Greg du Toit
Autumn in Africa
Africa has many wonderful treasures, but drastic seasonal change is not one of them. Africa autumn wildlife photos are therefore largely non-existent. In many parts of the continent there are not all four seasons. In fact, there are only two, and it is more accurate to describe the time of year as being ‘wet’ or ‘dry’, rather than to use strange words like ‘fall’ or ’spring’. Unlike more temperate corners of the world, in Africa spring is fleeting and fall is often barely noticeable. Summer is long and green, winter is short and brown.
Many years ago (10 years to be exact), I began working on a body of work that would depict Africa fall wildlife photography. Not only is fall barely existent but being a wildlife photographer, not a landscape one, I had to find an obliging subject to stand within my rare and fleeting autumn landscapes. Perhaps this is one explanation as to why it took me so long to put this GDT Boutique Africa Gallery together. Of course the other is that I am, as are all artists, pedantic!
As far as I know, this is a world first: An Africa autumn wildlife photo collection! It therefore gives me great pleasure to present to you Africa In Autumn.
Read my artist statement, a print FAQ, plus much more on my fine art wildlife prints page.
Golden Giraffe - I created this photograph by focusing through the golden leaves of a forest deep within one of Africa's secret wildernesses (Ruaha, Tanzania).
Beauty and the Bush - I relished this opportunity to take a pretty portrait of a hyena, focusing through autumn mopane leaves (Tuli Block, Botswana).
Luangwa Leopard - A lazy Luangwa leopard yawns beyond the orange and green hues of wild grass (South Luangwa, Zambia).
Zebra Ablaze - As a wildlife photographer, I spend a lot of time pleading with my subjects, asking them to move and show me their good side. They very seldom do! But on this day, in Kenya's Masai Mara, my subject turned and faced me, head on, as if acknowledging my request. The light struck the eyes beautifully. I was again bowled over by Africa's beauty.
Autumn Zebra - I was on a safari drive in South Africa's Mala Mala Game Reserve when I saw the potential to combine the bright golden leaves of a bushwillow tree with my black and white subject. The result was even more spectacular than I imagined.
Mashatu Giraffe - The Tuli Block of Botswana is full of rolling valleys, seemingly endless, and filled with mopane bushes. In autumn these turn a brilliant orange in colour and all I needed was a subject. A giraffe, its head clearing the surrounding vegetation, could not have been more perfect.
Reclining Hyena - This hyena den was in a mopane thicket in Botswana's Mashatu Game Reserve. It was autumn and my subject reclined ever so elegantly. The early morning blurred background of muted yellows and oranges complimenting her fur beautifully as she lounged in the bottom of my frame, after a long night's foraging. This photo was taken on my annual Botswana and South Africa predator workshop.
Autumn Mare and Foal - Stalking through the bush, I had a shot of my subjects, through a window of autumn foliage. I knew that when the mother zebra glanced back at me, it was time to trip my shutter. The background a wonderful bushveld blur. The foreground, splotches of orange (Mala Mala, South Africa).
Autumn Leopard - Wildlife photographers will all know what I mean when I say that there is almost always a stick, leaf or piece of grass in the way. This occasion was no different, I had leaves in the way. Thankfully it was autumn and including them in my composition, and using a burst from my flash, helped me to create this colourful portrait (Mala Mala, South Africa).
The Zebra and the Burning Bush - In the south of Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve a herd of zebra passed through a clump of guarri bushes with brilliant red leaves. I was frantic to come up with a composition! Thankfully one zebra paused momentarily, standing next to a seemingly burning bush, and just long enough for me to capture this autumn portrait.
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