I’ve been on safari in six countries in Africa. Botswana can be the most wild of them, and with the ability to drive anywhere you want, it can be the most enjoyable to track big cats as well as wild dogs. But the scrub forest landscape can also come with more distracting elements, making it more difficult to not only find elusive wildlife, but also to capture good pictures. We had been following leopard tracks for about an hour before we finally found this cat. It was challenging at first to capture images without branches getting in the way, but then for just a moment the leopard entered this circular clearing allowing me a few quick shots when the distractions all of a sudden became a nice framing element. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/125th of a second
Any leftover light from the day was just about gone when we came upon this leopard resting on a termite mound in the Linyanti concession of Botswana. I used two flash units, a long(ish) exposure and a high ISO to capture the moment just before she set off on a hunt. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 86mm) ISO 3200, f/2.8 at 1/15th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units
Botswana can be a challenge photographically at times with all the dried shrubbery and branches. Especially difficult when the sun gets high in the sky. But in this instance — with that sun starting to set and plenty of color in the evening sky — I really liked the tangle of all that scrub brush and the giraffe and sun above it all. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/500th of a second
These two meerkats were part of a bundle of about eight that curled up into a furry ball to keep warm as the sun began to set on the Makgadikgadi Pans of Botswana’s Kalahari Desert. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm), ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/80th of a second
The pangolin is easily one of my best wildlife sightings. They can be very rare to see in Africa. Not only did we see one when in Botswana, we saw one being stalked by a leopard. For protection from predators, pangolins will curl up in a ball. But as soon as the pangolin thought the leopard was asleep, it would uncurl itself and slowly try to sneak away. This is one of those slow uncurl moments. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/320th of a second
It was fun to see this meerkat sitting in a bush, surveying the landscape for any would-be predators. They like to get as high as possible for the best view. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/1250th of a second
Just a simple shot of a zebra making its way across the Makgadikgadi Pan of Botswana. I used a slow shutter speed and panned with the zebra to give the photo a bit of life. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/32 at 1/20th of a second
Here’s another one from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana. The ratel, also known as the honey badger. These guys can be fierce when confronted. They have extremely tough skin, while at the same time that skin is very loosely attached to the bones. If a predator like a lion gets a hold of one, it has a hard time biting through the skin. While the lion tries to bite, the honey badger can turn itself around in its own skin and start fighting back. This is in large part how they’ve earned their reputation, and why not too many animals will mess with a honey badger. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mmm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/125th of a second
This lion’s mane almost looks like a wig. The males from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana are commonly called black-maned lions. Technically, all lions have a bit of black in their mane, but the ones in the Botswanan desert tend to be darker than the norm. This guy was settling in for good drink after feasting on an oryx (check out that massive belly). Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second
Here’s another one from the Linyanti Concession of Botswana. This time a spotted hyena, spotlit with a flashlight early one morning. There were about five hyenas, playing in a flooded area of the savanna. I didn’t have enough light to capture the action without a flash, but I also wanted to try a few shots with just the flashlight to bring out the ambient light of early morning. I used a very high ISO and a very low shutter speed to get the proper exposure. But at 1/25th of a second, there’s a bit of motion blur, but I think that just adds to the mood. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/25th of a second
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I’ve been on safari in six countries in Africa. Botswana can be the most wild of them, and with the ability to drive anywhere you want, it can be the most enjoyable to track big cats as well as wild dogs. But the scrub forest landscape can also come with more distracting elements, making it more difficult to not only find elusive wildlife, but also to capture good pictures. We had been following leopard tracks for about an hour before we finally found this cat. It was challenging at first to capture images without branches getting in the way, but then for just a moment the leopard entered this circular clearing allowing me a few quick shots when the distractions all of a sudden became a nice framing element.
