Camera: Canon EOS 50D; Lens: Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM telephoto; Focal length: 400mm; Aperture: f/5.6; Shutter speed: 1/1600; ISO: 400

Photographing birds in flight is not one of my strong points. Ideally you need a high-quality telephoto lens with wide maximum aperture that is fast focusing and image-stabilized, mated to a camera body that can fully utilize these attributes. So, if you’re a Canon shooter, something like a Canon EF 500mm f/4 on a 1D Mk IV or 7D body would be a good set-up for birds in flight.

I don’t own that sort of gear, so must make-do with my Canon 50D and 400mm f/5.6, which is actually not a bad combination. The lens, although not stabilized, is relatively light so can be hand-held, while it’s also fast focusing. But I’m getting on in years and my reflexes simply aren’t quick enough, while I’ve never had the steadiest of hands. I guess, because of this, I also don’t practise enough, which is essential to perfect one’s birds in flight technique.

However, there are times when photographing birds in the air is greatly simplified. One of the best of these is when vultures arrive to feed on a carcass. Even if there’s a crowd of vultures squabbling over animal remains, there’re always late-comers who fly in, hoping for a share. And it’s these ones that are relatively easy to photograph as they slow down and drop their undercarriages in preparation for landing.

The photograph above and the two below were all taken while watching a large group of white-backed vultures feeding on the remains of a kudu killed earlier by lions.

The pic above was taken at a slow shutter speed while panning the camera to convey the bird’s rapid descent as it comes in to land. On my Canon 50D, I have configured one of the Custom settings to allow for this type of motion blur photography.

With one click of the dial, I can change from Aperture Priority to Shutter Priority, drop the ISO to 100, set the shutter speed to 1/25 and the autofocus to AI Servo (follow focus). This can save a huge amount of time when an opportunity suddenly arises that’s suitable for using a slow shutter speed.

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• A member of the cat family, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is uncompromisingly built for speed
• It is lightly built (compared to leopard or lion), with long, slender legs. The back thighs are powerful and muscular
• The feet are small, with claws unsheathed for better grip while running
• The head is small with large nostrils for sucking in oxygen, while the chest is relatively broad in relation to rest of the body
• The tail is long for helping with balance while running at speed; the bottom section of the tail is ringed in black and white, ending in a white tip.

For more about cheetah, see Cheetah Information

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The mother, after entering the waterhole to push the calf to safety, then finds herself in difficulties and only after a number of attempts, and a final huge effort, manages to climb back on to land.

At this point other members of the herd move closer in support and shepherd both mother and baby away from the waterhole. If you listen closely at the end of the video, you can hear the elephants’ rumbling sounds as they communicate (not to be confused with the earlier sound of a passing vehicle!).

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The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has launched a new animal photography competition, The ZSL Animal Photography Prize 2012.

There is a generous £10,000 prize money up for grabs, but entrants will need to submit extraordinary photos to stand a chance of winning.

The competition announcement says “we are looking for more than a pretty picture. We want images that take your breath away – just like real animals do – and challenge people’s perceptions of wildlife and our relationship with it.”

Deadline for submission of entries, in any of seven categoris, is 30 June 2012. The full list of categories is:

1. The Perfect Moment – When you capture that stunning shot

2. Last Chance to See – Endangered species in a threatened world

3. Size Matters – From massive to microscopic

4. Weird and wonderful – Unusual animals, situations or photos

5. Birds and the Bees – From birds in flight to love at first sight

6. The Human Animal – What makes us animals?

7. Mobile Magic – Photos caught on the go captured on any mobile device

In addition to the Adult’s competition, there is also a Young Person’s section, open to those under 18 years of age on 30 June 2012.

All finalists will be required to provide a high resolution digital file of their chosen image and may be also asked to provide an original unedited digital file.

On 3 September 2012 the winning photographs from all categories will be on show at an exclusive outdoor exhibition at ZSL London Zoo.

(Please Note: If you're not reading this post on Wildlife Photography Blog from Wildlife Pictures Online, then you're not seeing the original version. Please go to Call for Jaw-Dropping Animal Images to read the original.)

Kelly emailed me requesting permission to use one of my photos of an elephant killed by poachers, explaining:
“I am not an organization and I don’t collect funds or use any photos or videos for commercial or personal gain. I am one voice dedicated to advocating on behalf of these majestic beings.”

