Gerenuk’s are known for their long necks — in fact, they are commonly called giraffe-necked antelope. At times, they will rear back on their hind legs and stand upright while feeding on higher leaves. This female gerenuk was doing just that before turning to look in our direction. Photographed in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second.

I look for two things when photographing hippos — being out of the water and having the mouth open. This guy granted me both as we drove past. Although it looks as if he might have been reacting to us, he was simply letting out a good yawn. Photographed in the Maasai Mara National Reserve of Kenya. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second.

This recent trip was very good for elephants, both in Samburu (pictured above) and the Masai Mara. They seemed to be everywhere. And lots of newborns too, which I’ll post soon. This particular troop of elephants came very close to our vehicle at the very end of the day and I was able to use my wide-angle lens and graduated neutral density filter to hold the color and detail in the sky while still exposing for the foreground’s quickly disappearing light. I was also able to capture one of Samburu’s most characteristic landscape features — that pyramid-shaped peak in the background. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 30mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/320th of a second.

After a long break between photo trips, it’s nice to be back home with a drive full of new images from Kenya and Uganda. While in Kenya, we visited the Masai Mara and also Samburu, which is usually a dry landscape of desert-like scrub brush. But due to the unusual amount of rain in December, the landscape was lush and green, providing a great backdrop for the occasional big cat like this beautiful leopard. All in all it was a great first experience leading a tour group (thanks to the Littles, Lockes and Flannerys for being my guinea pigs). I was able to get good shots of the usual subjects with a few new subspecies and birds to add to the collection. Stay tuned in the next few weeks for more from Africa. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 2000-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/160th of a second.

This will be my last post for a few weeks as I’m finally on my way back to Africa tomorrow morning. I’ll be guiding a twelve day tour to Kenya and Uganda. This will be my first experience as a tour leader — hopefully the first of many more. Near the top of most everyone’s “to-see” list is the leopard. This image was captured back in 2012 in the Masai Mara. I’ll be taking the group to this same spot so hopefully we’ll have similar luck. See you all in two weeks with new images to share. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/160th of a second.

Warthogs are one of those species that most East African tour guides quickly pass by. After all, they’re very common. And they look like… well warthogs. I happen to be a big fan of these underdogs of the savanna. And I love when the babies are around. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/1250th of a second.

I’ll be leading a tour to Kenya and Uganda in early January and am really looking forward to getting back to the Masai Mara and showing all the richness of life to my clients. The variety of large mammals is unrivaled (at least by anyplace that I’ve been). Topi are one of those creatures that sort of get lost in the excitement of all the big cats, hippos, giraffes, and on and on. This mother and her two calves were running from a hungry hyena. They were in no real danger as they can easily outpace the more scavenger-minded predator. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/250th of a second.

Cheetahs, or any big cats for that matter, can suddenly get very intense when they spot potential prey. In this case, the cheetah spotted a group (or dazzle) of zebras and started concentrating with a laser focus. Photographed in Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.

A mother and her calf forage as they walk through the green landscape of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. Female elephants are at their most fertile between the ages of 25 and 45 and they have a gestation period of almost two years. Once born, the calves are cared for by not only their biological mother, but also other adult and young females in the group. This is know as allomothering. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/3.5 at 1/400th of a second.

A white rhino grazes at the end of the day in Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. The main difference between the white rhino and the black rhino (other than there are a lot more of the white in existence) is the shape of the mouth. The black rhino has more of a pointed lip for picking fruit off of bushes, whereas the white rhino has a flat, wide lip more suited for grass feeding. In fact, another name for the white rhino is the square-lipped rhinoceros. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 310mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/250th of a second.