The Vanishing

I was so taken by this scene of a cheetah moving across the plains of Mashatu in Botswana that I did not realize the bokeh of another cheetah in the background. It creates an interesting allegory for the challenges facing this magnificent cat.

Daydream

This young leopard cub was one of the most enjoyable photographic subjects I've encountered. A wonderful time spent snapping shots as it drifted in and out of sleep on a slow afternoon in the African bush.

Portrait of a Queen

I have seen many lions in my life but none compete with the closeness and intrigue of this encounter. I attempted to capture this shot with as much detail as possible to retain the life-like portrait of this queen.

Gone with the Wind

It was a windy and cool morning on this game drive... which caused the grass in the foreground to blur with the motion of the wind. As lions continue to face alarming declines, I trust this title speaks more to the temporal nature of the grass than the big cat I captured here.

The King Fisher

This juvenile Malachite Kingfisher is only 5 inches (13cm) and was darting around a wetland just south of Johannesburg. I managed to capture this shot as it came to rest briefly on a little stump in the middle of the water. It's beautiful metallic blue colors in full display!

The Silent Huntress

There's something incredible about seeing a leopard in the wild... and as if on cue... another guide shone his light on this leopard as the sun was setting. It perfectly isolated this silent huntress.

Rulers of the Plains

I had watched the day before as these three cheetahs and their mother successfully hunted a little klipspringer. It all started with a similar scene of alert attentiveness as they scanned the plains for their next prey.

Twist and Turn

I spent time at the Wild Coast on the eastern coast of South Africa photographing the Lesser Crested Turn as it took off in droves from a desolate beach near Umngazi. I purposefully slowed the shutter speed to capture the frantic motion of the birds in flight.

Prey

The Impala is one of the most common antelope to spot on the wild plains of Africa. I considered calling this image "Pray" as a prayer may well benefit this young male impala! I managed to isolate him from his herd… and feel a sense of vulnerability as I contemplate its lot in life. 34x34 Print: $550 34x34 Framed: $1200 17x17 Print: $250 17x17 Framed: $450

Isineke

The word "Isineke" is taken from the Zulu language and means "patience". I thought this was an appropriate name for 2 reasons. First, the leopard is one of the most illusive animals to see in the wild... and I've been traveling to the game parks of South Africa for some 35 years and have never had such a leopard sighting in all of my previous trips combined. We tracked this leopard for about an hour as the sun was rising and she'd periodically stop, look back over her shoulder and wait patiently for her almost full-grown cub to catch up. Hence the second reason the name is appropriate. 34x34 Print: $550 34x34 Framed: $1200 17x17 Print: $250 17x17 Framed: $450

Innocence of Youth

It's quite rare to find oneself this close to a hyena pup. They're generally kept out of site of the larger predators, such as lions. This little chap was the runt of the litter and its mother displayed quite interesting behavior when it drew up to her to feed. She actually snapped at this pup and let the other more developed pups continue feeding. This can sometimes be Africa's cruel way of ensuring "survival of the fittest" and is also sometimes a way for the mother to push the pup to develop a competitive edge as it will soon enough have to fight for its right to feed. If this one succeeds in passing its mother's test, the innocence of youth will quickly give way to the more devious nature of an adult hyena. 34x34 Print: $550 34x34 Framed: $1200 17x17 Print: $250 17x17 Framed: $450

Leopard Princess

I feel as though this almost fully-grown leopard cub is daring someone to call her cute! We had tracked this cub and her mother for almost an hour... we would carve our way through the African bush and then wait for them to approach us through the long, tawny grass. I caught this shot as the leopard princess made her way past the game vehicle... the soft morning light doing a great job of illuminating the scene around her. 34x34 Print: $550 34x34 Framed: $1200 17x17 Print: $250 17x17 Framed: $450

Solitary

I don't assume to know what's fashionable in the animal kingdom... but this lioness has a grace and charm about her. The soft morning light hitting the side of her face perfectly, with a sense of curiosity and intrigue emanating from her. A graceful, solitary image of a truly magnificent creature. 34x34 Print: $550 34x34 Framed: $1200 17x17 Print: $250 17x17 Framed: $450

Huntress

Photographing an apex predator has a way of truly humbling the photographer. This lioness had spent a lazy afternoon in the shade; and as the sun was setting, she entered her stride with focused determination. I enjoy looking at this image for the majestic power she exudes. 34x34 Print: $550 34x34 Framed: $1200 17x17 Print: $250 17x17 Framed: $450

