Greg du Toit Photographic & Safaris

South Africa remains Africa’s last stronghold for the White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). In fact this prehistoric creature was brought back from the very brink of extinction and this, all from a small number of just around 40 in Zululand’s Hluhluwe Game Reserve. From Hluhluwe, the rest of the country was repopulated, including Kruger National Park and from the very tip of the continent, this magnificent beast has been reintroduced into wilderness meccas such as the Okavango Delta and as far afield as Kenya…

I recently took a safari to the area and besides enjoying photographing the exceptional wildlife, I soaked up the big sky country and enjoyed a sublime wilderness experience! This being all fine and well, but the challenge (which may be a euphemism for utter frustration) came, when I tried to capture the spectacular wilderness in its entirety? This saw me clutching for every lens in my bag, trying every focal length, every filter, every aperture/shutter combination and left me feeling like a total amateur! My aim was to document not just the inhabitants of the Serengeti, although I did desperately want to tell their story, I wanted to do so in context. I tried to capture the environment but more than this, the spirit of the great plains and associated wilderness. What follows is a series of colour, b&w and sepia toned images all shot over a period of 9 days in the Serengeti and surrounding NCA. The purpose of which is to simply pay my personal respect to one of the greatest wildlife areas on the planet. I have used minimal text as a picture should speak a thousand words?! Sit back and enjoy (maybe grab a cup of coffee as this is a long collection of 53 images)…

To view the images larger go to www.gregdutoit.com

‘There were no calves and no gazelles on the plains and no one expected this young male cheetah to take on a full grown wildebeest. Not even the full grown wildebeest expected it…’

‘For every death on the plains, there is a life that depends on that very death. Lying on the ground we enjoyed a glimpse into the world of scavangers…’

‘The plains are vast and endless! The very word Serengeti is best translated to mean ‘endless plain’. On these great plains, the sky is big and even elephants can be dwarfed…’

‘These two young bulls were wrestling and I chose to try a slow shutter speed to capture the power and energy of the largest land mammal on earth…’

‘Lazy lions yawn on the grass plains…’

‘Seldom do I meet someone as enthralled by Africa as I am, but my fellow safari comrade and photographer Andrew Louw, got me out of bed in the dark and brought me back to camp in the dark…’

‘Lions are not the best subjects! They sleep way too much! We spent such a long time with this sleeping beauty that my creative juices just had to get flowing…’

‘Nothing quite like an African dawn and a beast on the great plains…’

‘A leopard in a lone tree and a young lion on a granite rock. Choosing to rather zoom out, I wanted to include the most overwhelming element of the Serengeti i.e. S P A C E …’

‘To zoom in or to zoom out? The Serengeti levels the playing fields as both amateurs and pros try every possible combination of camera body to lens and aperture to shutter speed…’

‘The wildebeest are not the only migrants. One early morning a huge flock of European Storks passed within range of my telephoto. Sometimes the best images come in pairs as did the two young zebra foals on the misty plains…’

‘A big male lion lay aloft a granite koppie in the middle of a sea of grass. My expert guide Godwin (Ole Ngushwai), seemed confused when I requested to park miles away and shoot the scene in three parts…’

‘The annual return of the great migration to the Serengeti and NCA short grass plains was after all the reason for us being on our photographic safari. But, how does one capture millions of animals on a vast flat plain with not a vantage point in sight? Standing on the 4×4, this was my feeble attempt…’

‘Lake Ndutu lies in the southern corner of Serengeti National Park and turned out to be our favourite dawn spot. For obvious reasons…’

‘The days on our photographic safari were spent out in the field and a bonnet breakfast was always very welcome…’

‘There was a fair bit of rain about but not even tropical-sized water-droplets deterred us from our mission to photograph this great wilderness…’

‘It might be cliched, but who ever gets tired of an Acacia tree at dawn?’

‘The great herds move through the Ndutu woodland and a lone giraffe passes by an Acacia…’

‘This lazy young lion rolled onto his back and my flash was just enough to reach his predator eyes…’

‘Lake Ndutu at dawn! My lens simply was not wide enough…’

‘There were hundreds and thousands of Marabou, Abdims and White Storks roosting on the shores of Ndutu…’

‘A lioness on the lake shore and some fun with our remote camera…’

‘Ok, ok, I apologize to all the lion researchers out there! Lions are not ALWAYS sleeping…’

‘Our drive through the crater highlands on the way to the Ngorongoro Crater was simply stunning. Very green and tropical…’

‘Ngorongoro Crater is one of those things in life that simply has to be seen…’

‘This wildebeest had just been born on the crater floor and was being inspected by its mother for the first time…’

‘Standing for the first time and on wobbly legs…’

‘The young calf was trying to find mom’s teat for the first time but was aiming a little amiss…’

‘The heavens parted way and a stork flew past…’

‘The floor of the Ngorongoro Crater is home to some serious looking buffalo bulls…’

‘This young Defassa Waterbuck was waiting for me outside my hotel room on the crater rim…’

‘On the grass plains of the Serengeti, and close to camp, we happen upon this delightful scene…’

‘A sense of space and place. At last…’

‘Our photographic safari was special in that we witnessed lives being born and lives being taken. Thankfully there was no malice in the later, just survival…’

‘A misty morning on the great plains…’

‘This male lion was keen on getting on with the business of procreating…’

‘And to end, a classic portrayal of the great herds…’

Thank you for taking the time to share some of the magic of the great plains with me! I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my gracious host Nas, and expert guide Ole Nguishwai for taking the time to share with us their very special backyard. Also to Donna for her logistical support!

I plan on heading back to the Serengeti many more times, so drop me a line if you would like to join….

The end…

Just prior to the Christmas holidays, I had the pleasure of co-guiding a photographic safari with my good friend and colleague Shem Compion…

Landing in Maun, we had some time to kill and Maun, not exactly a buzzing metropolis, meant that we walked across the road to a small pilots café for a soda. While sitting whiling the time away, the group suddenly became excited and most notably Eric and Lesley! I swung around to see what was causing the excitement and sitting upon a lamppost were two rather common Pied Crows? I immediately realized that my traveling companions were not the usual shutterbugs interested in only hunting down the ‘big and hairies’!!!

This was perfect as most photographic safaris run during the winter time when the big game concentrates around the last remaining water pools and although this is a good time for the predators and mammals, my favourite time in the bush remains the summer time when life abounds in all its forms!

