Tag: africa

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Greetings after a day in the city!

When I returned this afternoon from Richards Bay, a city about 1.5 hours away from Thanda, a troop of Vervet Monkeys greeted me at Thanda House. One of them kept alarm-calling. He obviously did not trust me 🙂

A short while later a herd of Buffalo moved from East to West along the fence. When I got a bit closer to get some pictures they all focused on me for while and then lost interest and kept grasing and moving.

Tommorrow I will get my game viewing vehicle and I will start driving on the reserve learning the roads (and probably getting lost a few times in the process :-).

Good night!

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Evening Bird Songs at Thanda Lodge

In my blog message on Friday I mentioned various birds around my Thanda Lodge room.

Here are four pictures I took that evening sitting by the small pool on my porch.

They are Pied Crows (top left), a White-brown Scrub Robin (top right), a Green-winged Pytilia (bottom left) and a Yellow-bellied Greenbul (bottom right). I hope I identified them correctly (I am still a bit shaky when it comes to birds 🙂

Good night from South Africa!

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Feathery Spectrum!

I have not posted a bird picture for quite a while. So here are a few images of one of my favorite birds in South Africa.

Lilac-breaster Rollers have many colors of the spectrum in their plumage.

These pictures were taken in Phinda Private Game Reserve, the Timbavati Private Game Reserve and in Kruger National Park.

More about Lilac-breasted Rollers:
The Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. Usually found alone or in pairs, it perches conspicuously at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, small birds and rodents moving about at ground level. It is the national bird of Botswana.
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Picture of the Week 14 – The tree that shines from afar

[View all Pictures of the Week 2012]

This African Elephant is browsing in between Fever Trees on Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa.

In the Zulu language the Fever Tree is called umHlosinga (the tree that shines from afar). This beautiful acacia has a pale white bark and green foliage. It is one of the few trees where photosynthesis takes place in the bark. The yellow color on the Elephant’s skin is from rubbing against one of the trees.

Enjoy the picture!

The Tree That Shines From Afar ( Fever Tree – Acacia xanthophloea)

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REMINDER – South Africa 100 – Invitation for tomorrow’s First Saturday Gallery Crawl

At my last event at the April First Saturday Gallery Crawl I will show one hundred of my best African wildlife images at the Arcade in downtown Nashville.

A reception with drinks and “nibbles” will be held from 2p.m. to 6.pm. for all of you receiving this invitation . The offical gallery crawl will start at 6p.m. and last until 9p.m.

When: Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 2p.m. to 9p.m.
Where: Christian Sperka Photography / Animal Art Photography Gallery at the Arcade

For more information go to https://christiansperka.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/south-africa-100-invitation/

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South Africa 100 – Invitation

Invitation to the First Saturday Gallery Crawl

At my last event at the April First Saturday Gallery Crawl I will show one hundred of my best African wildlife images at the Arcade in downtown Nashville. These images were taken during my 20 trips to Southern Africa over the last ten years.

A reception with drinks and “nibbles” will be held from 2p.m. to 6.pm. for all of you receiving this invitation :-). The offical gallery crawl will start at 6p.m. and last until 9p.m.

When: Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 2p.m. to 9p.m.
Where: Christian Sperka Photography / Animal Art Photography Gallery at the Arcade [Downtown Nashville in the block between Church and Union Streets and 4th and 5th Avenues]

My gallery will close on April 8, 2012.  Amiee Stubbs, the new Official Nashville Zoo Photographer, will open her new gallery at the same location during the June First Saturday Gallery Crawl.  See amieestubbs.com.

PS: A few people have asked me what they could get me as a good-bye present for my move to South Africa. As I will have stringent luggage and shipment restrcitions I suggest for those who want, that they could contribute to my “African Vehicle Fund” = small contributions to buy my first vehicle in SA. But, the best gift would be for you to come on Saturday, April 7, and enjoy the afternoon and evening with me!

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Thanks a lot & Photo Class Schedule at Nashville Zoo at Grassmere

Thanks a lot for the over 200 congratulation message for my upcoming move to South Africa.

Quite a few people have asked my what classes I will teach at the Nashville Zoo in the time before I leave on May 28. Here they are:

Kids Photography Class (KPC) – Wed 4-Apr –
Teen Photography Class (TPC) – Thu 5-Apr
Adult Photography Class (AAP1) – Sat 14-Apr
Advanced Adult Photography Class II (AAP2) – Sat 19-May
Adult Photography Class (AAP1) – Tue 22-May
Advanced Adult Photography Class II (AAP2) – Wed 23-May

You can book the classes directly at http://www.nashvillezoo.org/education/photography-classes

 

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A dream come true!

A personal message

As many of you know I love South Africa and it has been my goal for many years to be able to live and work in this magnificent place.

Well, the dream has come true. I have been offered and accepted a position as Photography Specialist Guide and resident Wildlife Photographer at Thanda Private Game Reserve, one of my favorite places in Kwazulu Natal. On Tuesday this week the South African Consulate in New York approved my work permit and I will be moving to South Africa at the beginning of June 2012.

This means that I will close my gallery in the Arcade in Nashville (the Gallery Crawl on Saturday, April 7, will be the last day the gallery will be open – with a big party 🙂 and I will teach my last photography class at the Nashville Zoo on May 23. I enjoyed my time at the Nashville Zoo very much, first as docent and then as the official photographer and photography teacher. I will miss all my friends at the zoo and all over the USA very much (and I hope that many of them will visit me in South Africa).

My blog, my web-gallery and web-store as well as my website will remain unchanged. In the future the “Picture of the Week” will come directly from the South African bush!

I am looking forward to working with my friends at Thanda, one of the most beautiful private game reserves in South African (http:/www.thanda.com). I will have to learn a lot of new skills, as I am new to the field guiding part of my job, but I will enjoy that very much. And if you wonder where I will be living: In the middle of a game reserve, in between Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Buffalos, Rhinos, Cheetahs and Wild Dogs!

Thanks for the support from all of you who helped me in changing my life from an being an IT Executive to becoming a South African Field Guide and Wildlife Photographer.

See you in South Africa!

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Venus

This is a scenic shot I took during my second trip to South Africa in 2002.

This is the evening sky over Mpumalanga (at Londolozi Private Game Reserve) with Venus in the sky.

Enjoy the picture!

Picture Data: Camera: Canon D30 (3.2 Megapixels!) / Lens: Canon 24-105mm / Mode: AV / Shutter Speed: 1/3s / Aperture: f/3.5  / ISO: 100 / Exposure Correction -1.00eV / Metering: Central weighted / White balance: Auto / Center point focus only / Time: evening / cropped to approx 90% / on beanbag from vehicle

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