Now let’s talk about some other changes ALA has made in 2009. I noticed the Arizona Grand Canyon & Sedona trip changed dramatically. The camping component sounds wonderful on the website. Can you tell us more about what a guest can expect from this updated trip?

This new Arizona Adventure is a direct result of Alumni Feedback.  Many of our alumni returned from the Havasupai Adventure, enjoyed the camping element of it, and wanted more Arizona.  We worked hard at putting together a trip that had both custom luxury camping and accommodations. We combined some of the best hiking and biking in the area into what we see as a winning formula for a new Grand Adventure (pun intended) in Arizona.

It’s exciting to see ALA offer another adventure in Central America.  You already have a tremendous selection of vacations in Costa Rica, but you’ve just added a new trip in Panama, and this one is family friendly.  What differentiates the brand new Panama Family - Reef & Rainforest Adventure from the Panama - Boquete To Bocas Adventure?

I have to say the I personally love Panama.  It is a region rich in diversity.  We tried to pull together a family friendly trip that would exceed our tough standards for family programs.  This trip is now one of my all time favorites.  We spend time introducing families not just to the great activities, but we dig into the culture as well and go as far as to visit remote indigenous peoples and see their way of life unchanged for the last few centuries.  We picked family friendly accommodations and activities that would be fun for all.  Our Boquete to Bocas Adventure is an amazing introduction to Panama, but tailored more for the adult traveler.

Last but not least for the new ALA trips, you’ve added a more comprehensive trip to Peru which covers two major highlights: Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca.  What spurred the creation of this trip?

As I said earlier, new trips come to us through a variety of ways, and this one was from Alumni that had been to Peru and just wanted more!  It wasn’t until just the last few years that we felt the infrastructure (hotels or accommodations) in the area were to our standards.  Paul spent considerable amount of time in the area and just loved it. We worked with our Peruvian partner for the better part of two years to get this new trip where we want it.  Now we have 3 great Peru adventure vacations!

Out of all the adventures ALA has ever offered, past and present, which trip is/was your favorite and why?

That is the toughest question I get asked just about every day.  There are no “bad” adventures, and each and every trip is special in its own right.  From the tip of South Africa to the coast of Alaska, they all have something special for our travelers or we wouldn’t offer them.  If I get pushed, well I have to go back to where I started… the Yellowstone Adventure.  I just see something new each and every time I go and just cannot say enough about the sensory overload one experiences.  This winter I am taking the family into Yellowstone over winter break to see a side we do not see too often, Yellowstone in winter.  If I were able to pick a few more, I would choose our new Mosel Magic trip in Germany and our South Africa Multisport.  You can probably see a pattern here… My favorite tends to be the last trip I was on!

With the economy in a less-than-perfect place right now, what sets ALA apart from the competition and what gets noticed?

I should have known this question would come up. It does every day and obviously none of us can ignore the national news.  Truthfully, we are going to continue to do our part to see that each and every trip is executed with the highest level of professionalism and value possible.  People need vacations now more than ever. We just want to make sure when they get the chance to travel with ALA, each trip exceeds every possible expectation.  Our Alumni know the value of an ALA vacation and know how it rejuvenates like nothing else.  We will be here and we will continue to do what we do better than anyone.

Thank you very much for your time, Dan.  In closing what suggestions can you share for helping a guest choose a perfect vacation?

Another great question Vanessa!  I think the key is do your research. Whether you traveling as a family, couple or single, just get everyone traveling involved in the process. In addition to research on the internet, ask around.  Your friends and family might be the best source for destination and tour operator suggestions.  Nothing beats a 3rd party endorsement.  Make and keep a list of who you contact and how they respond.  Ask for references.  Ask a  lot of questions like “Do they ever cancel a trip for low capacity? Do they run their own trips or outsource to others? What is their satisfaction policy? Etc.” There are no bad questions.  Most importantly, build a rapport and eventually work with someone you feel comfortable with.

Thanks Vanessa for this opportunity to share a bit with our readers. I look forward to this new blog format and seeing what and who is next.

Safe Travels to all,

Dan Austin
Director

Read the second installment of my interview with Dan about our exciting new European vacations.

Read the first installment where Dan talks about running an adventure tour company.

ALA has exciting news for 2009 - trips in Europe.  This began in the fall of 2008 when Austin-Lehman Adventures (ALA) acquired 34 year veteran of European Bike Tours, Euro-Bike & Walking Tours.  How did this come about and why did it make sense at this time?

Great question! The number one reason we first started looking at Euro-Bike as a possible acquisition was simple.  Both Paul and I have known the principles in Euro-Bike, Ron Van Dijk and Rene Hoeve, for at least a dozen years.  We had referred many guests to them and heard nothing but rave reviews. When we “heard” Rene was looking to retire and follow a dream to teach school, but Ron wanted to continue on as he had for so very long as the European Operations Manager, it just felt right.  We entered into negotiations that went on for several years and it became clear that Ron shared the same passion and philosophies for doing things the ALA way as we do.  There is no way we could ever add a new continent with this many trips and a high level of confidence any other way.  Now as I get to work with Ron on a daily basis I could not be happier with our decision.

Not long ago, you returned from a bike trip in Germany (Meandering Mosel Valley Biking Adventure) with your family. How was it and how did it compare to the ALA way?

While this wasn’t my first trip to Europe or even my first Euro-Bike trip, this was set up to be a true test of compatibility.  I took along my toughest critics (Carol and my 2 teenage kids, Kasey and Andy) and we joined a scheduled Euro-Bike departure.  It was amazing!  First the location and route were so well thought out, it just flowed seamlessly like we would expect any ALA trip to run.  The experience of riding a bike along the Mosel River, through the rich Mosel Valley, and from historic town to town was perfect.   Our guides Luke and Kavia could not have been better.  While this was only Luke’s 3rd year with Euro-Bike, it was Kavia’s 16th!  We also had private tours along the way, including one through the historic city of Trier.

With Euro-Bike & Walking Tours joining the Austin-Lehman Family, you’ve been able to add over twenty European trips to your lineup.  If you could travel on only one of the new trips, which would you choose and why?