Looking back, the 12 day safari certainly was a celebration of life and this indeed in all its forms! The first camp that had the pleasure of hosting us was Kwara in the northern reaches of the delta! With Summer in full swing, the cicadas were singing so loudly that their friends in the south of France would have been able to hear them! There were so many special and unique moments on the safari that it is impossible to share them all?

For me, the highlight at Kwara was certainly not the beef (tough as hell), but rather following a pack of Wild Dog through the bush! When I say through the bush, I literally mean through the bush!!! It was such a privilege to follow a truly wild pack of hunting dogs as they simply went about their frantic high-paced daily routine. The dogs would turn to and fro unperturbed by the thickest thickets of Kalahari Appleleafs! How our drivers managed to not get lost I really do not know? Our poor safari guests had to duck and dive to avoid random branches striking them in the face or perhaps even knocking them clean off the vehicle! At one point I became concerned and glanced back only to see John merrily performing some in-camera editing while branches tore all about him? He seemed not the least bit concerned about his health and in hindsight the tangible energy and excitement of the dogs rubbed off on us all. Other highlights from Kwara were spotting a rare Serval and enjoying two of the most spectacular sunsets of the year!

After three pleasant nights, we enjoyed some duty free shopping at Kwara International before taking a lengthy 10 minute flight to Camp O! This camp is water based and all our activities were on boats of sorts! The first afternoon saw us whizzing along narrow channels that bisected waterborne Papyrus forests. Without the slightest forewarning, we happened upon a large hippo pool and spent the next hour photographing! Well that is too say, all, except poor Pauline who suffers from hippophobia! We were unaware of her  chronic condition and tried our best to avoid hippo for the rest of the safari, which included removing the hippo-shaped butter dishes from the breakfast table! Although the birdlife at Camp O was disappointing, our bird list was indeed creeping up as the camp gardens graciously offered us sightings of Kurrichane Thrush and Barred Owl. A highlight at Camp O was no doubt the mokoro canoe trip, which gave us opportunity to get close and personal with the tiny yet gorgeous Painted Reed frogs!

From Camp O, our next stop was Lebala, North of the Delta and in the Linyanti region. This was a most beautiful tract of pure wilderness with two distinguishable highlights:

The first being the spotting and subsequent photographing of a beautiful leopard amid lush grass and termite mounds! To see Africa’s most striking predator amidst the superb green foliage of the summer bush will remain a highlight for some time to come! Another very special sighting saw us enjoying our morning tea on the banks of a small lake. An elephant herd appeared out the bush on the opposite side of the lake and proceeded down to the water’s edge. Gazing back at the brush line, we were surprised to see another herd making its way down to the water and then another and another and another. The elephants just kept coming until an entire clan lined the lake fringe leaving some of us spellbound and the rest of us frustrated, at not being able to capture the immensity of the sighting on camera? Even Brian, who is no stranger to photographing immense Antarctic panoramics, seemed overwhelmed?!

Our last stop of the trip was at Lagoon Camp and although the weather stopped playing ball, we still managed to end on a high note with wild dog sightings almost every day as well as a superb cheetah sighting. As I mentioned at the beginning however, our group was not just about the big five and we enjoyed getting down low and personal with velvet mites and fungi! Avery special sighting at Lagoon was finding a Whalberg’s Eagle on a fresh Yellowbilled Hornbill kill!

The food throughout the safari was exquisite but perhaps none more so than at Lagoon Camp where they provided additional protein in the form of flying ants (termites actually)! Who can forget my bush-whacking colleague (Shem), walking up to the lantern aloft the dinning table, grabbing a flying ant and gulping it down with a look of glee upon his face?

When all is said and done, the safari was a sublime experience that offered up not only many memorable sightings of wild dog, cheetah and elephant but also many unique, smaller and more peculiar sightings. My only regret to the entire safari was promising Eric and Lesley 200 bird species, only to land in Jo’burg on 198 species! Glancing up at the airport terminal I was hoping to see a Rock Pigeon and a Little Swift but alas my time was up!

Thank you ever so much to my traveling companions Eric, Lesley, Brian, Fiona, John, Harry, Pauline, Maggie and Peter. It was a pleasure hosting you and I hope to do so again in the future!

The end…

Back to from the field page…

I recently spent some time photographing pelicans. After shooting hundreds of frames, I have selected just three to publish. Here you can read why I made the selections that I did in a short piece I like to call the ‘Pelican Brief’…

Pelicans are huge birds with a massive wingspan! I encountered a problem in that in order to photograph the pelican in flight, I needed to use a short focal length, thereby ensuring that I did not clip the wings. This resulted in numerous images that lacked the intimacy I like to portray in my work. Pelicans in flight are however wonderfully graceful and I just had to capture an ‘in flight’ frame? They are also superbly beautiful when inspected close-up and this beauty was lost at shorter focal lengths? The only way to solve this conundrum was to photograph a close-up image, with a flying pelican in the background!

Pelicans are quite simply MASSIVE. As photographers, we are also storytellers and I was faced with the challenge of portraying the size of a pelican?
The best way to do that was to place my subject against another common and well known bird. A Black-winged Stilt kindly volunteered its services and I waited for the outstretched wings to exaggerate the pelican’s size. For an image to be special, you need that ’something special’! As hard as we try, those rare ‘cherries on top’ often cannot be manufactured. The dynamic element in this particular frame came in the form of water droplets looking like a snowstorm to the stilt. A black and white conversion accentuates the water droplets.

Photography is after all an art form and our subjects are often moving. Here I purposefully used a slow shutter speed and allowed my two subjects to paint a frame of their own. A burst from my flash adds a much needed element of detail and allows a resting point for my viewer’s eye.

The end…

For many years now, I have been trying to capture an image of the critically endangered Black Rhino. These prehistoric beasts are not only globally threatened but also have a shy demeanor, inhabiting dense forests and thickets. On a recent photographic safari to Lake Nakuru, my hopes were indeed high but soon to be dashed…

On the 2^nd day of my trip, I spotted a Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis) close to the lakeshore. In my excitement, I hastily swung my old 1985 Nissan Patrol around and completely forgot about my camera, lens and flash perched upon a beanbag on the window frame! A ‘school boy error’ cannot justify this act of stupidity! I heard an almighty crash and this time it was not coming from a skittish rhino charging into the bush but rather from the barrel of my beloved Nikkor lens, bending as it struck terra firma. The soft volcanic soil did little to cushion the blow and my quest to photograph the ultimate Diceros bicornis image was hanging in the balance! Sitting solo and depressed around the camp fire later that night, I faced the painfully obvious, yet gut-wrenching reality, of having to return back to the big smoke of Nairobi! Could ‘Operation Bicornis’ really be over before it began?

