Just very enthusiastic Wildlife Photographers

Our names are Howard and Marianne, and we are very enthusiastic amateur wild life photographers. It all started when we retired from our jobs in the medical profession 6 years ago. Since then we have spent 4-6 months each year travelling around Africa in our Land Cruiser 4x4 fitted with a roof top tent and other essential equipment. Most of the time is spent camping in game parks. Each year we take a different route, and have visited parks such as the Kruger and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa, Etosha and Caprivi parks in Namibia, Chobe, Savuti,and Moremi in Botswana, Hwange in Zimbabwe, South Luangwa in Zambia, and Ruaha, Tarangire, and Serengeti in Tanzania.<br /> <br /> We spend many many hours sitting in the car. From first light until dark we search for memorable wild life photographs, Thousands of photographs are taken; most are culled and only a small number survive the selection process. We hope that these photographs shown in AfricaRAW will convey the intimate and wild moments that we have had the privilege to experience and enjoy.

Our names are Howard and Marianne, and we are very enthusiastic amateur wild life photographers.

It all started when we retired from our jobs in the medical profession 6 years ago. Since then we have spent 4-6 months each year travelling around Africa in our Land Cruiser 4x4 fitted with a roof top tent and other essential equipment.

Most of the time is spent camping in game parks. Each year we take a different route, and have visited parks such as the Kruger and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa, Etosha and Caprivi parks in Namibia, Chobe, Savuti,and Moremi in Botswana, Hwange in Zimbabwe, South Luangwa in Zambia, and Ruaha, Tarangire, and Serengeti in Tanzania.

We spend many many hours sitting in the car. From first light until dark we search for memorable wild life photographs, Thousands of photographs are taken; most are culled and only a small number survive the selection process.

We hope that these photographs shown in AfricaRAW will convey the intimate and wild moments that we have had the privilege to experience and enjoy.


The main aim of the safaris is to capture striking photographs of African wild life and their environment. This meant we not only had to study wildlife photography but learn and develop basic skills necessary for travelling about the alone in the bush. This varied from plugging holes in tires, to trouble shooting a failing fridge, to using a GPS. After 7 years and many thousands of kilometers we have had many adventures and experienced various problems e.g. car breakdowns, illnesses. We are certainly not experts in any fields but would like to pass on tips that beginners might find useful if they also attempt to become "OLD AGE ADVENTURERS".<br /> <br /> Therefore we have in our navigation bar also created the categories:- "Trip Tips", "4x4 Tips", and "Photo tips". We know that there are excellent books and websites available from experts in these various fields, however we feel it is sometimes useful to pass on the learning experiences of relative novices like us to other beginners.<br /> <br /> IN June 2012 I decided to start a blog http;//blog.africaraw.com to our site. It concentrates on animal physiology & natural history, although any thing that catch my eye on human health, technology, & photography, will also be referred to. The items discussed are of course not my research, but I do try wherever possible, especially in the animal physiology posts, to give the items a personal interpretation, by using various analogies. These models (object oriented help aids) repeatedly use every day analogies e.g. filling a wash basins & drinking a milkshake to explain difficlt concepts in physiology & medicine. I developed them as I migrated from adult medicine to pediatrics to newborn care. I then polished them for many years of trying to teach medical & nursing students to make medicine an easier subject!<br /> <br /> Thus various tips will be added to the site as time passes and we learn new things.

 The main aim of the safaris is to capture striking photographs of African wild life and their environment.

This meant we not only had to study wildlife photography but learn and develop basic skills necessary for travelling about the alone in the bush. This varied from plugging holes in tires, to trouble shooting a failing fridge, to using a GPS.

After 7 years and many thousands of kilometers we have had many adventures and experienced various problems e.g. car breakdowns, illnesses. We are certainly not experts in any fields but would like to pass on tips that beginners might find useful if they also attempt to become "OLD AGE ADVENTURERS".

Therefore we have in our navigation bar also created the categories:- "Trip Tips", "4x4 Tips", and "Photo tips". We know that there are excellent books and websites available from experts in these various fields, however we feel it is sometimes useful to pass on the learning experiences of relative novices like us to other beginners.

In June 2012 I decided to start a blog http;//blog.africaraw.com to our site. It concentrates on animal physiology & natural history, although any thing that catch my eye on human health, technology, & photography, will also be referred to. The items discussed are of course not my research, but I do try wherever possible, especially in the animal physiology posts, to give the items a personal interpretation, by using various analogies. These models (object oriented help aids) repeatedly use every day analogies e.g. filling a wash basins & drinking a milkshake to explain difficlt concepts in physiology & medicine. I developed them as I migrated from adult medicine to pediatrics to newborn care. I then polished them for many years of trying to teach medical & nursing students to make medicine an easier subject!

Thus various tips will be added to the site as time passes and we learn new things.


<h3>Chief Supply Officer & Head Chef</h3> We have a 40L National Luna fridge and Marianne manages to maintain our vitamin levels for quite long while with the stored fresh produce before we have to go over onto tinned foods, stored in the very useful and sturdy Outback lock up roller drawers (from 4x4 Megaworld in Meadowdale, Johannesburg) in the back of the landcruiser during our long trips.

Chief Supply Officer & Head Chef

We have a 40L National Luna fridge and Marianne manages to maintain our vitamin levels for quite long while with the stored fresh produce before we have to go over onto tinned foods, stored in the very useful and sturdy Outback lock up roller drawers (from 4x4 Megaworld in Meadowdale, Johannesburg) in the back of the landcruiser during our long trips.


<h3>Built in kitchen</h3>Marianne cooking at our lonely campsite in Kaa area, Kgalagadi national Park, Botswana. The foldup windbreaker is an essential piece of equipment and saves a lot of gas. She is an excellent cook and we eat simply but well during our 6 months stays in sometimes very isolated areas. We do supplement our diet with a daily multivitamin pill for seniors and 1000mg fish oil capsule.

  Built in kitchen

Marianne cooking at our lonely campsite in Kaa area, Kgalagadi national Park, Botswana.

The foldup windbreaker is an essential piece of equipment and saves a lot of gas. She is an excellent cook, and we eat simply but well during our 6 months stays in sometimes very isolated areas. We do supplement our diet with a daily multivitamin pill for seniors and 1000mg fish oil capsule.