As I mentioned I spend most of my time in Quality Control and Trip Development.  My next trip to Europe is coming up spring of 2009, and I will be joining Ron as we look at how we might improve a few trips to La Loire in France and Tuscany in Italy. It is going to be tough as the trips are already superb, so we will just be looking for subtle ways to improve if at all.  I will also be attending guide training in Nijmegen, Holland with Ron, and last but not least building a new trip hand in hand with Ron in the Greek Islands for 2010.

Based on your experience planning ALA trips, will you be making any changes to European programs?

Not many if any!  These trips are all tried and true.  They are as close to perfect as you can get.  Ron is a true professional and has done an amazing job building and updating trips for nearly 35 years.  What we will be doing is looking for opportunities to add a few Multisport Adventures to the long list of Bike Tours, as well as examining which trips will make good Family Bike Trips or Family Adventures.  If it isn’t broke don’t fix it.

Read the third installment of my interview with Dan about adventure trips and tips.

Read the first installment where Dan talks about running an adventure tour company.

Who doesn’t want to travel the world, seeking out amazing hikes along pristine trails, discovering hidden gems like gourmet restaurants nestled in mountain towns, or top-notch art galleries in small Mexican villages?  Today I am interviewing Dan Austin, Co-Founder and Director of Austin-Lehman Adventures - the man behind many exciting vacations here at ALA.

Dan, your job sounds so exciting!  You own and run an adventure travel company.  Has this always been your dream job?

I was destined to be involved in adventure travel as long as I can remember.  I grew up in California and organized trips to the mountains as soon as I could drive. Shortly after graduation I headed north and ended up not getting too far, stopping in Oregon, which led to my first “official” involvement in Adventure Travel where I ran a small rafting company to feed my thirst for adventure.  From there I moved to Alaska (with a few other stops along the way). Anyone who’s ever lived in Alaska knows that you instantly become “that friend in Alaska that helps everyone with their incoming travel plans.” That was just the case for me. I spent years creating the perfect Alaska Adventure for all my relatives and visiting friends.  It only made sense that my first new trip some 15 years ago with Backcountry Tours was Alaska.  So I guess it is safe to say this is truly my dream job and what I was destined for.

What got you started in the business?

That one is pretty simple, as I said I loved setting up trips for others and after some 25 years in construction was looking for a change. An opportunity presented itself to become a partner in an established company, Backcountry Tours, and I jumped in with both feet.

Do you get the opportunity to go on many ALA vacations in a year?

I think that is a bit of an understatement.  My role has evolved over the years to focus more on trip development, quality control and strategic planning.  So yes, I do get to see a lot of country.  Just last year I was in Panama, Costa Rica, South Africa, Germany, Holland, Alaska and Washington to name a few.  But there are some trips I just cannot get enough of. I try to get on our Yellowstone Adventure at least a few times a year.

What’s your favorite thing about adventure travel?

Honestly, it has to be the people - those I have met and will get to meet. From our great guides and staff to seeing a youngster light up at the sight of their first bear or whale on one of our adventures,  I never tire of sharing the experiences of adventure travel with others.  I have been blessed with quality travel opportunities and try and share it with as many people as I can.

Let’s talk about trip planning.  I’ve always wondered what goes into developing a new adventure.  When you’re building a new vacation, what do you look for?

That is a tough one. It varies from destination to destination.  I mean, I wouldn’t look for the same thing in a South Africa Adventure as I would in a new bike trip in Germany.  Typically I start with some level of insight or a suggestion from someone that has been there or wants to go.  In other words, we might have a past guest that says something like, “Hey Dan, why don’t you build a new adventure in Peru? We have always wanted to see Lake Titicaca and I hear it’s fabulous.”  Another time you might have a guide just come back from a personal adventure from someplace like Havasupai in the Grand Canyon and say something like, “Geez, why don’t we have a Havasupai Adventure?  It’s incredible with all the pristine waterfalls and beautiful trails and camp spots.”  Both of these examples have led to new trips.

What kind of research do you do when you decide on new destinations?

Once I get a “tip” I just start looking further into it.  Researching on the web has made trip development a lot easier, but I also use great resources like the magazine National Geographic Adventure.  I can honestly say the one thing we do not do is just knock off other tour operators.  We want each trip to be an Austin-Lehman original.  Once I have a better understanding of an area, that’s when the fun starts and a trip to the area is scheduled.  If I can bring along a guide or someone that has been there, great.  If not, I just start knocking on doors and checking out trails and rides and such.  It often takes several visits, endless hours of research, and several “dry runs” to get a trip where we want it.

Do you personally scout out all the new trips and destinations?

Paul and I agreed many years ago that we do not want to put guests on a trip unless one of us has run the program start to finish.  That too has evolved over the years. Sometimes we invite our Alumni to join us the first time we run a trip with guests; we call these “First Ascents.”  Typically on a First Ascent either Paul or I (or both) will have developed the trip and run it through at least once without guests, tweaking along the way.  Once we run the trip with Alumni, we look to them for good constructive feedback.  We recently ran a new program, our Washington Cascades Adventure, and got some great feedback from 9 of our Alumni.  We have improved the trip to the point it’s now one of my all time favorites.

Read the second installment of my interview with Dan covering our exciting new European vacations!

Read the third installment of my interview with Dan about adventure trips and tips.

We’ve all shot impala, right? Whether at the zoo or in the field, their giant ears, Cleopatra-like eyes, long triangular faces and attractive coloring make them irresistible. I shot this small herd in the Sabi Sabi Private Game Preserve (on the edge of Kruger National Park) while on Austin-Lehman Adventures’ South Africa trip last year – and the antelope alone in the acacias a half dozen years before in Kenya.

It will sound odd, but I’m always reminded of my times photographing butterflies with a macro lens when I’m glassing an antelope and composing the scene. Their similarity of habit is remarkable – momentary, almost absolute stillness, lulling you into taking those dangerous extra seconds just to look at these beautiful creatures before taking your shot – then WHOOSH, they’re gone. That’s what happened with the butterfly below (taken on ALA’s Costa Rica adventure trip in the butterfly house we visited). Had I waited a split second longer I’d have missed the shot!