Deciding that not even drinking cold Tusker largers at my favourite watering hole in Karen could lift my spirits, I picked up my lens and very hesitantly focused on my Nissan’s number plate to assess the damage? The lens refused to focus, not even manually! I have spent a number of years in the bush whereby I have seen local bush mechanics resurrect all kinds of machinery. Be that as it may, I was reluctant to drop my precious lens off at the local ‘jua kali’ (bushmechanic) garage in town the next day! After spending the next couple hours praying and playing with the lens, I finally managed to get it to a point whereby it would focus. Just prior to shouting “Yurika” and jumping over my campfire like a Maasai Warrior on speed, I learnt that my damaged lens only focused when racked out to 400mm? Any other focal length rendered the lens utterly useless! My intention for the shoot was after all to capture a portrait of a Black Rhino in its forest environment! I fell asleep disillusioned at having to photograph one of Africa’s largest land mammals with nothing but an exaggerated focal length of 400mm!

The next couple of days entailed me  practicing using my disabled lens on White Rhino as I very fast learnt to judge distance at a focal length of 400mm. I also began to appreciate the wondrous versatility of a zoom lens versus a prime but that is an article for another day. Fast forwarding through the next few days of frustration, I finally decided that it was time to return to Nairobi and cut my losses. My last night camping was spent largely awake as a buffalo insisted on rubbing himself against my tent! Since sleep was evading me anyway, I decided to rise and packed up camp in the dark with hundreds of reflecting buffalo eyes watching my every move. With my tent and camping kit thrown in the back of the Nissan, it was finally time to pack away both my bruised Nikon equipment and ego at the same time? ‘Viva in Spem’ is however my life motto, which translates to mean ‘I live in Hope’ and so it was that I decided to leave my camera out its bag and ready for 400mm action!

The drive through the reserve proved blissful with not another vehicle in sight and since I was making good time, I decided to take one last turn through the ancient Fever Tree forests that fringe the lake. It was a magical scene! Mist lingered in the predawn glow of the equatorial sun and the forests resembled something out of a children’s storybook. Rounding the bend on a narrow two-track I spotted a Black Rhino deep inside the forest interior and browsing on a fallen Fever tree. I became so excited that I began shaking, a problem reminiscent of my younger years as a wildlife photographer?

Jokes aside, my shaking hands were a major issue as my VR (vibration reduction) was not working and the forest interior was indeed dark. Framing my subject, my still functioning light meter, rendered a shutter speed of 1/50^th of a second! Stuck on 400mm, I tried to judge my distance in such away that I would be able to render the prehistoric beast ensconced in its surreal habitat! Snuggling my lens deep into the beanbag, I tripped my shutter release button a few times over, in the hope that the splendid atmosphere and ambiance of the forest would translate into digital nirvana?

Having just processed the images, I am pleased to report that ‘Operation bicornis’ was indeed a success, albeit saved by the bell !!!

The end …

I am fortunate enough to have spent a couple years living and working up in Maasai-land, Kenya. Claire and I managed a community owned eco-lodge called Shompole (www.shompole.com). More recently I took a private photographic trip to northern Namibia, where I befriended a young Himba boy and learnt about his culture firsthand. In a picture essay titled Beautiful People, I share images of both cultures and address some rather difficult subjects, pertaining to both anthropology and conservation.

Globalization, urbanization and modernization continue to sweep the globe as we soon journey into the 2nd decade of our new millennium. The formation of a global community seems imminent and few traditional cultures have been unaffected. The magnetic pull towards westernization seems stronger than ever and we must remind ourselves, that a loss of traditional culture amounts to nothing less than a loss in global biodiversity.

‘Beautiful People’ is a postmillennial undertaking in the form of a picture essay and compiled by photographer Greg du Toit. The piece depicts two of Africa’s remaining traditional cultures and the portfolio is unique in that the author spent two years living and working alongside many of his subjects, gaining their trust and invitation. The Himba of Namibia and the Maasai of Kenya, are the focus of the essay and although geographically far apart, and of differing origins, each share a similarly fascinating pastoral culture. Despite living in close proximity to western civilizations, both exhibit a refreshing pride in their customary roots and carry out a largely traditional existence in Africa’s drier, more arid and harsher environments. This authentic collection of portraits illustrates both the beauty and diversity of these cultures, offering viewers a poignant reminder that it is not too late for the traditional cultures of Africa…

1.

Maasai Mamma : The Loodokilani clan of the Maasai tribe carry out a remote and traditional existence on the southern tip of Kenyas Nguruman escarpment. They adorn almost pure white beads and the colour red is not as prominent as in other clans. This beautiful mamma gave me permission to photograph her and in reality she was barely 4ft tall and completely unsure of her age. I find our western world to be so time bound while the Maasai hold little regard for time. How refreshing this is! In this part of Maasai-land one finds Maasai that only speak their mother tongue of Maa. Not even Swahili features prominently, and English is largely foreign.

2.

Himba Siblings : Arriving at the village by dawn, we were invited into a hut to photograph the morning dressing ritual of a mother and her two young children. After ochre, butterfat and ash had been liberally smeared over their tiny bodies, they were free to play. It was winter in Himba-land and at 68 degrees F; the children were cold and stood outside their mud hut, sunning themselves in the warm winter sun. The shadow on the hut wall is created by calabashes placed on a stick outside the hut, and contain fermenting milk.

These two children are not attending the local English school but are being raised to follow a more traditional Himba lifestyle. It is inevitable that in this new millennium, the Himba will have increasing contact with the western world through tourism, modern educators, NGOs, missionaries and yes, photographers! As it currently stands, they seemingly have only two choices; one of clinging to their culture and remaining uneducated or one of abandoning their culture as they become educated and seek employment. These two worlds neednt be so polarized! Outside influences must carefully consider the Himbas culture, only imposing the beneficial elements of our western ways as agreed upon in conjunction with the village elders. There are aspects of the western world that can benefit traditional cultures and these should not be withheld in their entirety. Education is one such example. However, such influences need not be introduced in such a way that they decimate the communitys traditional existence! For example, why must school children where uniforms as apposed to their inherent traditional dress? Children can be taught valuable life skills such as arithmetic and reading without having to forsake their traditional culture altogether! Communities must rather be empowered, so that each individual can one day decide whether to adopt a western lifestyle and seek employment or whether to continue in their traditional way of living. The reality is that many school leavers do not find suitable employment and without their traditional livelihood to fall back on, they are left helplessly impoverished. There are indeed many such communities scattered broadly across the continent.

