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Sundowner Drinks At The Bush Lodge Waterhole

on Dec 18, 2014

In the dry months when water is in short supply, the elephants at Sabi Sabi quickly learn that there is water in a small pan in front of Bush Lodge. Most lunchtimes we are treated to the sight of breeding herds coming to drink. This is a wonderful view for the guests, but not much use to the photographer as the sun is high in the sky and very bright. While one can easily take photos they will always be a little too bright and white looking. For some reason these breeding herds spend very little time drinking and they walk off almost as soon as they arrive. They also very seldom drink at this spot later in the day when the light is perfect.

Big Ele Bush Lodge

Late one afternoon while on safari with a well known professional South African photographer, the radio crackled that a breeding herd was seen moving in the general direction of the waterhole at Bush Lodge. We moved into the area and waited, hoping that they might come to drink. Setting up our cameras, I used my 200- 400 f4 lens and a shutter speed of 1/1250. This would be enough speed to freeze any movement and hopefully also the water droplets coming out of the elephants trunks. Well, as luck would have it, with the last rays of setting light the elephants came to drink and I was able to capture this wonderful image.

Happy snapping

Rod Wyndham

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