Christian Sperka Photography

2018-08-09

Ten days in pictures …

One picture per day …

For the last ten days I hosted a private photography safari guest on Thanda Safari. The lady from Switzerland had booked nine nights of private photo drives and photo lessons. These are a few of the best pictures which I took during her stay. We had a great time!

I hope you like my summary for these 10 days.

For many more pictures please subscribe to my Instagram channel (ChristianSperkaPhotography).

Monday – Day 1 | A beautiful Thanda Safari sunset | Canon 1D Mark IV – f4 – 500mm L

Tuesday – Day 2 | A speed run after a Wildebeest resulting in a kill | Canon 1D Mark IV – f3.5-5.6 – 28- 300mm

Wednesday – Day 3 | The Green Mamba 1 at Thanda’s largest waterhole | iPhone 7 Plus

Thursday – Day 4 | Lion cubs relaxing in the warm morning sun | Canon 1D Mark IV – f3.5-5.6 – 28- 300mm

Friday – Day 5 | An Elephant her crossing the Mduna River | Canon 1D Mark IV – f3.5-5.6 – 28-300mm L

Saturday – Day 6 | A wet Brown-hooded Kingfisher at the kuMasinga hide on Mkuze Game Reserve | Canon 1D Mark – f4 – 500mm L

Sunday – Day 7 | Vervet Monkey on a rainy day | Canon 1D Mark IV – f4 – 500mm L

Monday – Day 8 | Little Elephant and her mum walking towards my vehicle | Canon 1D Mark IV – f3.5-5.6 – 28-300mm

Tuesday – Day 9 | Angry dad! A male Lion telling a youngster to keep his distance | Canon 1D Mark IV – f3.5-5.6 – 28-300mm L

Wednesday – Day 10 | A lazy Cheetah male in the early morning | Canon 1D Mark IV – f4 – 500mm L

Extra | One of my favorite shots: A Knob-thorn tree and a Giraffe in the morning light | Canon 1D Mark IV – f3.5-5.6 – 28-300mm L

http://www.sperka.com

#christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography

2018-07-29

This week in pictures …

One picture per day …

Monday: White-fronted Bee-Eater | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f4 – 500mm L

Tuesday: Giraffe Males fighting | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f4 – 500mm L

Wednesday: Elephant Male on a sunny day | iPhone 7 Plus

Thursday: Sunset @ Thanda | iPhone 7 Plus

Friday: Lion family walking | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f3.5-5.6 – 28-300mm L

Saturday: Marsh Owl | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f3.5-5.6 – 28-300mm L

Sunday: Male Lion under a full moon | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f3.5-5.6 – 28-300mm L

Extra: Sunrise @ Thanda Canon 1 D Mark IV – f3.5-5.6 – 28-300mm L

I hope your like my weekly summary. For many more pictures please subscribe to my Instagram channel (ChristianSperkaPhotography).

http://www.sperka.com

#christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography

2018-07-23

This week in pictures …

Luxury – Surfing – Cleopatra – Gourmets – Giants – Tsessebe – Dung – Flowers – Giraffe

One picture per day …

Sunday: Pure luxury on the Indian Ocean – The Oysterbox Hotel in Umhlanga – https://www.oysterboxhotel.com/ | iPhone 7 Plus

Monday: A rooms with a view – Watching surfers from my room at The Oysterbox | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f4 – 500mm L

Tuesday: What a nose 🙂 – Cleopatra Mountain in the Drakensberg | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f4 – 500mm L

Wednesday: A gourmet’s delight – Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse – https://www.cleopatramountain.com/ | iPhone 7 Plus

Thursday: Egyptian Geese in front of the Giants Castle mountain chain | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f4 – 500mm L

Friday: Running Tsesebe at iSimangaliso Wetland Park | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f4 – 500mm L

Saturday: Dung Beetles at work | iPhone 7 Plus

Sunday: A Scarlet-chested Sunbird feeding on a Sausage Tree flower at Pakamisa – http://www.pakamisa.co.za/ | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f4 – 500mm L

Extra: Resting Giraffe at Pakamisa – http://www.pakamisa.co.za/ | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f4 – 500mm L

I hope your like my weekly summary. For many more pictures please subscribe to my Instagram channel (ChristianSperkaPhotography).

http://www.sperka.com

#christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography

2018-07-16

This week in pictures …

Elephant – Baobab – Sunset – Airport – Lion – Rhinos – Barbet – Bushbuck – Oysterbox

