On the night of December 10th, 2011.  Parts of the world enjoyed a total lunar eclipse.  Here in Manitoba we raced the rising sun to try and see the moment of totality, but we lost out to the daylight and clouds.  The next total lunar eclipse will be April 15,th.  2014.
I was able to pull out several cloudless images during to period from full moon to just before it went into totality.    This composite photographs shows my results.

This was taken on the Masai Mara in western Kenya in August 2011. This young lioness seemed to be annoyed at something but I couldn’t tell what it was.  Then when  I put my 70-200mm at 200mm up to my eye.

Well you can see what the problem was. Up till that I thought we had problems with mosquitoes. Thank goodness those flies like the smell of carrion better than our pit sticks.

The Miami station, built in 1889, is a rare surviving example of a Northern Pacific and Manitoba Railway station which was used for many years by the Canadian Northern and the Canadian National Railways.

Silver Efex Pro 2 by Nik Software is very quickly becoming my favourite way to convert my images to Black and White or variations of greyscales.

Yesterday seemed like a good day for  the just over an hour drive to Miami, Manitoba and the station.    Weather was around  zero Celsius lots of dramatic clouds.     So 3 1/2 hours later I finally got to the station.   Took lots of images from all sorts of angles before moving on to the next unknown location.

The tutorials on the Nik site make learning Silver Efex Pro 2 relatively easy.   Like most of the Nik Software when it come to sliders only a very little is needed.   Well for me anyway.  It is short of putting salt on your food.   It is a matter of taste.

You should visit the Nik site and download the trial version.   I am sure you will like it.

Take Care and Be Safe

Christopher Robin

2011 Masai Mara, Great Migration, Kenya Africa

2011 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, New Mexico, USA

2011 Monument Valley, Arizona, USA

I am very excited to announce that National Geographic’s – Vision of Earth  has now hit the book selves worldwide.  Best of all I can now officially say I have been published in National Geographic.  My photograph of Zebra Eyes can bee found on pages 240 and 241.  This is a highlight in my photographic journey.  It as been great so far, to-day it just got better.

What National Geographic has to say:

Visions of Earth raises a curtain on the wonders of the world and thrills us with nature’s opulence and humanity’s splendor. Each image alone exposes a nugget of our planet’s magnificence; the totality of the collection goes beyond our imagination. Turning the pages, viewers are struck by the richness of life on Earth. One photograph is more awe-inspiring than the next—chosen by veteran National Geographic magazine photo editors to present what is visually incredible. The photographs are drawn from the popular “Visions of Earth” feature in the magazine, (rated Number 1 by readers), from our own storied Image Collection, and from renowned photographers throughout the world, many never-before published.

My Gura Gear – Chobe arrived this morning.    It arrived just in time to join his brother Kiboko on my safari to Kenya to follow the great wildebeest migration as it passes through the Masai Mara.

Kiboko, is the best all round camera bag I have owned.    Like some other photographers I am a self proclaimed “bag hound”.    None of my  bags can carry both my Nikon bodies and my Nikkor 200-400mm and my 600mm at once along with a myriad of other “necessary” photography accessories.   While being comfortable to carry by one of the handles or as a backpack.

Chobe is close to being a photographers best wish bag,     It is a camera bag, computer bag, catch all bag, and carry on bag and suitcase.    It is expandable and with the “photo insert” it magically becomes a variety of versions of camera bags.   Chobe is international and national carry on size in either of its two versions, (expanded or not).

For my upcoming adventure I wanted Kiboko as my carry on piece and Chobe for my personal item.     After a morning of trying and weighing a number of combinations.   I found one that should working perfectly.     Chobe will be traveling without the Gura Gear photo insert.  Instead I will be using a camera body wrap and two lens cups from another bag I have.    My laptop, external drives and associated cable and charges are included.    As well as a hoodie and variety of items I will need for the looonnnng flight to Kenya.

Bottom line is Andy Biggs and Gura Gear have to be proud of the newest addition to the Gura family.     A big thumbs up.    I will report back after using the Chobe & Kiboko on my next couple of adventures.    Thanks again you do good work.

Last weekend my son (the human) and Oliver came to visit for a final weekend at our lake house.  With all the flooding and related damage this year we had a,    to put it blunt a rotten summer.  I wanted to get a picture of Geoff and Oliver on the beach.  BUT…………we had no beach anymore.    So the next best thing since our beach was replaced with approx. 1900 sand bags.

So here they are on our 2011 version of the Beach at Maui North.

All the new roads and the building of all those new giant boxes, are a havoc for the wildlife that for years have called the area there home.    No consideration was given when they designed the area and issued the permits.  The clear cutting and removal of all the trees in the area, without a thought about the “natural residents” of the area.    Trying to cross any of those 4-6 lanes of traffic is and will continue to issue death permits to the “natural residents”.      Residents have notice a dramatic increase in fawns this year in the front and back years.   Walking down the paved streets.   And consuming those lush full flower boxes on our front door steps.

The area is being constructed with out any fencing or animal corridors.    There was not treed area left as a large buffer even though the area is next to a nature center.     Even the luxury housing lots that went up for sale that adjoined the nature center didn’t even have a green belt separation.    Dog kennels next to the bison compound separated only by a little fence.  I guess in the urban planning classes they teach nothing about  people and nature living together.

None of the local residents mind living with all the wildlife even thought the populations are increasing.  What we are concerned about it there health and safety in the area that once was there “home”.

Nature has always been part of Winnipeg and it should remain that way.       I am sure the future generations would rather have protected nature instead of  greater tax revenues to the city in the name of progress.

Off the soap box for this week.

This fantastic news was taken from my buddy Marsel,s blog this afternoon:

“The 2011 International Photography Awards have announced the winners of this year’s competition, and we are proud to announce that Marsel won 1st Prize in the Nature/Wildlife category for his series “Japanese Macaques”, for which he was also awarded the title Nature Photographer of the Year 2011.

This photograph of  four Bushnell’s Zebra was taken at the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve in South Africa.

“Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, situated in the world-renowned 65000 hectare Sabi Sand unit in the South-Western section of the Kruger National Park, is a wildlife oasis, where you can observe at close quarters the age-old natural relationship between predator and prey.

Big game abounds and roams freely throughout this pristine part of the ancient African continent.  The diverse habitat is home to spectacular wildlife including the Big 5 – lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant – as well as cheetah, wild dog and some 200 other animal species indigenous to the area.

In the early morning of July 26th I was with a good friend and Internationally acclaimed nature photographer Marsel van Oosten  when we came across this small group of Zebra.  I was able to fill the frame of my D3 with four Zebra with one of the looking straight towards me.  The above photograph was the result.

To find out more about Marsel and his photographic workshops please have a look at  www.squiver.com

But now to get back to this photograph.  This fall National Geographic will be releasing a new book entitled, Visions of Earth.  This image will appear in that book as a two page spread.

I am really looking forward to it.   I will remind everyone once the book is published and released.

Take Care and Be Safe.