Bret Charman Photography - Wildlife Photography
  • Home
  • Bret's Blog
  • My Portfolio
    • African Wildlife
    • Australian Wildlife
    • British Wildlife
    • Svalbard's Wildlife
    • Other Wildlife
  • About Me
    • Partners
    • Awards
  • Workshops & Tours
  • Prints
  • Contact

Big Cats and Big Tuskers of Kenya: Day 3

22/2/2013

0 Comments

 
The 3rd day in the Mara promised to be a good day, after the success we had the day before, it was going to have to be pretty epic. And the morning started off absolutely perfectly, we found our Leopard friend up the tree, looking rather relaxed and pretty sedate. We did find some other subjects to photograph, including Grey Crowned Cranes and a Jackal but the Leopard stole the show somewhat!
Picture
The rolling Mara landscape
Picture
Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas)
Picture
Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum)
Picture
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Picture
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
After taking far too many photographs of our lovely Leopard we heard about a Cheetah only a few hundred yards away. As we hadn't yet seen a Cheetah we decided it was worth a chance and we left the Leopard to enjoy its rest. However when we got there we were rather disappointed, there were quite a few vehicles around the Cheetah and after only a few moments it moved off. Without getting a single decent shot we were a little frustrated.

We then heard about another Cheetah sighting further down the road, sat atop of a rock and we rushed off to see whether we could get some shots. What happened over the next 3 hours was truly phenomenal. It was probably one of my top photographic and top wildlife encounters at the same time. It was truly exhilerating!
Picture
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Picture
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Picture
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Picture
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
After 15-20 minutes of excellent portrait photography the Cheetah decided it was time to move on. She jumped down off of the rock and headed straight towards a herd of Thompson's Gazelle. They spotted her very early on and she quickly gave up going to ground. We stayed with her for the next couple of hours, watching and waiting!
Picture
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Picture
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
It was then, after the gazelle came too close, that the Cheetah made its move. Within only a matter of moments it was off, running at full speed after a young male Thompson's Gazelle. Unfortunately for us it was over the hill in a split second. We quickly made ready and we headed off to see whether or not it was successful. It was successful and its quarry was still alive. Seeing this side of nature is at times very hard, but at the same time you cannot help but be enthralled and I for one feel extraordinarily privileged to have been able to say I saw such an intense spectacle.
Picture
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Picture
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Picture
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Picture
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Picture
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
We decided to leave her to it so she could feed undisturbed and not draw attention to her. We would come back later and see how she was doing. We headed off across the Mara River and into the Maasai Mara NP for a spot of lunch and we explored some of the big open landscapes that this has to offer. We came across some Lion lazing in the shade, a rather grumpy bull Elephant and plenty of Topi. We then headed back to camp, checking up on the Cheetah which had eaten a whole leg and was starting on another.
Picture
Mara landscape
Picture
African Elephant Loxodonta africana
Picture
White-bellied Bustard (Eupodotis senegalensis)
Picture
View from Lookout Hill
Picture
Cheetah with kill (Acinonyx jubatus)
What a wonderful day it was then, big cat sightings galore and some truly epic landscapes. Animal behaviour at its absolute best and a great day out with our guide Joseph as well as Wild Eye ambassador Andrew Aveley and Richard Sparks.
0 Comments

Big Cats and Big Tuskers of Kenya: Day 2

20/2/2013

0 Comments

 
After a lovely night catching up on some much needed sleep, it was time to spend our first full day in the Mara. Awoken bright and early with an enthusiastic "Jambo!" (actually it was still dark), the camera gear was already waiting to go and after a spot of Tea (in my case, everyone else had coffee) I was ready too!

We climbed aboard the Land Cruiser, our guide Jimmy was ready and raring to go. It wasn't long in fact before my French counterparts gave Jimmy a rather appropriate nickname. For the rest of the trip Jimmy was to be called "Jimmy Loeb", after the French World Rally Champion: Sebastien Loeb. Jimmy is a top quality guide and his driving skills are second to none, and at times pretty nippy, always getting you to the right spot at the right time.

