lion – Page 26 – Christian Sperka Photography

2015-07-24

BLOODLIONS

PLEASE LIKE AND SHARE THIS MESSAGE if you agree that CANNED LION HUNTS and BREEDING OF LIONS IN CAPTIVITY in South Africa should be STOPPED! #bloodlions

Yesterday evening I watched an excellent documentary – titled BLOODLIONS – on this subject at the 36th Durban film festival.

Pippa Hankinson, the film’s producer, recently stayed at Thanda and we had a talk on the subject. After that talk I decided to go and watch the film.

I think that regardless of what one thinks of the moral and animal-rights issues it is in the best interest of South Africa as a country to stop these hunts and the breeding in captivity as soon as possible. And if other countries (99% of the hunters are foreigners) join Australia in banning the import of Lion parts then they will help tremendously in this cause.

Tourism is one of the most important parts of the South African economy and its reputation must not be damaged by just a few thousand ‘canned’ Lion hunters being allowed to get their trophy! Currently thousands of Lions are bred and raised just to supply these hunts and the Lion bone trade business.

For more information on the subject go to http://www.bloodlions.org/

2015-05-032015-05-02

A bit mad!

What does a wildlife photographer – who lives on a big five game reserve – do on his day off work? He goes to another game reserve to spend a day taking more wildlife pictures 🙂 – sounds a bit mad, but I enjoyed myself!

This “Lion-Rhino-Car” encounter is just a teaser for the images to come from my recent off-day at Hluhluwe-Imfolozi National Park!

This picture shows a White Rhino bull walking calmly by a young male Lion. This youngster was part of a large pride of Lions devouring a Buffalo bull, which they had killed in the morning hours next to this road, only 20 meters (50 feet) to the right in thick bush. I drove up to this scene just moments after I entered the park. And a few more minutes after I took this picture cars started piling up at this sighting which made it impossible to take any more good images. I moved on and left the madness behind me.

2015-05-02

That’s it! – Fourteen for the Villa! (14)

I have selected fourteen images which are now hanging in two of the suites at Thanda’s Villa iZulu. These are some of my favorite images and I have prepared them in sepia to match the existing old-fashioned frames. This is the last of these images. I have also included a gallery with all fourteen pictures below. Enjoy them!

Number fourteen – The End :-): Thanda’s Dominant Male Lion

PS: If you stay at Thanda’s Villa iZulu in the suites number 2 or 3 you can view them in the original print.

2015-04-252015-04-27

Fourteen for the Villa! (2)

I have selected fourteen images to be hung in two of the suites at Thanda’s Villa iZulu. These are some of my favorite images and I have prepared them in sepia to match the existing old-fashioned frames. I would like to share these images with you – one per day for the next two weeks.

Here is number two: A sleepy Lion cub!

PS: If you stay at Thanda’s Villa iZulu in the suites number 2 or 3 you can view them in the original print.

2015-04-09

Reflection

An interesting Lion sighting! Thanda’s North Pride having a late evening drink at a small waterhole, only illuminated by the spotlight reflection.

2015-04-06

Stalking!

If the vehicle you are on is used by a male Lion as cover in his stealthy approach to a herd of buffalo, you can be sure you are in for an interesting time.

This beautiful creature was slowly following a herd of buffalo. He approached from the back of my vehicle (first image) and then stopped absolutely still beside me (second image) before he followed his prey carefully into the bush in front of my car.

It was too dark to follow up further, nevertheless it was exciting to be in the middle of a drama, where only one of the actors knew what was happening.

A note for the photographers among you: These pictures were taken at very low-light conditions (Picture 1: ISO 6400, f/2.8, 1/90s, hand-held, 300mm / Picture 2: ISO 6400. f/2.8, 1/45s, hand-held, 115mm, -0.50eV)

2015-03-212015-03-21

Wake up!

This little Lion just woke up from his midday nap and had a bit of a stretch before it started annoying its mother, who was not yet ready to go. I love the look in her eyes: “Ready to go!”

PS: Sorry for blogging so little over the last few weeks, but I was very busy with some local projects on Thanda and had very little time for anything else.

2014-12-232014-12-23

Morning drinks!

Thanda’s North Pride of Lions having a drink at a waterhole last Sunday morning. One of my favorite images of 2014!

2014-11-072014-11-23

Watch her!

It is not easy to get prey and predator into the same picture, unless on occasions when one is eating the other :-).

But on this evening a Thanda North Pride Lioness was resting on a waterhole wall as a Giraffe female kept an eye on her; both in the right position for a great photo opportunity. After a while the Lioness walked off in one direction and the Giraffe the opposite way.

2014-10-282014-10-27

Diffusion

I do not really like to work at night with artificial light. But sometimes this sort of light creates a very special mood. Using a diffusing filter on Bheki’s strong spotlight I was able to take a portrait of this Lion cub. The soft widely spread light through the filter is not too hard on the young eyes and we only use it for a few moments during the photo shoot. The rest of the time we use a red-light filter.

This night photo-session was part of two game drives of wildlife photography lessons. At Thanda it is possible to book a “Photography Private Safari Vehicle” which includes me as the wildlife photography instructor. My student on this evening game drive enjoyed her night-light lesson very much!