Tanzania Photos / Jan 08
 

Hi all,

I'm back safe and sound from my first safari experience.

You may recall I was supposed to go to Kenya and our guide re-routed us to Tanzania.

Thank you to EVERYONE on this forum who offered advice, packing lists, tips and tricks. It was all very worthwhile and I truly appreciate the time you all took to assist.

Just like you all predicted, I now have �the bug�, and wonder when I�ll go back again.

We did Taranagire, Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro Crater, Serengeti, and a little bit of Ndutu on our way to the airfield to fly back to Arusha. We also visited a school, an orphanage, a couple of markets, and a Maasai village (which didn�t go well).

The people were marvelous, our guides and drivers gracious and funny. I preferred the tented camps to lodges,hands down.

We saw tons of elephants, about 25 lions, and only one leopard. We had a terrific close encounter with a family of Vervet monkeys, plus all the usual zebra, giraffe, baboon, hippos, etc. It was FABULOUS. There were lots of youngsters, including a wildebeest so new the mother was still eating the placenta� and we think we saw a hippo being born. I found giraffes difficult to photograph, and couldn�t get a clear shot of those red hornbill birds for love or money � can�t figure that out.

I like the birdies, but every time we slowed to shoot one, it flew away - every time. We all ended up laughing at my �bird curse�!

I can see how your standards and expectations can get higher and higher as you become more experienced.

I will work on a trip report, because I think I have some good stories to tell. But I'm a little delayed because I got sick two days after getting home and spent 3 weeks very near the bathroom. I was tested for parasites, but by the time I found out the lab had LOST the samples, I was better. I'm still not 100%, but doing better. Doctor says to eat healthy and get rest.

I came home with just over 3,000 photos. The Hyperdrive was good, but not necessary because I edited so heavily on the camera in the evenings. I took two bodies and 3 lenses, shooting mostly with the 100 � 400. The 4 GB and 8 GB cards were more than enough. My only mistake was not taking a beanbag. Lesson learned.

I did manage to go with carry-on only, and came home with one item of clothing I didn't wear.

I very much want to share some of my photos, but I�m very nervous about doing so. I�m terrible at editing and I�ve only done a few �auto fix� and �sharpening�. I got a lot of ribbing on our trip because I don�t use Photo Shop. Not only do I not know how to use it, but I don�t believe it�s photography when you swap out an entire sky for a better one - OK, call me naive.

Most of what you see was shot �as is�, and any cropping and tweaking for tone or saturation will take me months - if I even do it. I think I did OK and I�m pleased with what I captured both digitally and spiritually. Any advice and constructive criticism is heartily welcomed.

Visit www.cmoff.smugmug.com and go to the Gallery entitled Tanzania 2008: Armchair Traveller Version. There are about 80 photos, with captions.

The second gallery is a whopping 360 images, and was put together for the obligatory family slide show. It's a photo diary of the entire trip, including accommodation, my tripmates, etc. If anyone has the remotest interest in this gallery, email me offline and I�ll send the password.

Thanks again for all your help. Stay tuned for a trip report �

Carol
[email protected]

Plenty of nice shots Carol, it's clear you had a great time!

<b><i>We saw ... only one leopard</i></b>

Trust me, that was a great leopard sighting you had, really nice light and got her in the tree, coming down the tree and then hunting. Few people get to shoot leopards this well, you were lucky with this one. Sometimes it only takes one ...

Where are the cheetahs? !!

<b><i>We all ended up laughing at my “bird curse”!</i></b>

I thought you had some very good bird photos, they are harder to photograph than lions etc most of the time. Bird # 83 is a Grey-breasted Spurfowl, which is found only in Tanzania, and bird # 84 is a White-browed Coucal instead of Burchell's.

Just curious as to how you liked Tarangire this time of year, compared to the other places visited?

Bill

Carol,

you made wonderful photos!!! Thanks for sharing. Loved those of the leopard, you were really lucky!! We haven't had much luck with the flamingos at Ngorongoro(June is not their time). Love those pics as well.

Did you see the pair of male lions in the Crater?

Steff

Very nice shots...now if I can only do half as well when I go in May.

