SERENGETI & NGORONGORO Photo Safari Report February 2017 Day 4 - 9
The February Great Migration Photographic Safari has sadly come to an end but not without those treasured images in the bag. The opportunities have been endless with plenty of predator action that my guests and I have tried to capture.
For the last leg of this photographic journey we based our mobile tented camp in the famous area of Ndutu which is in fact inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. To those less familiar with this area it is located in the southern section of the Serengeti ecosystem. Between January and March the Great Wildebeest Migration takes over the area for the calving season when thousands of wildebeest are born so needless to say that all predators take serious advantage of this event.
Due to the rains being late in the Ndutu area the herds were broken into several groups. We found herds about 40 km south of Ndutu and 30 km north of Ndutu in the Gol Kopjes area of the Serengeti National Park where I took this image . . . A newly born following her mother with it's umbilical cord clearly visible in this frame.
The day before ending this safari we found some herds moving towards the Ndutu area following the rains that turned everything green in just a matter of 48 hours.
A dramatic sky at sunset in the Big Marsh area in Ndutu. The sun managed to peak through the stormy sky and gave us this incredible scene. Not far from here were the two dominant male Lions of the Ndutu Pride . . .
Incredible moment when we bumped into this good looking male lion during the blue hour on our way back to camp. Light conditions were low so ISO had to be pushed to get the shot.
We have been extremely fortunate with cheetah sightings on this trip. This female and her two cubs were seen and photographed every day. In this image she is posing beautifully atop a dead tree in early morning light. Later during the day we were lucky enough to see her in action . . .
To witness a Cheetah stalking and chasing a Thompson's Gazelle has to be among the most exciting sightings ever. We have all seen this kind of action on documentaries before but seeing it live is simply mind-blowing. Godwin, our guide positioned our vehicle in the right spot so we were able to see and capture all the action.
During one of our full day sessions we set off in search of the Wildebeest herds that were south of Ndutu. On our way there a pack of Wild Dogs was spotted by my very reliable guide. Seeing these endangered creatures in Ndutu is a real privilege so it was definitely one of the highlights of this safari.
Amazing scenery in the Gol Kopjes area and definitely one of my favorite locations in the Serengeti National Park.
A great opportunity at sunrise with a pride of lions. Shooting into the light will often result in very pleasing images.
An amazing sighting of a Serval Cat in a fantastic setting in the Big Marsh area of Ndutu.
When ever there is an opportunity I will go for silhouette images. In this case I cooled down the temperature of my white balance and under exposed to achieve this result. By doing so I turned what otherwise would have been a flat image in a completely overcast day into something a bit more interesting.
Sightings of Lions occurred ever single day.
My guests in action. We did have a few overcast days which in my opinion are perfect for all day shooting as the clouds diffuse the harsh light and eliminate those unwanted shadows.
We did not get many sunrise or sunset opportunities except for this one that turned out to be great.
As usual Ndutu has not disappointed once again. In fact it has been incredible . . . Six days packed with action and countless photo opportunities that have produced some fine images for my very happy guests.
We will be back in February 2018