Motley Crew

A heavy storm had just started to clear in the northern regions of the Kruger National Park. The soft evening light caught a group of white-backed vultures, a lappet faced vulture and a marabou stork. I don't think a more motley crew could have been arranged... and the branch they were all perched on is a nice study in itself. 29x20 Print: $400 29x20 Framed: $700 14x10 Print: $200 14x10 Framed: $350

Wisdom of Ndlovu

This old bull elephant's name is Mac; but to the rangers of Timbavati in South Africa, his name is Big Mac. As I photographed this bull, the ranger informed us that an elephant's eyelashes never stop growing though its life. I decided to focus on this incredible feature... allowing them to tell a story of timeless wisdom. 37x54 Print: $850 37x54 Framed: $1600 18x27 Print: $400 18x27 Framed: $650

Little One

Sometimes being a landscape and wildlife photographer is great as a literal title is all that's needed. This little zebra portrays an image of innocence in what is often a harsh, relentless and unforgiving existence. But nature and evolution has tried to help this little one out along the way. The disproportionately long legs are intended to allow this newborn to blend in better with its mother and herd! 29x20 Print: $400 29x20 Framed: $700 14x10 Print: $200 14x10 Framed: $350

Parental Control

My Dad and I were sitting in a hide enjoying a rare opportunity to photograph together... and we watched this swift tirelessly catching insects and then come in to feed it's chick. It was a special bonding moment for father and son, as I'm sure it was too for the chick.

Crowd Control

I should possibly have titled this "Lack of crowd control"... because as soon as one goose decides it's time to take flight, the entire flock leaps off the water almost in unison.

Launch Control

If you ever want to fine tune your motor skills, take up photographing hummingbirds as a hobby! They are so quick that one's camera is barely able to focus before the little bird is off to the next nectar-filled flower. This shot seems to freeze the hummingbird's hyper-activity and I think captures a slightly different look to the common frame of a hummingbird hovering near a flower.

Natural Design

**Getaway Magazine Winner: Best Photo August 2011**. "Natural Design". There’s a bird hide in the Kruger National Park that allows visitors to the hide to get out of their car. As I returned from a rather uneventful breakfast at the bird hide, I caught site of a speckle-breasted woodpecker. As I started to photograph the persistent bird as it tried to drill a hole in a tree stump – I noticed this brightly colored spider masterfully weaving its web. Against better judgment I spent a fair deal of time outside my car photographing this spider – and as the light streamed through the dense foliage – it lit up the spider and its creation.

I'm Not Fooling Around

I'm not sure if you've ever been in a wildlife situation where you haven't wanted to breath too loudly in case you startled an apex predator. I shot this image with the superb Canon 300mm 2.8L lens. I couldn't zoom out as the lioness walked within feet of the vehicle. it paused a minute, licked its lip, stared me down (probably contemplating whether I'd be a good enough snack) and then moved on. After changing my pants, I took a deep breath and marveled at the intensity of the experience.

The Fight Continues

It's unfortunate when cultural morays cause an animal such as a rhino to be indisciminately targeted for its horn. In 2007, 13 rhino were poached in South Africa... in 2010 the number jumped to 333 and in 2011 a staggering 448 rhino were poached! The fight continues to keep poachers away and to protect this species. I caught this shot later in the day and liked the shadow that's cast across the rhino's horn. The grey color of the rhino and the brown wintery grass made for a good opportunity to process this as a black & white image.

The Gathering

There's something ominous about a gathering of vultures in the dead branches of a tree! This image was captured on a rather gloomy day in the northern-most tip of the Kruger National Park near Pafuri.

Together

This breeding pair of lion have been through the ringer. The female... in the prime of her life... and the male... a battle hardened warrior who carries his scars on his face like badges of honor. This shot captures them as the morning sun was just rising... and before both of them fell fast asleep shortly after!

The Tale of a Widow

The long-tailed widow bird must be one of the most frustrating birds to photograph... due in part to it being so stunningly photogenic, while at the same time, incredibly shy. I snuck up on this one... and managed to catch a shot before it danced away through the grass.

The Antagonist

I asked this hyena to smile for the camera and this is what I got! It was actually picking up the scent of the warthog kill it was hoping to get a piece of. Little did it know that it would have to take a ticket and get in line behind the 7 lions and 14 other hyena crowding the scene!

Zebra Crossing

At school we used to have to wait at the "zebra crossing" for the scholar patrol team to blow the whistle and let you cross to the other side of the road. This shot was taken as an actual zebra was crossing the road. Instead of focusing on the zebra itself, I decided to frame the patterns on its side.