PRESERVING THE BEAUTY OF AFRICA

Ok, I have a confession to make. I love animals. I do NOT love vacations of any stripe, to any destination that hurts, harms, kills or otherwise disturbs the natural beauty and/or habitat of any creature, big or small. So when I speak of a ‘safari’ to Africa, it will unquestionably be a PHOTO safari to Africa that will preserve forever the beauty of a life and a landscape that is so endangered and has been so abused by US…man. To our great shame. I am so highly recommending that you treat yourself and take a trip to see, appreciate, honor and preserve the beauty of this special, special place while you still can. You can find such a special photo safari at www.africawildsafaris.net/south-africa-photo-safaris/photography-safari-details.html. This is a description of the photo safari directly from their website: Join us for 10 days of wildlife encounters and breathtaking wildlife photography. Professional wildlife photographer Gregory Sweeney is your guide while on safari to private reserves in the Limpopo area of South Africa and Kruger National Park; one of the most game-rich areas of Africa. Each day you have photographic opportunities that will get you up close to the animals including big cats, elephant, and rhino. Every activity is about seeing wildlife and getting the best photo opportunities possible as we take the time to get the shot. We will be in the National Park, but also in private reserves where we are able to go off road to track animals. We use open safari vehicles so guests have wide views the ability to pivot to get a shot. For part of your stay we will have exclusive use of my tree house lodge perched on a hillside in a nature conservancy. We finish the trip with a visit to a unique big 5 bush lodge. Down time is spent informally discussing digital workflow, animal behavior and how to use it in photography, and processing techniques to store and enhance your photos. You will be very busy since we pack in as much photography time as possible. You will not only return with great photos, but new friends and skills as well. We like to immerse our guests in conservation experience with discussions about the ecosystem, poaching, and the animal and plant life the surrounds us. THIS is completely a safari I can stand behind! Here are some of the highlights of this exciting adventure:  Game drives on private reserves and Kruger from an open vehicle where you will see why Limpopo is the premiere area for wildlife.  Expert photographer host who is with you to help you learn in the field and one on one or group Photoshop and workflow mentoring. Sessions are informal and optional and can be tailored to the guests’ interests  Great Accomodations: Exclusive use of the tree house lodge while we use it as our base. The other lodges on the itinerary are small and comfortable with excellent service. Our group will stay together for drives and activities. More About Accommodations  Adventures such as an up-close elephant encounter, canyon boat ride to see hippos and crocs, animal rehabilitation center with rapters, and a walk with lions.  Photographers of all levels welcome. Non-photographers will enjoy this safari if they want an active, wildlife adventure filled trip, we welcome everyone with a camera: you can get great images with any camera and we can teach you some things so you can get the most out of what you have. Large Lens welcome too!  Search for leopards and other big cats in the famous Sabi Sands Reserve, Learn about the wildlife and ecosystem from your host, guides, and trackers. There is SO much more to learn…so if you want to learn more, please message your host photographer Gregory Sweeney and his wife Karen, at [email protected] for more information or visit the website africawildsafaris.net/about-africa-wild-safaris.html. As one of the guests said when he left his glowing comments: “Just GO!” Hopefully you are not on the road driving as you read this (yikes!), but if you are, I am sure you will be able to relate to the next article…