3.

3 & 4 Himba Feet : The Himba are a relaxed people with a good sense of humour and every time I went in close for an abstract shot, I could hear giggling and indeed sniggering behind my back. The beauty of many of the remaining traditional cultures left in Africa, is indeed their cultural pride and amusement at the seeming folly of westerners.

4.

5.

Maasai Nomad : Sitting on a hill just below Ol Donyo Sampu in southern Kenya, I watched as a loan warrior traversed the vast and inhospitable lakebed. The warrior had been to a village market on the Kenya side of the border and was now returning home to Tanzania. The border means nothing to the Maasai, and a passport even less! This is after all Maasai-land and a Maasais identity lies not embedded in his passport, but in every aspect of his life, from the way he dresses to the way he dances.

Both the Himba and Maasai have enjoyed a semi-nomadic livelihood but this seems to be eroding fast as more permanent villages are being established close to tourist centers or towns. The resultant implications are significant, as many pastoral cultures hold cattle as their esteemed sign of wealth. Never before in history have such cultures owned as many cattle as they do now and this is due to increased wealth and veterinary services, and all as a result of contact with western influences. Subsequently, thousands of head of cattle are no longer being rotated between traditional grazing lands and ecosystems are fast being denuded. In the Rift Valley of Kenya, one can see the very real effects of desertification, as large tracts of land convert to dust, choke rain clouds and induce drought.

6.

Blood : We had been trekking with donkeys for four days when we encountered a small village in Kenyas remote Loita Hills. Although we were thirsty, we declined the generous offer of blood.

7.

Calabash & Hand : Traditionally the Maasai once only ate blood, water and meat. Once the calabash is full, a stick is used to stir and coagulate the blood. The brilliantly red and highly oxygenated fluid cascades over the edges, staining the calabash and making for a graphic close-up shot.

In this more modern era, the Maasai now also eat maize products, amongst other foodstuffs. Amazingly they still refrain from eating any form of wild meat! This factor combined with a huge inherent respect for nature, make the Maasai the original conservationists of East Africa. Famous ecosystems like Amboseli and the Masai Mara after all, lie at the heart of their territory! With two thirds of Kenyas wildlife existing outside parks and reserves, Maasai-land plays an incredibly important role in conservation. The possibility of subdividing this communal land for the planting of monocultural crops such as wheat, would not only devastate the pastoral existence of the Maasai, but also decimate wildlife resulting in a gross loss of biodiversity. Tourism can aid such cultures and ecosystems greatly, by partnering with these communities in both the establishment and management of eco-lodges. By empowering such communities, they are then better able to sustain their pastoral livelihoods and as a result conservation too will benefit. When visiting Africa, safari goers must carefully choose their camp or lodge and in so doing, we all can play a pivotal role in preserving biodiversity. The word biodiversity is used all too often to only pertain to nature when, in reality, community and cultural identity plays as large a part in biodiversity as any.

8.

Himba Elegance : Here a young Himba girl is photographed standing outside her mud hut. A mixture of butterfat and ash is smeared around her neck. Note the cowry shells in her necklace, which are much prized by the Himba. This young girl never posed for the camera, yet was extremely photogenic.

Photographing her starring into the distance, I began to wonder what the future held for the Himba? Unlike parts of Maasai-land, the Himbas saving grace is that their land is both remote and inhospitable. The prospect of crop farming infiltrating the area, resulting in the Himba abandoning their semi-nomadic lifestyle, is therefore less of a threat. The threat to this culture is more likely to come in the form of rampant tourism and this need not be the case. Tour operators and safari companies alike can draft business models pertaining to their community involvement and the impact thereof, with stringent rules and protocol put in place. These policies should be on their websites and traveling tourists need to choose the lodges where they stay and the safari operators that they use wisely! Governments are all too quiet in this regard and need to step in with legislation protecting traditional communities from unnecessary exposure and exploitation.

9.

Warrior : After living amongst the Maasai for over a year, I enquired as to whether the tradition of lion killing was still at play in their culture? I was told that it only occurs if a lion preys on livestock and I then asked if they knew of anyone close by who had speared a lion? They did and I was eager to meet him. We drove onto the Natron salt flats and I loaded slide film into the back of my camera, to add a degree of authenticity to the already surreal scene. Admiring his lion main headdress, I asked him how one goes about spearing a lion? He answered through an interpreter, “It is simple, and all one needs is a spear and a shield”. I then asked where he gets a shield and his response: “You first spear a buffalo, only a buffalos hide is strong enough.”

10.

Warrior Dance : It was a rare privilege, a group of warriors agreed to perform their traditional war dance exclusively for me. Upon arriving, the men were a little apprehensive, but once their dance got under way, they could not help but ooze supreme confidence, taking turns to leap forward and torment the camera. Chanting war songs of old, this warrior spirit lingers from a yesteryear.

The Maasai once held a large territory stretching north of Nairobi all the way to southern Tanzania. The tiny piece of land that they now occupy straddles the border between these two countries. The small chunk of Africa that they have left, they must be empowered to keep or at the very least, be empowered to negotiate its use from a strong vantage point.

11.

Traversing the Rift : The Loodokilani Maasai live in one of the hottest parts of Kenya, just two degrees south of the equator. It is hot both day and night, and all year round! This is inconsequential to the Maasai who in the past walked vast distances to visit neighbouring villages. Modern communication in the form of mobile phones means that news is now no longer carried on foot. It makes logical sense that the Maasai now have far more idle time on their hands, as a simple message that is now beamed via SMS, would once have taken two days to deliver! One wonders how such wonders of modern technology will impact rural communities? Community Conservation Projects can be constructively used to teach new skills or to harness current skills, such as bead making, to help fill these newly acquired time voids.

12.