The thrill of catching that first good snap of an animal or insect is palpable, and in truth I never tire of shooting the same things. But that same level of satisfaction does not extend to the resulting photographs. That is, after a while my shots of these immobile lovelies begin looking the same, even after altering the angle, the composition, the background colors and lighting – all the many variations we all make to a subject when we’re striving for a novel look or feel. What’s left to capture?

Ah – in my opinion this is one of the most creative moments in photography, the instant not of executing the photograph (usually an easy enough thing to do) but the more difficult job of deciding what it is that you want to capture long before the camera is in your hand. Most of us travel photographers (you and me – everyone who travels and takes a picture now and again) never even consider this question until the moment is upon us, until the antelope are staring back or the butterfly lights on a flower nearby. This is understandable. Without really thinking about it we buy a camera before a trip, toss it into our pack, and when something looks interesting we take a snap. We’ve recorded what we see. The trip is our subject and we’ve just preserved a bit of it for ourselves and for others back home. There’s not a thing wrong with that. Not a thing – until you notice that all your pictures are looking somewhat the same.

That’s when you begin doing what I listed above – changing compositions, backgrounds, colors, lighting…. If you still are feeling that you’re missing something, maybe it’s time to work at putting motion into your shots. It’s not a static world out there, after all – especially if what you’re trying to record is an adventure tour.

Now, there are a number of ways to put motion into photographs, and due to space considerations I’ll discuss just one at present – pan-blurs. But I’ll mention the easiest of all before we get to panning – that of just keeping your camera still when the antelope or butterfly races off, but tripping the shutter as it does. The results most often aren’t worth keeping, and if you were (or still are) shooting film you’d hesitate at the waste. But if it’s only pixels you’re burning, why not?

Here’s a butterfly (also taken in the Costa Rica butterfly house) that fluttered past my lens while I was standing still, camera to my eye and trained on a leaf where I’d seen two others light for few seconds. I was hoping for a third, and was pre-focused and composed. Then, suddenly, this fellow comes fluttering past. He – or rather, she, as I soon discovered – was headed to the curled frond at the very bottom of the photo. As I watched, amazed, she laid an egg! I had snapped as she descended, holding the camera as still as I could (notice that some of the leaves are in focus). What I love about this lucky snap is that we get to see what the human eye cannot – the fast-beating colorful wings and those delicate legs, poised for a landing like a NASA moon rover descending to the surface. I didn’t get the shot I was after, another immobile, in-focus snap that would have looked much like the others I’d already taken. But I did get something just as interesting as those which let us count the hairs on a butterfly’s back.

So that’s one way to put motion into your photos – holding very still, pre-focused on a spot (or on the creature itself) and snapping as the action of entrance to the scene or exit from it occurs. This, of course, requires a quick trigger finger and luck, but if it was too easy it wouldn’t be any fun.

Pan-blurs, in comparison, are far more fun, for instead of just standing still and tripping a shutter you are going to swing your lens with your subject as it passes. How clearly and cleanly you smear the background colors across your resulting photograph – while keeping your main subject in focus – depends upon how fast and how smoothly you make that swing and what shutter speed you’ve chosen (Pan-blurs can be taken even with point-and-shoots which don’t allow you to change your shutter speed, though you will of course sacrifice that element of creativity). Faster shutter speeds will put the moving subject into greater focus, and blur the background less. Slower shutter speeds will reduce the focus of both, giving your “canvas” a more impressionistic look. Here are two examples from the cross-Iowa Ragbrai ride, attended that year by a mere 8500 or so riders. What a lotta lycra to photograph!

In the first shot, the cool-looking blue-shoed, red-jerseyed cyclist’s face, arms, and hands are in near-perfect focus, while everything else in the picture says exactly what I was seeing as I shot it – action. My shutter setting was 1/100th, and I obviously lucked into a nice, even swing of the zoom-telephoto lens I was using (Note: Some internally stabilized lenses have a special setting to help steady your lens as you pivot with the subject). Though one can “pan” (rotate) with any moving object (cars, horses, joggers…), I prefer bikers because of the feet, spokes, and tires which are moving at different speeds and directions from the cyclist, resulting in blurs all their own.

In contrast, the second biker has not a single in-focus point anywhere in the picture. I snapped this rider at a 1/60th shutter speed, but when shooting pan-blurs the speed of the subject is as determinative of the result as is your shutter setting. Part of the fun of pan-blurs is that you don’t know what you’ve captured until you look at the picture on your computer screen, for even the largest of back-of-the-camera screens are too small to provide the necessary overall view. Practice will of course give you a better guess at what you’ve shot, but if you’re after a mix of pan-blur effects you should employ multiple shutter settings and alter the speed of your pivot.

As you can see in the shots, the background of a pan-blur is of great importance. Trees, a picket fence, a row of tall bushes or a high cornfield, all will be interesting when blurred. Other riders are an especially good background, and if they’re in different colors and riding at somewhat different speeds you’re doubly blessed. Choose your background, decide upon the spot where you’ll trip the shutter as your moving subject comes along, and focus for that spot. Pre-set your exposure (both shutter and aperture) for the lighting conditions, or choose shutter-priority alone (as I prefer, thereby letting the camera select the aperture according to the lighting present when your subject appears). Plant your feet firmly and practice the swinging motion, rotating just your upper torso as you do.

Another option is to use auto-focus, so that you can shoot before or after your pre-determined spot if things look good to your eye. And don’t stop your panning action after you’ve clicked the shutter, especially if you’re shooting at 1/30th of a second or slower. Sticking with that long, smooth glide of the lens will increase your chances of getting what you want.

Your best pan-blurs will probably be those you get when planning ahead, as I’ve done on adventure tours when pedaling hard for a minute to break from my fellow riders, then jumping off my bike at what looks to be a good location and hurriedly setting up before the others pass. But this is a technique that can be employed on the fly with a momentarily still subject as well, if you’re ready for it.

