10 below 100 – my reflection on 2014

10 below 100 – my reflection on 2014



Good day folks! I bet the title of this blog post has you perplexed. Since January 2010 I have made it a habit of posting a collection of my personal best moments in nature photography on my blog.

I know some people scoff at this trend (obviously because many photographers seem to be doing it to get attention), but for me it really is a great way to take stock at the end of another calendar year and its accompanying travels/adventures, and also to assess where my personal expression in terms of photography is going.AmI growing as an artist?

Am I changing the style and feel of my images subtly and subconsciously or boldly and consciously?Am I putting out bland images and stagnating in my creativity?Am I still enjoying what I do?Do I primarily find joy andfulfillmentin the work that I put out there?These questions are constantly at the back of many artists’ minds and doing these posts is a good way for me to try and answer them.

The last one is paramount – we should primarily focus on producing a body of work that satisfies ourselves, if other people enjoy it then it should be a bonus. You can never cater for the majority of tastes out there, so it’s prudent to first satisfy your own notions and tastes in the art that you produce.

Anyway – so this year has seen me really making a point of putting down the longer telephoto lens more often when doing wildlife photography. I have always immensely enjoyed landscape photography, and my previous years’ reflective posts have included some outright landscape entries.

I have also always had a knack for composing wildlife photos to include more of the environment and the scene in which the subject finds itself. We often harp about conserving the African wildlife, but in order to do that effectively we also need to place an emphasis on conserving the habitat, the ecosystems in which these species thrive.

Habitat fragmentation is a big threat to most of the African biodiversity and it’s a bigger problem year after year.This year I tried to create even more of these “animalscape” kind of images, and with shorter lenses too. Which brings me to the title of this post…Instead of opting for another “best 20 shots of the year” divided into landscape, birds and wildlife (my 3 main subjects), I am going to post only 10 photos, all taken at focal lengths of 100mm or less.

Yes, 10 photos of wildlife or landscapes or birds, all captured at focal lengths ranging between 14mm and 100mm. The short side of things.

I hope this inspires you to reach for your shorter lenses more often – it’s so easy to rely on the big guns to bring us tack sharp nicely isolated portraits of our wildlife subjects (in fact, if the winning images of this year’s Natures Best competition are anything to go by, these kinds of tight portraits are probably coming back into fashion).

So, like so many other wildlife photographers putting out their best work from 2014, I could have shown you frame-filling shots like these, showcasing how I used my super telephoto lens for the purpose it was built for:

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chobeTR 48

While I do capture these kinds of portraits, and while they do look beautiful in many cases, I find that they also don’t give context – they don’t always scream “AFRICA!” to me – it’s just where my personal taste has been going and growing in the past few years. The images I picked here were all taken by me, either hand-held or using a tripod (in the case of some landscape shots), using no fancy tools like remote control buggies and drones and selfie-sticks – just plain old photographer looking through the viewfinder…

So, without further a due, here are my 10 selections, with some back-story and technical info thrown into the mix. They are posted chronologically based on date of capture.To view the images at best resolution and sharpness – please do click on them.

1. “Chobe Crocscape” – During the Wild Eye Chobe Photo Safari I hosted in March, we came across a young Nile basking in the morning sun on the banks of the Chobe river. We were able to position our photographic boat in such a way so as to make nice low angle close-up photos possible. I whipped out the 24-70mm lens with a polariser attached and made some “crocscape” images.

crocodile scape 2 Chobe 2014
Nikon D800 | Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 @ 24mm | f5.6 | 1/500 SS | ISO-200 | Kenko Pro Circular Polariser

2. “On Another Level” – On the same Chobe safari as above, we have a massive storm move through one afternoon, after which the air was crisp and clear and fresh. We spotted a herd of elephants moving down to the river to goof around, and set our photographic boat in that direction. We were able to coax the boat in gently quite close to where the young bulls were being boisterous in the water. I’m a sucker for low angle shots of wildlife, and if it can be low angle and wide angle, even more so. This is one frame from many we captured during that afternoon’s session – my guests being inspired to also whip out their shorter lenses and make this moment count.

elephant play 1a Chobe 2014
Nikon D800 | Ni’kkor 24-70mm f2.8 @ 62mm | f5.6 | 1/320 SS | ISO-560 | Kenko Pro Circular Polariser

3. “Wild Coast Rocks” – Seascapes is another genre that has eluded my lens (based on the travels I’ve been preferring) over the past 2 years. This year we made a family pilgrimage over Easter to my brother-in-law who lives in Gonubie, a small town on the outskirts of East London in ‘s Eastern Cape province, and which lies on the start of what is called the “Wild Coast of South Africa”. I was only able to work in one afternoon’s shooting due to the nature of the trip (family time a priority), and quite liked how this one came out. Another sunset which looked promising, but fizzled out – monochrome was a nice alternative.

