but there is much less information available about the quality and type of lighting conditions that exist during different seasons. I wanted to use some images to explain how the light changes during the year in the Luangwa Valley and highlight the benefits of each season. [...]
Photo Safari Skills: Auto-Focus settings for Wildlife
We are all looking for sharp photos and the pursuit of this goal dominates many discussions on online blogs as well as in the back of safari vehicles! There are two factors that heavily influence the “sharpness” of an image: shutter-speed and focus. Since we all strive for sharp pictures (most of the time) it’s very important to understand these two variables and know how to set up your camera. Shutter speed: images that are taken [...]
Photo Safari Report: Legendary Luangwa | River Camp, Nsefu Camp & Lion Camp | 18 – 29 Sep 2018
I have never promoted safaris in the Luangwa based on the expectation of seeing any particular sighting or event. Certainly there are sightings that are more likely at some times of year that others, and the dry season usually offers the best chance to see game. But when a tour operator in the UK promoted my latest trip as “Legendary Luangwa”, I wasn’t prepared for how appropriate this name would turn out to be! A group [...]
September in the South Luangwa
September is certainly the prime time in South Luangwa; the lagoons are all but dry and all game is concentrated along the river. The riverine forests teem with antelope and elephants searching for forage from the sausage trees, starlings feed noisily from wild mango flowers and among the fruiting ebony trees, and the sense of predators is everywhere. All the floodplains along the river are rich with game, cropping the short grass ever shorter; warthogs, zebras [...]
Wildlife: Crocodile lurking in the shallows
In a perennial lagoon in the central area of the South Luangwa National Park, a certain crocodile has learned how to hunt antelope from the shallow water of his muddy lagoon. Each year, when the lagoon starts to dry up, narrow channels appear towards the edges, which have been used by hippos when entering and emerging from the lagoon. These long, deep channels are a perfect hiding place for a crocodile. With diminishing water sources elsewhere [...]
EDWARD SELFE
I organise & run photographic safaris in the finest wildlife areas on Earth since.
