Hi all…don’t you find that there s nothing more menacing than a powerful lioness staring straight at you in your eyes?! In this picture I have for you today, she is definitely one of these. You can see the power in her muscles on her legs, shoulders and back just waiting to be unleashed on some unsuspecting prey. She looks a bit hungry in this photo as well.

Rangers have always said to me when I was younger that the lions in a game park only see vehicles as one whole entity and that is why they do not associate us with food or individuals able to be hunted. I seem to disagree with this when this kind of scenario happens (which it has A LOT with me). She is definitely looking right at me, almost into my soul, and there is not doubt about that for me. The eye-contact from a lioness is unnerving as well as captivating for me. She could walk/stalk right up the side of my vehicle and I wouldn’t even realised-haha…I guess that makes me easy prey. I’ve got Noa here to protect me now though so I should be ok.

Take a look folks…

Cheers til tomorrow.

Hi all…I hope the weekends went well and you had some fun times outdoors. I know I did. Noa and I are having lots of fun driving around in my new vehicle, checking on where the animals are and what they are up to.

Driving along to visit my previous base for my ‘Colours of the Kalahari’ Project – Rooiputs – I came across this big guy guarding the entrance. When I was living at Rooiputs I would often gets lions through the camp at night. He is obviously one of the ‘Rooiputs Residents’ that I was sharing living space with for a while. I am now based at Twee Rivieren though so come on up and visit me. I would love to be in a more remote area but then I wouldn’t be able to do things like this (blog posts etc.) as I need the connectivity from here. I still spend as much time as I physically can in the park as this is my life and where I love to be.

Also, just a note from me…we are running end-of-year promotions with my books, like the one I mentioned (Colours of the Kalahari) and Colours of Southern Africa, where you could win a photo safari with me up here in the Kalahari so go to my website (click link top right of this page) and see what the details are. They make great Christmas presents too!

That’s all from me today…til tomorrow…cheers.

Hi all…today I am feeling creative and artistic so I want to share this black and white lion photo with you. These two brothers are regulars I see around here in the Kalahari and I love photographing them because they often have moments of emotion/affection with each other. This is cool to capture as it shows a different side to these powerful, aggressive and ‘born-to-kill’ animals. In this moment the one actually looks like he is giving a little grin/chuckle at a secret his brother might have been sharing with him.

Part of my philosophy about photography, which is emphasised even more by black & white images, is that a good photo should show emotion. I think this one shows a lot and the fact that it is black & white makes the emotion that much more pronounced. I have a passion for black & white pics (take a look at my website for more www.lochnerphoto.com).

So my message to all of you today is firstly, to take some time to show the ones you love that you care about them (like these 2) and secondly, when photographing, try to capture those moments that show some kind of emotion from your subject as people will identify better with your photos.

Have a great weekend and take care. ‘Ta ta’ for now.

Hi all…this one is for ‘Henco Nienaber’ because he asked me to keep a look out for reptiles and look who I found slithering around trying to find something to eat. This Cape Cobra I spotted hanging out in a Social Weavers’ Nest waiting for the right time to strike. It was fairly easy for the snake to get up in there because these snakes are great climbers. It then managed to grab one poor, unsuspecting weaver which did not stand any chance of surviving that attack. The Cape Cobra injects a powerful neurotoxin into its prey which affects the respiratory system as this venom paralyzes it. This is not a snake to be messed with as it has a 60% mortality rate with humans if the bite is not treated properly with the appropriate anti-venom. It is aggressive if surprised and will rear with its hood spread and come for you.

So basically just another little reminder from me to all of you that when you are traipsing around wild places like the Kalahari, to be aware of where you are stepping etc. and to keep your wits about you. This is their home remember and we are just visiting.

Take a look at this ssssly one:

Enjoy it and take care, ‘ta ta’ til tomorrow.

Hi all…its all about the spots today although I have to say that this one is number 2 on my list of favourite spotted cats in this park. The cheetah comes second to my love of leopards that I am sure a lot of you feel the same about. They are still magnificent animals in their own right though and the photo I am sharing with you today is one I find interesting. It is not a typical ‘motion shot’ where the animal (or part of the animal) is in focus and the rest of the image is blurred as this one is pretty in focus still. This is unique because you can see that the cheetah is in fact running (as cheetahs are known to do) but not at its full pace of about 110km/h. I don’t think I would’ve been able to capture that.