One picture per day …

Sunday: An old Elephant bull in musth – he has been there before and was therefore quite calm – good for us watching him … | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f2.8 – 300mm L

Monday: The only Baobab tree at Thanda – in my front garden … | iPhone 7 Plus

Tuesday: Sunset at Thanda’s larget dam … | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f2.8 – 70-200mm L

Wednesday: A Weaver trying to share my lunch at Durban airport | iPhone 7 Plus

Thursday: A Lion male in morning light … | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f2.8 – 300mm L

Friday: Approaching Rhinos … | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f2.8 – 70-200mm L

Friday (2): A Crested Barbet posing for a photo shoot … | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f4 – 500mm L

Saturday: Weather change sky … | iPhone 7 Plus

Sunday: Bushbuck at iSimangaliso … | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f4 500ml L

Extra: Sunrise at The Oysterbox Hotel | iPhone 7 Plus

I hope your like my weekly summary. For many more pictures please subscribe to my Instagram channel (ChristianSperkaPhotography).

PS: Based on recent requests I have added some camera information.

http://www.sperka.com

#christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography

2018-07-092018-07-09

Bird ID help welcome …

I am currently sorting through hundreds of my bird pictures which I took since 2002. Most of them I was able to ID positively.

But there are quite a few for which I either cannot find an ID at all or which I am not able to give a clear ID (multiple options).

If you would like to try to ID some of them for me then have a look at my bird ID page. I have uploaded the first 26 images, more to come soon 🙂

Click here to view the page https://sperka.info/id/

Thanks for the help from all the birders!

2018-07-082018-07-09

This week in pictures …

Arrival – Surroundings – Big – Majestic – Snakes – Creche – Ultraviolet– Crazy

One picture per day …

Sunday: New game arrival at Thanda – A Waterbuck jumping into the new home … | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f2.8 – 70-200mm L

Monday: One of the two new Cheetah brothers getting used to the new surroundings … | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f3.5-5.6 – 28-300mm L

Tuesday: A little Elephant letting me know that he is big already … | Canon 1 D Mark IV – f3.5-5.6 – 28-300L

Wednesday: Majestic look into the sunset … | Canon 1 Ds Mark III – f2.8 – 300mm L

Thursday: My last snake awareness class for this year – 10 classes with a total of over 100 people – Done! | iPhone 7 Plus and Canon 1 D Mark IV – f3.5-5.6 – 300mm L and f4.0 – 500mm L

Shopping for my little creche project … More info at https://sperka.info/2018/06/14/please-read-this-message/ | iPhone 7 Plus

Saturday: Before my Rhino Talk the boys in the guest group showed me this Scorpion with an ultraviolet torch … | iPhone 7 Plus

Sunday: The craziest sighting so far this year – am mouse with no fear! | iPhone 7 Plus

Extra: Stepping out of my room into a glorious morning … | iPhone 7 Plus

I hope your like my weekly summary. For many more pictures please subscribe to my Instagram channel (ChristianSperkaPhotography).

PS: Based on recent requests I have added some camera information.

http://www.sperka.com

#christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography

2018-07-06

The first goodies …

INKANYISO CRÈCHE UPDATE

The first batch of goodies is ready for delivery to the crèche. I will make a visit soon after the school holidays are finished.

They will get tables, crayons, paper, some educational toys, balls, a large trash container and plastic boxes to store everything in. Thanks to Michelle from Outtheredesign I got nice INKANYISO CRÈCHE labels on everything. Michelle and I have also created 11 baby animal posters with names in isiZulu and in English.

Thanks to the generosity of so many of you I will be able to continue to help with some more things for them for a while. My next project is some ‘outside playground setup’ and more educational toys. I will keep you updated.

If you want more information about my little crèche project go to https://sperka.info/2018/06/14/please-read-this-message/

Thanks for all the help – Have a good weekend!

2018-07-03

Ulwazi 2019 – a very special way to experience the South African wilderness

A perfect way to experience the South African wilderness ‘hands-on’ is to spend a few weeks on Thanda as a volunteer.

Thanda Safari’s volunteer organization is called ULWAZI. They have just released their program dates for 2019: https://ulwaziresearch.com/dates-rates/

For more general information go to https://ulwaziresearch.com/ or send an email to ulwazi@thanda.co.za.

PS: My oldest niece and two of her friends participated in the program last year and loved it!

PPS: And I provide free photography lessons to all volunteers 🙂

2018-07-01