The Animals
By Fae Rowen

The professional photographers traveling with me were horrified that I’d purchased my new camera from Amazon and only took it out of the box to put it in my carry-on for the trip from the States to Nairobi.  I learned fast with their generous help.  Besides the physical workings of the amazing camera, I learned about framing my pictures, the rule of thirds and more.

I’m sorry, but I can’t identify my favorite animal.  (Oh, yes, well, my sentimental favorite is the dikdik.)  When we watched elephants, they were my favorite.  When we watched hyenas, they were my favorite.  When we watched pelicans, they were my favorite.  You get the idea.  I’m fickle; I admit it.

To watch a giraffe galoomphing to the next stand of trees, to witness an angry hippo (they are always angry!) bare its teeth to its neighbor, to hear a mother zebra call to her baby in a sea of stripes—these are pictures and sounds I treasure.

The birth of a baby wildebeast and its unsteadywalk to follow its mother less than three minutes later, a leopard in a tree with its kill, and lions sleepingacross a downed “hippo pool” sign are experiences I didn’t know were possible.  I even learned about birds and,thanks to a very patient fellow traveler, how to photograph them in flight.

And the people. Did you know that African women walk six miles, on theaverage, to carry  water back to their home?  Then they must boil it to prevent the spread of disease.  Africans In Kenya and Tanzania are the kindest people I’ve come across anywhere in my travels, happy to help a stranger.

If you can take only one “big” vacation in your lifetime, go on safari.  I had no idea how close I would be to the animals.  Thank goodness, for the most part they ignored us.

I’m honored to share this photo blog with you. What special places have your travels taken you?

Fae