Gustafson Photo Safari

We can put you here: Brazil Pantanal 2010

Add comment October 14th, 2009

Check out the amazing footage in our new trailer for our unique Brazil Pantanal photo safaris. The 2010 tour has just been announced. Check out the Tours page for more details.

Update:Todd’s trip report for the 2009 Brazil tour has just been published

Madagascar 2008 trip report

Add comment March 10th, 2009

The very name MADAGASCAR calls to mind rain forests, lemurs, strange insects and reptiles. As a traveling photographer it is my goal to create superlative images that capture unique species that make Madagascar such a fascinating destination. In February of 2008 I and 7 intrepid photographers visited this island country set in the Indian Ocean. Separated from the African mainland for millennia, Madagascar’s flora and fauna have evolved to species unique in the world. 800 indigenous plants and hundreds of animal, reptile and insect species inhabit the many specialized ecosystems.
The habitats we visited included the rainforest at Andisebi National park, Spiny forest, gallery forest and scrub forest in Berenty. In all habitats there were fantastic lemurs, insects, amphibians, and reptiles.  ……continue reading (adobe pdf)

Costa Rica 2007 - Tour Report

January 2nd, 2008

Photographing in the Rain Forest
COSTA RICA 2007

The 2007 Costa Rica excursion was my third to this friendly, safe, and photographically rewarding destination. The reason for returning year after year is the huge variety of dramatic subjects in dynamic, photographable situations. All of the photos in this article were taken of wild animals and birds in natural habitats. Costa Rica offers a wide variety of ecosystems, including rainforest, mountains, sea shores, pantanal, and open grasslands. In these diverse environments one can expect to find not only a huge variety of birds (toucans, mot-mots, parrots, owls, a host of raptors, trogons and quetzals), but also mammals, including multiple species of monkeys, two types of sloth, tyra, white nosed coati and otter. There are tree frogs, poison dart frogs, salamanders, vipers and boa constrictors to say nothing of the multitude of creepy crawlies such as leaf cutter ants, millipedes, butterflies, and banana spiders all inhabiting a botanist’s-dream-of-a-rainforest.

Le Selva Bio Research Station, 7 peice panoramic, Nikon D200 10.5mm f/2.8 lens

My lenses of choice are 600mm with tele-converters and a macro set (105mm macro and an R1-C1 macro flash).

The most important part of your camera system for a rainforest destination is a fully functional dedicated flash unit. This includes a Better-beamer, an auxiliary power supply (I use a Quantum Turbo SC) and all the accompanying cords and chargers. Please check the system before the trip to make sure all parts are functioning properly and that you understand how it works. I stress this because every photograph that you see in this article was taken with a dedicated flash unit. The most common mistake I see in the field is Betterbeamers pointed off subject. Usually the light from the flash hits the ground in front of the subject. In the field I periodically check the aim of the BetterBeamer by selecting a tree trunk or an isolated branch to photograph. If the image lacks a flash presence I lock the Wimberly tripod head and fire the flash without looking through the viewfinder. I can then see exactly where the flash is hitting and adjust it accordingly.

Our first stop was the Arinal Observatory Lodge, situated on the rainforest-clad slopes of the Arinal volcano.

Arinal Lake, Arinal Volcano, Nikon D200, 17mm f/2.8

On the beautifully sculpted grounds were rufus-tailed hummingbirds, variable seed-eaters, Montezuma’s orapendula, green honey-creepers, keel-billed toucans and white-nosed coati. After an early breakfast seven of us got in our 21 seat luxury Toyota and went deep into the Arinal rainforest on my favorite stretch of road. We hike along this road with tripods big lenses ready, while the luxury bus shadows us in case someone should need a macro setup or a different camera. This year we encountered a lemon yellow eyelash pit-viper, loads of interesting flowers, howler monkeys, crested Guan, and Montezuma’s orapendula. The best was saved for last when a 60 pound, 8 foot boa constrictor crossed the road and posed for a few pictures.