So anyway, after only 30 seconds of driving outside of camp, we saw some Impala all alert and looking the same way. A moment later we spotted a lone Lioness making its way across the open grassland, the light was warm but not very bright, it was time to push the new Canon EOS 5D mkIII and see just how well it performed at a higher ISO. An ISO of 2500 was just right and the image showed almost no signs of noise, what a great start to the morning. We only stayed a short while before heading off to find some other species to photograph. We noticed, in the distance, a herd of Wildebeest running in all directions and we quickly realised a lone Hyena was trying its best to hunt. As we arrived on the scene the Hyena went to ground, seemingly worn out by its morning exhertions.
Picture
Lioness (Panthera leo)
Picture
Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
Picture
Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)
After this little foray we heard that there were some Lion not far from where we were, so off we went with our trigger fingers hovering over the shutter release button. It was Canon all round in our Landcruiser with two 60D's and my 5D mkIII plus my 7D, a 70-200mm f2.8, two 100-400mm's and my 300 f/2.8. We had all angles covered as we arrived to find a young male and a young lioness stood in the open.
Picture
Lioness (Panthera leo)
Picture
Young male Lion (Panthera leo)
We again moved on quite quickly as we knew the rest of the pride, including some young cubs, were just over the brow of the hill. We got there to find two large females relaxing with two sets of cubs. What a wonderful sight it was and I took far too many photos as always.
Picture
Lion cub (Panthera leo)
Picture
Lion cub with mother (Panther leo)
So after a lovely morning with the Lion and the excitement of the Hyena chasing the Wildebeest it was time to head back to camp for a well deserved rest! On our way back we stopped at the Mara river, as you can see below, and came across some Giraffe making their way across the rolling plains.
Picture
Picture
Maasai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi)
After a busy morning with some great sightings we thought it would be difficult to beat. And to start with it seemed as if this might be the case. The gloomy clouds were coming in (not always a bad thing for dramatic photos) and after 45 minutes we hadn't seen very much at all, even with "Jimmy Loeb" once again at the wheel. Then we heard that the Leopard was in the tree where the kill had been found the day before.

Before we knew it Jimmy's rally skills were put to the test as we raced back before the cat disappeared. After only 10 minutes, we arrived to find the cat was still up the tree but it was no prime photography opportunity. Well unless you like lots of branches in the way, being photographers we are always particularly fussy but you can't help but watch Leopards and we did just that!

Picture
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
After working in Zambia's South Luangwa NP, I have spent quite a bit of time with Leopard and once we had got our record shots I asked Jimmy if we could move back from the other vehicles. The way the tree sloped and the postioning of the lower branches I thought we might strike it lucky if it decided to come down. Then just to make sure we got the shots, an almighty rain storm came in and the Leopard decided it was time to find some better shelter. Our positioning was spot on, thanks must go to Jimmy for really listening to where we wanted to be and helping us get the shots. This is the key difference on a photography tour  to a normal safari and one that you really appreciate, this is where Wild Eye really excelled.
Picture
Leopard (Panthera Pardus)
Picture
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
After all that excitement, and a complete soaking, we went off to find the Lion family that we saw earlier on in the day. We quickly found them and after a bit of water was removed from the front of my lens, it was time to get some nice Lion portraits in the soft light. Then it was time to head back to camp, dry off and spend another evening in the great company of my fellow tour participants.
Picture
Rather soggy Lion cubs (Panthera leo)
0 Comments

Another Leopard picture from Kenya

10/1/2012

0 Comments

 
Here is one more Leopard picture from my recent trip to Kenya.  This was taken in really low light so I am happy that the image is sharp, even if it is a little noisy.
Picture
0 Comments

A few of my favourite images from my recent trip to Kenya.

