Hi there!!!!
As is unflinching tradition, the Mara internet was troublesome but as always we persevere until we succeed!
To that end, the blogging will be 3 days offset although I may do some bonus catch up posts if time allows. On with the show!!!
We landed into a hot sunny Mara after expecting the worse from a grey Nairobi, we were met on arrival by our guides for the trip George and Benja and made our way from the airstrip to our home for the next week, Mara Camp.
Getting back in the 4x4s with the guys and gals is always a great feeling and our first drive led us to my old friends in the Acacia Pride.
As many of you know, Nikon have kindly lent me the new AF-S 80-400 lens to trial and I will be pitting it against my trusty 200-400/70-200 combo and I was keen to see how it would perform out in the wilds as static chart tests never tell the true story.
I have high hopes for this lens and the convenience it offers is simply a godsend. Early indications are it is a real winner and all the images below and above were taken with it, attached to the D800 which is legendary for being hugely unforgiving of poor lenses.
This selection, as with all the images for the blog are pretty much as Lightroom sees them with minor contrast/colour corrections to the raw files with the exception of the HDR and B&W shots.
Just minutes from our camp
A young chap from the Acacia pride
Jen, Helen, Brett & Benja working hard unlike the Lions
Giraffes keeping a watchful eye over the pride, keeping them in sight is always preferable to a blind run
HDR as the scene’s contrast was too much even for the D800 & I HATE wrangling lens filters
Ahhh B&W, a cloudy day’s best friend!!
They look calm and sweet resting, but when they open their mouths it is a stark reminder of what they truly are
At work with the workshop gang, keeping things up close and personal as usual
If you have been enjoying these posts please drop me a line on Facebook or twitter as I love getting your messages and it spurs me on to do more. Questions on any aspect of the trip welcome too! We also have ONE LAST tent on our September 2014 Safari if you fancy seeing it all for yourself and improving your own photography.
Thanks, Richard.