I have just concluded one of the most wonderful photographic journeys of my life. I was fortunate to participate in a photo workshop with renowned photographer Jim Zuckerman and a handful of (over)committed photographers. Our destination: Kenya. It has been a life-long dream to photograph the “big game’ of Africa – and this surpassed all my expectations. Every morning we would depart before sunrise via our open-air jeeps in search of the golden sunrise lighting up wild game. On two separate mornings we observed (up close) two different lion prides replete with at least two sets of cubs. To be there watching the young ones frolic with one another, and crawl all over their mothers – well, adjectives simply fail. Then it would be off to see another phenomenon.
Suddenly we would run into a herd of elephants complete with newborns and juveniles. Of course, the young ones played with each other as well. We also ran into a newborn giraffe with his mother – and father. It was incredible to see the father bend down and nuzzle the youngster – incredibly touching. The leopards were more elusive, but we did find them out, sometimes lounging in a tree or feeding (again, in a tree!). The young leopards have blue eyes, and the adults, gold. Their eyes are piercing – have a look! Of course, one of the highpoints of the Maasai Mara is the so-called Great Migration with its hordes of wildebeests joined by zebras. It was fascinating to see them all over the place, then begin to gather together – then finally one of them decides to take off to cross the Mara River – and then they all go at full bore and plunge headlong to run down the banks, swim frantically, and then scramble up the other side – sometimes encountering waiting leopards. An incredible scene that lasts only a few minutes but was a highlight of the trip. We did see one hippo on land, but mostly they hang out in the river, their bulging eyes protruding above the surface of the water.
There were also cheetah families, whom we watched do a little hunting, but mostly lounging around. I don't usually do much with birds, but they were fun to photograph – from the Martial Eagles to the multi-colored Rollers, to the vultures to the Eagle Owl (with its pink eyelids!). And of course, we had to photography the Hornbills – who, because they have no tongues, throw their “victims” up in the air and catch them in their beaks! Then, every twilight would find us jockeying for just the right sunset photograph – and I was fortunate to get a couple of good ones.
The biggest take-away for me was the relationships we witnessed among the animals. The tenderness we observed was extremely unexpected - and very touching. Of course, you would expect to see some of this with the parents and offspring, but to also see it among siblings, cousins, and between full-grown males, and between full-grown females was mind-blowing. It certainly gave me a new appreciation for our “fellow-travelers” on this planet. Speaking of which, we also had a great learning experience interacting with our Maasai tribe guides, learning of their culture – similarities and differences (multiple wives!), and we had a wonderful visit in a nearby village, where we were entertained by the adults – and I was able to purchase some beaded jewelry for my bead-collector wife.
As I go through my (many, many) photos, I am once again in awe of this wonderful earth we live in. May we treasure it and take care of it so that many generations may enjoy it. I’m afraid my photos fail to capture the magnificence I observed, but perhaps they will provide you with some enjoyment and inspiration. If you are so inclined, please click on the link above for a fuller overview of my journey.