3/1/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
This Leopard ran down the tree only moments after we had arrived on the scene.  It was perfect timing, although the framing is not spot on I am rather happy with the way the image turned out.
Picture
These Flamingos were on a small lake close to Lake Naivasha - we arrived in the warm afternoon sun to find thousands of these colourful birds resting on the lake shore.  It was such an amazing sight and a fantastic place to spend an afternoon photographing.  The  two birds, to the left, started to groom simultaneously and I could not turn down such a great pose. 
Picture
Another Leopard image here.  I have seen plenty of Leopard in Zambia, but to see three in the mara in 5 days really was a treat.  This one had just killed the Grant's Gazelle between it legs, the snarl was aimed towards a vehicle with some rather noisy occupants (much to everyone's annoyance).
Picture
Lastly, a picture of an Olive Baboon.  This was an amazing moment for me, this large male was only 8 feet away from the end of my lens.  To start with a I was photographing the large family group, that was crossing the road ahead, when this large male started to approach my long lens (my new 300mm f/2.8).  I pulled the lens into the vehicle expecting that the Baboon might be a little aggressive, I have had close encounters with these animals and I have a lot of respect for them. 

Then he stopped, eye level with me, and started to stare.  I pushed the lens out of the vehicle again and started to photograph.  I was only able to fit his eyes in the frame, when aother vehicle stopped just behind us.  As they stopped and for only a split second he turned to look at them, with the Sun lighting up his face I managed to get the one shot off before he turned back to look at me.  The intamacy was a real privilege and something I will not forget in a hurry, the detail of his fur and his skin is exquisite.  I have never successfully photographed a Baboon as they seem to get very aggressive when you point the lens towards them, so for me, this is the shot of the trip. 
1 Comment

Big Cats, Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, 2010

24/10/2011

0 Comments

 
Here are a few of my big cat photographs that I never really gave a second chance and so I thought that now they deserved to see the light of day and be seen by others.  These were all taken whilst I was working for Kafunta River Lodge in Zambia.
0 Comments

Pench National Park, India (30/03/11)

20/4/2011

0 Comments

 
This morning was our last game drive in Pench, as this afternoon we would be heading to Kanha National Park.  We were all allocated the same vehicles as the day before, to ensure that we all got a fair chance to see whatever came our way.  We were allocated a different route this morning and within minutes we were seeing something unusual.  We stumbled across a pair of Indian Rollers mating, they carried on for well over 30 seconds much to Indrajit's surprise.  

After another half an hour we witnessed another amazing bit of bird behaviour.  This time we watched two male peacocks fighting with one another as they flew up in the air in the most amazing display.  Unfortunately the light levels were very low and it was nearly impossible to photograph but it was certainly a spectacular sight and one I shall not forget in a hurry.  We moved on again, to where we saw the tiger the evening before but with no luck we photographed a cheeky Rhesus Macaque. 

We then went for breakfast at the central spot to hear, from a park guard, that there was a tiger at a lake we had already driven past.  He also told us one of our group had seen a leopard on the road we would need to take.  Off we went in a hurry, with a half eaten breakfast, in search of both tiger and leopard.  We quickly reached the spot where the leopard had been seen with two vehicles waiting.  Within seconds of our arrival a tiny female leopard burst out of her cover, across the road and into the thick bush on the other side.  What luck and what timing!  With that sighting over, keeping quiet about the tiger, we headed off in search of our foe.  When we reached the lake, where she had been seen, we were extremely disappointed to find local men creating a fire break.  She was probably still in the area but with people around she was not likely to show herself.

