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I recently had a day off in-between two sets of guests. As alumni guide Dean describes in a previous blog, these days do not come around so often (especially as we enter a very busy time of year in the bush) and if you don’t have any additional duties assigned for that day, we always try to make the most of this time in this magical reserve – often still choosing to spend the sunrise in the bush over a sleep-in!
With a new group of Training Guides working hard to join the team, I decided to join them on two of their training drives that were particularly focused on wildlife photography; learning about photographic techniques but also learning how best to guide a vehicle of well-equipped photographic guests.
Spending the time out and about sitting in the back row of the Land Rover, rather than in the driver’s seat, allowed me to really sit back and observe our surroundings from a different perspective; reminding myself what it must be like through the eyes of a guest exploring this reserve.
I thought I would share, through the images below, how these two drives unfolded. Enjoy!
Shortly after crossing the road, it was tough photographically as the mother lioness weaved her way through a very thick area of guarri bushes. Although not ideal for the ‘perfect shot’, we watched as the cubs impatiently climbed and tried to slow their mother down while on the move. Eventually succeeding, they all settled up in the shade and long grass.
After an incredible sighting of the lions, we decided to cross the river and explore the open crests opposite the lodge. We were greeted but a number of giraffe browsing on the crest, and became perfect subjects to capture on camera in the golden afternoon light. I particularly love this image as the trunk of the knob thorn and long neck of this male giraffe frame Granite Deck in the background.
Playing around with focal points and composition framing, we spent almost an hour with these giraffe.
A young female giraffe feeding on the a notorious buffalo thorn bush, intricately picking individual leaves in and amongst very sharp thorns. After such an amazing and tranquil sighting of giraffe, as the sun set behind the Drakensberg mountains we decided to head back to camp.
We set out in the morning, with no particular plan other than hoping to find some subjects to photograph. With a very contrasted grey and gloomy backdrop compared to the afternoon before, we came across a large herd of elephant.
A very unique tusker was amongst this herd as the matriarch.
A big bull perfectly posing for us.
Never quite knowing where to look with a hive of activity all around our vehicle, I decided to zoom in on three males playfully locking horns with one another.
What a privilege it is to work at Londolozi and continually explore this reserve, be it from the driver’s seat or the back row of the Defender!
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Kate Arthur
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