Road trip 2015: The Hunt For Red Dune

[Atravelynn]

~ @@xelas

 

Sensational!

Tom K.

 

Find yourself a contest and enter this!

Edited July 12, 2015 by Atravelynn

[Kitsafari]

thank you Alex and Zvezdana for a thoroughly enjoyable and beautiful trip through Namibia. the pictures are just out of this world.

[xelas]

@@Atravelynn

You think so? Any idea where to look? Or should I just put the photo on various photograph related web sites?

 

@@Kitsafari

Thank you for taking time to read it, and for kind words. In comparison to more accomplished safari goers, like you, we are mere simple visitors; as we loved what we see we also want to share it with others.

Luckily this forum is filled with kind hearted members that supports us newcomers even when sharing places that are well known to them.

[Peter Connan]

@@xelas, most of the "lifestyle" magazines run photography competitions.

[xelas]

@@Peter Connan

 

I will tell my wife about those ... but I am quite sure she will not be very enthusiastic about. To us, the warm reception we have here is just good enough!

[Alexander33]

@ xelas

 

I've been away from Safaritalk for awhile, and upon my return, I am rewarded with your trip report. I remember your talking about your upcoming visit there earlier this year. Can't believe you've already gone and returned. What a wonderful trip!

 

I love all the photographs, but the finches in post # 195 are real standouts to me. Absolutely beautiful images.

 

I'm glad you've mentioned your use of a polarizer for the landscapes in Namibia. We will be visiting Tswalu in the South African "green" Kalahari in August, and I really want to get some wide angle shots of the vast landscape there. I recently bought both a polarizer and a graduated neutral density filter, but understand their are challenges using those on super wide angle lens (like my Nikon 10-24 mm DX). The photos you have posted have inspired me to get out and practice with those!

[Peter Connan]

@@Peter Connan

 

I will tell my wife about those ... but I am quite sure she will not be very enthusiastic about. To us, the warm reception we have here is just good enough!

 

@@xelas, never say no to free camera equipment (usually the prizes in these competitions)!

[xelas]

@@Alexander33

 

Thanks for taking time, and for your kind words. The backgroud is so important when taking bird photos. Almost like when doing portraits in studio. This one was due to the vlei (pan) that was far away, and same colour so it does the same purpose as canvas in studio. I have seen photographers positioning portable canvas behid the perch in order to isolate / eliminate the background. Not our way of doing nature photography so we were quite happy with those finches!

 

@@Peter Connan

 

What, another piece of equipment for sherpa to lug around ?!

[graceland]

@@TonyQ

 

Tony, thanks a lot for taking your time to follow our TR being involved with your own! Planet Earth is a beautiful place wherever one goes.

@@xelas, you brought a beautiful portion of Planet Earth into my small world. The photos are breathtaking along with your beautiful descriptions; and your love of Namibia. I enjoyed traveling along with you and Zvezda. Tell her how much we all loved her photography!

[Atravelynn]

@@Atravelynn

You think so? Any idea where to look? Or should I just put the photo on various photograph related web sites?

I certainly think so, but I am not one to counsel on photo contests. Nat Geo has one maybe annually.

[xelas]

@@graceland

 

It is our privilege to be an active members and in such great company of knowledgeable travellers! Myself I also love to "travel" reading trip reports, in between real travels, so posting ours is just a way to say "Thank You All!".

With all the accolades for her photography, maybe now she would also be willing to share those done in Panama (Alex calling Zvezda, we have a task to be done ... ).

 

@@Atravelynn

 

Nat Geo might be just too much ... although a member of her photo club is also a NatGeo photographer.

[Alexander33]

@@xelas

 

Oh, don't get me started about the canvas backdrops, not to mention those artificial perches that are becoming such a staple. Don't get me wrong -- I mean no offense to anyone who might employ those techniques, as I've seen many beautiful bird photographs where they were in use. It's just that, to me, a photograph loses a little bit of its soul when it is taken under circumstances that are so contrived. And it raises the bar so much for those of us who try to take photographs in the field in as natural a situation as possible -- it's hard being criticized because a bird, even if in perfect focus and unobstructed, is sitting on a branch that has "too many leaves" or not enough moss. Nature isn't perfect. But I'm about to drift off into a rant I started in another forum.....!