You can watch the video below, and it’s also on YouTube where you can leave your comments. Kelly, and others like her that are fighting to save the African elephant, deserve as much support as possible.

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Camera: Canon EOS 450D; Lens: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM zoom; Focal length: 140mm; Aperture: f/8; Shutter Speed: 1/200; ISO: 400

To see more photos of spotted hyena, please visit our hyena gallery page, Hyena Pictures, which has recently been revamped. A number of new images have been added while some of the older ones have been replaced with updated versions.

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Wildlife photographers Will & Matt Burrard-Lucas have been back to Kenya’s Masai Mara with a modified version of their “Beetlecam”, a six-wheel buggy built to take wildlife pictures by remote control.

I think most wildlife photographers dream of getting closer to the action while still respecting the animals’ space and the obvious way of doing this is to untether the camera from the photographer and use a remote release. The Burrard-Lucas brothers have put this into practice with their remote controlled buggies fitted with Canon DSLR cameras, allowing them to get some unusual and fascinating close-ups of lions and their cubs:

Clipped from: blog.burrard-lucas.com (share this clip)

The brothers’ exploits with their Beetlecams have attracted wide media attention and they’re capitaliziing on this by going commercial and offering various iterations of their remote-controlled buggy for sale. But priced around 1250 Brit pounds, I’m afraid I’ll have to give it a miss or build my own.

Clipped from: www.burrard-lucas.com (share this clip)

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In fact, a lot of visitors who fly into Namibia also choose the self-drive option by renting a 4×4 camper vehicle on arrival.

When I do get there, one of my essential reference guides will be “The Photographer’s Guide to Etosha National Park”.

It’s an eBook written by Mario & Jenny Fazekas who have, since 1995, spent nearly 600 days on self-drive safaris in many of Africa’s national parks, including Namibia’s Etosha National Park.

As the authors point out, an African safari is a very special experience and for many is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So preparation is the key to avoiding costly mistakes that one will regret for life.

Using the detailed information, including maps, in the eBook, visitors to Etosha will know where to go and what to expect when arriving in a particular area. They’ll also know what photographic equipment to take, plus the best techniques to use for specific situations encountered in this start wilderness area.

Here’s a tiny sampling of what others are saying:

“These award winning photographers offer stunning photos throughout to assist you in planning according to which pan or waterhole best suits your personal interests.”

“If you intend visiting Etosha National Park this ebook is a must have item! It is a detailed guide that shares park secrets with photographers to help you take amazing safari pictures. ”

“The authors are real experts on advising how to get into the right position, at the right time to effectively capture your subject. Their collective passion for photographing Namibia’s diverse wildlife is a recurrent theme throughout the book. ”

Find out more about the The Photographers Guide to Etosha National Park

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Camera: Canon EOS 50D; Lens: Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM telephoto; Focal length: 400mm; Aperture: f/5.6; Shutter speed: 1/125; ISO: 400

We found this magnificent leopard male while on an afternoon game drive in Mashatu Game Reserve. But we didn’t find him by luck — we were pointed in his direction by two cheetah we’d been watching. The two streamlined cats, as if in unison, suddenly turned and focused intently on some point in the distance, aware of something we couldn’t see. They then moved off quickly in the opposite direction (below).

Our safari guide immediately went in search of whatever had caused their agitation and soon enough we sighted the leopard lying relaxed in a shady spot, exactly where the cheetah had been watching.

Although our vehicle was some way off, the leopard initially ignored us before giving us the “keep your distance” stare. He then padded off, briefly passing ahead of us through dappled sunlight (below). The image of course has been manipulated in PhotoShop, but is actually quite close to how I remember the scene.

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Camera: Canon EOS 50D; Lens: Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM; Focal length: 400mm; Aperture: f/5.6; Shutter speed: 1/1250; ISO: 400

The blue-banded swallowtail, a member of the Papilionidae family, is a large, eye-catching butterfly with metallic blue bands on the upper side of its wings (below).

The body of the swallowtail (something of a misnomer as many don’t have tails on their hind wings) is small and light in relation to the size of the wings.

When feeding from flowers, as in these pictures, the swallowtail flits from bloom to bloom, its legs just touching the flower while its rapidly vibrating wings maintain balance (below).

The frenetic flitting about and rapidly vibrating wings present an interesting photographic challenge — certainly not the situation for a macro lens.

I opted instead for a telephoto lens and a fast shutter speed — see Photographing Swallowtail Butterfly for more on this.

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