Take your best still shot of whatever it is that you’re expecting to bolt (like that antelope herd above), then quickly change your shutter speed to something slow enough to blur the background, and wait for them to speed off. Their pretty heads and erect ears will be in focus, while their flying hooves and taut leg muscles – as well as the grass and trees in view – will show the motion you’re wanting to pan.

n future Photo Corners we’ll discuss other ways to put action into pictures. Until then, enjoy perfecting your panning technique!

It isn’t a large canvas, the human face, but even with the same number of component parts (two eyes, a nose, one mouth…) the result is limitless variation. Arguably the first thing we remember seeing in life, and the most memorable element of everyone we meet throughout our years, it should not be surprising that some photographers choose to shoot faces exclusively.

Old-time photo equipment required lengthy exposures, often in studios, to obtain high-quality portraits. Thankfully, since the days of Kodak, candid portraiture – the capturing of a face quickly, or even on the sly, or after a verbal request along a hiking trail high in Peru’s Andes Mountains (as in the photo above) – has been a fun and comparatively effortless pursuit of almost all us travel photographers (that’s you and me and almost everyone these days) who wish to return home with the memorable faces they encountered on a trip.

I’ve looked at hundreds of these faces shot by guests over the years when they’ve emailed me their images. While most shots perform the function of having recorded the face that they remember, time and again I’ve heard from them some dissatisfaction with the results. There’s general discontent at their photos do not provide what they remembered. They complain that the faces are in focus but they just aren’t as arresting as they felt it to be when they took the shot.

Almost always when I’ve heard this and looked again at their shots I’ve written back that in my opinion (and I hurry to add that it’s just the personal opinion of a fellow snapper) the faces lack the power and immediate fascination lent them by one simple quality – proximity.

It’s probably happened to you. You’ve seen a remarkable mug on a human or animal. You take a shot. Yet when you look at the picture you’ve snapped you find you’ve lost what attracted you in the first place – the feeling of connection that comes when you’re up close, when every line by the eyes tells you of decades spent smiling – as with the gentleman above who kindly stopped for me on a sidewalk in the old Incan capital city of Cuzco, Peru. The full-size photo on my computer screen lets me see those smile/squint-against-the-sun lines individually, just as I remember them. The strong, hawk-like nose is prominent, and each curling white beard hair stands out against the man’s brown-skinned chin. All this with just a shutter click.

Are you as happy with your people pictures? If not, chances are good that the reason isn’t the difference in our cameras – at least not in these two instances, for both snaps above were taken with a wide-angle lens similar in focal length to that of many point-and-shoots. The difference is very likely the human, good-hearted tendency not to be in a stranger’s face with your lens when trying to take a shot.

How do I avoid antagonizing strangers and still get a powerful close-up? There are two techniques that I employ, the first of which is to move farther away physically and let my zoom telephoto lens get close instead. Here’s an example:

I used my favorite “long” lens, an expensive and weighty 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom, to frame this good face from many paces away before he saw me, for I wanted to be ready to catch that first (and usually the best, most natural-looking) smile. We’d completed a tough hike through the Andes an hour or more before this shot. After being restored with coffee and cakes, this man had taken a chair on the lodge lawn to enjoy his pipe and the views down the Salkantay Valley to the high mountains beyond.

When I first noticed him outside and threw up my camera to pull him into view, I immediately liked the paralleling diagonals of the back of the wood chair, the pipe stem, and the front of the blue shirt. I tried to hold these in place as I stepped carefully forward, hoping I wouldn’t fall into a hole or bump into a wandering llama. All would have been ruined if the good guy had, justifiably, turned toward me with a frown for bothering him when he was trying to relax. But this was several days into the trip, and by then I usually have a good feel for my quarry. I doubt I’d be as nice with me around all the time, but very few of you over the years have responded with rocks. Thanks.

Choosing Your Focus and Depth of Field
Okay, let me add just another note or two about this picture, before I get back to shooting faces with point-and-shoots (or an equivalent wide-angle lens on a larger camera body). Notice that the background is completely blurred, allowing our eye to pick up the details of face, hair, pipe, glasses, and hand very easily. This was a conscious decision on my part before I began my approach. After shooting for a while, learning photography basics, and really looking at your pictures (at the ones you like and peering even harder at the ones you don’t, and then asking yourself why you feel the way you do about them), you will learn how to “paint” into photos the effects you like and avoid the ones you don’t. It’s a delight.

So, having already decided, before I took the shot, to “drop out” the background (make it a complete blur) I focused precisely on the face, or rather on that exact part of the face that must be in focus to look “right” to the viewer. That part is, of course, the eyes. If it’s impossible to get both eyes in focus, and it often is when shooting with a long telephoto, it usually looks more natural to have in focus the eye that’s closer to you. Try it both ways and you’ll see.

The sun was back behind the mountains, so my settings of 1/200 shutter speed at an ISO (film speed) of 400 allowed me to “open up” my lens completely – to its maximum aperture (lens opening) of f/2.8. As many of you already know, the wider the lens opening the less that is in focus in your shot. Had I wanted to put the background into focus I would have had to “sacrifice” shutter speed (that is, shoot at a slower shutter speed), so that I could move to a higher-number f/stop. The higher the f/stop number, the smaller the lens opening, and the greater your “depth of field” (that which is in focus) in the photo. These are inexact comparisons, but still helpful: think of f/2.8 as the size of the top of a juice glass; when in this position light pours through the lens to bathe your film or digital sensor. Think of the other end – the tiniest opening of your lens (f/32 on my zoom, f/22 on many lenses) – as the top of a pink eraser on a pencil.

Are you point-and-shoot photographers ready to scream? That is, if you haven’t already quit reading? Photography basics are terribly confusing when approached in this manner, and in another piece I’ll suggest a photo primer that does a wonderfully easy job of explaining the few photo basics that most of us find confusing at first. But I’ve added the little bit above because of the wide-ranging photography knowledge base of the guests I’ve met over the years on ALA trips. I don’t want to bore those who know more, nor drive away the less-informed through confusion. I hope you will forgive me and again for throwing something in which will seem elementary to some and obscure to others.

