The 2023 Ribbet Emerging Photographer Competition. “There’s nothing quite like this”

 

A call to action…

To find out more about the competition, the judging panel and how to enter by clicking on the logo above.

 

 

 

To join the competition, use this link: https://contest.ribbet.com/

Submissions have to be received by April 30th.

 

 

 

Being an ambassador for the competition means that none of my images featured in this post is up for judging, but they are merely being utilized for illustrative purposes in my field of expertise…wildlife. Where every moment can be perceived as “There is nothing quite like this”.

All the images in this post were taken using Pentax K series bodies and usually a Sigma 50-500mm lens.

“There’s nothing quite like this”. Coming across a herd of buffalo and have one of the large bulls testing the air close to you. They do this to test for receptive females as well as for potential danger.

 

 

 

South Africa, where I am based, offers a plethora of wildlife moments that will get you adrenaline flowing and your heart rate racing.

Even though I have been involved in wildlife photography for almost 50 years, I never take anything for granted when I head into the bush on a safari.

“There’s nothing quite like this”. Having a hippo surface where you were not expecting and then opening wide to show off his weapons of mass destruction. This is a territorial display and not to sign of it being tired.

 

 

 

This tiny Klipspringer certainly seems to be enjoying a moment.

Did you know?

A klipspringer’s hooves are cylindrical and downward-pointing, giving it a tiptoe walk and providing amazing sure-footed agility on the rocks. Klipspringers form life-long pairs, each marking out a small territory, where one browses while its mate acts as sentry.

It reaches 43–60 cm shoulder height and weighs between 8 and 18 kilograms.

“There’s nothing quite like this”. Klipspringers are usually alert and awake most of the time, so to find one alone out in the open like this is a special moment.

 

 

The largest antelope on the African continent, the Eland.

Older Eland are capable of jumping up to 2.5 m from a standing start when startled, while younger eland  can clear up to 3 m.

Fun fact:

An adult male is around 1.6 m at the shoulder with females being about 20 cm shorter. Males can weigh up to 942 kg with a typical range of 500–600 kg, while females can reach 340–445 kg.

“There’s nothing quite like this”. Eland do not usually attract the attention of visitors to game reserves. They are culturally important to certain of the indigenous tribes of Southern Africa.

 

 

Dad and the kids…

An unusual image, as the cubs spend most of their time with the females.

“There’s nothing quite like this”. Being so close to the King of the Beasts is always an exciting experience.

 

 

Pardon my butt…

“There’s nothing quite like this”. Give with the regularity at which they are being poached, finding not one but three White Rhinos is special.

 

 

Well spotted.

Leopards are thought to be seven times stronger than humans and they can haul a carcass three times their weight.

“There’s nothing quite like this”. As one of the most elusive of the large cats, being able to get up close and personal is a heart-stopping moment.

 

 

Setting out on an adventure?

Cubs stay close to their mother for the first few months. They are eventually weaned by the age of six months. Females tend to stay with their mothers longer than males. Males will typically stay with their mother until they’re two, while females may stay with their mother in the pride for life.

“There’s nothing quite like this”. Watching a young cub take the bold move to distance itself from the pride, But in the interest of transparency, the female was lying relatively close by but just out of this shot.

 

 

“What comes out of an elephant and sounds like a bell”? “DUNG”…

Lion like to roll around in elephant and rhino dung. Seeing that both of those animals only consume plant material, the cats seem to use the dung to disguise their scent.

“There’s nothing quite like this”. Finding lions busy playing with dung was a first for me.

 

 

A Leadwood tree in the fading African sunset.

Fun factS.

The leadwood is one of the largest trees in Africa, and is so called because of the wood which is extremely dense and heavy. As such, it is impermeable to termites and is one of the only wood species that sinks when thrown into water.

A leadwood tree can live for more that 1000 years and it will remain standing for many years after it has died. The trees are protected in South Africa and even dead Leadwood trees require permits to be moved.

“There’s nothing quite like this”. African landscapes in the early morning or at sundown are a source of inspiration for me as a photographer

 

 

An iconic shot. For those seeing a giraffe for the first time, it can be an emotional experience to witness the tallest living animal on the planet.

Only certain dinosaur species were taller, but those are all extinct, to the best of our knowledge.

“There’s nothing quite like this”. When you realize that only dinosaurs were taller than the giraffe, it is an eye-opening moment.

 

 

The Milky Way lighting up the Southern Hemisphere sky.

The Milky Way is approximately 100,000 light-years in diameter. Our solar system is 26,000 light-years from the center of the Galaxy. All objects in the Galaxy revolve around the Galaxy’s center. It takes 250 million years for our Sun (and the Earth with it) to make one revolution around the center of the Milky Way.

“There’s nothing quite like this”. Be astounded and amazed by the vastness of the night sky.

 

 

Being this close to elephants and a waterhole in the dark…certainly a moment to remember.

If you are a wildlife photographer, I hope that these images have given you both inspiration and motivation to enter the competition.

“There’s nothing quite like this”. Once you are this close, you will truly understand just how large and magnificent these mammals actually are.

 

 

Check out the archived and current interviews… click on the image above.