And believe me those shots of the leopard were some of the best I've seen. I didn't see a leopard until my second safari and that was at night so photos were impossible.

Thanks again.

Deb

Carol - they we wonderful! I am forwarding to my husband he has the Cannon 30D with all the lenses. Has all packed and ready to go for our sept trip. Can't wait to see your trip report. Glad you are feeling better.

Ruth

Beautiful pics, Carol. Gotta agree with Bill_H, all you need is one Leopard like that! Love the intense look of the hunting face in #95.

Rick

Thanks, Carol -- I loved your photos. The baby hippos are adorable! You really have some wonderful shots of people, especially the kids. And I am a sucker for the close-up animal faces. You got some amazing shots of different behaviors, which are so much more interesting than the standard &quot;beauty shot&quot; of an animal just standing there.

I'm looking forward to hearing more about your adventures. Don't worry about taking a while to post a trip report -- it's taking me 6 months to do it, and no one has kicked me off the board yet! ;)

-- the other &quot;mydog&quot; Carol

Thanks for all your kind and encouraging words.

The leopard pix are, indeed, what I call my National Georgaphic shots. I'm very pleased with them. They're the ones that, when you get them home and on the big screen you have that, &quot;oh my god, I got it ...&quot; feeling.

Bill, I thought Tarangire was beautiful, but there weren't a lot of creatures around. Lots of elephants and monkeys, but not a cat to be seen. We stayed at Kikoti Lodge and it was great; very simple, good food, attentive and friendly staff.

I didn't care much for Lake Manyara but I could have spent a week at the crater. I was mesmerized by the layers of life at the watering hole, and was disappointed that our guide insisted we keep moving instead of sitting and watching. That makes for difficult composition and you feel rushed to keep your finger on the button in hopes that something works out!

Our Serengeti experience was only OK, too. I think because of the migration, we were too far north. Our accommodation at Mbuzi Mawe was out of this world, but we didn't see anything out of the ordinary on our drives - except the leopard.

Steff, I saw a pair of young (no-mane) males near the river in the crater. Just the one full mane fellow, though.

Not even a whisper of a cheetah anywhere.

Thanks again for the input.

Carol

Carol, I really enjoyed and appreciated your photos - great job! I'm looking forward to your trip report when you're feeling better.

Your pictures are great. I loved the baby hippo and the laughing hippo but my favorites were your zebra and leopard shots. I hope hope hope I see leopards on my trip this coming Sept. I can't wait!
Thanks for sharing.

Carol, thanks for sharing the great photos. Several of my favorite birds were included. And, I particularly liked the female impala, the close-up of the helmeted guniea fowl and as a wildlife biologist I really enjoyed seeing the Canadian giraffe. Welcome opportuity to view more pictures. Not sure if I followed the protocol for requesting such, but my email address is [email protected]
Again, thank you for making my Friday evening special.
Dick

I like the birdies, but every time we slowed to shoot one, it flew away - every time. We all ended up laughing at my “bird curse”!

You know I read that the wrong way at first and thought you were being very dry. :D

Wonderful photos. Your worst shame my best. Especially nice to see the merchants at the market. Great leopard, eles, malachite kingfisher and many others. A joy to view them--thank you.

You got some great shots. Loved them all.
Hope you rest up and feel better.

Carol, you got some great photos. I can’t believe you were nervous about sharing them. I love the combination of wildlife, markets, and people. Your “bird curse” didn’t prevent you from getting some really good bird photos, like the crested cranes on the move. I loved the shots of the leopard in action, and really enjoyed the baboons and vervet monkey photos. You also got some great scenery/landscape photos.

It looks like you saw a lot on your trip. Please post a trip report or highlights if you have time.

Did Spud do ok while you were gone?

You are ahead of me on Photoshop because I did not know you could swap skies.

Your photos were wonderful and you have some unique views such as the zebra bum. If Bill says you have good bird pics, then that's the final word. I was impressed with them too.

You mentioned a bit of trouble getting the giraffes but I saw a nice group shot and then of course the Canadian Giraffe. Or to be consistent with the protocol, is it Canada Giraffe, like Canda goose?

Your monkey shots were really good from the wrestling vervets to the yawning baboon and the little baby.

