Christian Sperka

2015-10-122015-10-12

Rosettes

A two nights stay at Thanda = Great sightings (the weather gods were on our side) and some excellent photo opportunities for our guests – I love my job!

Spotting the rosettes of this male Leopard completed the ‘Big Five’ sightings for a group of Swedish Thanda guests during their stay.

On only three drives they encountered a breeding herd of Elephants moving across the reserve, a South Pride Lioness drinking at a small waterhole, a Spotted Hyena scouting, the Thanda North Pride of Lions running into a crash of White Rhinoceros and a journey of Giraffes, Vervet Monkeys eyeing the safari vehicle with suspicion, Lions on a Zebra kill, two male Cheetah resting in the morning sun, a Zebra mum and her calf on the move, Blue Wildebeest avoiding the Cheetahs, a herd of Buffalo disturbing three Kudu bulls at their morning drinks stop, a Common Duiker accelerating very fast, and many groups of Nyala and of Impala browsing and grazing. And just before a beautiful sunset the Leopard was the last sighting of the day and of these guests’ visit to…

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2015-10-112015-10-12

Cape Glossy Starling

One of my favorite bird images – a Cape Glossy Starling!

2015-10-09

New Online Galleries & How to Buy a Print

Recently, quite a few people have asked me how to see more of my images and how to buy some of them as prints on paper or canvas. (For their personal use at home – not for commercial use, retail or publication).

I have created new online galleries with many of my images for review and selection.(https://sperka.info/pictures)

It is not easy to ship anything from South Africa to anywhere else in the world. So, I have come up with a simpler way to do this. You can now buy a digital download of any of my images and have the print produced locally.

And here is how it works:
– Pick your image(s) and send the picture code(s) via email to info@sperka.com (just click on the image and the code will appear above or below the image)
– A download license for a single image (except Limited Series Images) cost 50 US Dollars. Please ask for the rebate structure in case you want to get more than one image.
– I will send you an invoice, which you can pay with PayPal or you can transfer the money to one of my accounts (USA/Germany/Switzerland/South Africa).
– Once the payment is made I will send you a download link to a high-resolution file of the images, which you can then use to have it printed locally in any way you like, and you can also use it as wallpaper on your phone(s) or computer(s). Please do not use it commercially, publish it on social media or forward it to third parties.

Please note: This license does NOT allow re-selling, sharing with third parties or publishing [LIMITED SERIES IMAGES ARE NOT FOR SALE UNDER THIS LICENSE]

2015-10-042015-10-04

Symbiosis

An Impala and a Red-billed Oxpecker – An example for a mutualistic symbiosis, a relationship beneficial to two interacting species.

2015-10-01

Two professions

In August Bruno Fert, a well-known professional photographer from France, stayed at Thanda Private Game Reserve. Together with travel journalist Emmanuelle Eyles, he was working on material for stories about South Africa. Thanda was one of their subjects.

During his stay my tracker Bheki Ngubane and I were guiding them. Bruno was very kind and took some portraits of Bheki and of myself. I like them very much. They show me in both of my current professions, as field guide and as wildlife photographer. Thanks a lot Bruno!

2015-09-29

Heads up – Just for fun!

I usually do not manipulate my images except to ‘restore’ them to what I recall as the best representation of what I actually saw. This normally includes the adjustment of color, brightness, contrast, sharpness and some minor cloning and makeup work.

This picture is an exception. It is a merger of four images of a female Giraffe raising her head after she was finished drinking. An interesting study 🙂

2015-09-29

Stampede

One of my favorite shots this year!

This morning three beautiful Kudu bulls came to drink at small waterhole at Thanda. After they had quenched their thirst a herd of Cape Buffalo started stampeding the scene. The Thanda guests enjoyed this excited sighting after a action-filled game drive with a pride of eight Lions interacting with four White Rhinos (meaning: getting chased around by them :-)) while three Giraffe watched the turmoil.

Pictures by Christian Sperka – Specialist Photography Guide and Resident Wildlife Photographer – Thanda Private Game Reserve

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2015-09-272015-09-27

Large and fast!

This Mozambique Spitting Cobra is one of the largest snakes I have ever captured and released. I caught her on Thursday at Thanda House and I released her at one of the Mduna river crossings in Thanda’s western part.

She was very ‘active’ during capture and quite defensive during the release. My normal release procedure did not work as she spat venom copiously and was quite stressed. So I did a ‘dip barrel’ release and then made sure she moved towards the river (a save place for her!). Job done!

PS: I have slowed down the video to 10% speed, otherwise the snake would be gone in a blink 🙂

2015-09-242015-09-24

South Africa’s Heritage Day

Today South Africa celebrates Heritage Day to commemorate the heritage of the many cultures that make up the population of South Africa. In the region where I live we especially celebrate the culture of Zulu people, who have inhabited this region for hundreds of years.

The Zulu were originally a major clan of Nguni decent, in what is today Northern KwaZulu-Natal, founded around 1700. In the Nguni languages Zulu means heaven. Nguni communities had migrated down Africa’s east coast over centuries, probably arriving in Southern Africa in about the 9th century.

The Zulu formed a powerful state and empire after King Shaka Zulu became their leader in 1816. They conquered large parts of Southern Africa using their superior military skills and tactics to subdue many other nations. They were defeated by the British in July 1879 but retain their identity with a King as their leader until this day. The Zulu Kingdom still exists under the traditional leadership clause of the South African constitution.

Thanda Private Game Reserve, my employer in South Africa, has 180 employees, of which more than 90% come from the local rural Zulu communities surrounding the Reserve.

This portrait shows one of the young ladies working on Thanda. Her name is Khethiwe Sphesihle Jiyane from the Magolwane clan. The gallery below shows a few more images of people in Zululand, which I took over the last three years.

Two Zulu ladies in a friendly argument

A dance at dinner

The bride approaching the groom’s homestead

Starting early …

Starting even earlier …

Up to no good 🙂 – little rascals

All dressed up

A wedding guest

Hugging the camera

Modern tradition 🙂

The bride and groom dancing at a traditional Zulu wedding

Now and then

Mamas

Young dancers

Going strong

A Sangoma and her apprentice

School boys singing about the need to conserve the Rhinos

They love the camera

Drums and Tradition

Let’s taste that Zulu beer

2015-09-23

A great day between two important days!

Yesterday was World Rhino Day, tomorrow is South African Heritage Day.

Well, today was the day when I got my work permit renewal for South Africa approved.

It took almost eleven month to accomplish this 🙂

So, I will be able to live and work for another five years in my favorite country. Now I am able to travel again and I am planning a trip to Europe before the end of the year and a trip to the USA in 2016.

Thanks South Africa and thanks to everyone that helped me getting this done!