Author: Christian Sperka

Christian Sperka is a wildlife photographer based at Thanda Private Game Reserve, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Over the last 11 years, Christian has traveled the world photographing animals in wild game reserves of South Africa and Namibia, the jungles of Costa Rica, in Yellowstone National Park in the USA, as well as zoos in Europe and the United States. His work has been featured in wildlife magazines, in books and in many zoo publications. He actively supports wild cat conservation, working as a partner photographer for Panthera, the world's leading organization devoted to the conservation of all wild cat species (panthera.org). From 2009 to 2012 he has worked as the official photographer and photography teacher at Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, Tennessee, USA (nashvillezoo.org). Christian is also a qualified South African field guide. He now works as specialist photography guide on Thanda Private Game Reserve in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa (thanda.com).
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Picture of the Day!

Topic: Little Bee-eater in the morning sun.

Technical data: Canon R6 MII with RF lens f11/800mm | ISO 640 | 1/500sec | ev+0 | WB 6500K | AV Mode | hand-held

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

Blog bonus pictures 😊

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Picture of the Day!

Topic: Lioness on newly burned area

Technical data: Apple 16 Pro Max | Telephoto Camera 120mm | ISO 50 | 1/500sec | f2.8 | ev+0 | 120mm | Portrait mode | Eye-level using a selfie-stick

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

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The first nine days …

This is a short slide show with pictures taken during the first nine days of my current Custom Luxury Tour. 

The trip started in Johannesburg, then continued via the Drakensberg, the Midlands, Durban/Umhlanga. We are currently at Thanda.

Pictures from Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Drakensberg Mountains, Falcon Ridge Bird of Prey Center, Drakensberg Boys Choir, Nelson Mandela Capture Site, Ardmore Ceramics, uShaka Aquarium, the Indian Ocean at Umhlanga, and Jumeirah Thanda Safari.

My guest from Nashville, Tennessee, USA, and I are having a great time. Enjoy the show with a few impressions of this trip specially designed for my 82-year-old client!

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

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Picture of the Day!

Topic: Two Lionesses in morning light.

Technical data: Canon R6 MII with EF lens f2.8/70-200mm | ISO 100 | 1/2000sec | f2.8 | ev+0 | 200mm | WB 6500K | AV Mode

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography

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Greater Kruger National Park

A short slideshow with some of my favorite pictures that I took over the last four days in the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve and in the Kruger National Park. Enjoy your weekend!

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

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Old&New

I have mixed in a few of my older images with the pictures I took during the last five days. I hope you will enjoy the slide show! 

PS: Just for fun: Can you identify the five pictures which were taken with my iPhone and not with my Canons 🙂

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

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Picture of the day

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill!

Most of the time good resolution bird pictures with a smart phone are not possible because birds are just too far away. But this Hornbill obliged by remaining in a tree just a few meters (yards) away and I got this beautiful evening light image using my iPhone.

Technical data: Apple 16 Pro Max | Telephoto Camera 120mm | Portrait Mode 5x | ISO 50 | 1/600sec | f2.8 | 240mm | Edit = Shadow +100 | Brightness = +25 | Portrait = f/8 & Studio Light

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

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Ten Days

I hope you will enjoy this slideshow featuring my favorite pictures I took over the last ten days.

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Picture of the Day!

Topic: A freshly de-horned Rhino. De-horning is a sad necessity to protect these magnificent creatures, who are persecuted because of human greed, ignorance, and stupid beliefs!

Technical data: Apple 16 Pro Max | Telephoto Camera | Portrait Mode 5x | 120mm | ISO 64 | 1/250sec | f2.8

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

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My next tour!

Only four weeks until the start of another incredible Custom Luxury Tour with Irene, a guest (and good friend) from the USA, who did another such tour with me in 2022.

Starting and ending this exciting road trip in Johannesburg, we will listen to the Drakensberg Boys Choir, visit the Nelson Mandela Capture Site and Ardmore Ceramics in the Midlands, stop at the famous Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga, enjoy game drives and Zulu culture at Jumeirah Thanda Safari, relax for a bit at Pakamisa Private Game Reserve, enjoy the most stunning scenery at Kruger Shalati (The Train on the Bridge), and end this tour looking for leopards and wild dogs while staying at Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge (my favorite place in the Sabi Sands).

This will cover some of the very best KwaZulu Natal and the Greater Kruger National Park have to offer!

In case you are interested in my Custom Luxury Tours (www.sperka.info), you can contact me via WhatsApp (0633294323) or via email christian@sperka.com.

PS: This is a link to the trip report from our 2022 tour: https://sperka.info/2022/08/09/a-trip-of-a-lifetime-a-travel-story/

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