Maasai Morans : The rhythmic singing and dancing is almost hypnotic, raw and ageless. It is hard to explain and even harder to try and capture on film. I used a slow shutter speed and rear-curtain flash to attempt to illustrate the ethereal mystery of the warrior.

One of the major threats to traditional cultures comes in the form of religious missionaries who instead of sharing Spiritual life with these communities, then also impose western lifestyles and denominational rituals. For example, the planting of a church could mean that a semi-nomadic culture no longer travels, resulting in the slow degradation of both the ecosystem and the culture. A culture whose livelihood once was solely dependent on livestock and the associated journeying between traditional grazing pastures. These communities then turn to western ways to provide their physical needs but often the support is inadequate. Missionaries are urged to take into account the long-term physical implications to the community and not just their perceived spiritual needs. Church leaders need to ask difficult questions such as are church buildings and modern clothing essential to salvation?

13.

Mother & Child : This Himba mother carries her child on her back in a hard, rocky and semi-desert environment. The red tone to her skin is created by an earthy pigment called ochre, typically found in clay and smeared all over their bodies. Her hair is individually braided and covered in ochre while the goatskin on top of her head signifies her married status.

14.

Young Himba : A mixture of ash and butterfat can be seen smeared around this young girls neck. The Himba are a beautiful people, long and slender with well-defined features that remind me of Nilotic tribes I have photographed further north. They are however believed to be of Bantu descent.

It is unrealistic to hope that such communities will be left in total isolation, to carry out their traditional livelihoods unhindered. The world is undeniably shrinking and exposure to western influences is therefore inevitable. Rather, let all the role players including safari outfits, governments, mining companies, NGOs, missionaries and photographers work towards empowering these communities to retain the essence of their cultures. If variety is the spice to life then we should all be routing for the remaining traditional cultures of Africa, and indeed the world, to survive long into the new millennium!

15.

Village Life : It is dusk in the tiny village that my young Himba friend has invited me into. The children have been called back from the hills where they were attending goats, and dinner is being served, consisting of nothing more than a small communal container of soured milk. The Himba lady in the portrait has her young children sleeping at her feet, as she churns a calabash of milk by rocking it back and forth. In the distance, one can see a Himba mud hut. It is serendipitously hard to believe that I find myself in such a place and in such modern times. Before I allow my mind to continue along an all-to -familiar whimsical note of romance, I remind myself that the scene before me, although special, is in no way easy. Life for traditional pastoralists is tough! However, at least this is a world and an existence that they both know and understand. To impose strong western influence can result in such cultures being thrown into a state of disarray. This often impacts both the physical and emotional elements of a community, as poverty thrives and cultural identity is lost.

16.

Simply Himba : The Himba woman are greatly concerned about their outward appearance and adorn themselves in various beautiful ways. Perhaps most striking and characteristic is their long braided hair, each plait being individually and elaborately wrapped in ochre. The leather headpiece is a symbol of marriage and appropriately only worn by married woman.

17.

Himba Waking Moments : I was privileged to be able to enter a hut and witness the ritual of mother smearing her childrens tiny bodies in butter fat and ochre. The face is also covered, eyelids included.

18.

Millennial Dilemma : I purposefully framed this image to bisect my subjects face in half. I wanted to illustrate the tension that exists in all traditional cultures left on the continent, as encroaching westernization offers a veneer of relief but threatens to destroy cultural identities. Parents are faced with numerous dilemmas but none more so than whether to send their child to school or not? The conundrum is that by sending ones child to school, you are aiding that child to cope in what is becoming an increasingly western environment, while at the same time that very same education will most likely lead him or her away from their traditional roots. I am not convinced that a rural education leaves these children in a more advantageous position, as many do not find work and often land up caught in the middle, somewhere between western influence and their own culture. This “no mans land” is a sad place where identities have been lost and sad poverty exists. I wish I could better sugar coat this point, but the continent bears sad testimony to hundreds and thousands of such impoverished communities.

19.

Himba Legs : During the taking of this sequence there was much giggling and laughter. Note the ash on the feet and the large beads, which are actually palm fruits from the trees growing along the Kunene River on the border of Namibia and Angola.

20.

Young Himba Girl : This beautiful young girl wears her hair plaited forward as a sign of her not yet reaching puberty. The black rubbings of ash and butter fat can be seen on her neck and in her hair.

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Maasai Enigma: I had been living in a remote corner of Maasai-land for over a year, when I decided to try and capture the grace and elegance of a Maasai moran (warrior). The scene took place on the dusty floor of the Rift Valley with me lying on the ground while three warriors leapt above me. I could only photograph in short bursts, as there were regular, spontaneous and hysterical bouts of laughter. I was laughing at the ridiculous athleticism and the soaring heights of each jump. The warriors however, were laughing at the crazy mzungu (white person) rolling in the dust.

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Primordial Silhouette : This young Himba man wears his hair uncovered to symbolize his unmarried status. I was fortunate to find such a subject, as Himba-land was in the grips of a dry winter, and most of the men had left the villages with their cattle in search of grazing pastures.

This ancient culture has survived for hundreds of years and we must not let it become extinct. Tourists visiting Africa must think beyond their “once in a lifetime” safari, and make sure that their actions are not changing cultures and ruining similar wonderful cultural experiences for future generations of travelers. Likewise, all role players must carefully consider their actions, if not for the traditional cultures or the general preservation of biodiversity, then for the sake of future western generations who might never know that their way of life was once not the only way of life.

The end …..

I have been fortunate enough to spend a large portion of this year photographing leopard. In a photo essay titled ‘Velvet & Stealth’ I share some of my personal favourite images of leopards. Short narrations offer further insight into the lives of these beautiful and mysterious cats…

Africa is home to a variety of iconic predators but none embody the stealth and beauty of the Leopard. These enigmatic predators can be found inhabiting deserts and rain forests as well as every conceivable habitat in-between. Pound for pound they have been dubbed Africa’s top cat and yet, according to wildlife photographer Greg du Toit, they display all the attributes of your domestic cat. ‘You do not see a leopard but a leopard allows itself to be seen’ says Greg, who has spent the better part of this year photographing these striking yet elusive predators…

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Image 1-3, Portrait of a Predator : Although leopards are sometimes active in daylight, they are most comfortable roaming the African bush in the black of night. I only spend an hour or so with my subjects after dark, before departing and leaving them in peace to hunt. Returning to the campfire, I often contemplate their solitary and nocturnal existence. It is important for me to document my subjects in their environment and the black of the night is quite simply a leopard’s environment. Using a spotlight and manual settings, I try to portray the beast in its nocturnal haunt.

