Patagonia 2022

Patagonia -May 18-25, 2022

Join me and my world class guides in Patagonia for a week long expedition to photograph the elusive and beautiful Puma that roam free and wild in and around Torres del Paine NP. We will stay at an upscale lodge with every amenity available at our finger tips. Work hard, play harder! This is a one of a kind destination workshop with our focus on Puma. We will spend some time during the early mornings and evenings to photograph the majestic landscapes that are Patagonia.

Participants will fly to the airport in Santiago, Chile (SCL) and take a connecting flight to Punta Arenas (PUQ). We will be picked up by our hotel- these transfers are included. It is a four ½ hour drive (we do make a stop for food and restroom facilities) some of the hotels do not include this pricey transfer. Once we reach our hotel we will check in and everything will be included, all meals, open bar, bilingual guides, transfers to and from the park, horseback riding if you want- or simply just photographing the horses. Anyone wishing to bring a spouse may, the price would be the same as there will be other excursions and treks available if they do not want to join the group. We will photograph early mornings and when the Puma are around— also in the evening. Free time can be enjoyed relaxing at the award winning hotel and taking advantage of some of the hotel’s amenities, downloading and reviewing images or simply enjoying the grand view from our hotel.

 Accommodations: Explora Patagonia~Hotel Salto Chico

For more about this trip CLICK HERE.

When the Light Paints the Sky

When the sun began to set our driver looked for some animals that we could put in the foreground to create a silhouette against the sun. I wasn’t happy with the way the animals’ legs were hidden in the horizon, so we moved on to look for a tree. The driver saw this one and I was hesitant as I could see that the tree trunk would be lost in the horizon as well. I said nothing and decided to see the shot before saying no. When we turned the corner, another vehicle tried to get into position for the same shot. However, their vehicle created an envelope of dust that surrounded the tree. The dust helped to illuminate the lower portion of the image making the tree trunk visible—I yelled out to my group to photograph the dust. It ended within seconds. I shot four shots before the dust settled and/or blew away. This ended up being one of my favorite sunset shots from the trip. Dust and light can be magical especially when there are beautiful colors filling the sky.

I really loved the shape of the tree trunk for the above image. The colors in the sky were gorgeous so I decided to compose the tree to the right, leaving lots of space for that color. Had I placed the tree on the left, I would have had the bright area of the sun to deal with. I also liked the way the trunk was pointing to the left.

My first thought was to create a single giraffe silhouette against the sunrise. But then several of them appeared and I liked the way each one was posing. I also liked the rays of colors that formed a diagonal. So, I moved away from the sunrise a bit and concentrated on the colors and the giraffe’s positions. I know that there is some kind of rule that says that odd numbers are best, and I did capture a few shots with only three giraffes, but I liked this one best. Sorry to all the rule followers out there-my bad!

This was a wonderful ending to an unforgettable evening. We watched as several lions and antelope passed through this sunset. The lion above was facing away from the sun. In Photoshop I turned him to look toward the sun. Too bad he didn’t do it on his own as I had wished…

Sony A1 and 200-600mm

On my two recently concluded safari trips to the Maasai Mara I used my Sony a1 and Sony 200-600mm lens for most of my shots. I was very happy with this combo, in-fact I referred to it as my go-to killer combo.

The focal range with internal zoom really helped me in the field. I also have the availability of the in-camera 1.5x crop. When using the internal crop I go down to about 21 megapixels so it’s still ok. I prefer not to use it but if I need the additional focal length I use it instead of a teleconverter in the field so I don’t have to take it on and off.

I also had the Sony 70-200mm lens with me as a secondary lens attached to my a9. Both cameras are set up as closely as possible to each other. The a1 has a few additional features but for the most part switching is seamless. When action happens you need to be ready. Any hesitation in the field can cause you to miss the shot. That’s why I opted to use only my Sony cameras. I would have liked to have brought my Canon R5 but after some thought I decided it was best to have two very similar body set-ups.

Another thing I love about the 200-600mm lens is that I can handhold it all day long. I can also get up and down in the vehicle without any hassle in case I need to shoot out of the roof. Having a lens that you can manage is very important. It makes no sense to lug around gear that you can’t handle easily on a safari.

Pied kingfisher

Sony A1, Sony 200-600mm lens, 1/2000, f/8, ISO 400. I was switching between birds and animals at the time-or I would have just been at f/6.3. AWB, Natural light, manual mode.

Yellow-billed stork

Sony A1, Sony 200-600mm lens, ISO 400, f/8, 1/600, AWB, Natural light, manual mode.

White-browed Coucal

Sony A1, Sony 200-600mm lens, ISO 800, 1/600 sec. @f/ 6.3. focal length 529mm. AWB, Natural light, manual mode. This was a quick grab shot. I liked the way the feathers and the eye looked.

Oh Very Young One...

On one of our Safari days we visited the Lemek Conservancy after hearing that a Cheetah with four young cubs had been spotted.

Unfortunately, days before we went, one of the cubs was killed. The story of what exactly happened to the cub is a little sketchy but we were told that the mother would be depressed and we should wait a couple of days before going.

When we arrived, the Cheetah family was in a bushy area, covered with greenery and branches. It was next to impossible to get a shot. We still tried, and I’m grateful that we did. We were able to see and photograph the remaining 3 cubs.

This ended up being my favorite shot from that morning. We didn’t stay very long, just long enough for each vehicle to see and take a few photos. The mother was resting and we did not want to disturb the family unit, especially at this sensitive time.

I would have loved to watch and photograph the cubs playing and romping but that was not to be. They stayed very close to mamma in the thick brush. This was shot through many branches with a lot of focal length. Still, I love the thick mantle on the cub. It has a bit of curl to it. The mantle is a silvery-grey clump of fur that helps to protect young cubs from predators..

Leopards

This year in the Mara, we had several leopard sightings. Every time we saw a leopard it was thrilling for me. I absolutely love these strong cats, especially with their young.

Leopard with Pumbaa piglet.

Luluka and Jilime

Several years ago while in the Mara, I photographed a leopard named Lorian. She is a beautiful leopard that I have a true fondness for.

Well, on my next visit to Kenya I was able to photograph Lorian and her cub Luluka. It was such a treat for me to see her young female cub. When she passed by our vehicle I captured a close-up shot of her fur. After returning home I ordered custom buffs made with the pattern of Luluka’s spots.

This year, I was treated to a morning shoot with Luluka and her cub Jilime. My heart was so happy to see her thriving as a young mother. She did lose one cub though, but she has a close bond with Jilime and it showed in their playful sparring.

Luluka killed a Wildebeest and dragged her prey for over 400 feet while Jilime followed. Seeing animals grow up and have families of their own has been one of the most rewarding things about returning to the Mara every year.

Luluka and Jilime

Luluka carried this Wildebeest for at least 500 yards.

Close-up of Jilime’s spots.