You caught some great wildebeest action with the running wild guy and the sparing ones.

The baby hippo was adorable. It looked very young. I once saw one about that size and was told it had been born that day.

Your leopard series was outstanding and something to brag about. With action that good, you only need one. I've done 2 Tanzania safaris and had only one good leopard sighting and no good pics.

Looking forward to the report.

Again, thanks so much for the comments.

Maybe these pics will become more than fridge decoration!

Atravelynn, we lost our best-dog-in-the-world Spud last June, but I refuse to change my screen name. This time, it was more a question of did my husband do OK while I was gone?!?! And that answer is, &quot;yes&quot;.

Carol

Sorry about your dog, maybe you can give another one a good home. Now that you know the husband does ok while you are in Africa, you can start planning the next one.

Sure can!

Carol, thanks for sharing the rest of your pictures. I thought they were excellent. What a nice way to begin Sunday afternoon. Recognized some of the shops in the market place and certainly appreciated seeing more of the Crater Sopa and the Serengeti Serena. Having seen and re-seen your shots I think my favorite has to be the cape buffalo in &quot;stare down&quot; mode. Glad you are feeling better and yes, you have more than just frige magnets!
Dick

Wonderful photos, Carol! Where was the marketplace you visited, Mto wa Mbu outside of Lake Manyara NP? Where was the &quot;grumpy&quot; Maasai village?

Excellent photos, Carol. Love the baby hippos. I wasn't fortunate enough to see any out of the water - just little heads poking up now and then.

I'm with you on not photo shopping. I didn't do any editing or cropping, etc or my photos either.

Shane

I really enjoyed your photos! What cameras did you use?

Terrific photos. Esp liked the elephant close-ups, some of the hippo ones, and also the ones with all the flamingos.

Sorry for the delay in replying.

Yes, the market was Mto Wa Mbu and it was great, except for the young man who followed us around and angrily insisted we pay his mother for taking a photograph - even tho' she had happily agreed (and there was no way she was his mother!). Not scary, but slighty intimidating.

The grumpy Maasai village was near Olduvai and the problem was that we thought we were there specifically to take photos, and they thought we were there to buy jewellry. I knew there was something wrong by the manner and voices of our guides and the head man who were chattering quite exictedly to each other in negotiation. The village women were very aggressive from the start, and when it became clear that we weren't buying jewellry, their anger was obvious and our best bet was to beat a polite but hasty retreat. I felt like I'd contributed to something underhanded, even though I think it was just bad communication.

My cameras are a Canon Rebel and a new Rebel XTi.

Carol

Really liked your pictures. I know nothing about photography, just point and shoot but think I need new camera for this trip. Checking out camera info on this site and think a used Canon S something should suffice. I am so techno. impaired I don't watch tv unless my hubby is there with all those controls. Great pics though!

Dear Carol,

My daughter and I really enjoyed your photo tour. What an amazing photographer you are!

We are going to Tanzania this summer near Kilimanjaro with a volunteer organization. We will be staying about 40 minutes from Moshi (sp?).

I wonder if it might be possible to take some type of day trip from there to one of the parks?

I'm just beginning my research about Tanzania at this point.

Thanks again for sharing your beautiful pix.

gruezi

fabulous pics! thank you so much. can't wait to hear the details about the village visit gone bad...

anita

I absolutely loved your beautiful shots. Thanks for sharing. Now for the trip report.... (but I hope you rest really well and get better first)

We leave in 2 days with OAT.... Now that I've seen your images it has made me so excited. I can't wait to get there. I sent an email requesting the password on your website. Haven't gotten a response as of yet. I/we want to see "all" the details.

The main question I have is... What body and lenses did you use? Also will a tripod or beanbag be helpful?
Thanks in advance,
Bob from Florida
[email protected]

Carol,

Your photos are fabulous. You don't need Photoshop. Thanks for sharing. I felt like I was right back on safari. Love the pair of lions. The males were very uncooperative (a.k.a. lazy and hiding) when we were there. And your elephant shots were wonderful. Mine have many an acacia tree in the way. And the leopard...wow! I'm assuming what you lack in experience with Photoshop, you more than make up for in photography experience...it sure seems that way. Thanks so much! Hope