Wildlife
I don’t rush around looking for great shots, but patiently observe what presents itself. I spend a lot of time observing particular animals and situations. This leads to a certain ‘intimacy’ – at least that’s how I experience it – and the desire to capture the animal's ‘humanity’.
If you spend time at a single spot or with particular animals you capture stories as they unfold.
I had been observing a female elephant (the one in the middle) for some time when she looked up, agitated. We started the engine and moved away slowly. Then, suddenly, she charged. As we sped away, she ran after us trumpeting loudly. The rest of the herd responded by joining the chase. I managed to get a few shots as we sped away over the rough road. I am not sure what caused the agitation, but it was amazing to see the immediate effect of her call to action on the rest of the herd: they seemed to understand exactly what was expected of them. The agitation didn’t last long, and within a few minutes they had lost interest in us and gone back to their meal. I took this photo at the moment that they realised they wouldn't be able to catch us and slowed down in their pursuit.
I was waiting for the ferry to cross the Nile at Paraa in Murchison Falls Park, Uganda. There are usually baboons hanging around, waiting for the opportunity to steal from the vehicles of tourists who have left the windows open, and it is not unusual for elephants to appear out of the surrounding forest. Warthogs are also regulars, grazing the short, soft grass. The long wait for the ferry provides an opportunity to observe the interaction between these regular animal visitors and the Park staff, who live nearby. I had spent some time observing the interaction between this ranger and one of the warthogs. He must have felt that he was being observed, because as I pointed my camera at him and focused, he looked up.
We had spent a whole morning hanging round a waterhole in Erindi Game Reserve in Namibia. It was deserted except for a few motionless hippos. Then we spotted a black rhino in the bush. After some time he emerged into the clearing and sauntered down to the water. After rolling around in the mud for some time, he got up and strolled past us, eyeing us cautiously.
I was waiting for the ferry to cross the Nile at Paraa in Murchison Falls Park, Uganda. There are usually baboons hanging around, waiting for the opportunity to steal from the vehicles of tourists who have left the windows open, and it is not unusual for elephants to appear out of the surrounding forest. Warthogs are also regulars, grazing the short, soft grass. The long wait for the ferry provides an opportunity to observe the interaction between these regular animal visitors and the Park staff, who live nearby. I had spent some time observing the interaction between this ranger and one of the warthogs. He must have felt that he was being observed, because as I pointed my camera at him and focused, he looked up.