Photo Cropping Tips
I want to point out another compositional element in the shot of the pipe-smoker (who is an amazingly strong hiker, I should add), before we move on to the somewhat candid portrait of the smiling lady in the ball cap below (”somewhat” because she caught me aiming at her from afar, and sweetly smiled). Earlier, I mentioned the man’s hand. Can you guess why I included it in the photo? No, not “because it was there.” With the lens I was using I could have chosen not to have it in the picture, and with photo software (even some that is free on the web) one always has the choice these days to crop a shot as one wishes.

You’ll find the answer by looking again at the photo and keeping track of your eye movement. It’s natural for us to do with paintings and pictures of faces what we do in real life – look first into someone’s eyes. My own first glance, if I’m recalling it correctly, then moved to the man’s great smile, and next toward the top right corner. There it banked, like a ball on a pool table, following the curve of the head and diagonally along the line of the shirt and chair until it ran into – and was banked back north again – by the hand. The knuckles keep the eye from floating out of the picture. The fingers send one’s gaze back in the direction of the eyes, propelled by the long and graceful slight silver curve of the pipe stem.

Don’t believe me? Okay, block out his hand with your own, or a sheet of paper. It’s still a wonderful, natural smile, but to my eye it’s much less of a photo. It doesn’t “work.” Or at least it doesn’t work as well. For similar reasons, the first photo of the man in the red sweater works much better to my eye than does the second, the gentleman I shot in Cuzco. Why? Because of the almost perfect triangle formed by the top of the first man’s hat, elbows, and strong hands. Google up a quick picture of Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and you’ll see that same eye-pleasing balance of a triangle. I won’t go into the details of the “Golden Ratio” or “Golden Rectangle” theories involved, primarily because I haven’t a clue about them. I remember, but only vaguely, hearing the terms in a high school or college art class, but I’ve got a lousy memory for such things anyway. My guess is that they’re involved.

But I do know just what you know, and that is when I like a photo or painting, and when I don’t. I can’t always figure out why until much later, often when I’m shooting. Or when I ask someone else. There’s nothing like a pair of fresh eyes when it comes to seeing something more (or less!) in a picture. This applies to liking something too – some element or effect or technique in a shot, but not being able to name it. So what? It makes discussing the point with someone else a bit easier, but not knowing that the pleasing meandering line (say, of a river) in a shot is generically referred to as a “Hogarth’s Curve” won’t keep you from capturing it in your photos. And people for centuries were liking the feel of paintings that employed the “Rule of Thirds” before anyone applied the term. We’ll run through a bunch of these in another Photo Corner, but in the meantime don’t let anyone high-hat you because you can’t put a name to a feeling. It’s feelings, our emotions, that produce the best pictures. Memorize every art book and photo manual in the world, but if you’ve got a dead eye and a pallid heart your shots will show it.

Ah – I got off subject, yet again. I was moving toward telling you why I don’t like the photo of the second man as much as the first. I crouched a bit when shooting him so that I could have the blue sky on either side, and I do like that pretty blue color.

But my eyes fly off the shot in each direction, right out of the sky and away from the subject, the man himself. If I’d had time to turn the camera vertically or grab another lens… but I didn’t. And if I crop this particular shot I end up with too small a file for my liking. Still, there is emotion present. And there is, of course, that wonderful fissured face, each line and ravine and gully hinting to those who look closely of the years and toil that created them. I love the face, but I only like the shot.

You’ve heard the line (from a song I think) – Smile, and the world smiles with you. Look at the lady in the ball cap (another hiker in Peru), and you’ll feel the truth in that line. Don’t ever underestimate the power of a single face to convey the emotion you’re looking for, be it the happiness of a trip with loved ones and new friends, or the pathos of war.

There’s so much more to say about shooting faces, and we can return to this subject if any of you wish to (and I hope you will). But at present I will only supply the second of the two techniques I employ to “avoid antagonizing strangers and still get a powerful close-up.” (Bet you thought I’d forgotten!) I’ve already discussed the use of long lenses, such as my favorite telephoto zoom for ’sniping’ from a distance, which allows me to compose my shot more carefully before I squeeze off. Again, these lenses are great for allowing you not to invade someone’s “personal space” – or some animal’s, as in this shot!

Use a long enough lens and after a while a person or animal will become bored with you:

…and will return to its natural pose and let you get the shot you want.

Photographing Strangers: How to Get a Good Close-Up
But if the distance is too great, or your telephoto not long enough, or if you’ve decided (as most people do for very good reasons) that adventure trips are about the adventure, not about photographing the adventure, and you’ve therefore brought along only a lightweight point-and-shoot, how do you get those close-ups?

The answer is that you don’t, at least in the case of a leopard. But with your own species it’s usually amazingly easy. Honest. I’ve been doing it for decades, and it even works when you’re abroad and don’t know the language, which for me unfortunately is everywhere that English isn’t spoken (I had years of Spanish and a couple of Vietnamese, but like math and science and full-time work, and, for that matter, marriage, it didn’t stick). Don’t think of photographing someone as something that you do to the other person, but instead as a joint effort. This will be conveyed in your face, in the honesty of your desire, and in your eagerness to capture something that you value. The results are often remarkable.

I’ve griped more than most about digital dust and the post-production time involved when shooting digitally. But I’m the first to admit that the ability to show someone the shot you took only a split second before is a fantastic tool for getting permission to take a second, more carefully composed photograph. You snap the first, you look at it, you show it to your ‘model’ (who usually will enjoy seeing him- or herself), and in words or at least demeanor reflect that you like the result but you’d really really like to do better if given a second chance. (Note: It’s slimy not to be genuine in this. And most people will know if you’re faking. If you don’t really like people you should consider shooting landscapes instead.)