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Image 4,  Leopard Yawn : In almost every part of its range, leopards are unbelievably shy, even ghost-like, leaving only tracks under the cover of darkness. I do not work with radio collars or bait and therefore, the only time I am able to work in close proximity of these cats is when they have become comfortable around a vehicle. This is only possible as a result of endless hours spent in the field by dedicated wildlife filmmakers or researchers. Spending so much time with leopards, I find myself becoming somewhat blasé and every once in awhile my subject will yawn, bearing tooth and nail, and reminding me that if it was not for the safety of my vehicle I would be in a lot of trouble.

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Image 5,  Morning Stretch : Leopards enjoy lying in trees where they are able to spot both potential prey and danger (not too mention escaping the pestering flies). I often find them occupying trees that can only be described as horrifically uncomfortable. They are certainly not fussy about which tree they choose for a sofa! On this occasion however, this female found a large and comfortable fork in a marula tree. In fact it was so comfortable that she fell asleep leaving my fellow photographers and I rather frustrated. The early morning light was fast disappearing and just when all hope was almost gone, our subject leant back and gave us an almighty yawn. An outstretched paw and extended claws added the cherry on top.

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Image 6,  Leopard & Prey : Leopards are the most versatile and adaptable of Africa’s large predators with prey ranging in size from a grasshopper to baby giraffe.This kill had just taken place and we watched in awe as she dragged the duiker through the bush, looking for a suitable tree to cache her prey. The orange reflection in the leopard’s eye is metaphorically juxtaposed against the cold blue reflection in the antelope’s and symbolizes life and death.

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Image7,  Leopard Kill : We found this leopard in the early morning whereby she had killed during the night and dragged her prey into the boughs of an African Ebony tree (also commonly called a jackalberry). Leopards are the only large cat on the continent to drag their prey into trees. This highly effective strategy avoids interspecies kleptoparasitism and ensures that energy spent in making a kill is most often rewarded. Not only is this leopard’s meal safe from other terrestrial predators and scavenging hyenas but also from menacing vultures.

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Image 8,  Predator Power : We watched in anticipation as this leopard paced through the bush, trying to sniff out a kill or as it were, the remains of a kill. Once she located her prize she shot up the tree. This was not her kill but rather the quarry of another leopard who had gone for a drink of water. Anticipating that she would relocate the prey, we lined up the shot and prepared our cameras for extreme action. A large part of wildlife photography hinges on knowing your subject’s behaviour intimately.

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Image 9 & 10, Mom & Cub : Leopards are fiercely independent animals and it is very rare to capture two individuals in the same frame. The only time this occurs is when a mother has cubs or when adults are mating. Even if a mom has cubs, she keeps them exceptionally well hidden. I have had been trying for years to get an image of a mother with her cub and was delighted with this frame. The parent-child bond is incredibly strong and I often witnessed playful behaviour being initiated by the mother. She would stalk and pounce on her youngsters, no doubt also intended as an essential lesson for them in hunting behaviour.

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Image 11,  Leopards on the Move : Leopards have unique temperaments and spend less idle time than other large cats. They are either asleep or on the go! Trying to photograph them when they are not asleep is a major challenge! They stride through the bush effortlessly and being typical inquisitive cats, they often double back on themselves to investigate a sight, sound or smell? It is almost impossible to predict their erratic movements! I have spent countless hours trying to capture an image that illustrates the energetic attributes of leopards. Here you see the mother in the foreground and cub in the background, as they saunter effortlessly through the bush. The cub is nine months old and beginning to join its mother on hunts. The young one only has about three months to learn to hunt, before he will be left to fend for himself.

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Image 12,  Young Perfection : One of the joys of being a wildlife photographer is that you spend countless hours with your subjects. I first caught fleeting glimpses of this young cub soon after he was born. As the months passed by, he became more familiar with our vehicle and the associated sound of camera shutters and ‘chimping’ photographers. To see a young leopard grow and earn his spots, so to speak, is a rare privilege indeed.

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Image 13,  Perfect Predator : This young leopard is not yet a year old and I watched as he paced up and down a fallen tree. Although leopards are born with innate stealth, the skills required to hunt need to be honed. This young cub seems to already embody the spirit of a predator.

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Image 14 &15,  Simply Leopard : To me, leopards are without doubt the most beautiful creatures I have photographed. Having spent so much time studying them through my lens, I long to one day run my hands through their velvet coats. Every individual can be identified by their own unique whisker pattern as well as a series of spots along the chest, affectionately known as the pearl necklace.

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Image 16 & 17,  Predator Eyes : A close up view of a leopard’s eyes is quite simply invigorating. It is almost as if one can see the rods and cones tucked behind the jet-black pupils. My favourite part of the eye though is the underlying network of red capillaries found running along the lower circumference. There are not many places in the world where a photographer can get within such close proximity of a wild leopard and I count myself blessed to have the privilege of doing so.

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I once read a now obscure book or article on success? It advised that one should take time to reflect on the successes along life’s path no matter how big or small they may be. Seemingly, by way of cerebral osmosis, this notion was archived in my long-term memory. Now, years later, two recent achievements cause me to take a moment and reflect on my career as a wildlife photographer…

The job of a wildlife photographer is hard to define and even harder to describe? The work is at times exhilarating but most of the time just plain infuriating! The pay is almost always nonexistent and the lifestyle is quite simply invigorating! I am grateful that I never left a conventional career to become a wildlife photographer (and I pity those who did), but rather that my life’s journey brought me here. Where you ask? Well, to a place where I am so overwhelmed by the beauty of the natural world that I simply have to document it and share it with others! To a place where the Creator’s creativity has ignited my own and a camera has become an extension of my soul! Ok, so you get the point, wildlife photographers are often fanatical nature junkies at best and at worst, we are hopeless eccentric artists! We can be likened to crack cocaine addicts or surfers but I prefer the surfer analogy.

