I absolutely love photographing wildlife in the soft light just before sunrise or after sunset. There’s a luminous soft glow and saturating mood that you just don’t get in any other kind of natural light. I literally don’t care what my subject is when I’m in this precious short window of light…
This particular photo was taken in the Mountain Zebra National Park of South Africa, a small reserve which has immensely beautiful vistas all around and is a highly underrated safari destination. Situated in the Karoo semi-desert near the town of Cradock, this National Park now sports lions and cheetahs, along with several interesting herbivore species and it’s also a hotspot for seeing the elusive Aardwolf!
This photo shows the endangered Cape Mountain Zebra (from whom the park takes its name). This species was critically endangered in the early 1900’s but was brought back to a sustainable population thanks to the efforts of the South African National Parks, with the establishment of this particular National Park in 1937 no small step in securing their future.
Enjoy your day, friends!
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!
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