Don’t think of the first shot as a throw-away, for it could be the only one you’re allowed. (I forgot to mention, I think, that you’ve of course asked permission before even the first snap, right?) A bus could pull up behind your model in the meantime and ruin the effect you were looking for. But that second shot is often a sweet one in close-up, join-me-in-this-pursuit face shooting, when a fellow human has joined in your effort to preserve what I remember most of all from the nearly fifty countries I’ve visited. Not the bustling cities, or tranquil countryside, nor even the lovely winding rivers or grandest mountains. What I remember most of all is mugs.

Two very fast additional tips: In Third World countries always carry coins. You can’t object to the poor taking advantage of one of the few opportunities they have of obtaining some change. Even if I pay for the privilege, I still work hard to engage the person in the communal effort. I get far better photos as a result – and we both have a whole lot more fun.

And the second tip: Don’t be brokenhearted and give up photography or the delight of shooting faces if you’re turned down now and again when you beg for a shot. If you sincerely want the photo your desire will come across, and most often – with humans anyway – they’ll say yes. With animals you’re sometimes out of luck.

Welcome to Austin-Lehman Adventure’s new Photo Corner – an on-line gathering place for all of us who love that happy intersection of fun photography and great travel. Here you’ll be able to pick up tips on how to take better trip photos, share some of your own tips with the rest of us, and learn which cameras and lenses will allow you to take close-ups of Costa Rica’s wildly colored red-eyed tree frogs:

or wide shots of a fellow ALA hiker enjoying Peru’s Machu Picchu:

or how to fill the frame with an elephant on the South Africa trip, without running the risk of having a ‘close encounter’ of the pachyderm kind:

Is this a place only for photo aficionados with expensive gear? No – perish the thought. When invited to write a piece for the newsletter and create a photo spot on the ALA website I thought immediately of the fact that the vast majority of you have the good sense to pack only a lightweight point-and-shoot camera on tours. Much attention in these pages will be directed accordingly.

However, every now and then during the dozen years that I’ve been shooting trips for Dan and Paul I do run into a guest as burdened as myself with multiple lenses and camera bodies, lagging behind the group waiting for some blasted butterfly to light on a flower or an elk to turn its head. You poor souls too must be included in the conversation:

[It's mean of me to add this picture, especially since I didn't even take it while on tour. But I couldn't help it!]

Besides, many topics – like rules of composition (and when to enjoy breaking them!), avoiding camera shake, light metering, choosing your subject, protecting your gear, on-screen enhancements, and many more – are relevant to everyone who uses a camera. Other topics, like dealing with dreaded digital dust, or how Adobe Lightroom compares to Photoshop, or selective focus and putting to use the wonderful compression effect of telescopic lenses while on an adventure tour, run the risk of boring point-and-shoot photographers to tears. We’ll keep those topics to a minimum, unless through your responses I hear that you’d like to see more along these lines.
Most of all, I’d like Photo Corner to be fifty percent informational, and a hundred percent fun. Even my math-challenged brain knows that adds up to 150%, a seeming impossibility. But over-the-brim enjoyment is exactly what I’ve found time and again – and what you’ll see pictures of right here in the future – when shooting a chilly Rockies dawn on the Montana trip (while the rest of the country is sweltering!), or the warm smiles on a family tour anytime.

Happy snapping,
Dennis

Q: Chance asks, “What does impala steak taste like? Is it really lean or is there some fat? Is it similar to venison?”

A: Carmin answers, “Impala steak is firm but tender. Our very kind guide did suggest that we order it medium to rare as it can get tough if over cooked. The meat has a very mild game flavor but nothing quite as strong as venison.”

Q: Amanda asks, “Do you have any books that you or Carmin can recommend so that I can learn more about this amazing place?”

A: Carmin answers, “There are so many fabulous books on South Africa and it all depends on where your interests lie. A good choice for insight into South Africa’s political and cultural past is Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom and also Tomorrow is Another Country: The Inside Story of South Africa’s Road to Change by Allister Sparks. For guidebooks, the Insight Guides are great. I like Bradt’s Southern African Wildlife: A Visitor’s Guide and Ian Sinclair Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa.”

Q: Sherry asks, “I’m a little surprised about the driver pulling the land rover in front of the lions, forcing them to go around the obstruction. This seems the antithesis of ‘nature’ travel. Why not be satisfied with simply observing the animals in the wild, why inflict yourselves on them when they are hunting???”

A: Carmin says, “Sherry, if the lions were on the hunt, we would definitely not have moved in closer as it is imperative that we as spectators do not change or influence the animals’ behavior. These two male lions were, in fact, just on the move in search of the females and were using the road as the path of least resistance. It is also important to note that these lions are habituated to the safari vehicles and regularly walk right up to them and use the vehicles for shade on a hot day.”

Q: Jan says “That is so interesting about the leopards. It almost sounds like human hunters with the disembowling. How do they shave the fur? How old before they can defend against the hyenas? [...] Who would do battle with a male lion? A female lion? Another male lion?”

A: Carmin answers, “Leopards shave their prey with their teeth. They scrape the skin along their front teeth and then spit out the hair. Hyenas remain a threat to leopards as they constantly try to steal they prey – hyenas are scavengers after all. This is why leopards will hoist their prey into a tree but sometimes it falls out of the tree and the hyenas are waiting to snatch it up. Male lions fight for dominance of a territory but other animals have also been known to put up a fight in certain situations. I have seen rhino chase off lions as well as buffalo, it all depends on the situation and if the animals have strong numbers, they can and often will challenge a lion.”

Q: Georgia asks, “Have you tried a Swinging Safari Amarula Cream Cocktail yet??”

A: Carmin responds, “We did indeed enjoy Amarula on several occasions and we even saw several Marula trees but sadly no fruit at this time of year.”

We came back a little early for breakfast and sat in the main lodge near the fire, which was especially nice after being somewhat chilled from the weather. Carmin and I downloaded and responded to email while we waited for breakfast. The banquet table had been laid out with plates, silverware, and a fruit basket at this point. A vervet monkey dashed into the lodge, hopped onto the banquet table, and snatched a couple of bananas. Carmin and I noticed too late to either chase him off or grab a camera (As I was writing this - no kidding - another monkey came and stole some of the lunch rolls! Wow)! Later one brought over her baby and sat perched atop the branch of a nearby tree, watching us. It was so cute and fascinated me.

