HarveyG Photography

To watch the mothers and children initially playing in the mud was so much fun. Then the old bull emerged from the bush, where he was hidden from our view feeding. With a flick of his trunk and a subtle move of his body the entire herd stopped playing, as if chided by him, and then proceeded to regroup and leave the water sports in the dam to go dry off. It was inspiring to witness the interaction and intelligence of these massive creatures, and yet not a sound was made by any one of them. Read on to see an edited image and decide what impact that has overall.

Elephant Dust Bath, Nsemani Dam, H7 near Satara © HarveyG Photography

(continue reading…)

Those people who zoom drive past a bird in a tree in a park (like the KNP) don’t know what they are missing. Sure Rollers are relatively common, like the Lilac-breasted Roller, that is. This Roller is different. It’s the first time I’ve seen a Purple Roller. I parked the car at an angle so that I could get comfortable with the cameras, idled for 30 seconds, switched off the engine after he got accustomed to us/the car. He took off after a few minutes and caught himself lunch. He then returned to the same spot and gave us a wonderful display. Next time you see a bird in the KNP, hang around a bit…

Shot with a Sigma 170-500mm f/5-6.3 APO Aspherical for Nikon

Purple Roller - Coracias naevius (c) HarveyG Photography 2010

Click about/contact if you wish to order a print. Thanks!

I am a Wildlife Photographer. I prefer it. It’s a passion.

Perhaps I don’t get out as much as NG photog’s but hey, I do what I can when I can. This stork was spotted by my wife at 100° behind the car and high up in a tree in the KNP after we had driven past it unnoticed. She is an excellent spotter. Just as I managed to turn around and get the car parked in a suitable spot, he took off. I watched him and he circled, and came back to land a short while later on the same branch offering me a better view. There must have been 1/2 dozen other cars that just drove past, seeing a “bird” and not interested, their loss

Wooly-necks aren’t very common. It’s my first sighting of one in almost 30 years of visiting the KNP.

Shot with a Sigma 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 APO Macro for Nikon

Wooly-necked Stork - Ciconia episcopus (c) HarveyG Photography 2010

Click about/contact if you wish to order a print. Thanks!

A common Roller species,  they are reasonably easy to photograph, once you get one that hangs around for more than 30 seconds. They love to sit high up in a shrub with few leaves or a dead tree seeking grasshoppers, butterflies or anything else tasty. This shot was taken in July, our winter when they aren’t as colourful as in summer.

Shot with a Sigma 170-500mm f/5-6.3 APO Aspherical for Nikon

Lilca-breasted Roller - Coracias caudatus (c) HarveyG Photography 2010

Click about/contact if you wish to order a print. Thanks!

Whilst it might not knock a purists socks off, (Too much black dead space in the middle), I liked the purples and mauves as well as the balance between the dead tree silhouette and the sun.

Shot with a Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 EX DG for Nikon

Fireball - (c) HarveyG Photography 2010

Click about/contact if you wish to order a print. Thanks!

Tsendze River, below Pioneer Dam near Mopani Camp, KNP, RSA
Total disregard for the car, he sat on the edge of the water not 2 feet from us while seeking fish.
Shot Settings: @260mm, f/8, 1/400s, ISO 400 on a Sigma 100-300mm F/4.0 EX IF HSM

The Little Fisherman - (c) HarveyG Photography 2010

Click about/contact if you wish to order a print. Thanks!