We had a pleasant lunch back at Tuli Tiger Corridor before we climbed aboard our cars for our journey to our next destination, Kanha.  We passed through some lovely countryside (plenty of wheat fields) before reaching the forested area outside of Kanha.  We followed the boundary of the park, along a dirt road, for over an hour before rejoining the main road that would lead to our lodge.  Half a mile before the lodge, we were going round a steep corner as we heard some frantic beeping from behind.  I turned to see a a motorbike,  out of control, go off of the road and down into a ditch at high speed.  One man (who I believe was the passenger) went flying over the handlebars and hit the ground hard, whilst the second man (the driver) slammed into the bank of the ditch and looked like he was seriously injured.  Our drivers did not stop but took us straight to the lodge, everybody was shocked at the event and we wanted to help.

On a lighter note the lodge was absolutely beautiful, set in the forest with lovely accomodation and very friendly staff.  The highlight of the evening was watching a giant flying squirrel glide across the night sky.
Picture
Peacock Fight
Picture
Rhesus Macaque
Picture
Leopard
0 Comments

    Author

    Bret Charman

    Archives

    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011

    Categories

    All
    Africa
    African Wild Dog
    Amazon
    Amboseli
    Amphibians
    Angola
    Ani
    Arctic
    Arctic Fox
    Arctic Skua
    Arctic Tern
    Asia
    Asian Elephant
    Asiatic Wild Dog
    Assam
    Atlantic
    Australia
    Australian Fur Seal
    Australian Sea Lion
    Auto-focus Failure
    Autumn
    Azur Hind Express
    Baboon
    Badger
    Baining
    Barn Owl
    Bar-tailed Godwit
    BBC Dynasties
    Beach
    Beachmere
    Beach Stone-curlew
    Bear
    Bearded Seal
    Bears
    Bee
    Birds
    Black-eared Wheatear
    Black Guillemot
    Black Headed Gull
    Black-headed Gull
    Black Kite
    Black Swan
    Blue-faced Honeyeater
    Blue Mountains
    Blue Whale
    Boreal
    Bret Charman
    Brown Bear
    Brown Fish Owl
    Brown Hare
    Brown Rat
    Brunnich's Guillemot
    Brush-tailed Possum
    Buffalo
    Byron Bay
    Cairngorm
    Canoe Safari
    Canon 7d
    Canon Eos 5d Mkiii
    Capuchin
    Carnarvon Gorge
    Caves
    Cetaceans
    Chacalaca
    Chaffinch
    Cheetah
    Cheriton
    Chital
    Cockatoo
    Coffs Harbour
    Colombia
    Common Langur
    Common Lizard
    Cormorant
    CPS
    Crag Martin
    Crested Tern
    Cuckoo
    Culture
    Damselfly
    Dance
    Dartford Warbler
    Deer
    Demoiselle
    Dhole
    Dinaric Mountains
    Dingo
    Dolphin
    Dorrigo NP
    Dorset
    Ducks
    Eagle
    Eastern Grey Kangaroo
    Ecuador
    Egyptian Vulture
    Eider Duck
    Elephant
    Emerald Beach
    Emu
    Estuary
    Eungella National Park
    Europe
    Fallow Deer
    Federal
    Finland
    Fire
    Firecrest
    Fish
    Flamingos
    Flowers
    Forest
    Fox
    Fraser Island
    Frog
    Frogmouth
    Fuglesongen
    Fulmar
    Galah
    Gan Gan Lookout
    Garden
    Gecko
    Geese
    Gigrin Farm
    Giraffe
    Glacier
    Glaucous Gull
    Golden Jackal
    Golden Langur
    Golden Plover
    Gorillas
    Great Apes
    Greater Adjutant Stork
    Greenfinch
    Grey Phalarope
    Guillemot
    Guwahati
    Hampshire
    Harbour Seal
