JOHAN KLOPPERS, FISH HOEK
Gear: Canon EOS 7D, Canon 100 – 400 mm lens
Camera settings: 1/1 000 second, f7.1, ISO 200
When: 8 March 2011, 4.32 pm
SAMEVLOEIING
This waterhole is a good spot to wait for animals in the late afternoon. It’s near Twee Rivieren, so you can linger until five minutes before the camp gate closes. The parking area is on a hill: You have a scenic view and the sun is at your back, illuminating the waterhole. I took my photo from this position.
Early in the morning, it’s better to park on the other side of the waterhole because the light is better that side.
This ostrich and its chicks approached the water. The wildebeest and springbok in the background balance the composition. The natural “window” formed by the vegetation on the left and right also ensures that your attention stays on the ostriches.
Every photo is an interpretation of a scene. You learn to train your eye to “see” better as you become more experienced.
Did you know? Sixteen of the boreholes that feed the waterholes in the Auob riverbed were drilled by Mias van Heerden between 1913 and 1914, under order of the South African government. The boreholes were to supply water to humans and animals if South African troops had to invade German South West Africa during World War I.
Samevloeiing is fed by three boreholes – one was drilled around 1948 and the other two in the 1980s.
AYESHA CANTOR, GQEBERHA (PE)
IG: @africathisiswhyilivehere
Gear: Canon EOS 7D Mk II, Canon 100 – 400 mm lens
Camera settings: 1/1 000 second, f5.6, ISO 100
When: 18 March 2020, 3.53 pm
GEMSBOKPLEIN
The gemsbok wasn’t keen to drink across from the bateleur, so it walked around to the other side where the bird was sitting. I was hoping there might be a flurry of action, but in the end it was more of a slow-mo stand-off: The gemsbok approached steadily and the bateleur waited until the last minute to sluggishly take to the air. This is my favourite frame from the interaction, with the bird airborne.
I enjoy capturing a moment that tells a story. Some time ago I downscaled to just one camera body and one lens. This reduced the panic as to which lens and body to use at a sighting, which often resulted in missed opportunities. It’s not good for the heart!
Having just one body and lens has forced me to shoot more creatively. I now capture more than just close-ups – I try
