Flap-necked Chameleon
December 30, 2008
Happy Christmas
December 24, 2008
As a child at boarding school in the remote north-western province of Zambia my classmates and I would be sent out on expeditions into the bush every Christmas to collect armfuls of these beautiful lilies. They are flame lilies (gloriosa superba) and grew in their hundreds – filling the bush with bright splashes of red. They are not very common here or in the Luangwa, so it was great to find some growing nearby. They have always represented Christmas for me. Merry Christmas to you all wherever you are!
Content Copyright Patrick Bentley Photography
Backlit Foxglove Orchid
December 18, 2008
There are plenty of these beautiful flowers in bloom here at the moment so I have been photographing them in a hundred and one different ways… I am certainly missing the large mammals of the Luangwa but at the same time am enjoying concentrating on the smaller stuff for a change.
I converted this image to black & white as I felt it showed off the shape and texture of the flower better – it is normally a light purple colour with a yellow stamen.
Content Copyright Patrick Bentley Photography
Patterns and Textures
December 10, 2008
There isn’t much in terms of wildlife to photograph in Lusaka but luckily there is a very large garden here so I have been satisfying my photography cravings with some macro work. The first shot is of a twirly vine and the second a close-up of a dry leaf. The third is an extreme close-up showing the incredible pattern of a dragonfly’s wing. The last image is of a giant millipede known locally as a chongololo – it curls up like this to protect itself when threatened.
Content Copyright Patrick Bentley Photography
Aerial photographs
December 9, 2008
Here are a couple of images that I shot on a recent flight in John Coppinger’s microlight. Not particularly outstanding but I really enjoy the different perspective that shooting from the air gives – although it can be challenging getting sharp pictures when you are skimming along so close to the ground! The first picture is of a herd of Puku antelope and the second a pod of Hippos – fairly obvious… I am hoping to do some more aerial photography when I return to the valley in January and the vegetation is lush and green again.
Content Copyright Patrick Bentley Photography
An elephant in reception!
December 3, 2008
A few days before I left the Valley I spent a morning at Mfuwe lodge photographing elephants walking in and out of their reception area. There is a wild mango tree fruiting at the moment in the courtyard of the lodge and the only way to it is through reception! Although they are wild elephants they have been doing it for many years now and seem quite relaxed with people watching and photographing them…
Content Copyright Patrick Bentley Photography
