Co-leader's Images Bosque

November 24, 2021

I was fortunate to have two very qualified co-leaders on my recent workshop at Bosque del Apache. Donna Bourdon and Dave Klein were exceptional. We not only made an effective team, but we had so much fun while we were there. I wanted to share a small sampling of their images from the trip. Directly below are Donna Bourdon’s images. She said that these were her favorites. Well, I made her put the blue crane image in. It was captured just as the sun slipped below the horizon and the cool of the night filled the air. Her shot reflects the look and feel of that evening as the last of the cranes came into roost. A memory I will treasure. Donna will be taking over my Bosque workshops. I have no doubt she will do an excellent job as the client’s love her. She is most helpful with camera settings and set up; plus she has a great passion for the birds. After every workshop I have received rave reviews about her co-leading abilities…

I first met Dave at Bosque in 2009? I may be a year or two off but it was long ago. Dave is a very qualified co-leader, he is well versed in Nikon, Sony and Canon camera systems. He is a fantastic photographer with a great eye for image design. I am trying to talk him into co-leading more trips. Time will tell.

Dave’s five images shown below represent a variety of subjects and light. Every year at Bosque is different. Having no water in the crane pools had its advantages and disadvantages. Being able to capture up close crane and geese shots was much easier this year than previous years. Getting blastoff shots were not as easy as blastoffs didn’t happen much. My theory on that is there was no corn and no corn = no food to rush off to. The geese flew off in the morning in small groups and never quite blasted as before. There were plenty of predators as we saw 3 coyotes within the first hour upon arrival to the refuge.

Second Kenya Trip Added for 2022

November 22, 2021

I am pleased to announce that a second photo tour to the Mara has been added.

Join award winning photographers Paul McKenzie and Denise Ippolito for an action-packed adventure to the Maasai Mara in Kenya. The Mara is known for it’s amazing variety and concentration of big cats. It is not unusual to see Leopard, Cheetah and Lion in one day!

We will have a private flight charter so that all of our camera bags can be carried onboard.

Unlike many other game parks in Africa and around the world, we do not face restrictions on when we can leave and return to the camp. Even more important is that for the most part, we can drive off-road in the area of the Mara that we are staying in. So we will not have to put up with the excruciating frustration of having to remain on-road when e.g. a Cheetah, Lion or Leopard is in hunting mode 200m away and we can only see small dots through our longest lenses.

The plan for most mornings is to get up at 5.15-5.30am, have a quick coffee/tea/cookie and then leave the camp by 5.45-6.00am with a packed breakfast and lunch. It is critical that we leave before sunrise to locate the animals that we want to photograph before the sun comes up. Many of the cats are most active in the very early morning. Usually we will try to locate the cats that we have been with the previous evening. Often though, we will chance on wildlife encounters and stick with these. The guides have radios in all the vehicles such that on occasion, we may split up. Our guides are in radio contact with drivers from other camps and lodges. This gives us a good chance to get to wildlife encounters quickly assuming they are occurring near to our existing location.

Vehicles

We will use 3 stretch/modified Toyota Land Cruisers. There will be three rows of seats in each vehicle so that each person has a row to themselves. That way everyone can shoot unencumbered irrespective of what side of the vehicle the action is taking place.

The vehicles are designed so that you can shoot out of the sides or standing, out of the top. The top of the vehicles have two roof hatches which we remove at the start of each day (they rest on the top of the vehicles next to the openings such that they can put back on if it rains or if we need shade.

The side of the vehicles comprise either large roll down windows or roll up, transparent canvass sides. Again, we roll these canvass side up before we go out each day but if it rains, they can quickly be rolled down.

*A detailed information sheet will be sent upon sign up.

Deposit Information:
A non-refundable deposit of $2,000 due now to hold your spot. Final payments are due March 20, 2022 via check or wire transfer only, fees on both ends are the responsibility of the participant. Credit cards will not be accepted for any payment other than deposit. Full payments are always welcomed via check or wire transfer . All checks made payable to: Denise Ippolito LLC.

Please be sure to check your calendar carefully and to check out my Workshop Policy Page.

Note: Purchasing travel insurance is strongly recommended.

*A single supplement is available for $1100.00 additional

TO SIGN UP FOR THIS AMAZING ADVENTURE CLICK HERE.

Trip Report ~ Bosque

November 17, 2021

I am just finishing up with my group at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in NM before heading home in the morning. I have been away for about a month as I flew straight to Bosque from Nairobi without a chance to stop home. I miss my family and can’t wait to get home.

I was joined in Bosque by my two co-leaders. Donna Bourdon and Dave Klein. Both did a fantastic job assisting me with the group of 10. I enjoyed working with everyone in this group and I look forward to sharing some of their images soon. I’ll also be sharing some of Donna and Dave’s images too.

Conditions at Bosque have changed a bit. There has been a drought —even though they had gotten several inches of rain earlier in the season. Both of the crane pools were completely dried up. On November 9th there were zero geese at the refuge, I was in Africa beginning to worry that there would not be geese or cranes for my workshop clients. But on November 10th, I got word that the birds were beginning to fly in. Thankyou to the folks that kept me updated on the conditions.

