A few of my black and white portraits of the Massai in the exhibition which is currently at Art Catto in Loule, Algarve Portugal. Monday to Friday 10h to 18h and Saturday 10h to 13h.
Mist and the early morning light in the Massai Mara. /
The acacia tree is the national tree of Kenya. Commonly known as the “umbrella tree” and thrives in arid conditions. This acacia tree was beautiful in a misty landscape with different colours of layers from the foreground to the background.
Mist in the Massai Mara /
It is always rewarding to get up very early in the morning as landscapes in the mist are amazing in the Massai Mara after heavy rains.
Lion in the grass. /
After the rains the grass is very high in the Massai Mara. So beautiful to see the animal’s heads popping up through the grass. This lion suddenly stood up and was scouting the horizon for eventual preys. Kenya 2022.
Elephant and spraying mud. /
After drinking water in a small waterhole in the long and beautiful grass this elephant was praying mud over his body to protect himself from the heat and insect bites. To cool down they will spray water or mud behind their ears allowing the circulating blood to cool down faster. Massai Mara, March 2022.
Cheetah and gazelle /
Not always a pretty scene to witness when an animal kills another. This female cheetah brought down the gazelle to feed her three hungry babies, at the same time she was teaching them how to hunt, unfortunately that is survival in the bush.
Lappet-faced vulture chasing hyena. /
Such a comical scene to witness when the lappet-faced vulture was chasing the hyena away from the carcass which the vulture was eating.
A big tongue. /
After feasting on his prey the King was cleaning his fur with his tongue and was making little grunting noises obviously happy and very relaxed.
Hyena and cub. /
Knowing that hyenas live of carcasses and dead animals I had to laugh thinking how her cub could put it’s little face in her mouth, undoubtedly not very fresh.
Flying Lappet-faced vulture. /
Lappet faced vultures are the most powerful and aggressive of the African vultures.
A growl or a big big yawn ? /
In the early morning the silence in the bush was disturbed with this young lion sitting in the grass and making an enormous noise yawning. It alerted a few gazelles nearby who leaped off in a hurry.
Giraffes in the early morning mist. /
After heavy rains, mist had engulfed the bush, with the rising sun behind the clouds which gave a tinted sky in soft blues and pink and seeing the giraffes silhouetted against those colours and in the mist was really beautiful.
Massai lady with traditional jewellery. /
Massai women make the most beautiful and colourful jewellery with beads. Headdresses, earrings, bracelets,
necklaces are all made by the women in their villages.
Massai warrior /
Massai warrior in traditional clothing and headdress made in leather with, feathers, beading and shells.
Happy New Year /
Hoping that we will see the light at the end of the tunnel during the New Year.
Wishing family and friends a safer, healthier and brighter New Year.
Silhouettes and air balloon /
On a rather grey morning an air balloon was floating above me against the sky tinted with a few patches of blue. The captain of the air balloon was in the middle surrounded by his passengers with cell phones, cameras and binoculars looking down on the fabulous plains of the Massai Mara in Kenya.
Panning of running wildebeest. /
Having spotted a leopard in the distance the wildebeest were running across the plains. I decided to do a panning shot to accentuate more the speed of the running wildebeest, which means a slower shutter speed.
Topi surrounded by flies. /
In the early morning light this Topi was standing on an anthill scouting the horizon, surrounded by thousands of small flies.
Lappet-faced vultures. /
Lappet-faced vultures are the only members of the genus Torgos. They are not closely related to the superficially similar New World Vultures, and do not share the good sense of smell of some member of that group. If you pay attention to the vulture in the foreground you will see that his beak is broken probably due to all the squabbling with other vultures over the rest of the preys.
Wattled starling and wildebeest. /
While photographing hundreds of wildebeest busy grazing on the luxurious grass after heavy rains in the Massai Mara in Kenya , this lovely little wattled starling had landed on the back of a wildebeest looking very relaxed.
