wildlife

Photography 101: Just Messing Around to End the Week

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I’ve not been able to do all the assignments, but I’ve enjoyed the ones I did do. Been sitting here on Black Friday catching up on book reviews and outlining my new novel, but as i go into the weekend, when I’ll be totally focused on these two tasks, I’d like to share some photos I took on Thanksgiving Day near my daughter’s home in Woodbine, Maryland in neighboring Howard County – a mainly rural county.

The Patuxent River, at the border of Howard and Montgomery Counties. A light dusting of snow fell Thanksgiving morning. It was mostly gone by the time I shot this, but enough remained for contrast against the brown earth and leaves.
The Patuxent River, at the border of Howard and Montgomery Counties. A light dusting of snow fell Thanksgiving morning. It was mostly gone by the time I shot this, but enough remained for contrast against the brown earth and leaves.
After shooting the picture above (from a bridge over the river) I turned around and shot in the opposite direction (upstream). The snow-coated trees make this look a lot colder, don't you think?
After shooting the picture above (from a bridge over the river) I turned around and shot in the opposite direction (upstream). The snow-coated trees make this look a lot colder, don’t you think?
Then, after arriving at my daughter's house, I'm always drawn to the bird feeder in her back yard.
Then, after arriving at my daughter’s house, I’m always drawn to the bird feeder in her back yard.
Despite the cold weather, the feeder and the trees near it are always full of many different species of birds.
Despite the cold weather, the feeder and the trees near it are always full of many different species of birds.

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Photography: Lion in a Tree

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Lion in a tree

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Wildlife Photography Without Ever Leaving Home

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I love taking photos of all kinds of wildlife. One usually thinks of wandering far afield when doing this, and in truth I have done that, with photo safaris in Africa, Europe, Asia, and many parts of the United States. On July 4, 2013, though, I fell and hurt my hip, and since then I’ve been pretty much confined to my house or hobbling around with the aid of a cane, which you might think would inhibit my ability to get good wildlife photos. Not so. My deck looks out on a wilderness park, and my neighbor has a profusion of flowering plants in his back yard. Butterflies, birds, squirrels, and many other small creatures can frequently be seen hopping, perching, or flying around in both places, as well as my small back lawn.

For the past thirteen days, I’ve spent many hours sitting under an umbrella on my deck, camera in hand. I’ve documented an interesting array of nature’s creatures who’ve come to visit, all without having to move more than ten feet – to the rail of the deck for a clearer shot in some cases. More often than not, I’m able to just sit in my chair and by using my telephoto lens, get some pretty good shots of my visitors. Here is a small offering of what I’ve been able to get. I’d be interested in how many readers have also documented the wildlife around their homes. If you do a post of your photos, please link them to this post so that I and other readers can also enjoy them. Happy shooting.

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Cameroon: A Photographic Tour

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Located in West-Central Africa on the Atlantic coast, Cameroon has Nigeria to the north, Chad to the northeast, Central African Republic to the east, and the countries of Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Republic of the Congo to the south. Its location makes it easy to see why many consider it the ‘crossroads of Africa;’ a place where many tribes and cultures meet. A francophone country, with both French and English as the official languages (although French predominates), it has more than 50 tribes, each with its own language.

I had a chance to visit Cameroon in May as part of a Canadian-US media delegation invited to participate in the country’s 38th Unity Day celebration. After the Unity Day parade, my delegation toured Yaoundé and its environs, including a visit to a primate sanctuary, the tourist village of Ebogo, and along the coast, from Batanga Beach in the south to the sprawling port city of Douala (the country’s largest city).

During our tours, we encountered the exotic cuisine, a fusion of France and West Africa, and saw a lot of what the country has to offer in friendly people and magnificent scenery. The visit was all too short, but nonetheless interesting, and I hope one day to return to explore those regions that I didn’t have time for on this short one-week visit.

Following are some of the photos of this memorable journey.

The Unity Memorial in Yaounde
The Unity Memorial in Yaounde
Yaoundé is called 'the city of seven hills,' and in this picture you can see why.
Yaoundé is called ‘the city of seven hills,’ and in this picture you can see why.
A chimpanzee at the primate sanctuary located southeast of Yaoundé.
A chimpanzee at the primate sanctuary located southeast of Yaoundé.
Our guide, who called himself 'the last crocodile,' in front of a tree that's more than 1,000 years old, in the equatorial forest near Ebogo.
Our guide, who called himself ‘the last crocodile,’ in front of a tree that’s more than 1,000 years old, in the equatorial forest near Ebogo.
A hammock on Grand Batanga Beach, south of Douala.
A hammock on Grand Batanga Beach, south of Douala.
Vendors walking along the beach south of Douala.
Vendors walking along the beach south of Douala.
A scene in the grand market in Douala, where vendors from all over the region converge to sell their wares.
A scene in the grand market in Douala, where vendors from all over the region converge to sell their wares.
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Lookout

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On Alert

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Alert Deer

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Tracking Africa’s Big Five

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Another guest blog at Bucket List Publications.  Read here.  Bucket List Publications

 

"Hippo in the Water"
Not one of the Big Five, but still impressive.

 

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