Photographic experience is paramount if you are leading photo safaris and that’s why we endeavour to hire the best guides, and recognition comes with awards, especially if they are from leading photo competitions such as Wildlife Photographer Of The Year, European Wildlife Photographer Of The Year, and Nature’s Best.

Lakshitha Karunarathna – Grand Prize, Nature’s Best

The highest accolade this year goes to one of our clients, Lakshitha Karunarathna, for his image African Lionesses taken on our safari in March won him the overall title in Nature’s Best’s 2017 Windland Smith Rice Awards.

African Lionesses – Lakshitha Karunarathna

Last September, while on a safari in Kenya I missed about three phone calls, from an unknown number in Sri Lanka, and they were persistent too. Eventually I picked up and it was Lakshitha Karunarathna, one of our guests from our Big Cat Photo Safari last March, and very keen to speak because he had received news of winning the overall title in this year’s Nature’s Best Photographic Awards. Some of our guests have previously picked up awards, but not a big win such as this one.

“It was early morning in the Great Rift Valley as we were searching for a famous pride of lionesses with many subadults. Not even half an hour into the morning, we spotted the pride next to the road. Since it was very cold the females were piled on top of each other, forming three groups and staying close. This particular set grabbed my attention because they were staring glassy-eyed in different directions. I wanted to capture all possible details with a tight crop to make a striking black and white conversion.”

You can see more of Lakshitha’s work at his website at lakshithak.com.

Amy Shutt – Highly Honored, Nature’s Best

African Lions – Amy Shutt

Photo guide Amy was also recognised in the Nature’s Best event this year for her captivating picture of two male lions huddled together in freezing rain. I remember the encounter well, we were all virtually stranded in teeming rain, a few of our clients were able to capture some pictures, but Amy captured the one picture that I call a rare picture – a very well executed image of seldom seen encounter. I knew that when I saw the result, it would do well, and so it did.

“These brothers were shielding themselves from an afternoon rainstorm. They are two of a new coalition of young male lions currently referred to as ‘The Nomads’ who recently moved into the Maasai Mara. As the rain intensified almost everyone rolled up their windows and put their cameras away. Instead I put on a rain sleeve and draped a towel over my lens to continue photographing. I got drenched hat I m’ glad I did because I was able to capture the essence o f the relationship between these male lions. I wish people were aware just how closely bonded they can be.”

Amy has more images and workshops on her website at amyshutt.com

Richard Peters – Highly Commended, European Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Beautiful Chaos – Richard Peters

Richard was highly commended in the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year in October, following on from his overall win in the same event in 2015. With an image taken as a guest in 2013, Richard also won the Nature’s Best’s Mammals category in the following year.

“I’m often asked what my favourite animal to photograph is. The answer is always that I’m truly more interested in the quality of the overall photo than the subject within. I often add that I’d rather a good photo of a pigeon over a standard image of something more exotic. The theory goes that the more unique and interesting a photo of a common subject is, the more memorable the photo.”

For more of Richard’s work, including gear reviews, visit his website at richardpeters.co.uk

Myself – Highly Honored, Nature’s Best &
Finalist, Wildlife Photographer Of The Year

Cheetah – David Lloyd

For myself, I was commended in Nature’s Best with a cheetah mounted on a tree, and I was also privileged to to be a part of Wildlife Photographer Of The Year again with Tiny Red Dot but of which they named The Power of the Matriarch for the event.

“This tree was the perfect lookout point for the cheetah mother. She had not eaten for a while and was searching for a meal to feed herself and her two cubs. I opted not to get too close, instead staying hack to include the shape of the tree, which proved to he the perfect prop for a photo. Over-exposing on the overcast sky provided the high key look.”

Tiny Red Dot – David Lloyd

“At dusk, in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve, I waited for the herd of elephants on their evening trek to a waterhole. As they got closer to our vehicle, I could see that the mellow light from the fast-setting sun was emphasizing every wrinkle and hair. Because I enjoy working with texture, this was a gift.”

I congratulate both Richard and Amy for their successes, but the biggest congratulations has to go to Lakshitha. It is an honour for us to have guests picking up recognition for images taken on our safaris.

On our safaris we offer guidance for taking your photography to the next level and also advice for entering photographic competitions. Our safaris as listed here. Hopefully you can be our next big winner.

My own Instagram account at @davidlloyd

A Little History

Instagram is a little like Twitter where simplicity is the requisite, but with the emphasis on pictures over text. It emerged in October 2010 and got to a million users within three months, 10 million in a year, then surpassed Twitter’s 300 million users by the end of 2014, all in turn making billionaires out of its two student developers.

Undoubtedly this coincided too with the rise of camera phones and digital cameras. Initially Instagram was available only on the iPhone and it’s culture developed to be that of an online photo-diary for thousands then millions of people, photo-diarising almost every conceivable event – even idle moments of the day did not escape Instagrammers as evidenced by posts of coffees, lunches, pets, and bored-waiting-for-the-bus snaps of one’s own feet. Arguably it also gave rise to the selfie, and by extension the development of the selfie stick.

