This is my favorite of two thousand seventeen. There were several giraffes, all with a few red-billed oxpeckers poking around. Both the guide and my family were very patient as I waited for both giraffe and bird to pose to be photographed.
This wasn’t meant to be a photo trip but a family cruise over the holidays. We booked a whale-watching tour, but I hadn’t packed my long lens or the camera I use for wildlife. I had my mirrorless Canon Alpha. I bought this camera because it is light and compact and the glass quality is superb. I don’t yet know if I love it or hate it. It has a personality disorder. It can’t decide if it’s a consumer electronic gadget or a serious photography camera. It has a great sensor and horrible ergonomics and clumsy controls. All through the tour I took photos not knowing if they were even in focus. For a while the whales were relatively far away. They would come up for air, then submerge for several minutes. Then suddenly two of them emerged not more than 15 meters away. The zodiac went slient for a few seconds and we could hear the water slush and trickle as the gentle creatures swam by. One passenger asked if the whale was a afraid of us – the guide chuckled.. “… we should be afraid of them.. they are twice the size of this boat..”. Back home I realized I indeed had photos in focus, and the sensor on the camera has incredible dynamic range so I was able to extract a lot of detail. I can’t really explain why this photo makes me feel serene.
Elephant Family, Masai Mara