[xelas]

@@Alexander33

 

I am with you 100% !! My wife came from film / slides era; cropping is what we do but no cloning. It is as what we saw; not for competitions but for memories. Cloning out footsteps in Deadvlei ... and I have specifically taken shots of footsteps ...

At first it is intimidating to see such fabulous photos posted, but later, learning about how much post processing has been done on them, the "envy factor" fades away and the appreciation to own photos raises. Enjoying in photography is key element of a good photo.

[Atravelynn]

I'm not sure what cloning is in photographic terms (making a copy?) but there are readers out there that would like to take clones of your shots & I'm one!

[xelas]

@@Atravelynn

 

"Cloning" = removing unwanted items from a picture. Some photographers are pushing this to extremes, removing half of what the original photo was: unwanted branches, grasses that interferes with the main subject, even irregularities on the subjects itself; cloning definitively makes the image more likeable, but it is not any more the document of the real situation.

 

"Copying the shot" is also quite widespread among the photographer's community. It should be called "replicating the shot". I have a friend who came with a print-out of a certain photo and was keen to replicate it, or surpass it. It was quite difficult to pin point the exact location from where the original photo was taken. That is possible with landscape shots, never with wildlife shots!!

 

I am always ready to tag along on one of your fabulous travels. Just drop me a note with long enough lead time !

[Atravelynn]

@@Atravelynn

 

"Cloning" = removing unwanted items from a picture. Some photographers are pushing this to extremes, removing half of what the original photo was: unwanted branches, grasses that interferes with the main subject, even irregularities on the subjects itself; cloning definitively makes the image more likeable, but it is not any more the document of the real situation.

 

"Copying the shot" is also quite widespread among the photographer's community. It should be called "replicating the shot". I have a friend who came with a print-out of a certain photo and was keen to replicate it, or surpass it. It was quite difficult to pin point the exact location from where the original photo was taken. That is possible with landscape shots, never with wildlife shots!!

 

I am always ready to tag along on one of your fabulous travels. Just drop me a note with long enough lead time !

It's a deal!

[Alexander33]

With all the accolades for her photography, maybe now she would also be willing to share those done in Panama (Alex calling Zvezda, we have a task to be done ... ).

 

 

@@xelas

 

Somehow, in messages crossing, I missed this. If the fantastic photographs you shared with us in the Birding forum earlier this year are a sample of the photographs from Panama you are referring to above, then count me as a "yes" vote on sharing those!!

[xelas]

@@Alexander33

 

The rest of the photos are more about the Panama City, i.e. street photography. I will try to persuade Zvezda as there surely are something interesting for those who has not yet been in that part of the Cental America.

[Tom Kellie]

~ @@xelas

Thank you for the detailed springbok portrait.

For those of us who've never seen a springbok, it's very helpful.

I admire the overall clarity of the image.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

@ Graceland: the self driving is integral part of our travels, to the point that we visits only those countries where we can drive around by ourselves (at least part of the time). Self catering is another story all together; I am a basic food cook (you will read more about it in Kgalagadi part of the TR), and Zvezda does not like to cook when travelling. So we usually have breakfasts where we stay, and eat once a day, local type of restaurants, or food courts. I will need to get some cooking lessons for our next Africa trip !!

 

~ @@xelas

 

That self-driving is an integral aspect of your safaris fascinates me.

It's been decades since I last drove, thus can't imagine what it's like to be driving in safari country.

Food is the aspect of safaris which least appeals to me. I'm generally happy with game drives and bottled juice.

I'm impressed that you stop in local restaurants for your meals — that's something which I couldn't imagine doing.

You mentioned that you like eating at a long table with others. I've only done that once in my life, which was at a ‘logger's restaurant’ in Eureka, California.

I enjoy reading your descriptions of safari life as they're so dissimilar to my own safari experiences, hence I learn from you!

Tom K.

[awilliamsny]

FANTASTIC TR - thank you so much for the great photographs and well-told story of your safari! I'm heading out in 2 weeks for a three week safari in Botswana and Namibia, and you got me in the mood!

[Galana]

Xelas,

I have just revisited this thread from your link on TA. I got to looking for the cat and snake shot but could not find it. a worthy picture.

However as somebody singled out for naming your birds I think I better resign. Did I mislead you with 215 or was it my handwriting? That is a Black-chested Snake Eagle not a Martial. One less Beer you owe me now if I am to blame.

