This picture of a kudu bull was taken in the Kruger National Park in late afternoon light. The backlighting confused both the camera meter and the photographer, leaving the original digital image badly overexposed. After some heavy manipulation in Photoshop and other digital trickery, a picture emerged with emphasises on the warm winter colours and distinct rim-lighting that makes the subject stand out from its surrounds.

This picture of three elephants (Loxodonta africana) crowding around a water source was taken in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. The one animal was a glistening, near-black color after wading in the muddy water, while the others were a matt grey.

It was sunset and the slanting rays turned the wading elephant’s ear into copper while emphasising the facial corrugations and creases of the tusker on the left, suggesting his great age and wisdom.

I deliberately used a slow shutter speed (1/40) to portray the constant, rhythmic flapping of ears that elephants use to cool down their bodies. Such awe-inspiring animals!

Picture taken with a Canon EOS 400D (Canon Rebel XTi) plus EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto lens, one of the large selection of Canon Zoom Lenses available for EOS SLR cameras.

This image of a handsome leopard (Panthera pardus) posing beautifully on a small hillock has been cropped slightly; the original includes more background. When I took the photo, I recollect deliberately including some of the background shrubs and trees, even though the light was quite tricky, with shaded and sunlight areas in the frame.

But it was late in the afternoon, so the light was not too contrasty and I opted for the wider view. I was using a 70-300mm lens, and this image was taken at a focal length of 115mm, so I could have zoomed in much tighter. I did take a couple of closer shots, but as luck would have it the leopard’s pose and position were less attractive, with the leopard’s head lined up with the tree trunk in the background.

I like adding background detail when appropriate as this places the subject in context. Whether it works in this case I’m still not convinced. I do believe a big blow-up of the image will be impressive, particularly with the warm background colors, so typical of African bushveld winters. Taken in Sabi Sand Game Reserve with a Canon EOS 400D and Canon 70-300mm IS USM lens, shutter-speed 1/640, aperture F5.6, ISO 400, 4.27pm, July. The 70-300mm is one of more than 60 Canon EF lenses designed for use with its range of digital and film single lens reflex EOS cameras.

White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), with redbilled oxpeckers riding on its back, sniffing the ground under an old, dead tree, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa.

This picture was taken in July, mid-winter in the southern hemisphere, hence the brown, earthy colors of the vegetation. It was also quite late in the afternoon, so the waning sun has further warmed the colors. Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL (Canon Rebel XSi) fitted with a Canon EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM zoom lens, one of an impressive range of Canon telephoto lenses used extensively by wildlife photographers.

Detailed view of Burchell’s zebra (Equus quagga), Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa. Picture taken with a Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL (Canon Rebel XSi) fitted with a Canon EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM zoom lens. Exposure: 1/1600 at F6.3, ISO 400.

It’s sundowner time at Masuma Dam in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, with clusters of animals arriving for a drink before nightfall. As the elephants arrive for their turn, we see a small group of buffalo reluctantly moving off and heading back into the scrub mopani.

The photograph was taken with a Canon EOS 400D (Canon Rebel XTi) plus 70-300mm IS zoom lens. Shutter speed was a relatively slow 1/60 at an aperture of F11, with ISO set to 400. It was around 5.30pm in August (ie winter in the southern hemisphere so early sunset).

Great White Egret (Egretta alba) making a splash near the banks of Nyamithi Pan, Ndumo Game Reserve, South Africa. In all honesty, I can’t remember if the egret was landing or taking off, but think it was taking off after landing very briefly. The small bird standing on the bank (left foreground) is a Threebanded Plover (Charadrius tricollaris).

Camera used for this image was my Canon EOS 450D (Canon Rebel XSi 12.2MP) with a Canon EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS zoom lens at full zoom. Shutter speed was 1/640 at an aperture of f8.

This picture of two blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) running across the path of our slowly approaching game drive vehicle was taken using a slow shutter speed to blur the background, emphasising the sense of movement and speed.

In this case I set the camera on TV (shutter priority) at a speed of 1/30th and panned the camera as best I could to follow the animals. In a safari vehicle, with seven or eight other passengers, this can be something of a challenge.

For the image in the previous post (Zebra in Winter Foliage), the shutter speed was faster (1/80th) while the subject was moving more slowly, hence much less motion blur.

Burchell’s Zebra (Equus quagga) moving through wooded grassland, the winter colors of the grass and shrubs warmed by the late afternoon sun, Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana.

I took the picture using a Canon 450D) Canon Rebel XSi 12.2MP) with 70-300mm IS zoom lens at a shutter speed of 1/80th and aperture set on F8. Focal length was 300mm and the ISO was 400.

The relatively slow shutter speed combined with panning the camera to follow the zebra has blurred the background – but not enough to create a real sense of motion blur. So I’ve used some digital manipulation to further soften and simplify the background while keeping the zebra acceptably sharp.

This pair of young male giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) was photographed in Mashatu Game Reserve in the Tuli Block, Botswana. It was quite late in the afternoon, when the soft light from the setting sun gives images a pleasing warm hue.

I used a Canon EOS 450D (Canon Rebel XSi 12.2MP) with a Canon EF70-300mm lens zoomed to its maximum focal length. Shutter speed was 1/50 at an aperture of f8 with ISO set to 400.