In the background, the on-edge gemsbok can still be seen lingering,waiting for the relief that comes when the cheetah has passed. They wouldn’t have been too nervous though because cheetahs usually go for smaller antelope. In this photo you can also see the elegance and gracefulness that cheetahs have even when hunting. They are slender and sleek cats that look like they barely touch the ground when running (in this case not at all). You can also notice that this one is collared because of the cheetah research going on in this park. Research projects like this cheetah one are invaluable to the conservation of beautiful cats like these so support these initiatives where you can.

That’s all I have for you today so check back tomorrow…’ta ta’.

Hi all…I find that my days here in the Kalahari go by so quickly. I think it’s probably because I have so much fun and am concentrating so hard on my photography and finding animals that the time flies by. Lucky for me, they are unlimited and I know I am making you all jealous but you can come and visit sometime.

So today’s photo is of a little visitor I got last night…the gecko. They come out at night (mostly nocturnal) to find food (mainly insects) and this makes for really great night shots of them. I really enjoy photographing them as their colours often are in high contrast to their backgrounds (ground, sand, tree trunk etc). I have been lucky enough (right-place-right-time) to have been able photograph one of these during a rain shower when I was here taking photographs for my book: ‘Colours of the Kalahari’. It turned out to be one of my favourite shots as the water droplet landed right on its head. This picture can be viewed on my website (www.lochnerphoto.com) but for last nights visitor, here he is… I hope you enjoy this one and check back tomorrow again for the next choice from me.

‘Ta Ta’ for now…

Hi all…I hope you all had a great weekend like I did.

Today’s image I have chosen to be one of my favourite animals to photograph. The Meerkat! This is definitely also one of the Kalahari’s most iconic animals that people come to see from all parts of the globe. Thanks to that show by the BBC, “Meerkat Manor”, these cute little guys have developed a name for themselves and become really popular. People get won-over by their constant dedication to the protection of their families and their vigilance with watching for danger. They are great characters and are fun to watch.

That’s all from me today so please let me know what you think and if you have some stories of these cute critters then please share them with me.

Until tomorrow…Bye from the Kalahari.

Hi all…another beautifully HOT day in the Kalahari today-probably about 38 degrees C.

Out on my evening drive last night I came across this magnificent lioness relaxing (as lions do best 🙂 ) in the shrubs. She was beautifully framed by another colourful sunset with the oranges, yellows and reds bursting from behind her. This is one of the main reasons that I love this park SO much-every animal etc. that you come across and want to photograph is inevitably framed by (or has a background of) the awesome Kalahari colours. Her landscapes, thunderstorms, sunrises and sunsets make my job as a professional wildlife photographer a little easier when nature performs so well for me.

Let me know what you think by commenting below and if there are any specific questions you want answered or anything in particular you want me to talk about!

That’s it for today…check in again on Monday for another update from me here at my home in the Kalahari.

So after a long stint in Cape Town, I am back in the Kalahari and loving it!!!

My next project is about to start in 2 or so months but I first want to drive around through the whole park to get a feeling for where all the leopards, prides of lion and cheetahs move around. At the same time I will be checking out all the dens of hyaenas and foxes, jackals, nests of birds of pray, and all animal movements! Then in late January 2011 my new project will be in off and on its way to being another very interesting and educational period in my life.

What makes it even more interested, and enjoyable :), for me is that I now have my partner ‘Noa’ here with me doing the FILMING for the new project!!! This means that now I will be able to share with all of you short film clips as well as my photos and stories along the way. You can keep track of, and in touch with, me through my website, twitter, facebook and this BLOG! 🙂 I will be updating it daily (or trying to at least as connectivity up here can be challenging at times) so check this blog regularly for updates from me on the dynamic and action-packed Kalahari!!!

Introducing Me, Noa and my new baby (photographic vehicle) at our home in the Kalahari: 

Check in tomorrow for my next bit of news…!

Hi all…as part of the end-of-year special that I am running with my business, you can now stand the chance to win a photographic safari with me in my ;home’, The Kalahari. Come spend some time with me in this amazing part of the world where I can show you all of my favourite spots and animals and where you can learn a bit more about photographing them in their natural habitat.

Go to my website NOW and enter!
http://www.lochnerphoto.com/item_en.php?item=offers

This is only being run until the end of 2010 so don’t delay!

Hope to see you next year!