Introduction - 6 people signed up for he 13-day 2019 Kenya African Photo Safari held from the 20th of February thru the 4th of March, 2019 conducted by professional photographer Jeff Wendorff. It was my second trip with Jeff to Kenya and I had purchased two new camera systems for this trip with much higher image resolutions and faster shutter speeds to include a mirrorless micro 4/3rds camera hoping to get better action shot sequences this time around. I wasn’t disappointed using the cameras and got some keepers for sure. The safari began with: Day 01 - Arrival by flight into Nairobi IAP late at night, met by Safari Legacy Staff and transported to the fabulous Manchusla House B&B located on the northern outskirts of Nairobi. Day 02 - The first full day included meeting the rest of the group at a late breakfast and visits to nearby animal conservancies to include the Giraffe Centre, Crocodile and Ostrich Farm, and the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, where we were treated to a private showing of the adopted baby elephants. We were able to roam among them under the close eye of the local training staff as they were taking a mud bath. One of the highlights was a fabulous sit-down lunch at a local restaurant just before going to the elephant orphanage. Day 03 - After breakfast, it was an early morning departure flight from Nairobi Wilson AP flying southeast to the Selenkay airstrip arriving at Amboseli National Park located near the base of Mt Kilimanjaro. After checking into the Porini Amboseli Safari Camp and a buffet lunch at the camp, we drove to a nearby Maasi Village to observe their traditional culture, followed by an evening game drive, sundowner social event and evening dinner back at camp. Days 04 and 05 - The next two days included early morning game drives with bush breakfasts following the sunrise shoot, continued game drives seeking the many elephant herds that populate the Amboseli National Park and adjacent Selenkay Conservancy. We had a group picnic lunch each day at Observation Hill lookout overlooking the lush swamp below where hippos and elephants feed with wild birds abound. After lunch, it was more game drives with a sundowner social event, group dinner back at the camp with fireside drinks and storytelling afterwards. Day 06 - After an early morning breakfast, it was off to Selenkay AP and a short flight back to Nairobi Wilson AP, where we changed flights heading northwest to the Olseki AP and a short game drive to the Porini Mara Camp located in the Ol Kinyei Conservancy located at the edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve. After checking into camp and a buffet lunch, we headed into the bush of the Ol Kinyei Conservancy looking for cats the Mara Camp is known for. The day was capped with an evening sundowner social event and back to camp for a group dinner and campfire drinks. Day 07 - The day started early with a before sunrise morning game drive to take advantage of the morning light and get some sunrise silhouetted shots with wildlife in the foreground followed by a bush breakfast in the field when the light got too harsh and game drives in the afternoon. We saw lions, cheetahs, hippos, giraffe and a leopard to top off the day. The day ended with a sundowner social in the field and a group dinner back at camp. Day 08 - It was off again for a sunrise shoot, breakfast in the field and more lions, cheetahs, hippos, giraffe and cape buffalo. You couldn’t ask for more opportunities and Mara Camp has become one of my favorite locations with abundant predator wildlife, my favorites. Day 09 - After an early morning breakfast at camp, we headed northwest again by jeep for a 2-hour game drive arriving at the Porini Lion Camp located within the Olare Motorgi Conservancy. Days 10 , 11 and 12 - The next 3 days were spent searching for lions, leopards and cheetahs in their natural habitat, and did we ever hit it big. We observed a pride of lions with 9 cubs just about every day and even witnessed the cubs frolicking about at a recent zebra kill. Precious shots as it was a rare treat. We followed a pair of black-maimed male lions on the hunt who were brothers and experienced a fresh kill by a cheetah, super spectacular. We were very fortunate to come upon a female leopard along with her cub and their recent antelope kill all suspended in a tree. You almost forgot to take photos watching the cub when mom drug the kill from the tree and the cub chased along to help. Good stuff. Day 13 - The last day began with a morning game drive to the Olare flying strip for our return flight back to Nairobi Wilson AP and a half-day stay at the Eka Hotel for a fresh-up for the evening return flights back to the USA.

Comment - I must say that this trip was more exciting than last years with more opportunities for really close-up wildlife photography. I still cannot believe we got so close to the animals in their natural environment, and they seemed to ignore our presence as we captured magic moments. I have signed up again for next year…”you just can’t get enough of Africa,” as Jeff continues to say.

Event Summary - The gallery contains photographs taken each day of the safari beginning with a schedule of that day’s activities, a map of where we went and photographs of the participants showing field conditions encountered, wild animals in their natural settings and just how close we got to the wildlife in our safari jeeps. The gallery provides a documentary of where we went, what we did and the photo opportunities each of us experienced. The six of us shared two jeeps, providing ample room to scoot about to either side and we had plenty of room to spread out all of our photo gear. All of us want to thank Jeff Wendorfffor the opportunity to be there to experience the excitement of wild animals and to photograph them up close and personal. We would also like to thank the Game Watchers Safari guides and drivers, who were hand-picked by Jeff, who got us into position based on the best lighting conditions, safety considerations and intuition as to what the wildlife would be doing next so that we would be in the best position for a photographic moment. We were very, very fortunate indeed (some would say just good mojo) to encounter huge herds of elephants parading below Mt Kilimanjaro, a lion pride with cubs feeding after a zebra kill, 2 large male lions on a hunt, 5 cheetah brothers (named the Fast 5) on a hunt, a fresh cheetah kill and a leopard and kit with kill perched in a tree. We were fortunate indeed and we all have got the photos to prove it…..JDT