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Kamara

Kamara is the name given to the baby gorilla by the rangers. She was born on Christmas day. Her mother, Mama Christmas because she bore Kamara on Christmas da...
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Kamara is the name given to the baby gorilla by the rangers. She was born on Christmas day. Her mother, Mama Christmas because she bore Kamara on Christmas day. So, I guess before then, she was just a gorilla....

On my birthday, I went silverback gorilla trekking. It was one of my most memorable birthdays of my life. For almost a year, I talked about hanging out with the gorillas in the wild. Many thought I was crazy, but on this day, I was crazy happy....
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Canon EOS 5DS R

settings

Aperture 18/10 ISO 400 Shutter 1/160 Focal Length 85/1

upload_date

Jul, 2016

Views

3110

Likes

+220

Awards

Action Award

Legendary Award

Contest Finalist in Visions Of Africa Photo Contest

Member Selection Award

Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 12

Featured

Staff Favorite

Peer Award

+48

Superb Composition

+16

Top Choice

+12

Absolute Masterpiece

Magnificent Capture

Outstanding Creativity

All Star

Superior Skill

Emotions

Impressed

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda on May 12, 2016. This was hands down one of the best birthdays ever!

Time

We got up early to begin the trek from the top of the hill in Nkuringo village. It was about 8:00 AM when we started the trek. We wanted to get to the forest before it got too hot. The gorilla trackers stayed in contact with our lead ranger by walkie talkie. It was about 11:00 AM when we came across Mama Christmas and Kamara.

Lighting

We were inside the forest over an hour. Most of the light was being filtered through foliage. It was pretty hot beyond the trees and bushes.

Equipment

I shot this image using the Canon 5dsr camera with my favourite lens the 85mm 1.2 L series canon lens. It was hand held and no flash was used.

Inspiration

My inspiration is Lucas Burrard, a wildlife photographer. In my planning stages of my trip, I used one of his images to create the event for the gorilla trip to Uganda on my Facebook page. I loved the connection between mother and baby gorilla. There was something so beautiful about it. I remember the mother literary waking up slightly and turning her back towards us. It was her non verbal cue "no photos!" However, Kamara was curious and maintained eye contact. I have images of her laying on her mother's lap smiling at me. These are the moments that touch our hearts as a photographer that keep us going back into the wild.

Editing

I edited the image in Lightroom and used Nik filters to enhance the foliage. I just learnt how to use Nik and I love it!

In my camera bag

As a travel photographer, I worry about weather. It can be unpredictable. Having a camera sleeve is important. I also carry a poncho. My Canon 85 mm 1.2 prime lens is a must. Unless, I'm shooting an event, I carry my Canon 5dsr body, Canon 24-70 mm and 70-200 mm lenses in addition to my 85 mm. With the airlines getting more stick about weight, I bought the hasselblad stellar point and shot to act as a second camera. It's great for landscapes. It has a 10 mm lens option. I never go anywhere without my Gary Fong diffuser or as friends call it my tupperware and the Canon 600 EX-RT flash. Having a lens cloth and a hurricane blower is important. No one wants dust spots on their images. I also travel with my travel gitzo tripod fitted with the arca swiss head.

Feedback

Have a plan, be excited about taking the best image of your life and remember to take the photo in different apertures. I teach a introduction to photography class. The first assignment I give my students is, shooting a subject in different apertures and deciding which one they like best. I try to do the same with travel photos. I guess this is why they say, never go on a photo safari if your interest in not photos. Photographers will take the same subject for 10 minutes before moving on. This image was shot at ISO 400 at f1.8 and 1/160 sec. Funny story, I shot all my images of Kamara and her mother I believe at 1.8. I was so excited when I saw them, I forgot to change my aperture. My advice, explore other apertures. However, when dealing with a scene with lots of foliage the shallower the depth of field the better. It helps guide the eye to what's important in the scene.

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KambuaPhoto

KambuaPhoto

Kamara

Kamara is the name given to the baby gorilla by the rangers. She was born on Christmas day. Her mother, Mama Christmas because she bore Kamara on Christmas da... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow KambuaPhoto

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Kamara is the name given to the baby gorilla by the rangers. She was born on Christmas day. Her mother, Mama Christmas because she bore Kamara on Christmas da...
Read more

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