Then, from that beginning, people began to recognise it as a useful marketing tool. From its cultural coffee-lunch-feet-selfie beginnings, more serious photographers jumped on board and started to post pictures taken with their DSLR’s, which gradually eroded part of an established unwritten rule where Instagram pictures ought to be taken with a phone only. “It’s cheating if it’s not taken with a phone” has been muffled in no small part by a new photo-marketing mindset.

Wildlife photographers in particular have seen its benefits, particularly taking advantage of its very effective sharing abilities, an Instagram account can gain hundreds of followers very quickly if shared by one of the mega-accounts now resident on Instagram – A recent post of mine was shared by such an account of two million followers resulting in a few hundred new followers for me in a matter of an hour or two.

I started my own account in December 2010 as a deliberate place to post personal non-wildlife pictures away from my Facebook page and website, but then about a year ago I succumbed to using it to attract a new audience to my pictures. It’s proved worthwhile, now having sold books and prints to followers, as well as a few “I follow you on Instagram” attendees at my recent exhibition last year.

A Few TipsS

If you are a wildlife photographer, whether making a start or seeking to use Instagram more, then a few useful mega-accounts to take note of are @animals, @nature, @earthpix and @natgeo. Hashtag them to your post, and hope they notice.

Post reasonably frequently, once a day or every other day, not several times a day and not once a week. Don’t open your account with a dozen of your best, start with one and add gradually, don’t over-tag, just a line of subject related hashtags will do plus two or four more of the mega-account ones to get their eyes. Remember, you can still tag pictures long after you’ve posted them too.

A few more tips:

• Don’t open your account with a dozen of your best, start with one and add gradually
• Don’t get carried away with accompanying long captions or stories, or attempt to make Instagram your blog, a brief background about your photo will do
• By the same token, avoid excessive hashtagging: Just a few – remember you can delete them after a day or so then add new ones
• Don’t over-hashtag: and broad tags like #photo or #life are inherently useless
• URLs in captions are rarely of any use as Instagram doesn’t make them functional
• Don’t be afraid to repost photos occasionally for the benefit of new followers, so long as its not too soon after the original post
• Don’t post too many photos in one posting as that may take over your followers’ timelines too much
• As it is anywhere, it’s better not to post a photo at all than it is to post an substandard one
• Follow others that inspire you, and comment and like their posts too. It’s reciprocal; so when they then mention you, it will be noticed by their followers as well

Who To Follow

This is my own list, in no particular order at all, and it’s of those who have either inspired me, helped me or pushed me, or simply those who I have admired from afar for taking consistently wonderful photos. Each of these will offer you something to appreciate or simply to be inspired by.

Making lists is a tricky enterprise, and I’m bound to omit some that others may feel deserving of inclusion; but simply put, there are too many talented photographers to fit into a concise list such as this. If you can add to it though, please feel free to comment below, and I may include it here.

• Jasper Doest – @jasperdoest
• Elliott Neep – @elliottneep
• Marius Coetzee – @oryxmarius
• Andy Biggs – @theglobalphotographer
• Richard Peters – @richardpetersphoto
• Jaymi Heimbuch – @jaymiheimbuchwildlife
• Mark Dumbleton – @markdumbletonphoto
• Ole Jørgen Liodden – @ojlwildphoto
• Will Burrard-Lucas – @willbl
• Andrew George – @agfoto
• Marina Cano – @marinacano
• Alison Buttigieg – @cheetah80

Karanja was the Maasai Mara’s most famous of its forty-nine black rhinos, famous for his age but probably more so for his magnificent 34 inch horns which made him so easily recognisable from the rest.

He was easily the oldest rhino in the reserve and died of natural causes on Christmas Eve 2014 at the age of around 44 years old. He was a rare living link from an era when rhinos were still common, and just as much as it was a privilege to see him his natural surroundings, it becomes a relief to know, against all odds, that he completed his life naturally.

To remember Karanja, I’m offering this high quality A2 sized print signed by me.

The print is made to the same quality standards as my limited range, on heavy art paper, with long-life inks and ready for framing. The image area measures 52x35cm (20x13in) with an additional 3.5cm (1.4in) white border all round.

HOW TO ORDER

All payments are securely processed by Paypal. You can pay by card, you do not need a Paypal account.

The price is £100 ($150) plus delivery costs.

Click on the appropriate BUY NOW link to make your purchase. Costs for delivery include postage and packaging. When you order, you will see the total cost in your local currency. Books are dispatched using UK Royal Mail or Parcelforce. Prints are packaged in a strong tube to ensure no damage is made under normal rigorous delivery services. Please allow 3-5 days for dispatch.

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There has always been some question of his true age, with most sources now putting him at 43. All I know was that he was one of five founding originals of the Solio Game Reserve in Laikipia, established for the conservation of rhinos in 1970 before making the Maasai Mara his home. Nevertheless he reached the age where so few wild rhinos ever get to reach.

There needs to be a special mention made too of the rangers of the reserve who must be applauded in ensuring Karanja got the life he deserved.

See also my Christmas Day Facebook post of him here.