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

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I spotted this gent at a recent airshow. About 30 meters away. He came across as an ex military man, perhaps down on his luck but still proud.

Chiseled - (c) HarveyG Photography

Shot handheld with a 1996 Sigma 170-500mm f/5-6.3 APO Aspherical for Nikon (AF-D). Who needs VR?! You can pick a 2nd hand one up for R4000-00 ($550-00 / £400-00 / EUR 400-00) or so. About 1/2 that of the new Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM APO Autofocus Lens never mind the price of a similar Focal Length zoom or prime from Nikkor or Canon.

Another shot taken on 14/08/2010 with a 1996 Sigma 170-500mm f/5-6.3 APO Aspherical for Nikon.
It is not one of these new wonder lenses with VR, OS or IS Image Stabilisation.
The shot was panned by hand, no Tripod or Monopod or Gimbal.
Sometimes you just can’t beat old glass and good technique…

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SAAF SAAB Gripen #14 just after take-off (c)HarveyG Photography 2010

Taken 14/08/2010 hand held on a Sigma 170-500mm f/5-6.3 APO Aspherical for Nikon.
It is not one of these new wonder lenses with VR, OS or IS Image Stabilisation.
The shot was panned by hand, no Tripod or Monopod or Gimbal.
Sometimes you just can’t beat old glass and good technique…

SAAF SAAB Gripen #14 - (c) HarveyG Photography 2010

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

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

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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!