Eye Lash Pit Viper Nikon D200, 105mm VR Macro Lens R1-C1 macro flash Arinal Volcano	Boa Constrictor Nikon D200, 105mm VR Macro Lens R1-C1 macro flash Arinal Volcano

Our next destination was Cano Negro, just south of Nicaragua. When traveling with our expert guide, I have to tell people to have their cameras ready and pay attention. On this bus trip we spotted and photographed broad-wing hawk, white hawk, laughing falcon, and a three toed sloth.

Broad-winged Hawk Road to Cano Negro	Laughing Falcon	Three-toed Sloth

Cano Negro is a great place to photograph from boats on the open waters of the Rio Frio. The boats glide on the still waters and quiet photographers can drift very close to otherwise shy subjects. Species we photographed included anhinga, jacana, Amazon, green, and ringed king-fishers, neotropic cormorant, snail kite, boat-billed heron, black-headed trogon and many green basilisk lizards.

Amazon Kingfisher Cano Negro	Ringed Kingfisher	Boat-billed Heron

Our second boat ride had a bit too much rain so we boarded the bus and drove along a meadow lined gravel road. An amazing number of species were along this road. Some we photographed from the bus while others tolerated the entire group setting up tripods along the road. New species for me were Nicaraguan seed-finch, slate-tailed trogon, pale-billed woodpecker, and groove-billed ani. In a meadow we noticed there were huge numbers of turkey vultures and yellow cara-cara eating grasshoppers. We walked into the meadow and made these photographs.

Turkey Vultures	Pale-Billed Woodpecker
Black-headed Trogon	Yellow Cara-Cara

The final chance was with two bare-throated tiger herons. They were up to their beautiful necks in grass and as we stopped one of then flew into lichen-covered branches of a roadside tree.

Rufescent Tiger Heron, Cano Negro

From Cano Negro we drove to the lush rainforest of Selva Verde and nearby La Selva. On this ride we photographed iguana, bat falcon, white hawk, nun bird, collared aracari, laughing falcon and another fantastic three-toed sloth. The rainforest here is diverse and photographable. Jungle flowers, vines and ancient trees provide the setting for poison dart and tree frogs and the variety of bird species is staggering.

Bat Falcon	Three-Toed Sloth

Collared Aracari
La Selve Area

Windows through the forest canopy can be small, so care must be taken when setting up your tripod. Moving one or two inches can make the difference between an unseen leaf being a flash- illuminated distraction and a clean composition. In the accompanying photo of a Rufus mot-mot, I had to move several times to get a clean shot through the forest canopy. My final tripod placement put me too close to fit the whole bird in the frame so I made a two piece panoramic.

Rufus Mot-mot, Selva Verde

Endangered green macaws, chestnut-mandible toucans, trogons, hawks, puff-backs, and collared aracari were also photographed this year. White bats, millipedes, butterflies, and leaf-cutter ants made appearances as well.
A trip to nearby La Paz Waterfall Gardens yielded 15 species of hummingbirds, 6 species of tanagers, euphonia, butterflies, frogs, waterfalls and a great gift shop.

Summer Tanager	Red-eyed Tree Frog

Buff-crested Euphonia, La Paz	Poison Dart Frog

Out final stop for this year’s Costa Rica Adventure was in the Talamanka Mountains in search of the resplendent Quetzal. At this time of year the males are in breeding plumage and the wild avocados are in fruit. This combination made this an exciting destination for us. The bonus was that our lodge was situated at 8,000 feet and had a new cast of characters at the bird feeders. Ten minutes after exiting the bus I had photographed 5 new species of humming bird including the amazing scintelent hummingbird. There were also flame-colored tanagers, black vultures and acorn woodpeckers on the grounds

Green Violet-ear	White-throated Mountain Gem	Purple-Throated Mountain-Gem	Long-billed Hermit

