sperraglia

Tom,

Thanks for the welcome. This will be my second safari, my last one was 10 years ago so looking forward to going back with digital. A photography buddy of mine goes to Kenya every year (2x this year) and he invited me along. We will be staying at:

Samburu - Elephant Bedroom
Nakuru - Lake Nakura Lodge
Mara - Mara West & Mara Interpids
I will also be flying over Lake Bogoria in a small plane to get an aerial view of the flamingos

I pretty much go anywhere for good animal/bird photography - I was in Antarctica last October for the second time to photograph emperor penguin chicks, I love Katmai, Alaska for grizzly close-ups, Bosque Del Apache for the sandhill cranes and snow geese, etc. I have a few pictures up here: http://gritsphoto.smugmug.com/

For the record - I don't plan on taking a TB of snaps, but hard drives do decrease in efficency if more than half full and after coming close to running out of space on my first Antarctica trip, I vowed never to run out of space. All three of the cameras I am taking have pretty big files. Of course, I did take over 20k of pictures in Antarctica last October, but I never show more than 50 to 100 pictures from a trip to folks and I am good at deleting so end up with a couple thousand in the end for my digital library.

In addition to the 1dIV, 5d2 & 7d, I will be taking the 800mm, 70-200mm f2.8 ii, 24-105mm and the 1.4iii & 2iii teleconverters on the trip. Luckily we are driving between camps so I can take more gear especially since the 800mm weighs 10 lbs on it own. My biggest fear is getting stopped by Swiss Air when I board at JFK - my carry-on looks reasonable, but is grossly overweight. Oh, I also have my first L, a 100-400, and trying to decide if it comes along as a back-up. I will be able to use a Todd Pod with a wimberley head in the vehicle we are using and planning on a couple bean bags too. Any advice would of course be appreciated.

Cheers, Sallie Jo

cary999

Nice to meet ya Sallie Jo.
Since my first safari in 2005, safari has been the only thing I think when traveling overseas (I'm in beautiful sunny southern California). My last safari was Feb 2011 in Tanzania. I've been to Kenya only once (2006) and sure would like to get back. After each safari I write a trip report for Fodors here and put a few shots up about it (also) on smugmug -
http://tomgraham.smugmug.com

Looking at some of your smugmug snaps I especially like the flamingos -
http://tinyurl.com/5tn2zee

Longest lens I carry is a70-300mm zoom. Even a 400mm f2.8 is getting to be more than I want to haul around airports. Vehicles, tripods, bean bags, etc. On that Tanzania safari my vehicle buddy was using at Canon 500mm f4 and Roger in the other vehicle a Canon 300mm F2.8 with extenders as required. The vehicles were pop tops and the hard top was taken off so to not have the corner posts. Thus total 360 degree view, no obstructions. Here is snap of Roger (and wife) in vehicle. http://tinyurl.com/5v33st6
Note he is using a bean bag. He and my buddy both had a fancy roof supported 3 leg tripod spider thing (like the Todd Pod?) but after the first game drive they both went back to using bean bags!!!

Anyway, Kenya for you in Aug, going to be grreeeat!!!

regards - tom

Hanuman

Sallie Jo,

Aren't the 70 - 200 f2.8 ii and the 24 - 105 "L" lenses or are they Sigma's? You mentioned having your first L, the 100 - 400, so I'm curious.

sperraglia

Hanuman,

The 100-400 was the first L lens I bought, but all my lens are canon Ls. The 70-200 f2.8 ii with the 2xiii is really quite amazing so that is why the 100-400 is a little duplicative for the trip. Of course with the 100-400 I wouldn't have to worry about teleconverters.

sperraglia

Tom,

Thanks for the link to your pictures, I can't wait to look through them this evening.

I think the 500mm is a more traditional lens for Kenya, but I sold that and my 300 2.8 to buy the 800mm. It is a bit of a pain to carry, but I am no stranger to big gear after the 500mm and for the right photo it is worth the pain. You are right the 300 2.8 does quite well with teles and I used that lens with the 1.4 and 2x almost exclusively in Antarctica for the emperor penguin chicks. I know several people who goes to Kenya/Tanzania yearly and frequently use the 600mm with a 1.4 so it will be interesting to see how the 800mm does.

Of course the 600 or 800 really need a wimberley head so the Todd Pod (doesn't work in all vehicles, but will work in ours - yea) will be perfect for that and I am very used to the working with the 800mm on a wimberley. The 500mm was a lovely lens and I was able to handhold that for short stints, so I miss the build of the lens compared to the 800mm but totally in love with my 800mm pictures. Of course with the shallow dof the 800mm is probably better as a bird than mammal lens, but I think it will suit my style of photography well for the trip. When I took my trip to Kenya ten years ago I had just started with photography so this will really be nice to see how I have progressed.

Thank you for the comments on my "The Art of Flamingos" pictures, I am very proud of those and a few were recently exhibited in a gallery in Indiana. Sorry I am a little excited about that and attaching a review which called one of my photos "spectacular" - never in my life have I had anything of mine called spectacular! http://www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/rev...nt?oid=2261075

sundowner

Sallie Jo, loved the spectacular (they are!) flamingos and my 2 yr old grandson loved the penguins. I saw King penguin chics in the Falkland Islands http://www.pbase.com/cjw/image/124307709 but they aren't even close to being as cute as the Emperors. Congrats on the review and exhibit.

cary999

Critics review-
"Sallie Jo Perraglia's "Peek-a-Boo" shows a flamingo with its beak hidden by a feathered wing but its eye staring out in the photographer's general direction. This particular photograph effectively demonstrates that, even in this digitalized world, there's still a place for straight photography."

Indeed, that one is my fav!!!

I've never used a lens longer than 400mm. But hey, maybe I need to . I'm not so much after close-ups, like to show environment and/or behavior. Andy Biggs here is a master of this. But of course a close-up of a big male lion yawning is still irresistible!!!

regards - tom

sperraglia

Sundowner - Thanks for the kind words. I have never seen the king penguin "woolly" penguin chicks but hope to one day. I can honestly say the emperor penguin chicks are the cutest animal I have ever seen so glad your grandson enjoyed them.

Tom - Thank you so much, that flamingo shot it is my favorite too. I do enjoy Andy's work and have many friends who have gone with him (1 has been with Andy 3 times so not sure if likes him or not!). I was very close to going with him to Namibia a few years back and was disappointed that I couldn't make timing work. Andy's bag the kiboko is of course the bag of choice for Kenya. If I hadn't done Antarctica last October I would have gone this winter with Andy and my mentor, JP Caponigro, on their December 2012 Antarctica trip, but my husband is grounding me after Kenya so I will have to catch them on another trip.

Best, Sallie Jo