Scenes from Sesriem

Scenes from Sesriem...

On the first full day of the Namibia tour, we drive through Sesriem and hike to the dry ancient lakebed of Sossusvlei, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The early light is golden, the compositions are endless, wildlife is abundant, and we complete our hike before the heat is intolerable.

The October 2023 Namibia Tour with Nat Expo Tours is already half full, so please contact me if you are interested in joining and feel free to share.

Cheers!

Colin

I would love to have an aerial perspective the Namib Desert from a hot air ballon. Someday we will have to look into this...

Hiking Dune 45

Hiking the dunes of the Namib Desert in Sossusvlei

Tour guest Laurie Kosik taking in the many compositions in the dry ancient lakebed of Sossusvlei

Cheetah Portrait

Good (early) morning out there! I am back in Alaska and trying to adjust to the time change. With the end of daylight saving time, I am now a full 12 hours behind where I was just a few days ago in Ethiopia, and waking up much earlier than I need to.

I'm still editing through images from Namibia and will continue to post in the coming days. Here is another portrait from the cheetah rescue facility at Neuras Lodge, in affiliation with Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary. Next year's Namibia tour with Nat Expo Tours, LLC is half full already. Please contact me if you are interested in joining.

Have a great Sunday and thank you for following along!

Colin

Cheetah Cub on a Termite Mound

The ubiquitous termite mounds of Africa. If you've been here, you've probably seen thousands of them. Fact - if you weighed all the termites on earth, they would outweigh all of the mammals...!

While not their intended purpose, they do serve as a lookout for cheetahs and other animals, as this cub is demonstrating here. Taken in Onguma private game reserve last week while leading our first Namibia tour with Nat Expo Tours.

Colin

Cheetah Sightings

I was hoping to see & photograph a cheetah in Namibia this year. To my surprise, we were able to witness a mother with three cubs on two separate occasions in Onguma Private Game Reserve. On the first evening drive, we watched them come into a watering hole and drink until a pride of lions approached, which sent them running. The following evening, we came across the mother eating what was left of an impala she had likely hunted the day before. The cubs took their turns eating as well, and we watched the family interact for the next hour until the light was gone.

Stay tuned for more from our first Namibia tour with Nat Expo Tours!

Colin

Giraffe in Etosha

Upon our arrival in Etosha National Park last week, we stopped by a watering hole that was packed with a variety of wildlife. Directly behind me were literally hundreds of zebras along with dozens of impalas, springboks, giraffes and more. I chose to focus on this single giraffe, away from the crowd, including the sky to give a sense of place with the clouds signaling the arrival of the rainy season. I switched to a wider lens and added a polarizing filter to bring out the blue sky and soft clouds while saturating the warm tones of the giraffe.

Our first Namibia tour with Nat Expo Tours has concluded. I will be spending a few days in Addis Ababa, the capitol of Ethiopia, before returning to Alaska. There will be more images to share in the coming days, so please stay tuned…

Cheers,

Colin

Cheetah Poses

Our first Namibia tour is wrapping up soon and I have new images that I am very excited to share. This is from the first night of the tour at Neura's Lodge & Winery, where they have a cheetah rescue program in affiliation with Nannkuse Wildlife Sanctuary. They have 7 cheetahs in a large enclosure and we were able to watch the daily feeding.

Next year's Namibia tour is nearly full and it looks like the February 2023 Cuba tour is now full. Please let me know if you are interested in joining any of our future trips with Nat Expo Tours.

Thank you for following my journeys,

Colin

Namibian Independence Day

Namibia, one of Africa’s youngest countries and one of the continent’s best functioning democracies. Today marks 32 years since gaining their independence from South Africa. With a storied and at times, brutal history, it’s also a country with rich culture and a promising future. Roughly 40% of Namibia’s land is protected - land that is home to the world’s oldest desert, scenery that is otherworldly, and an array of wildlife that includes at least 50% of the world’s remaining black rhinos.


I look forward to returning to Namibia in October, and I am happy to say that our tour is now 100% full. I hope our guests will be inspired as much as I was on my first visit last year. For anyone interested in joining us, we will be starting a waitlist for 2023. Please contact me for more information, or visit our website: www.natexpotours.com

Colin

 

Damara Living Museum

Damara Living Museum

Himba Community

Damara Living Museum

Oryx Closeup

Oryx/gemsbok in Onguma Private Game Reserve, Namibia. These truly are one of my favorite animals to observe and photograph. The markings & spiraled horns are remarkable and as much as I loved photographing them in the dunes of the Namib Desert, I was happy to get this closeup from a low perspective.

This was taken from the famous ground-level hide in Onguma, where we will be on days 9, 10 & 11 of the October 2022 tour with Nat Expo Tours. We still have two spots/one room available. More details here: https://naturalexposurestours.com/2022-namibia-tour/

Cheers!

Colin

Oryx in Onguma Private Game Reserve, Namibia

Dunes of the Namib Desert

Dunes of the Namib Desert, Swakopmund & Sesriem, Namibia.

I don't believe one could ever grow tired of photographing these dunes. The shapes, textures, and tones are constantly shifting, and each day is new canvas...

Taken in October 2021 with Nat Expo Tours. Our October 2022 Namibia Tour is nearly full. Please visit our page for more info or to join the waitlist for 2023: https://natexpotours.com/

Cheers!

Colin

Sand dune near Swakopmund, Namibia

Swakopmund, Namibia

Photographing the dunes of Sesriem, Namibia

Photographing the dunes of Sesriem, Namibia

Photographing the dunes of Sesriem, Namibia

Photographing the dunes of Sesriem, Namibia

Oryx of Sesriem, Namibia

I certainly have developed a reverence for the oryx, also known as gemsbok. Whether it's their unique masks & markings, spiraled horns, the environment they inhabit or some combination thereof, they are one my favorite species from Namibia.