Scintillent Hummingbird, Sevegre

Our main goal, however, was to find and photograph the Resplendent Quetzal. We drove up the valley looking for wild avocado trees that might attract them. No luck on the roadside trees. Our guide knew of one tree in the middle of an orchard that might be a possibility. The tree was situated on a hillside above a small parking lot. There was a male Quetzal but against a white sky it was not a great photo op. The orchard owner gave us permission to climb up the valley wall for a better light angle, which also put us at eyelevel with the lichen-covered branches. By the time we all climbed to our spots and got settled the bird had flown. We stayed put thinking that the food and perches were here so the chances of the bird returning were good. The decision paid off because by the end of the morning there were two female and five male resplendent Quetzals in the tree. Simply waiting for your favorite bird to land on the best branches yielded spectacular images. The accompanying image is a six piece panoramic of the male quetzal (900mm images-three across the top, three across the bottom).

Respelendent Quetzel, Sevegre

Photographers that have seen the images from this trip have asked if we spent a year in the jungle to get the quality and variety of species. Nine days of photographing in the right places at the right time will give photographers this kind of opportunity. We will have a similar itinerary for next year’s Costa Rica Adventure.
December 1-10
$3,500.00 per person double occupancy

All photographs taken with Nikon D2x and 600 f4 lens and 1.7 tele- converter at maximum aperture unless otherwise noted

Have fun!

Kenya 2007 - Safari Report

Add comment November 1st, 2007

Understanding Subject Behavior and Capturing the Decisive Moment

Grey-headed kingfisher, Samburu

All photographs are taken with Nikon D2x and 600 f4 lens and 1.7 tele-converter at maximum aperture unless otherwise noted

People often ask me why I return to East Africa year after year.  "You must have gotten photos of all the birds and animals after more than 20 safaris" is something I often hear from friends and relatives.  The truth is that there is always something new and inspiring to photograph on every safari.  This year was no exception with at least 25 new bird species photographed and numerous animal behaviors that I have only heard about.

Red-headed weaver, Crescent Island

 

One of the challenges of this year’s Kenya Safari was the diversity of the group’s experience and interests.  Among the 15 travelers, we had safari veterans, a birder, a young non-photographer and a non- photographing spouse.  Whether photographing, game viewing or bird watching, everyone found their own interests satisfied.  The strategy is to get to the best photographic destinations at the best time of year to capture the most dramatic action.  In 2007 I was able to organize back to back 15 day safaris to Kenya.   Some people stayed for both safaris and we were able to experience the best of Kenya’s National Parks.

Maasai Mara was our first destination.  From our base at Keekorok we were able to easily explore the central Mara area- always a good place to spot big cats.  We weren’t disappointed when by day two we had beautiful chances at 3 leopards, five cheetah and at least a dozen lions.

Maasai Mara, from left: Cheetah; Young Leopard; Lioness and Wildebeest

At Lake Naivasha one of the highlight was hiking on Crescent Island with a three day old giraffe.

Maasai Giraffe,Crescent Island    

Lake Nakuru’s diversity once again offered limitless photographic opportunities, from flamingos to lions, Rothchild’s giraffe to rhinos and everything in between.

Lesser flamingos landing, Lake Nakuru

Samburu National Reserve is a great place to be up close and personal with elephants, leopards and the photogenic Samburu tribal people.

Videographer Lauren Matic and Elephants (Nikon D200 17mm lens); Samburu Tribesman

Before I go on safari I will ask people whose opinions I trust what photographic style I should attempt.  My early safaris had a heavy percentage of close-up portraiture. On another safari I tried to capture the peak  moment of action, while on another I worked on juxtaposing an in focus subject in front of a similar subject out of focus.  On this 2007 safari I worked on telling an editorial story in a series of photos leading to an ultimate image.  By using this thought process I was more often able to create a powerful ultimate image because I envisioned where the story might go and what might happen.  I put myself in the place where photographically I wanted the main action to take place and was thus prepared to photograph when it happened.  

On Crescent Island we discussed the process of choosing a photo subject from the many that were available to us.  While hiking across the island we had the choices of African fish eagle, impala, giraffe and waterbuck.  We chose to follow a herd of waterbuck because of the setting (early morning light, beautiful reeds, and the lake behind them) the subjects (powerful bucks and soft-furred female waterbucks), and behavior (the alpha male and a female were displaying mating behavior).  We put ourselves in such a position as to have the best light on the best setting to capture the waterbucks in their mating behavior.  By the time we got into position the two waterbucks had separated themselves from the herd and came to the exact spot we had chosen for our photo.