Also glad to help out with your mystery Raptor at 180. 95% certain that is a young Jackal Buzzard. Do I get the Beer back?

Great trip report. If Atravellyn does not hire you I will!

[xelas]

@@Galana

 

It will be my honour to drive you around, any time any place. As working for Whiteknuckles Tours is hard to get! And between us, it is me who should ask you for the favour to join your tours and not the other way around.

 

As for the bird's ID, who cares. Important is that we saw them, and that Zvezda took the photo. Prepare your books, in 3 months there will be next lot to ID. Same location different month hopefully also some new birds.

Truth to be told, your handwriting was not the easiest to decipher ... maybe next time I should grab a six pack of Laško and a hard drive with photos and hit the Easyjet to UK?? Maybe next spring?

Edited November 20, 2015 by xelas

[Galana]

 

""Prepare your books, in 3 months there will be next lot to ID. Same location different month hopefully also some new birds.""

 

 

Well I am at home in February (between trips to India). Bring it on.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Galana

[apfac]

Prologue

 

Our first trip to »black Africa, to Namibia in 2014, impressed us deeply, and as written in our previous TR (http://tinyurl.com/q9u7lrm ) we have made plans to return already while flying from Windhoek to Johannesburg, on our way back home.

 

Making of the itinerary was easy enough; returning to Namibia, to see and experience/explore the other part of it, south. To add the wildlife component, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was also an obvious choice, specially after reading so many great TR here.

 

There was some minor changes during the following months but final itinerary was very similar to our initial ideas. Here it is:

Apr 17 flight MUC-JNB-WDH

Apr 18 arrival WDH, transfer to Villa Violet, afternoon guided tour of Windhoek

Apr 19 pick up the rental car, driving to Barchan Dune Retreat

Apr 20 driving to Sossus Dune Lodge via Solitaire

Apr 21 driving to Namtib Desert Lodge via D707

Apr 22 driving to Fish River Lodge

Apr 23 driving to Mesosaurus Fossil Camp

Apr 24 driving to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kalahari Tented Camp

Apr 25 game drive Auob riverbed, Kalahari Tented Camp

Apr 26 game drive Auob riverbed, driving to Nossob Camp

Apr 27 driving to !Xaus Lodge

Apr 28 driving to Twee Rivieren Camp

Apr 29 game drive Nossob riverbed, Twee Rivieren Camp

Apr 30 driving to Kalahari Farmstall

May 1 driving to Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch

May 2 driving to Windhoek, Villa Violet

May 3 flight WDH-JNB-MUC

 

All bookings were made by Discover Namibia, mrs.Gemma Dry again did her job perfectly.

 

The rental car company and the car itself were the same as last year; a Toyota Hilux Double Cab with 2 spare tires and Engel fridge, from Advanced Car Hire.

 

As we have had some unpleasant experiences flying last year with Qatar Airways, we have decided to use South African Airways for this trip. There were some more affordable options, both pricewise and logistically, yet none of those other airlines allowed us to book the complete trip, to Windhoek. With SAA this was possible. The »price« we paid for that was a 5-hour car drive from Ljubljana to Munich. That should be a pleasant drive through Austrian mountains ... if not for the heavy rain. The flight itself was OK, and on time.

 

Our photo equipment was even larger then last trip; this is what we used:

Nikon D610 & D7100 bodies, AF-S 20mm f/1.8 ultrawide lens, AF-S 16-85VR DX zoom, AF-S 70-200mm f/4 zoom and AF-S 300mm f/4D telephoto lens, with TC1.4 attached. Sony RX100II for my pleasure, interiors and videos. A tripod and a bean bag. With enough SD cards to last for 10.000+ RAW images (9100 was the end result, splitted D610 – 3300, D7100 – 4800, RX100 – 1000).

 

During our 14 days/15 nights trip we have covered 3150 km, and consumed 270 l of diesel fuel. Majority on gravel roads, and we have absorbed also our first proper 4x4 sand trail drive, without problems.

 

No tyre, windscreen, or other part of the vehicle was damaged during the making of this road trip.

 

Concerning the flights, our option to Namibia is always taking Namibia airways from Frankfurt direct flight to WDH. This means reaching WDH early in the morning, get the car and off you go. At the end this means two extra days, as the returning flight is at early evening.The extra money compensates for lodging in WDH.