I recently attended a two-day symposium in London during which we were addressed by some of the world’s leading wildlife photographers. As each spoke about his life and career, I was greatly relieved to discover that being a wildlife photographer is tough for everyone, not just for my own third-world self-sympathetic existence. Listening to the photographers as they each presented their stories, the one clear message that came through, was that to succeed as a wildlife photographer, one needs dogged determination with an endless supply of stamina and patience (both financial and mental)! Hey, I guess there might well be more brain surgeons in the world than professional wildlife photographers? To succeed as the latter, you need the temperament of a honey badger. Grab that proverbial buffalo bull between the legs, lock your jaws, and ride out the ups and downs of a career that for the most part, except for a select few, remains a fantasy occupation. The symposium included a talk by Thomas Peschack, a world-renowned and National Geographic published photographer. When asked what advice he would give youngsters wanting to enter the profession he replied that ‘It is possible? If one becomes obsessed about ones work and thinks about it 24 hours a day’.

My personal journey as a wildlife photographer began back in 2001 when I bought my first SLR Pentax MZ30 camera with a 70-300 Sigma lens. The purchase was a combination of my 21st birthday money as well as a couple years of savings. I was chuffed with my buy but still not yet sold on the whole concept of photography? I was completely green to both the mechanics of a camera and the artistry involved! My goal back then was simply to document the many wildlife encounters that I was experiencing living in the African bush. I wanted to share these with my family and friends and nothing more really. Little did I know that I was poised over a gasoline soaked pile of Leadwood with a lit match in my hand! Soon after my first purchase I discovered a creative side to my being, that had remained largely hidden during my childhood. A seed was planted and in a short time self-germinated, resulting in an intense desire for me to become a professional wildlife photographer. I sought advice on the feasibility of the career by seasoned professionals and everywhere I turned I was told to forget about it, that the market was over-saturated and that money was scarce? Looking back, that advice was not altogether incorrect but it served only to spur me on! In 2003, I took a loan and upgraded my equipment to the Nikon brand. Starring at my two golden Nikon boxes I was elated and figured that if I had a Nikon, I had all that was needed to be a professional wildlife photographer. Yes, unequivocal ignorance is an essential ingredient to anyone wanting to pursue a career in wildlife photography! I guess it was in 2004 with a Nikon F100 and an 80-400mm VR lens, that I began my quest in earnest to become a professional wildlife photographer!

Although I had a camera body and a lens, I had no film or filters. What to do? With reckless abandonment, I decided to sell my only car, a much loved and lemon cream yellow Volkswagen Beetle! I walked into my local camera store and purchased one large brown bag filled with Fuji Sensia, Provia and Velvia film. With the change I purchased a polarizer and a few split ND filters, which went into a separate bag. Walking out the shop door with a brown bag in each hand, I paused momentarily as I realized that my only significant asset had been reduced to nothing more than two film filled paper bags? It was a long walk home!

Moving to Kenya with my wife (Claire), we set out to manage a community run safari camp, which to me was nothing more than a smoke screen to embark on my journey of becoming a wildlife photographer. For more of these stories you can read my earlier posts in my ‘From the Field‘ page. The next four years involved me spending not only every cent I had on film and developing but also every spare minute of my time! Holding down a job as a safari camp manager; hosting guests and managing a contingent of 60 Maasai staff was no simple task let alone trying to work on a photographic portfolio! I simply could not have dreamt of doing this without the support of Claire who took up a bulk of the camp duties! I recall how often I had no vehicle in camp as they were all being used for guest safaris. I would then have to walk to my photographic locations. At first I took a rifle but the combined weight of the .375, my camera and searing equatorial heat meant that I soon began leaving the rifle behind. Subsequently I had many a close encounter, including walking into a lioness and her seven cubs TWICE!

Fast-forwarding the story to the present day and hour, I have recently received news that a couple of my images have received honorable mention in two prestigious wildlife competitions. My image titled ‘Crossing Frenzy’ received Highly Commended status in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition which received 43 000 entries this year from 94 different countries (see the website here). Another image titled Maasai Warrior has been Honorably Commended in the Smithsonian Nature’s Best competition which receives in excess of 25 000 entries each year (see the website here). This news was refreshingly welcome but not really appreciated until my recent trip to London to attend the BBC Wildlife Photographer awards dinner. Upon checking into my hotel I decided to take a walk through Kensington and quite by chance, I happened to stumble upon the Natural History Museum. Perhaps it was the late evening light or possibly the Victorian-style architecture? Whatever might have been the reason, the building that stood before me was impressively large and decidedly beautiful, causing me to stop dead in my tracks! Outside the main entrance stood three massive green banners advertising the opening of the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Gallery. Standing on that sidewalk in Kensington, staring at the beautiful building, it slowly began to dawn on me that a picture I had taken in Kenya years earlier was now on display in one of London’s most beautiful museums. I myself had never before traveled to London and now not only was I there, but a picture of mine had arrived ahead of me! A few days later, while still in London, I received news that my Maasai Warrior image has been Highly Honored in this years Nature’s Best competition hosted by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C, United States.

Minutes passed as I stood on the sidewalk in Kensington. Surprised by my emotional response, I recalled how five years earlier and in a moment of panic followed by a long walk home, I had traded my Beetle for two brown paper bags filled with film and filters!

My ongoing journey to become a professional wildlife photographer has had its fair share of ups and downs. In my endeavours over the last few years, I have shed blood, sweat, and yes, rather embarrassingly - even tears! I have unwittingly contracted malaria 5 times, bilharzia and a host of parasitic worms after sharing a waterhole with baboons (read the article here)! Not to mention the copious pints of blood that I generously donated to legions of Tsetse flies in southern Tanzania! Furthermore, financially, I am still trying to figure out how I can make my photography profitable (Nikon, if you listening, sponsor me)? The recent achievement of having my work exhibited in London’s Natural History Museum and featuring in a special Collector’s Edition of the Smithsonian Nature’s Best publication is also more a personal milestone than a major career breaking accomplishment.

There are quite simply more established photographers, achieving far more note worthy results. For example, Nick Nichol’s 1000 plus mile expedition through central Africa on a National Geographic assignment that lead to the formation of 13 national parks! So why write this article?

Following a piece of random advice read in a book years ago, has allowed me to take a moment to pause and reflect. This has proved a worthwhile exercise. Not only has it produced a lengthy article where the words ‘wildlife photographer’ have been repeated endlessly to help google search engines, but it has reminded me of where I began and the journey I have taken. Perhaps most importantly, it has reminded me why I photograph?

