For most of the several years we lived in Africa I only had a small film camera – an Olympus-trip. It had a good lens and was great for general landscapes, but of course it had no zoom facility. Obviously, this was a big handicap when driving through bush country in search of wildlife to photograph. Also I did not have the aptitude to make the best of varying light conditions. E.g. The header photo was taken in Zimbabwe in July, winter in the southern hemisphere, with a midday view in Hwange National Park as gloomy as an English November. In other words, that this photo worked at all was sheer good luck. In fact I could probably say the same for most of the photos in the old Africa album. There’s another problem too: old film does not keep well.
And yet I love this shot. It has the look of a painting; an air of timelessness. And besides which, the scene did seem to materialise by chance.
At the time we were living in Lusaka, Zambia, and had driven down to Zimbabwe to meet up with New Zealand friends and take them on a short tour through Zimbabwe back to Lusaka. We spent two days driving around Hwange under lowering skies. The bush was parched, so many shades of brown, and anyway the likelihood of spotting anything much from a Subaru estate car seemed slim. We thus spent our first morning on a high-rise game viewing platform, gazing at a very distant waterhole with some faraway buffalo and one giraffe. It was very mesmerizing, surreal even, but in the end one forgot to feel grateful for witnessing such a scene, and began to feel frustrated by the limited photo opportunities.
*
We left the hide and returned to Hwange’s paved access road, trundling between wide grass verges, that truth to tell, had a rather managed, suburban look about them. Finally we found a dirt trail that led to another waterhole, and parked up under a rain tree. There was no sign of wildlife when we arrived, but it seemed a good spot to eat our picnic lunch. It was only as we were driving away that we saw the elephants had arrived. One of those moments you don’t forget.
Lens-Artists: Lucky Shot This week Sofia sets the theme. Great fun!
Can’t beat a good plodge if you’re an elephant, Tish. Or a human, come to that xx
Txx
To get such good photos, hefted with so many memories is no small achievement. They must bring back so many stories to you!
Many thanks, Margaret. I’m thinking I need to start unearthing some more of those stories 🙂
Yes please!
Lucky moments give us great memories.
They do, Anne. Much to be said for happenstance.
I went back and rescued old photos in Lightroom. Other apps can fix them too.
Thanks for the tip, Sherry.
Lovely story and I certainly would class that moment as very special.
Many thanks, Suzanne.
Incredible! Photos and experience for you, that is very cool. Beautiful photo of the elephants, that should be on a wall!
Thank you, Pamela.
I’m equally disappointed with the photos I took on my African camping trip. Like you I didn’t have a good zoom so animals were in the distance. But we have the memories and nothing can beat that.
Yes, the memories are the real treasure 🙂
One of those ‘when the stars align’ moments, a beautiful photo.
Love the way you put that, Lindsey.
It was one of those moments one never forgets. A stunning capture, Tish.
Many thanks, Rupali.
A lovely memory. Encounters with wildlife always feel lucky.
‘Encounters with wildlife always feel lucky’ – just my thought, I.J.
Luck plays such a huge part even in spotting wildlife, let alone photographing it! I love elephants so like you would be very happy to have captured this scene 🙂
Thanks, Sarah. And luck needed for wildlife spotted – definitely. We’ve driven for hours round Kenyan reserves and not seen a thing.
Wonderful memories expertly told, Tish. I enjoyed the read and the painting like photos. The magic of old films, adds another layer of fascination, and luck did the rest.
Yes, a sense of old films. Thank you, Sofia.
Well, I think you have a lovely shot there, definitely freighted with memories and as you say a timelessness about it….
Thank you, Sue 🙂
❤️. A fabulous photo of a wonderful place or time is, of course, the best. But even an ordinary photo or a lucky photo sparks the memories that are just as vivid or more so than a photo itself. Your photo was certainly not ordinary, but it obviously had the power to spark plethora of wonderful memories. That’s a winner in my book.
Thank you for all those very lovely thoughts, Janet 🙂
One word defines your post so well: timelessness. You got it! Beautiful photos, Tish.
Many thanks, Egídio. Much appreciated 🙂
Tish, these are amazing wildlife photos! What a great experience to see these elephants in the wild.
Thanks, Beth. Yes, we were so lucky to live in Africa and see so much of the wonderful wildlife.
🙏
.*
Shivoham*
Live with Nature – Earth belongs to all Godly Creatures – Keep the 🌍 Alive 🙏🙏🙏
Wow!
🙂
There is no happier sentence in life then “we saw the elephants had arrived.” Tish! What memories you must have from living over there – I can only imagine. Our visit was short but life-changing so your life there must be forever in your heart. Thanks for sharing these fond memories.
So pleased this chimed with your own memories, Tina.
Wonderful photos, Tish and precious memories.
Many thanks, Flavia.
It is a beautiful painting. Thank you for sharing.
Many thanks, Lakshmi.
Thanks for sharing you memories
Many thanks, Ritva. So nice of you to be on receiving end 🙂
One of those magic moments Africa gave… Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane, Memsahib… 🙏🏻
Memory Lane seems to be increasingly desirable territory these days 🙂
Haha! And tending your garden as Voltaire’s Pangloss used to say. Right now in England you must have glorious moments.
We do indeed, even with the persistent wind that we seem to have acquired.