In the Company of Elephants : 2013 Safari

African Elephants, (Loxodonta africana) (c) Kevin Schafer

This image was not planned, just a quick shot as a line of elephants passed close by to our vehicle. As always, the young animals stayed close to their mother, especially the little one, just a few months old and still nursing.
What I have always loved about this picture is the graceful lines of their trunks, as if linking this close family together – a physical expression of an emotional bond.

The fact is, I would probably rather spend time with elephants than any animal on Earth. That’s why I’m excited to be leading two 11-day Southern Africa wildlife safaris in July-August 2013, and spending an extended time photographing wild elephants. Always fascinating to watch, with their rich social life and behavior, they are also wonderful photographic subjects.

One of the places we will be staying will be Chobe Game Lodge in Botswana with some of the most impressive gatherings of elephants on the continent. The trip will also include the Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls, with fantastic photographic opportunities and, of course, more elephants. However, not to slight some of the other wildlife, we will be looking for predators like leopards, cheetahs and lions – and in Botswana have a very good chance of spending time with endangered African Wild Dogs. Best of all, we will be traveling with a our own private plane between locations, maximizing our time in the field. And everywhere we go, I will make every effoprt to maximize the photographic opportunities at the very best locations and times of day.

For more details on the trips, visit here. Or contact me directly: I would love to have you along.