After breakfast, Mike was nice enough to give us a great interview describing his job as a guide which should be debuting on the site pretty soon. Everyone went their own way for a few hours and reconvened at lunch. We sat discussing our South African itineraries, pouring over a map and making notes of our thoughts. I have no doubt that these trips will be a great deal of fun and I am already planning to come back with my family and Justin.

It was just about time for high tea when we were done with our meeting and not long before we head out for our final afternoon safari with Mike. It was obvious he and Jerry were on a mission as soon as we climbed into the vehicle. We stopped only once, very briefly, to watch three mongooses cross the road. Being close to the front of the land rover, I was able to see Mike anxiously biting his thumb nail. He stopped the vehicle and both he and Jerry jumped out, discussing droppings they noticed on the ground. Both were very quiet and communicated in the local tribal language (Shangaan) so we were unaware of just what was going on. The anticipation was killing me! Moments later and a brief trip down twisting dirt roads, Mike slowed and shouted “There! There!” all the while pointing and edging the vehicle forward. Then he exclaimed “Buffalo!” That was all we needed to hear. Raucous cheers erupted from inside the land rover. This was it – we had seen all of the Big 5.

As we edged nearer, Mike told us that the group members were female buffalo with their young. He also told us they’re quite dangerous – possibly the most dangerous of the Big 5 because, unlike elephants, they won’t simply trample you. They will absolutely gore you. He told us that he’d been charged by one in Botswana. He and his friend had to fire two shots into her just to bring her to the ground. After an autopsy had been preformed, they found that she was lactating and her baby had died, hence she was in a rage – Mike just so happened to be nearby.

He guessed (accurately) that the males would be nearby and hurriedly drove through brush and trees, bringing us face to face with a group of “bulls.” They are so massive and odd looking to me. We watched them for a while as they moved off into a thicket, peering out at us from their hiding place. Mike drove us back toward the females, which we watched for a while longer.

In jovial, triumphant spirits we left the buffalo to graze. Soon we came upon a female hyena that appeared to be hunting a group of male impala. This is unusual because she is at a disadvantage due to the number of kudu and the fact that they have horns. However, Mike said she appeared very hungry so may be willing to take the risk. The males bounded away and she noticed us. Normally the hyenas we’ve seen have been skittish of the land rover, but not this one. She pranced right up to the side of the vehicle where Dennis was snapping photos of her. She moved her head from side to side before bending to a crouch. I swore she was about to spring into the vehicle. She edged closer to my door and I became quite frightened. Jerry had a spotlight which he shined into her eyes causing her to flee. Yikes!

Further on we spotted a rhino trotting in the grass parallel to the road. He ran ahead of us then turned and began running toward us. I thought this would be the end for sure! As the rhino headed for us, Mike killed the vehicle engine and placed a hand on his rifle. Luckily the rhino changed his mind and turned (on a dime!) to head in a different direction. After he left, Mike told us it was a black rhino. Black rhinos are much more aggressive than white rhinos and can run at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. Jerry, who sits atop a seat bolted to the hood of the vehicle, was surprised and a little scared. He confessed he’d only been calm because he thought it was a white rhino.

We drove onto a hill that rose high above the surrounding area. The air was chill and high wind whipped around us. It was pitch black at this point but far in the distance, many miles away, there was a string of lights pressed onto the horizon. It was the first sign of civilization, of a town, I’d seen in several days. To some this might seem annoying, and I admit it may otherwise have rubbed me the wrong way, but at that moment I felt a sense of happiness, of warmth, hope and gratefulness. I felt a sense of connectedness to both the world and to humanity, to the people in that little village that I’ll never meet and all those beyond it.

Dinner was a special event as it would be our last for the trip and in South Africa. I think all four of us had impala steak for the same reason – who knows when or if we’ll ever have it again? It was delicious as was the dessert.

Today is our final day here. A small, chartered plane will take us from the Sabi Sabi landing strip to Johannesburg International Airport and we’ll go our respective ways - I to New York and the others connecting through DC to their respective homes (Carmin in Seattle, Dan in Billings, and Dennis in St. Louis). This trip has been very special. I hope you’ve all enjoyed the photographs and the blog entries. I definitely encourage everyone to come to South Africa. Carmin has done a fantastic job with the different itineraries (family or adult) so if you make it an Austin-Lehman trip, I have no doubt it will be an experience you will cherish and remember forever. I know I will, and I truly hope someday (in the not too distant future) to come back with my family to this country teaming with beauty, wilderness, and culture.

When we returned from our walk we decided to visit each of the different Sabi Sabi properties for a survey. Little Bush Camp (where we are staying) and Bush Camp were my two favorites because of the rustic, laid back appeal. We had a wonderful lunch at Bush Camp before heading to see the last lodge and returning to ours just before high tea and our afternoon game drive. The lodge we’re staying in reflects the modern African safari style with lovely thatched roofs, spacious bathrooms, and great amenities. My absolute favorite thing about our lodge is the people. They are so cheerful, friendly and humorous. They can make a joke out of almost any situation and truly give the place a fun, comfortable feeling.

On our afternoon drive we headed straight for the Sabi River. It is incredibly wide and bone dry. Mike tells us that it usually gets flowing in March and continues throughout autumn. We saw lots of beautiful impalas and quite a few little babies nestled among the herd, safe from predators. They were so adorable and can jump incredibly high for their size! Hyenas seemed to be on the prowl as we saw two or three – one was even walking along the road with absolutely no regard for the looming vehicle!

As we drove quickly down the road in the darkness Mike hit the brakes. Something large and grey was blocking the road ahead of us. It turned out to be a massive elephant bum belonging to Frank. He’s been known to charge vehicles. Mike managed to shoo him away but as soon as he we drove passed him he let out a great trumpeting cry. I pictured him furiously stampeding us at any moment. Luckily, we were safe and continued onward.

