2021, a second year of disruption and uncertainty for the travel industry, as for the whole world. Those who have been able to travel have met an industry ready to receive guests again, and desperately hoping to do so. The strain that 2 years of dramatically reduced income has stretched even those safari camps with the best protected contingency plans and rainy-day funds — who could have predicted what 2020 & 2021 have thrown at the world?!
I was very pleased to have the chance to guide a single guest from Earth Ark Travel for a 4-day trip in the South Luangwa earlier in December. Private tours are rewarding because there is ample time to focus on the guest’s preferences in terms of sightings, but also to develop technical skills, practice new ideas and spend lots of time reviewing images on return to camp. It is for this reason that I always limit my tours to 4 guests so that there is time to everyone to get as much tuition as they want, but a single traveller takes this to a new level!
For this trip, we were based in the grand surroundings of Mfuwe Lodge, just inside the national park. It’s hard to predict what the weather and conditions will be like in early December but we would usually expect to have had some rain, the grass to have sprouted and there to be occasional storms to cool the heat and bring dramatic backdrops to the landscape. This year, that was not to be and we had hot, clear weather every day. While we didn’t have to run for cover at any point, we would have liked some dark storm clouds and gentle rain to cool off the 40 degree celsius days!
We enjoyed some lovely sightings; elephants, wild dogs, birds, baby warthogs, impala lambs and sparring kudu bulls were the highlights — read on for the photos and captions below.
Our first afternoon was a cracker. We practiced panning blur images — initially with me as a subject while the guide changed a puncture — and then with some cooperative impalas, and then we spotted this hippo wallowing in a muddy pool….
…our reason for exploring that area was to locate a pack of wild dogs which had been hunting in that area the day before, and we were lucky to find them with good time before sunset to position and take photos. There was lots of play, as well as chasing of hyaenas which had apparently congregated to scavenge the left overs of something which the dogs had killed that afternoon.
We searched for the dogs in the morning — Stephanie was very keen to spend lots of time with them — but couldn’t locate them in the huge area that they cover, so we enjoyed the best of the light with whatever came along.
There was a large fishing party of storks in one of the lagoons so we crept down to the bed of the lagoon and spent time with the birds as they searched for the remaining fish….
As does everyone who visits the Luangwa Valley, Stephanie was blown away by the scenery and the trees particularly. We talked about how to show the landscape as part of the shot, including whether to use wide angle lenses, or whether to shoot with a long lens from further away. It wasn’t long before she was spotting potential subjects far in the distance and talking about lining up the trees to create beautiful scenes.
Our elephant sightings were wonderful, including endless families with small calves and large bulls foraging on the new tree growth.
Mixing things up with a bit of abstract shooting!
And some more traditional compositions……….
We followed the dogs again one afternoon, arriving just as they awoke from their rest…
For some visual highlights, please enjoy this short video below:
One morning we decided to slow our pace totally and try to focus on anything that could be enjoyed in the very best early light. First up was a wonderful encounter with a pair of Bennett’s woodpeckers feeding their youngster….
…and a young puku, perhaps a couple of days old, which gave us beautiful reflections in the remaining water of a lagoon. The female was licking the rear of the calf, stimulating it to defecate so that she could eat the droppings and keep the calf clean of any scent. Being undetectable to predators, which mostly use their sense of smell to locate prey at night, is one proven survival technique for the young of vulnerable antelope.
Perhaps best of all was the warthog female who allowed us very close to her while she dug in the soft sand with her piglets…
…and all were attended to by the ever-present oxpeckers.
Back in the forested landscapes further north, we waited for subjects to show one afternoon. It turned out to be a great decision, as we had giraffes…..
….multiple elephant herds….
…including this one which approached us against the beautiful backdrop of the leadwood trees…
…..and then this incredible scene as the last light of sunset shone past a rain storm in the distance and a parade of elephants crossed in front at the perfect time!
It often pays to slow down on safari and let wildlife settle after the initial disturbance caused by the arrival of a vehicle. In this case, it certainly helped. The light was falling, and we were sitting with a group of kudu bulls who were slowly moving across a pan towards the bushes. We sat in silence, listening for clues from potential predators starting to move, when one of the bulls clearly challenged another to a sparring match. We were in the right spot, and ready to shoot, and captured some of the best images of the trip!
I had really enjoyed Stephanie’s company, and helping her to get the best from her cameras, and with editing skills back in camp. We also set up her Lightroom editing suite so she is set up for future trips and it was, as always, a pleasure to spend 4 days on safari in this superb national park.
Thank you for reading all the way to the end; as always I appreciate every single follower and supporter. All the best for the coming week and the lead up to Christmas. I sincerely hope you will all be able to spend time with the people you love.
Bookings for 2023 are open, and I am already working on a 14-night trip to Botswana in July 2023 visiting Kwando Private concession, the Khwai Conservancy, the Okavango Delta and the Mkgadikgadi Pans. There is space for one couple to make up the group of 4 — please contact me for more information.
