I see Harry has already started posting images from Marc & Andy's African workshop. Like Harry, I have thousands of images, many are duplicates captured in high frame rate shooting, but a few are worth taking a second look at i believe.

Unlike Harry, I shot with a 7D and a 1DMk4, with a 70-300 IS L, and a 400 DO IS L lenses for most of my wildlife shots. Shooting late after sundown I envied Harry the low light ability of his D3s and his 200-400 f4.

Harry and I shot some of the same scenes, as the game cars tended to gather around the interesting locations, but we also shot apart at times as well.

This is one of the young lions in a moment of repose, from about 6-8 feet, 7D, f8, 135mm with the 70-300 IS L




Here are two young lions hunting after dark, captured with a 7D at ISO 1600, f8, 70-300 IS L



Less warm and friendly is this black rhino with his own bird, 7D f5.6 ISO 200, 70-300 IS L



And a zebra in motion, 7D, f25, 1/6th sec, ISO 100



Like Harry said, this workshop is far more than just wild animals, but the landscape of Africa, and its people, as well as the animals.

It was just a superb adventure, and I will return to Africa; I can see why people are seduced by it.

More images can be found here - http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/Travel...516761_jPZQG2L

Please leave comments, positive or negative, if you go there so I can gather some feed back from your viewing experience.

Very nice pics Pathfinder. I especially like the first one.
You guys are making me envious. I so love heading to Africa.

Jealous, so jealous! Beautiful.

Love the zebra. Great job!

Excellent set PF. The motion blur image is wonderful.

I'm with you about returning to Africa. I am hooked.

so wonderful to be with you for 2 weeks in Africa, you made it such a great trip, and I learned from you as well! Love the zebra in motion

Originally Posted by Andy so wonderful to be with you for 2 weeks in Africa, you made it such a great trip, and I learned from you as well! Love the zebra in motion

Kathy and I agree it was the best trip we have exer experienced, thank you so much for helping put it all together.

This one's for you Andy.

Originally Posted by pathfinder This one's for you Andy.

Love the schuka!

+1 on the zebra. Wonderful image. Looking forward to seeing more.

Awesome Stuff, very jealous....

I love the zebra in motion!

Super Zebra shot :)

<< Africa; I can see why people are seduced by it >>

Having worked there (some decades ago) for nearly 4yrs, I'd not disagree ...

pp

Awesome, just awesome. Enjoyed the entire gallery.

Beautiful images.
Zebra is a very artistic image
Good work

Super images, Jim. Somehow I missed this thread when you first posted it. The moving Zebra is really special.

The 70-300L seemed to work very nicely for you.

Originally Posted by kdog Super images, Jim. Somehow I missed this thread when you first posted it. The moving Zebra is really special. The 70-300L seemed to work very nicely for you.

Yes it did, Joel.

It is not fast at the long end, but it does seem to be nice and sharp with good contrast. And it is pretty small, easy to handle, and light.

I would love to be able to use a 300mm f2.8 IS L and a 500mm f4, as well as a 70-200 f2,8 IS L, but the weight is a real issue, and one does not want to be swapping lenses in the Land Cruiser as it can get pretty dusty at times.

Great to read your very informative reply Jim, thanks! You've done a top job with the caracals pic under those circumstances! While the big familiar animals understandably steal the show for many viewers and establish one's credentials in the safari club, for me the caracals shot is worth more. Interesting that like me you also seem not to consider super teles critical, especially since the "accepted wisdom" goes that you can never get enough reach on safari. I don't know quite where that is coming from. A lion's head filling the frame could be in a zoo, but the caracals in your shot, and the elephants below them, certainly are not! So I think the magic in magic safari shots is in the ability of the photographer to put such "common" animals as lions and elephants and giraffe etc, and uncommon and less charismatic animals, both, in that very special and distinctive ambiance that is Africa. Not something that super teles can always do, apart from other considerations as we have mentioned.

You might be right that the unfortunate animal that contributed to the panther's dinner that night was a hyrax. Its screaming was so primal, though, that it could have been coming from you or me!

At Ruaha we also had the benevolent protection of armed Masai to and from our bandas after dark, but armed with spear and flashlight only. That is trust!

Neil

Originally Posted by NeilL t! So I think the magic in magic safari shots is in the ability of the photographer to put such "common" animals as lions and elephants and giraffe etc, and uncommon and less charismatic animals, both, in that very special and distinctive ambiance that is Africa. Neil

I have been totally immersed in the processing of my images since our return from Africa. I've looked at thousands of captures so far. I have a goodly number of close-ups of the various animals and they are OK and fun to look at but I could easily get the same results at a zoo or park.

The images that really invoke a response from me and bring me back to the experience of the trip are the images showing the subject in its setting.

Originally Posted by Harryb I have been totally immersed in the processing of my images since our return from Africa. I've looked at thousands of captures so far. I have a goodly number of close-ups of the various animals and they are OK and fun to look at but I could easily get the same results at a zoo or park. The images that really invoke a response from me and bring me back to the experience of the trip are the images showing the subject in its setting.

What a fantastic set of images Pathfinder. It really was a pleasure viewing them. Like the rest the Zebra really is an eye catcher. Well done.
Cheers
Bob

Originally Posted by Harryb I have been totally immersed in the processing of my images since our return from Africa. I've looked at thousands of captures so far. I have a goodly number of close-ups of the various animals and they are OK and fun to look at but I could easily get the same results at a zoo or park. The images that really invoke a response from me and bring me back to the experience of the trip are the images showing the subject in its setting.

LIke this one, maybe, Harry?



Bob, I am glad to you enjoyed the blurred zebra.

Here is a wildebeest in a similar rendering.