A moment of magic in the bush as a Black Rhino cow and her calf approach the nearby waterhole. A storm is brewing and the day is drawing to a close. Every step is weary, and every sound is carefully tuned into with their amazing hearing. We sat very still in our vehicle and watched […]
Author: 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.
Sabi Sands: February 2010 (Part 1)
Some of you may recall that I have been posting some WAY overdue trip reports on my blog as well. I am still far behind, but I thought it best to get going again…my last report was a series of posts on a trip with my wife to the Kruger National Park in 2009. Let’s […]
Giraffe Sunburst
I’ve been making a point of sharing some photos of ungulates on my blog and Facebook page recently. It’s so easy to share the photos of the iconic big cats, other predators, elephants and rhinos. But many people have more appreciation for the lesser-known forms of life in the bush and actually enjoy seeing photos […]
Canary Clan
With this image I take you back to Zimanga Private Game Reserve for a brief interlude. You will remember I posted some images on my blog after our family’s visit to this amazing place last month. This photo is from my first session in the Mkhombe bird hide – where the action was coming thick […]
Two Young Kings
I thought it apt to post something that is NOT a “wider-showing-environment-animalscape” for a change, to show you that I do photograph tight, close portraits as well when I am in the field. I was privileged to spend some quality time with these two brothers in Etosha last year during a week’s intense photography and […]
Thirst of a Kudu
The sound of a francolin’s call fills the air – air which is crisp with chill, fresh as only a new day in a remote piece of African bush can be. The sky is painted the hue of a delicate rose. It’s dawn, that magical time of day when the bush comes alive, when everything […]
An Elephantine Moment
Wildlife photography, to me, is about telling the stories of nature and conveying a sense of the wonder of God’s creation to my viewers. As a photographer, you need to be able to use all the tools at your disposal to do this. Besides the obvious – your camera and lens and the right settings […]
Big Wings
Just a quick post this time around, folks. This is from my 2010 archives (I’ve got sooo many photos still unprocessed from then until now, so every now and again I dive into the depths of the archives). I captured this photo of the Lesser Spotted Eagle in the Kruger National Park one afternoon. I […]