    Harp Seal
    Heron
    Hindu Monk
    Hoatzin
    Hobby
    Hog Badger
    Hog Deer
    Hoolock Gibbon
    Hover Fly
    Hyena
    India
    Insects
    Invertebrates
    Island
    Ivory Gull
    Jackal
    Joey
    Kalandula
    Kamakhya Temple
    Kangaroo
    Kangaroo Island
    Kangaroo Valley
    Katoomba
    Kaziranga
    Kenya
    Kew Gardens
    Kilimanjaro
    King Eider
    Kingfishers
    Koala
    Kokopo
    Kolkata
    Kookaburra
    Lake Naivasha
    Landscapes
    Leopard
    Lighthouse
    Limestone Karst
    Lion
    Little Auk
    Little Tern
    London
    Long-tailed Skua
    Lorikeet
    Maasai Mara
    Macro
    Magpie
    Mammals
    Mana Pools
    Marsupial
    Masked Lapwing
    Mishing People
    Monkey
    Monotremes
    Moreton Bay
    Mountain
    Mouse
    Murray River
    M/V Ortelius
    Nagarhole
    Nagpur
    Nameri
    Narooma
    Nature
    New Britain
    New Forest
    New South Wales
    New Zealand Fur Seal
    Nightingale
    Night Monkey
    Norway
    Ny Alesund
    Ny London
    One-horned Rhino
    One-horned Rhino
    Orang
    Orinoco
    Oropendola
    Osprey
    Otters
    Oystercatcher
    Pacific
    Pack Ice
    Painted Wolf
    Panoramic
    Papua New Guinea
    Parrots
    Peacock
    Peacock Island
    Pelican
    Pench National Park
    Pheasant
    Photography
    Pied Wagtail
    Platypus
    Plover
    Polar Bear
    Portrait
    Port Stephens
    Possum
    Predator
    Primates
    Puffin
    Purple Sandpiper
    Pygmy Marmoset
    Pyrenees
    Python
    Queensland
    Rainbow Lorikeet
    Rainforest
    Raven
    Razorbill
    Red Deer
    Red Fox
    Red Kangaroo
    Red Kite
    Red Squirrel
    Remarkable Rocks
    Repair
    Reptiles
    Rhesus Macaque
    Rift Valley
    River
    River Dolphin
    Robin
    Rodents
    Roe Deer
    Sacha Lodge
    Safari
    Sambar
    Scotland
    Seabirds
    Seal
    Seal Rocks
    Shorebirds
    Short-beaked Echidna
    Short Eared Owl
    Short-eared Owl
    Skomer
    Slovenia
    Slow Worm
    Sooty Oystercatcher
    South America
    South Australia
    South Downs National Park
    South Luangwa
    Spitsbergen
    Spring
    Squirrel
    Squirrel Monkey
    Stag
    Summer
    Svalbard
    Svalbard Reindeer
    Swans
    Tadoba Tiger Reserve
    Taiga
    Tamarin
    Tammar Wallaby
    The Highlands
    Tiger
    Toad
    Tobago
    Toorbul
    Topi
    Travel
    Tree Frog
    Tribe
    Tropics
    Uganda
    UK
    United Kingdom
    Ural Owl
    Urban Wildlife
    Urunga
    Victoria
    Waders
    Wagtail
    Wales
    Wallaby
    Walrus
    Water Buffalo
    Watercress
    Waterfall
    Water Vole
    Weasel
    Western Grey Kangaroo
    Whistling Kite
    White-faced Heron
    White Stork
    Whitethroat
    Wild Boar
    Wild Dog
    Wild Eye
    Wild Flowers
    Wildlife
    Wildlife Worldwide
    Willie Wagtail
    Winter
    Wolf
    Wolverine
    Wombat
    Working Holiday
    Wren
    Yellowhammer
    Zambezi
    Zambia
    Zebra
    Zimbabwe

No portion of this website may be reproduced without the prior written consent of Bret Charman. All rights reserved. © Bret Charman Photography 2019
  • Home
  • Bret's Blog
  • My Portfolio
    • African Wildlife
    • Australian Wildlife
    • British Wildlife
    • Svalbard's Wildlife
    • Other Wildlife
  • About Me
    • Partners
    • Awards
  • Workshops & Tours
  • Prints
  • Contact