gonubie rocks 1 BW 2014
Nikon D800 | Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8@ 14mm | f10 | 3 sec SS | ISO-50 | RedGed Tripod

4. “Hazy Zambezi Daze” – If you have been following my work for a while, you will know how enamored I am with the beautiful wilderness of Mana Pools in . I was notably excited to return this year hosting another+Wild Eyesafari, and I made a point of shooting with wider lenses here as well, to try and capture the essence of this haunting landscape. This moment stood out for me – there was a constant haze from fires on the Zambian escarpment across the river for the first couple of days, which gave off an eerie kind of light and mood. Standing on an embankment looking down over the floodplains, I was able to capture this scene – the fallen albida tree a stark reminder of the cycle of life and death in this place, and the elephants meandering between the trees like they always do.

elephant haze 1 ManaPools 2014
Nikon D800 | Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8@ 62mm | f7.1 | 1/500 SS | ISO-2500 | Kenko Pro Circular Polariser

5. “Big Vic” – Here’s another image from our Mana Pools photographic safari. For me, a photograph is more than just what it is, it’s also about what it evokes. Firstly, it should evoke something in the viewer, but it should also evoke the memory of the moment for myself – I should link back to an exciting or ethereal moment in nature, and remember it as if I was still standing there. This moment is one such a moment – it’s certainly not an award-winning photo, but my clients and I will never forget this morning when we were sitting on a fallen log and one of Mana’s gentlemen, Big Vic, sauntered over to us and started feeding on a tree right in front of us. And I do mean right in front of us – he was a mere 5 meters away from us here (the wide angle distortion makes it seem further, though).

elephant BigV 1 ManaPools 2014
Nikon D800 | Nikkor 24-70mm f2,8@ 29mm | f5.6 | 1/320 SS | ISO-400

6. “Floodplains of Fantasy” – Staying in Mana Pools, I wrote extensively about the story behind this photo in THIS BLOG POST (would love for you to check it out). Suffice to say that capturing a true wide angle landscape image of this unique area was somewhat of a challenge for me on my previous trips, and it came together with this shot.

ManaPools Floodplains 1b 2014
Nikon D800 | Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8@ 14mm | f8.0 | ISO-200 | Blend of 3 exposures

7. “Into the Storm” – Invariably, trying to do wide angle wildlife photography without the use of a remote controlled buggy or drone predicates that the better images will be of the slightly bigger animals – hence this is the 4th image in this post that contains elephants! This is just one of those images that evokes so many possible responses linked to conservation, family, life’s hardships, etc. Wouldn’t you agree? I captured this moment on the first afternoon of our+Wild EyeGreat Migration photo safari to Kenya in September.

elephants journey 1 BW Mara 2014
Nikon D3s | Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8@ 24mm | f4.0 | 1/125 SS | ISO-640 | Kenko Pro Circular Polariser

8. “Quintessential Migration Sunset” – Those of you who have been in East Africa to witness and photograph the Great Migration will know how hard it is to capture the encompassing grandeur of this natural spectacle in a 2D photo. I tried last year and I tried again this year – I found that true wide angles don’t really do the trick, the 50mm to 100mm range seems to work better. It’s something I will keep plugging at until I get a better shot!

wildebeest sunset 1 Mara 2014
Nikon D4s | Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8@ 70mm | f4.5 | 1/160 SS | ISO-2000

9. “Kalahari Dune Storm” – During our trip to our beloved , my wife and I were privy to see some immense storm activity as the summer rains arrived to this arid land in full force. Our first evening in the park was spent at the KielieKrankie Wilderness Camp, set aloft on one of the highest dunes in the park. Having driven in under a blanket of building cumulus clouds the afternoon, the storms that rolled in were dramatic, intense and awe-inspiring. The wind was so strong that using a tripod was moot, and I had to resort to hand-holding my camera and trying my best to time my shutter finger with the lightning strikes that occurred frequently. This is one of the better results…

kalahari dunestorm 1 KTP 2014
Nikon D810 | Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8@ 14mm | f8.0 | 1/60 SS | ISO-1250 | Handheld!