Waterbuck Mating Sequence, Crescent Island

While photographing flamingos in early morning light at Lake Nakuru, the sound of hyenas came from down the lake shore.  The logical prey for them would be the flamingos we were photographing.  We immediately got in the vehicles and moved 600 meters up the lakeshore.  By the time we got into position the three hyenas had charged into the lake and chased the flamingos directly at us.  We paralleled the hunters as they searched for injured birds and were in perfect position as two birds were taken and dragged out of the lake by the hyenas.

Hyena Hunting Flamingo Sequence, Lake Nakuru

 

One of the best places to photograph leopards is Samburu National Reserve.  A problem with photographing leopards is that as wildlife "royalty" they attract a crowd of vehicles when they are spotted.  On a morning game drive we could see the traffic jam that usually accompanies a leopard sighting.  We discussed the photographic possibilities with our driver and decided to avoid all the traffic.  By thinking logically about what the leopard was doing and what he might want to do, we placed our vehicle at the mouth of a dry streambed that led to the river.  We hoped the leopard would follow this course to drink at the river.  As the other vehicles scrambled through the underbrush in search of the leopard, we watched and photographed him as he walked along the dry streambed, past our vehicle and into the brush. 

Leopard spots, Samburu

After lunch we went out earlier than usual on the chance that we would find the leopard again.  We looked in the river area that he went to for a drink and found that he and another leopard were in two separate trees.  Having started early we had no other vehicles to compete with for the viewing spot.  One of the leopards was asleep while the other seemed to be faking it.  His ears gave the slightest twitch as we drove into position.  To get a cat’s attention is no easy task.  Banging on the side of the vehicle, whistling, or honking the horn will not work.  They have all been tried countless times and are recognized as an annoyance to be ignored. Sometimes a leopard will react to the sound of lions in the area.  If your imitation of the lion’s call is a good one you may get a look from the leopard-but only one.  Once he realizes that it is you and not a lion making the sound the game is up.  Our lion call was a good one and by being prepared for the one time opportunity with long lenses and tele-converters we captured this look.

Leopard Portrait , Samburu

As other vehicles arrived on the scene the leopard decided to move to a more peaceful lair.  Now was the time to put on a shorter zoom lens to photograph the descent from the tree.  There were no angled braches for the cat to climb down on so the 30 foot drop would only take an instant.  By having the correct lens on the camera and by anticipating the subject’s action we were able to make these images.

 

Leopard Descent , Samburu

 Gerenuk is an antelope that inhabits the arid ecosystem of Samburu National Reserve.  They do not drink water but get all of their moisture from the fresh new leaves at the top of thorn trees.  They have adapted to this by developing long legs and a long neck.  They also exhibit the unique behavior of standing on their hind legs to reach the freshest leaves.  By understanding these adaptations a photographer can position himself so as to be ready for the ultimate shot of gerenuk feeding.  The first challenge is to find a great subject (a mature male with stunning horns) in good position (on the correct side of the vehicle with the best light angle).  Next, find the bush that the animal is likely to feed on and a bush that offers a perfect view of the desired behavior.  When the animal feeds on your chosen tree, wait until you see the gleam of light in the animal’s huge eyes.

Gerenuk Feeding Sequence, Samburu

 There is also a fraction of a second when the animal is done feeding when it curls up its hooves and descends from its feeding position.  This is a difficult moment to capture, but one that can make an elegant image.

 In all of these photographic situations, understanding what the animals were likely to do and being in the places that I hoped the action would take place paid huge dividends.  The pictures then became a well crafted images rather than "grab shots". Experience obviously helps in understanding what a subject may do but there are observational texts written by wildlife experts that can prepare a photographer for what is likely to happen in the field.  The publication that has helped me the most is "The Safari Companion" by Estes.