Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Famous for big skies and rolling landscapes, the Masai Mara lends itself to spectacular sightings of nature in its wildest form. Having visited on numerous occasions, the plan for this particular photographic safari was to capture unique and unusual images of elephants. I was lucky to find a breeding herd walking across the plains with an approaching thunderstorm making the perfect backdrop to capture a mesmerising moment in time. Photo by Isak Pretorius (www.isakpretorius.com). To book a safari to Masai Mara National Reserve, visit adventures.getaway.co.za
Photo tip: Just because rain is approaching, doesn’t mean it’s time to put your camera away. Storm clouds can create dramatic backgrounds and are often accompanied by soft, glowing light.
Colesberg, Karoo
After a two-week road trip around South Africa, my friends and I found ourselves stopped at one of the many roadworks along the N1, not far from Colesberg, on our way home to Cape Town. The weather was bad for most of the drive, but at this moment the sun made an appearance, casting its light onto the field and cows. Then came the lightning. Photo by Sam Clark (www.samclark.co.za). Find a place to stay along the N1 by going to accommodation.getaway.co.za.
Photo tip: The moral of Sam’s story is the world is a photographer’s canvas and there’s always something beautiful to capture, so keep your camera close by for these moments.
NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia
The camelthorn tree is an iconic species of the desert, capable of withstanding years of drought. In this scene, however, thunderstorms had rolled across the desert landscape and dropped so much rain, transforming it into fields of grass and flowers. I was co-leading a photo workshop and we all gathered around this tree, using its wonderful shape as the focal point in our photos. Photo by Shem Compion (www.shemimages.com).
Photo tip: Shem’s compositional elements are flawless with vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines that lead toward the subject (placed on the rule of thirds). The clincher is the contrast of light and dark.