Moments later we encountered the male lions from the morning drive, but this time they were on the prowl and not laying innocently beside the road. We followed them for quite some time. More than once Mike pulled the car in front of them, causing them to walk right passed us. I have to admit, it was a little bit frightening, especially when one would look right up at you as it passed. I huddle closely to Carmin for fear of a giant paw swatting me to my doom. Dan confided to being a little intimidated as well, though he continued to hold one of the cameras out of the vehicle to acquire photos of the beautiful animal as it walked by. We followed the animals into a large field where one laid down. Mike told us it wouldn’t be long before we got to hear what a real roar was like and that the television really didn’t do it justice. He wasn’t kidding! The lion’s roar was loud and deep, vibrating the floor boards beneath our feet. We were quite close to him and I began to worry that our presence was getting on his nerves. Mike informed us that he was merely announcing his presence and claiming his territory. I didn’t want to give him any reason to think we were challenging him so I admit I felt a bit relieved when we all drove away safely.

When we returned to the lodge we were bursting with excitement and browsing through photographs from our lion encounter. We showed both Etienne and Leanna (managers at the lodge) the photographs and video we’d managed to take. We had a nice dinner and went off to bed to prepare for the next morning.

I am not a fan of traveling for long periods at a time because I often get motion sick. Yesterday we drove from Madikwe to Johannesburg with a brief stop to look at souvenirs and use the restroom facilities. I also grabbed some more souvenirs (wow, I feel like a broken record). By the time we arrived at our small charter jet terminal, I was not feeling my best. You can imagine how happy I was to discover that hors d’oeuvres, fruit, and drinks were waiting for us as well as a comfortable area to relax and wait for our flight. I have never flown on a plane that small! There were maybe 12 seats and I literally had to bend over at the waist to shuffle down the aisle. I really felt like we were going into the wild at that point! The plane encountered a small bit of turbulence during the flight and fluttered like a moth caught in a wind current but most of the time it was fine and the flight was only an hour long. I decided to take a nap and woke up at the perfect moment – just before we touched down in Sabi Sabi. The four of us (Carmin, Dennis, Dan and myself) were the only passengers to get off at this stop. The plane would be making two or three other stops before heading back to Johannesburg.

We were picked up from the landing strip by our guide for the next few days, Mike. He is such a character! Not only is he funny and enthusiastic (that is an understatement), you can really tell he loves what he is doing. His knowledge regarding plants, insects, reptiles, birds, mammals and stars is close to encyclopedic! I think we all find him absolutely mesmerizing. On the way to the lodge, we saw a hippo mostly submerged in a pond right off the little dirt road. He repeated a pattern of surfacing and sinking beneath the water. Every time he arose, he snorted from his large nostrils and spun his ears like little windmills. He was so cute! I am really glad we got to see a hippo. They’re such neat animals!

We came to our rooms which are quite lovely - large, comfortable, with a nice big bathroom, and AIR CONDITIONING (a rarity in the bush) and then had some quick tea before heading out on safari. What a brilliant experience. The land here is so pretty – green and open one moment and the next there are flowering trees and rocky beds. We drove very near a pack of white rhinos grazing and watched little birds light on the rhinos’ backs and heads and peak in their ears. Mike told us some incredibly interesting facts about the white rhinos, such as they can run up to 45 km/hour, drink 70 liters of water per day and eat 100 kg of grass. They have a 16 month gestation period and their calves suckle for four years!!! I guess we have it pretty good as humans. Despite their weight (a female can be 1.5 tons and a male 2.7 tons) they are very bouncy and light in appearance when they trotted away.

It wasn’t long after we left the rhinos that we came upon a beautiful leopard cub (approximately 1 year old) relaxing beneath a tree. She yawned, stretched, and decided to hunt impalas. We learned that leopards can run up to 90 km per hour and that they shave the fur off their kill, disembowel them, and drag the carcasses into trees to keep them away from other predators. It was amazing to follow the young leopardess on her hunt. She slowly snuck up a small hill and crouched low so as to be obscured by brush before carefully approaching the impalas. She had inched her way closer when, suddenly, a hyena darted out of nowhere! Hyenas prey on young cubs who cannot yet defend themselves. In a flash the leopard was up a tree. The hyena circled the tree for a bit before moving off. It was absolutely surreal to watch the reality of nature in action. As the sun lowered in the sky it cast golden light over the world. At that point, there was no more beautiful vision than the young leopardess balancing effortlessly in the tree, bathed in warm light and peering into the sunset. We watched her for a while longer before heading out for our sundowner. The sunset that evening was the most beautiful I’ve seen in months, painting the sky with pinks, reds, and blues against a soft, cloudy texture sky. It made the perfect backdrop for our sundowner.

On the way back to the lodge, Jerry (the tracker that rode with us, perched on a seat atop the hood of the land rover) spotted an owl in the tree. We were able to watch it swoop from limb to limb until it was too far away to see and too much in the thicket to pursue. Mike spotted a scorpion and hopped out of the vehicle. I swear, in that moment he was just like an excited kid that possessed uncanny knowledge. He described the scorpion to us as he nudged it with the toe of his boot. The scorpion responded with repeated lashes from his tail. Just before we arrived back at the lodge, we made one more stop. There was a chameleon hanging out in a tree, so Mike grabbed her and she crawled all the way to the top of his head. He said they always try to make it to the highest point. Dan, Carmin, and I took turns holding her and letting her climb all the way up our heads. When we arrived at the lodge, it was just about time for dinner. We were served butternut squash soup, kudu steak, and “chocolate pizza” before hitting the hay.

This morning I made it to the main lodge just in time to grab a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin for the road. Mike almost immediately found two male lions laying around, relaxing. Man they have massive heads! One was scarred from previous battles, though he was only around 4 years old. It was so neat to see their manes and the size of their paws. As we watched them resting tiny droplets of rain began to fall on us. It wasn’t long before we were enveloped in a full scale shower. We made it back to the lodge somewhat dry thanks to the ponchos that Mike had for us. We sat around conversing for a while, waiting for the rain to let up. It is now time for a full breakfast, so I am going to stop here and hurry off to join the others. I’ll write again tomorrow.

Here is a video we made of the lion cubs from Madikwe playing togther.