My photographic voyage has allowed me to experience nature in an undiluted, intense and beautiful way. These many moments, some of which have been successfully recorded on camera, I would not trade for all the money in the world! The purpose of my photography is to generously share such moments with others. I may have purchased my first camera to share my life and passion for the wild with just friends and family but now, with two images appearing in either museums, websites or publications abroad, I am able to share my work with literally millions of people.

I now also place value on my work from a conservation point of view and I hope that in some small way, by me presenting the natural world in a unique and special way, I am helping it to be better appreciated. Over the years, I have come to understand that I live a privileged lifestyle that allows me to spend a large portion of my time with wildlife. Through my photography I am able to hopefully share the beauty and diversity of the natural world with others that, for whatever reason, are unable to experience the wild in the same awesome way that I do.

I have never been to Washington D.C, but I take solace and encouragement that one of my Fuji Sensia slides traveled across the Atlantic on my behalf. My VW Beetle would never have gotten me there anyway!

Below are brief outlines of the two museums and gallery exhibits:

The Natural History Museum, London:

The BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition finds the best wildlife images taken by the world’s top wildlife professionals and amateur photographers. The winning and commended images go on display in the Natural History Museum (NHM), London. This exhibit has proved over the years to be one of the museums most popular. The gallery is on exhibit in the NHM from Nov 2009 - April 2010 before it travels the globe to be seen by millions of viewers. The winning images are compiled into a coffee table book each year by BBC Books and this year will see the publication of the 19 Portfolio. A selection of images is also featured in the BBC Wildlife Magazine. The NHM is a world-renowned centre of research and conservation. Built in 1881, collections hold great historical and scientific evidence such as specimens collected by Darwin himself.

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History:

The Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards are hosted by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). The competition celebrates the beauty and diversity of nature through the art of photography. The winning portfolio of images is viewed by more than 10 million internet users as well as millions of visitors attending the gallery exhibition between Nov 12th and May 2nd 2010 in Washington D.C. (United States). The winning portfolio is published in a special collector’s edition of the elite Nature’s Best publication. The museum itself is the size of 18 football fields and is open 364 days of the year. The NMNH serves as one of the world’s great repositories of scientific and cultural heritage and houses 185 professional natural history scientists.

The end

I recently entered the BBC Nature Writer of the Year competition (just for fun). I am lazy with my writing and decided to take on the challenge of writing a true life account of an ‘animal encounter’. Over the years I have had many delightful moments with Hippo and in this short story, I expand on one such special meeting. The catch? I only had 500 words to do it in! 

I awoke with a jolt in my bed and a frosted nose. Wonderful, the river might be steaming today, I thought as I reached for my clammy leather bush boots. Shaking them vigorously before slipping my feet inside, I felt like an obsessive-compulsive. Winter was not, after all, scorpion season! The sleepy Land Rover, without a roof, roared into life. Bouncing along the winding bush track, I felt alive and hoped to see the meandering river steaming like a warm cup of early morning coffee…

Living close to the equator, winter is not so much a season but rather only a slight drop in temperature, which offers respite for but a few refreshing weeks each year. Having never felt or touched snow, the cold air brushing my face and the hopeful prospect of seeing a steamy wintry river, seemed like the African equivalent? Rounding the last bend and gazing down upon an ancient arm of the Great Rift Valley, I fixed my eyes upon the Ruaha River, snaking its way through the Tanzanian bush like a gigantic python, with furious steam rising off its skin. Instinctively my pedal-foot eased off and the cold rush of fresh air loosened its tight grip on my nose, knuckles and face. Free wheeling into the valley and turning right, onto an even narrower bush track, I followed the languid river in a westerly direction.

The viscous water seemed to be brewing like a giant kettle having just gone off the boil, and I wished I could get closer? I inhaled and exhaled deeply. Both the river and I were expelling hot condensed air and how utterly exuberant I felt! Jumping out the 4×4 I raced to the steep bank and there in the glowing water below, lay a raft of hippopotami. Hypnotized, I leapt down the bank and onto the soft granular river sand. I so wanted to be a hippo, to feel the steaming water slide over my smooth skin and to be so utterly immersed in nature’s jacuzzi.  Reaching the water’s edge, I lay down in the cold thick sand with fat wallowing hippos just thirty metres in front of me, snorting disdain at my alien intrusion upon their muggy watery abyss.

Shuffling my body deeper into the sand, I became a part of the very canvas that just minutes ago, my Land Rover and I had been admiring from higher up. In a transient state of nirvana, I lay in the sand like an anorexic crocodile staring into the gently bubbling, gurgling, churning, deep dark water.

After a few minutes the hippos settled down, and so did their profuse snorting cynicism. The dominant bull in the pod however, began ever so slowly, almost nonchalantly, swimming in my direction? As each nervous second passed, the shape of his flat elongated head became increasingly large. He kept coming, closer and closer, now more directly towards me! His peculiar small ears flicked constantly, dispersing vigorous droplets of translucent water in every direction.

His gigantic nostrils exhaled early morning smoke reminiscent of an ancient dragon. His tiny black beady eyes stared at me with what I hoped was intrigue and wonder? Now just three metres in front of me, I could see the deep furrowed battle scars on his rump. His skin, thin and smooth, mysteriously contained the swollen bulging bulk of a body much like synthetic sausage casing does a cheap pork banger. My tummy rumbled as my hasty retreat from camp excluded breakfast of any kind. His nostrils, active volcanic craters from the rim of which erupted whiskers as thick as pencils! Every second slowed to a minute as I inappropriately and curiously paused to ponder how sophisticatedly the delicate pink-pigmented marshmallow creased skin surrounding his eyes complimented his long liquorish-like jet-black whiskers? Water steamed about him as he gazed at my own comparatively peculiar features. To him I must have been an odd sort of creature with a tiny white frosted nose and minuscule nostrils sporting ridiculously thin and barely visible nose hairs. He seemed unconvinced of my flat round face and neat rows of equidistant equilateral teeth lacking in substance of ivory.

‘Sploosh’ was the sound as his large head disappeared down into his churning chasm. The gigantic beast before me had disappeared in a mere instant! I felt as if I was waking from a deep slumber for the second time in the same day. Looking up, suddenly blinded by the equatorial sun, the horrendous thought of the now defrosted crocodiles entered my mind like an unwanted virus entering a computer. Pulling myself to my feet and taking a few giant steps backwards, I dusted the sand off my belly and trudged back to my Land Rover. The day was about to become intensely hot.