With the good news regarding the arrival of the birds I was starting to feel optimistic. I learned early on that water at the refuge would be an issue due to drought. And there was no corn. As Donna, Dave and I did our early morning scout of the refuge we saw that the popular crane pools were no longer going to be a part of our workshop. They looked like they had been deserted for centuries as the grass was overgrown and there was not a bird in sight for miles. As we entered the refuge we saw and heard geese at the flight deck area. Whew…we all sighed a bit of relief. And so it went on to be that the geese and cranes roosted in the waters around the flight deck. This actually ended up being a good thing as we knew just where the birds were and they were much closer than they had been in previous years.

We only had one blast-off during our time in Bosque. The morning fly out was the dreaded dribs and drabs as Arthur Morris used to say. In other words the birds left quietly in small groups at a time without the entire flock lifting off in a frenzy as we would have liked. That said, we had some beautiful backlit opportunities and single crane and geese landing and flying at very close range.

Every year is different at Bosque del Apache and I am always amazed at the variety of images my clients are able to capture.

Below are a few of my images that I was able to process so far… I shot with my Sony A1 and Sony 200-600mm lens almost exclusively.

I shot these geese through some of the grasses.

An in-camera blur using my shiver technique

An in-camera blur from the same subject as above but with a vertical flame-panning motion.

Kenya/Amboseli Trip Report

November 13, 2021

During my recently concluded workshop in the Mara and Amboseli my group and I had some fantastic photo opportunities. BTW, they were a fabulous group--each and everyone added so much to the overall experience. As always, the Mara did not disappoint. We were lucky this time because we saw and photographed 11 young lion cubs belonging to the Topi pride; they were certainly the star of the Mara. We had so many sightings and photo opps that I have to look back on my images to remember them all….I guess that's a good thing.

On one morning, we had a special encounter with the Topi cubs and the lionesses. It started off kind of slow, the lionesses and cubs were spread out all over the place with none of them in a good position to photograph. Then they did what most animals and birds do --they moved! Once they started to move we were able to capture them walking in a row. I also tried to capture a more intimate shot of one lion cub and adult as they walked towards our vehicle. Trying to keep on sun angle is always a challenge, especially when there are other vehicles in the way. But, somehow we managed <wink>. I also like to photograph backlit animals, but sometimes I think that the backlight needs dust, or rim light or even an animal breath to enhance the look. Sometimes, grasses that catch the backlight can add interest. But otherwise the images just look orangish toned, and flat.

On another evening we photographed the lion cubs playing, fighting and interacting with the adults. It ended up that we had several photo shoots with this pride. I was extremely happy with all of our encounters with these adorable cubs. Each time I go to the Mara we have such a different photo experience. You just never know what you are going to see. I think that is why it is my most repeated photo tour.

In addition to lion cubs we saw and photographed a few Leopard. Mostly Luluka and her cub Jilime but we also photographed Fig and her un-named male cub. I think the male cub should be named Jaxson as his eyes are exactly the same color as my grandson Jaxson's eyes, I included a close up below.

We had a few encounters with some of the Mara leopards. One day stands out in particular. We pulled up just as Luluka and Jilime (mother and cub) were sitting on a large fallen tree branch. Just as we got there they got down, my heart sunk, but they got back on it one by one. I had a chance to at least capture one of them on the tree in beautiful light. I liked the way the tree framed the shot. Soon it was back to play time, they were running and pouncing on each other over and over again it was such a great experience to watch.

At one point Jilime hid in the grasses and waited for mom to stroll by. I was sure that Luluka knew what her cub was up to but cheerfully played along, pretending not to see her. Then Jilime pounced on mom for what was an exciting photo. I captured the shot below but in truth I had to clone a few grasses.

As the leopards ran around and walked to different locations they rested from time to time. I was able to get a backlit shot of one of the leopards as it rested under some brush. I liked the way the vegetation caught the light and framed the shot but I mostly liked it's eyes and how they were looking off to the side.

We saw several (at least 10) Marsh Owls and we had a few chances photographing them. I now know the general area where they hang out so on my next visit I will be looking for them again. We had a photo shoot with the Serval Kittens which was lots of fun. Some of the group photographed 2 week old Hyena pups.

After our action packed time in the Mara was over we headed (via a private charter) to Amboseli. The advantage of the private charter is that we can bring much more gear. Weight restrictions on the commercial flights are too restrictive. Amboseli is like stepping back in time. The lush marsh area attracts a plethora of birds, including tons of flamingos. In addition to the marsh area there is a giant dried up lake bed, complete with cracked mud and dust. This can be a photographer's dream come true with the right light. On our first day we sighted a large herd of Elephant on that cracked mud. The lake bed acts like a super highway for a lot of the animals as they make their way to and from their favorite feeding and watering spots. At times Amboseli felt like a topical paradise with its warm breezes and native palm trees.

Above are a few of my early morning shots from Amboseli. I have not had a chance to go through all of my images. I flew directly from Nairobi to Albuquerque in order to conduct my Bosque workshop. Dave Klein will be at Bosque to assist me with the group as will Donna Bourdon who will be making her second trek to Bosque and coming directly from Nairobi as well. Donna is a dedicated photographer and well versed in action and flight photography. She is shooting with the Canon R5 and Sony system.

I'll be sharing more images from this trip and I hope to publish a few of my clients images soon.

Patagonia 2022

October 31, 2021

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.