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Monochrome Monday #28

on Jun 29, 2015

“I believe that, through the act of living, the discovery of oneself is made concurrently with the discovery of the world around us, which can mold us, but which can also be affected by us. A balance must be established between these two worlds—the one inside us and the one outside us.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson

I think that this saying holds true no place better than in the wilderness...and not necessarily in Africa, but any wilderness. The fact that we have so much activity within ours just makes it all that much more intriguing, with infinitely more aspects to uncover. The more I learn about the South African wilderness, the more I realize how little I know, but internally I feel I know infinitely more than the average person on the street ever could. Living in a natural environment results in a different way of thinking all together. In terms of photography, one always has to find the balance between capturing the moment and living in the moment, which is without a doubt one of the more difficult aspects to master. We also need to make sure that whatever we do in order to freeze that moment in time, that we do so ethically and with empathy toward everything around us. Do enjoy this week’s selection of images.

01Mike Palmer Ellie Cow1

Elephants are wondrous creatures and always a favorite to spend time with. This female had a peculiar set of tusks that looked as though they could cause serious damage, but her demeanor was as gentle as I had ever seen.

02Mike Palmer Maxabeni1

Spending time with Maxabeni is one of the most awe inspiring experiences that one can have when viewing leopard at Sabi Sabi. He is confidence personified.

03Mike Palmer Nyati

The dry season is the best time of year to see massive herds of buffalo and we see many of them. In these situations, I love going wide and often try incorporate my Tracker, Zulu, into the image to give a sense of scale. Here the buffalo were moving off from a waterhole.

04Mike Palmer Wildebeest

The wildebeest is often passed off as a stupid animal, possibly due their looks or lack thereof. I actually find them pleasing to the eye and especially in good light when their brindled patterning is accentuated to the maximum.

05Mike Palmer Badger1

Another animal that is rather prolific in the dry season is none other than Africa’s most notorious creature, the Honey Badger. They can often be found this time of year digging through dung middens after dark searching for beetles and grubs.

06Mike Palmer Buff31

Another wide shot of a large aggregation of buffalo in the pan in front of Selati Camp.

07Mike Palmer SP Lioness11

This is one of the Southern Pride females doing a walk-by past the vehicle, emerging from the darkness to follow the rest of the girls on a buffalo hunt.

08Mike Palmer Nottins

I love the mystery of this shot. Here the Nottins female descends from a Marula tree and the last remains of an impala that she had killed a few days before. We were beginning to think that she was getting too old to hoist kills up trees, but she most certainly can.

09Mike Palmer Hyena4

The young hyenas at an active den site here at Sabi Sabi are probably the largest source of entertainment at the moment. They are amazing animals in general, but being able to spend time with them at ‘home’ does allow for a deeper insight and understanding of the animal.

10Mike Palmer Kudu Pan

This was an incredible sighting, but also an emotional one. Moments like this one can be hard to watch, but it is also a lesson in letting go of what you cannot physically control. This young kudu met its demise at the jaws of a hungry pack of wild dogs, but I think this image of the ordeal captured the essence of it perfectly.

  • Blog by Mike Palmer (Bush Lodge Ranger)
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