An adult hippo can weigh more than 4,000 pounds, yet enter the water with surprising agility — and often a giant splash. Rivers are their refuge, helping regulate body temperature while providing a safe place to rest during the heat of the day. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 180-600mm lens, 4K at 120fps.
Karen and I took our first tour group of the summer to Lewa Wildlife Conservancy for a single morning game drive before we had to catch a bush flight back to Nairobi. We hadn’t been to Lewa since November of 2011 and we were immediately reminded of why we liked it so much back in the day. The rolling landscapes were a bit more dry than they were back then, but just as quintessentially Kenyan. When this lion — the most iconic resident of the savanna — walked out into the scene, I had the shot I was looking for. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 94mm) ISO 72, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second.
The white rhinos of Il Ngwesi in Kenya are part of an ambitious community-led conservation program that returned rhinos to this landscape after they had disappeared for decades. Protected by local rangers and supported by the surrounding Maasai community, the population continues to grow, demonstrating how conservation and local stewardship can work hand in hand. They were quite cooperative and posed as I lowered my camera to the ground and fired it with a remote trigger. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 87mm) ISO 100, f/2.8 at 1/400th of a second.
One of the species we rarely see on our Kenya tours, but that isn’t particularly rare is the rock hyrax. They may look like oversized rodents, but their closest living relatives are actually elephants. Their feet have specialized rubbery pads that grip smooth rock surfaces, making them very agile as they scramble across cliffs and boulder fields. They spend much of the day basking in the sun, using the warmth to regulate their body temperature before retreating to rocky crevices when danger approaches. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 180-600mm lens (at 600mm) ISO 1400, f/6.3 at 1/320th of a second.
We always offer our guests a trip to the local Maasai village. Usually Karen takes those that want to go for some culture and I sneak into the national park for more wildlife. This last trip, however, I decided to bring a single flash and umbrella setup to get some proper portraits. The young warriors were all too happy to have their photos taken. The women and elderly were a bit more skeptical, but a few of them allowed me a few quick shots. These were some of my favorites. In a future post I’ll share portraits of all our favorite guides and hospitality staff. And yes, when referring to the people, it’s spelled Maasai, but the national park is Masai Mara. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 24-70mm lens, Godox 860iii flash and X3 controller.
I love walking around during down/siesta time while on safari, searching for any wildlife that happens to be wandering through camp. Without the pressure to move on to the next big sighting, I can take my time and work on getting interesting shots. While at Samburu, there were two bee eaters that kept flying out over the river, catching bees and then heading back to their perches. The perfect time to work on flight shots (not always easy with small birds and erratic flight patterns). I missed a lot, but also nailed quite a few, including this one where you can see the little bee eater in all its colorful glory. Now if I could just capture one as it catches a bee mid-flight. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 180-600mm lens (at 600mm) ISO 1600, f/6.3 at 1/2500th of a second.
Every year, more than a million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras face one of nature’s greatest challenges—the Mara River crossing. It’s not the water they fear, but what waits beneath it. Crocodiles, lions, steep banks, and pure chaos turn each crossing into a gamble, where hesitation can be as dangerous as the plunge itself. This is one crossing, from the first leap to the last survivor climbing the opposite bank.
I photographed this leopard a few weeks ago in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya at the very end of the day. The pale green and golden eyes aren’t just striking, they’re built for exceptional night vision. A reflective layer behind the retina, called the tapetum lucidum, bounces light back through the eye, allowing leopards to see up to seven times better than humans in low-light conditions. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 180-600mm lens (at 600mm) ISO 4000, f/6.3 at 1/125th of a second.
Much like the serval I posted yesterday, it’s also been awhile since I got a good look at a bushbaby — more specifically (and accurately) this is a northern greater galago. They are nocturnal primates with big eyes adapted for seeing in near darkness. Their powerful legs allow them to jump more than 15 feet between trees, while their oversized ears can swivel independently to pinpoint the sounds of insects and other prey in the night. This one was calling to another nearby just before I headed into my tent for the night in Nairobi National Park. I used illumination from a low-powered flashlight and a very high ISO to capture a few images before letting them get back to business. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 180-600mm lens (at 600mm) ISO 25600, f/6.3 at 1/250th of a second.
It’s been a while since I had a good look at a serval. Servals are medium to small-sized cats of the African savanna. Usually they are quite secretive and shy, and run when approached by a safari vehicle. This serval was the complete opposite. My biggest photographic challenge was getting a few shots with the eyes open, as he/she was content to take a nap only feet away from us. The unusual situation gave me the opportunity to lower my long lens to the ground for some eye-level portraits.Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 180-600mm lens (at 600mm) ISO 360, f/6.3 at 1/640th of a second.