10. “Love Bites” – I noted above that many of my attempts at wide angle wildlife photography invariably ends up being spent on larger animals as it’s easier to fill a significant part of your frame with them. Sometimes, however, things do work out in your favour with other species. We found this mating pair of lions early one morning at the 13th Borehole waterhole in the Auob riverbed of the Transfrontier Park, and they proceeded to have their honeymoon ritual right next to our vehicle. Naturally, I whipped out the 24-70mm and worked the scene. This is one of the frames that I am happiest with…

lions mating 1 KTP 2014
Nikon D3s | Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8@ 42mm | f5.6 | 1/400 SS | ISO-800 | Kenko Pro Circular Polariser

That’s about it, folks. I hope you enjoyed this selection, if only for the fact that I tried to veer away from my usual format in this “year in review” post.Are these my absolute favourite images from 2014?Not all of them, no.But I did set out with a specific photographic goal in mind for 2014 – to do more of these kinds of shots, and more of them that are worthy to add to my portfolio, no less. I think I succeeded in some ways. I shall probably carry on doing that.I doubt that I will ever find myself using remote buggies and drones to photograph wildlife.

I do enjoy the fresh perspective that those methods bring – and perhaps it’s only because I’m a bit of a cheapskate and don’t really see myself splurging on those toys yet. There are also unanswered questions in my mind as to the effect these things have on the wildlife that you approach with them – not so much the single dude who does it here and there, but more on the effect it will have when every 2nd photographer rocks up at a sighting with a drone flying and a remote buggy driving closer…this debate is lively and ongoing – let’s see where it ends.

For now, I still hugely enjoy being behind the viewfinder, grabbing different cameras and lens combinations as the situation changes, and forcing myself to be creative right there where I am in the sighting. Each to their own, right?I entered the big photo competitions in 2014 as well. Despite having 3 single images and a portfolio of 6 images in the final round of the “big one” (BBC), none of them placed in the awarded images. I shall probably try again in 2015, if only to take a shot at it.

I know there are so many high quality images entered every year and the standards keep lifting – but I like the process of deciding which ones to take a chance with and entering them.As a side-note, one of my images that was shortlisted for the finals in both the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and the Natures Best Windland Smith Rice awards was also a wide angle image (taken in 2013 from a research bunker in Etosha). I remains one of my personal favourites in my portfolio, regardless of whether it rakes in any accolades:

silhouettes 1 Etosha 2013

I hope you all have a fabulous 2015 – and that you will be challenged to shoot a variety of scenes and focal lengths when you are out spending time in nature.God bless you all, and thanks for reading!

 

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Morkel Erasmus

I used to relish writing these kinds of “bio” pieces and would flaunt the odd impressive word and use dashing grammar to make it sound like I am a boundary-shifting photographer. These days I prefer stating it in much simpler ways, much more relatable ways, much more believable ways… The fact of the matter is this: I love Africa. I love its people, its wild places and its wildlife. I love being immersed in these places, observing and photographing the fall of light on the land and the daily lives of the creatures that call it home, and presenting the results to whoever will take a look. To me, nature photography is all about being in the moment, and capturing that moment in a way that can relate to someone who didn’t have the privilege of being there with me. Sometimes I am able to capture a unique vision of the scene before me, and sometimes I just capture it the way most folks would according to classical photographic guidelines. Yet I always enjoy sharing the images and experiences and imparting the knowledge I have, both in-the-field and later online or in presentations, workshops and courses. I also just simply enjoy capturing and sharing the beauty of God's creation! The greatest thing I’ve found about wildlife and nature photography in Southern Africa is the unity and familiarity of the community of people that share this passion. We come from all walks of life and all cultures and backgrounds, yet our passion for our natural heritage and our dream to see it preserved for future generations binds strangers together and fuels conversations around campfires long after other people have run out of conversation and energy. Join me on a WildEye adventure to experience this sharing community spirit and learn to anticipate that fleeting moment and be ready for it, learn to immerse yourself in the experience without losing focus of your photographic goals…and above all, learn to see Africa anew… because there are none as blind as those who look but do not see!

Morkel Erasmus

Since picking up a DSLR camera for the first time, a little over 3 years ago, Morkel has been invigorated with an unbridled passion for the photographic art form. He has grown at a tremendous pace and put immense energy into the creation of his images. He absolutely loves spending time in the wild places of his native Southern Africa. From a young age he has been visiting legendary wildlife and outdoor locations, including the Kruger Park National Park and the Drakensberg Mountains, with his family. Now that he has found a way to share the natural beauty of his homeland with the rest of the world he is regularly out on photography trips. An Industrial Engineer by profession, and an accomplished artist in genres like music and poetry, Morkel has always enjoyed whatever allows him to express his creativity to the fullest. Photography turned out to be the perfect "marriage" between his engineering brain and artistic soul. "I hope that in some way I can raise awareness through my imagery of the plight of not only our wildlife but also the fragility of the last remaining wilderness areas that they call home.” Morkel was recently honoured for his commitment to his craft by receiving a "Highly Commended" for one of his images in the 2010 BBC Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. He is based in Mpumalanga, South Africa and even though he prefers going on safari with his family and friends, Morkel also leads the odd photographic safari and has recently begun presenting workshops in post-processing techniques.

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