In other Namibia-related news, our October 2022 tour is now 60% full and it looks like two more guests will register in the near future, leaving only two spots/one room still available. Please contact me if you or anyone you know might be interested in joining us.

Happy New Year!

Colin

Taken in October 2021 with Nat Expo Tours

Zebra Patterns

Just like a tiger's stripes, the rosettes on a spotted leopard or a human fingerprint, the black & white pattern of a zebra is unique to each individual animal (almost like a walking barcode). Once you have the opportunity to observe large numbers of them at close range, you begin to identify and appreciate individual patterns...

Etosha National Park, Namibia

Colin

October 2022 Namibia Tour

Hello Everyone!

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving holiday. I am excited to share this video we recently put together after last month’s trip to Namibia, as well as the details & itinerary for the October 2022 Namibia Tour with Nat Expo Tours!

Dates are October 17 – 28, 2022. Cost is $6,495 before discounts (based on double occupancy) and includes all transportation & lodging in Namibia (airfare not included), all local tours & park fees, plus breakfast & dinner most days (see full itinerary for details). We have made all the arrangements and hired drivers, which will allow us to watch more closely for wildlife & photo ops while offering more assistance to our guests. For more information, please visit our website: https://natexpotours.com/

Returning guests will receive a guaranteed 10% off this and all future tours. New guests can take advantage of the early-booking discounts of $250 per individual or $600 for a couple/pair who share a room. As of now, the tour is 50% full, so please contact us if you would like to register. A deposit of $1,500 will hold your spot with the remainder due in July, 2022.

Thank you for following. I hope you enjoy the video and please share!

Colin

Namibia with Nat Expo Tours

Sesriem in Black & White

Sesriem National Park, Namibia. A study in tones, lines, and scale. While the warm hues in the sand and rich blue skies were saturated and visually appealing, I was often envisioning black & white when shooting the landscape..

We will be visiting Sesriem and Sossusvlei on Days 2 & 3 of the October 2022 Namibia Tour. Itinerary & details will be shared soon on the Nat Expo Tours website.

Have a great weekend out there and thank you for following!

Colin

Oryx/gemsbok in Sesriem National Park, Namibia

Hikers atop the dune surrounding Sossusvlei dry ancient lake bed, Namibia

Perhaps the most photographed dune in Sesriem National Park, Namibia

Onguma Game Reserve, Namibia

Wildebeest and zebras, Onguma Private Game Reserve, Namibia.

Bordering Etosha National Park in northern Namibia, the Onguma Reserve has a unique below-ground hide next to a watering hole, offering photo ops at or below eye-level with your subjects. We spent one morning in the hide and photographed an array of wildlife including wildebeest, zebras, a large bull elephant, oryx, warthogs and more.

We will be visiting Onguma and staying in one of their lodges on Days 9, 10, & 11 of the October 2022 Namibia Tourmore details here: https://naturalexposurestours.com/2022-namibia-tour/

Cheers!

Colin

Wildebeest and zebras, Onguma Private Game Reserve, Namibia.

Himba Culture, Namibia

One of my favorite aspects of traveling to new destinations is meeting and photographing local cultures. I am primarily a wildlife photographer but opportunities like this are truly inspiring and fill me with gratitude.

Our October 2022 Namibia Tour will incorporate a cultural component as well, including a guided walk to ancient petroglyphs, touring a living museum of the Damara People, and visits to Himba villages. Details will be posted in the coming weeks at Nat Expo Tours

Thank you for following,

Colin

Elephants Galore!

This image was taken the same day that we drove through an elephant herd in the Kwando Core Area of Northeastern Namibia (see the video in my previous post). This herd numbered around 100 and crossed a road literally right behind an elephant crossing sign!

Once again, timing is everything...

Colin

The Elephant Gauntlet, Kwando Core Area, Namibia

While visiting the far northeastern reaches of Namibia, we had the opportunity, or rather the circumstance, of driving through a herd of elephants on a single track road with very soft sand. Getting stuck would have proven dangerous as getting out to push wasn't an option. Other than a curious few, most of the elephants paid us little attention but we still took our time navigating through the herd. We were planning the October 2022 Namibia Tour and will have the tour dates and details posted on our website in the coming weeks: https://naturalexposurestours.com/2022-namibia-tour/

Elephant Herd, Kwando Core Area, Namibia

The Endangered Black Rhino

A Black rhino with an avian hitchhiker, Etosha National Park, Namibia. Namibia is home to more than 50% of the remaining black rhinos and Etosha has become a stronghold for this endangered species. In an effort to curb poaching, rhino horns were once being cut off to remove the poacher's incentive but as a keratin tissue, it regrows. You can see the flattened horns on this rhino, evidence that they were once cut.

We will be visiting (and staying in) Etosha National Park on Days 7, 8, & 9 of the October 2022 Namibia Tour, where you can expect to witness and photograph these magnificent creatures! We will soon post the dates and a detailed itinerary for the tour, so stay tuned...

More tour info at: https://naturalexposurestours.com/

Colin

Black rhino, Etosha National Park, Namibia

Mature Bull Elephant, Etosha National Park, Namibia

After picking up additional external hard drives to transfer the mass of files I returned with, I'm getting around to editing through the images & videos from my first trip to Africa. This is one of the first and largest elephants we saw. I'll be sharing more in the days & weeks ahead and we will soon have the details posted for our October 2022 Namibia Tour at Nat Expo Tours so please check us out over there and share with your friends!

Thank you for following,

Colin