Bordering Etosha National Park in Namibia, the Onguma Private Game Reserve has a ground hide that offers an experience like no other. From the hide, your lens is level with the waterhole and gives you opportunities to safely view wildlife from a perspective that is unique and nearly impossible to duplicate without the use of a camera trap.
On my recent visit, we had three bull elephants visit the waterhole for nearly an hour, drinking and splashing, throwing mud across their backs to protect from the harsh Namibian sun. It certainly was one of my best days photographing elephants, and one of my most inspired moments of the 2024 Southern Africa Adventure with Nat Expo Tours.
Please message me if you are interested in joining us next year. Dates are Oct 19 - Nov 2, 2025, and we already have people on the roster. You can view the details on our site: https://natexpotours.com/
Cheers!
Colin
Giraffes in Bwabwata National Park, Namibia
The 2024 Southern Africa Adventure is drawing to a close. We added some new destinations to the itinerary this year and spent the past few days around Kasane, Botswana exploring Chobe National Park and today we visited Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
This photo was taken last week in the Zambezi Region of Namibia. Every year provides new experiences and opportunities to create unique images, even with familiar subjects and locations.
There will be much to share in the coming days, and tomorrow Mike and I are off to New Zealand to meet another group for a tour of that country.
We are working out the details for the 2025 Southern Africa tour and we already have people on board. Please email me if you are interested or visit our site: https://natexpotours.com/
As always, thank you for for following along!
Colin
October 2024 Namibia Tour
Namibia just celebrated 34 years of independence and remains one of the best functioning democracies in all of Africa. With an array of beautiful scenery and wildlife, coastline, vibrant culture and more, it is one of my favorite destinations in the world.
I look forward to returning to Namibia this October, where Mike and I will be leading another tour with Nat Expo Tours. We still have a few spaces open, if you or anyone you know might be interested. We’ve added a few days to the itinerary this year to include the Caprivi Strip of northern Namibia, Botswana, and Victoria Falls.
Dates are Oct 11-25, 2024. Cost is $7,895 per person and includes all transportation & lodging in Namibia and Botswana, breakfast & dinner every day, all locally guided tours & park fees, photographic instruction (for those who would like), and more!
Please contact me if you are interested or visit our site for more info and a detailed itinerary: https://natexpotours.com/2024-namibia/
Cheers!
Colin
Sossusvlei dry ancient lakebed, Namib-Naukluft National Park
Etosha National Park
Himba community
Flamingos in Walvis Bay
Elephant herd in the Caprivi Strip, northern Namibia
Giraffe Color Patterns
Like the spots of a leopard or the stripes of a zebra, giraffes have color patterns that are unique to each individual. These patches also provide camouflage that helps them to blend in with the trees and savannah.
Details for the October 2024 Namibia Tour with Nat Expo Tours are on our website: www.natexpotours.com and it looks like we are already half full...
Please message me if you are interested in joining!
Colin
My First Meerkat Encounter
This year marked my third visit to Namibia, and my first encounter with meerkats ("Timon" from the Lion King).
Before we began our October Namibia tour, Mike and I drove to a game park south of Windhoek for a few days in hopes of finding them, but they proved to be elusive. Lo and behold, when we arrived at our first destination with the tour, Neura’s Winery Estate, our guide pointed to an area on the lodge grounds and said, "Oh yeah, there are meerkats right over there." Sure enough, they emerged from their burrows just before sunset...
We've got the dates & details for our October 2024 Namibia Tour with Nat Expo Tours, please visit our site or message me if you are interested in joining us: https://natexpotours.com/2024-namibia/
Cheers!
Colin
The Dry Season in Etosha
At the end of the dry season in Etosha National Park, it is common to see hundreds of individual animals congregate at the remaining waterholes, with several different species all vying for their share of hydration. The scene is chaotic as zebras fight amongst themselves or chase off the impala, giraffes extend their legs laterally to carefully lower their necks, always looking side to side out of caution before vulnerably taking a drink, and prey is ever wary of lions. The elephants are clearly dominant, and always shown deference.
I often prefer monochromatic images when shooting in Namibia's harsh midday sun, and here I employed a panning technique to accentuate the movement and convey the chaos that ensues at the waterholes.
We've got the details posted for next year's Namibia tour with Nat Expo Tours on our website (Oct 11-25, 2024): https://natexpotours.com/2024-namibia/
Please message me if you are interested in joining us and feel free to share.
Cheers!
Colin
Eye of the Elephant
Here's looking at you!
We had a numerous elephant sightings this year, both in Namibia and Kruger National Park, South Africa. When given the opportunity, I enjoyed focusing on closer details like skin textures, eyes & ears, trunks, and feet.
Have a great weekend and thank you for following along! If you are interested in joining the October 2024 Namibia Tour with Nat Expo Tours, please email me or visit our site: https://natexpotours.com/. We've added a couple days to include a visit to Victoria Falls.
Cheers!
Colin
The Oryx
The oryx has become one of my favorite animals in Namibia. Their signature face mask and unique markings together with spiraled horns give them an appearance unlike any other subspecies of antelope, and their ability to go a month without drinking water demonstrates their adaptability to this extreme environment. It is also this vast, dry environment that makes for stunning photos, showcasing the scale and barren landscape in which the oryx and other species have thrived, whereas most life forms would quickly perish.
I've got a lot to share from my three weeks in southern Africa, both from Namibia with Nat Expo Tours and Kruger National Park, SA, so please stay tuned...
Cheers!
Colin
www.colintyler.com
www.natexpotours.com
Elephants of Namibia
I returned from southern Africa on Sunday after leading our second tour of Namibia with Nat Expo Tours followed by a week in Kruger National Park, South Africa. This was my third trip to the continent and each time is a little different; this year bringing us several opportunities to view and photograph elephants engaged in different behaviors.
After visiting two cultural sites near Twyvelfontein (Namibia) on Day 6, our drivers took us on an adventure to find a herd of local elephants. We drove up a dry riverbed, past two small villages, and located the herd after an hour of bumpy backcountry travel. Here are a few of my favorites from that day.
I'm currently in Minnesota adjusting to time & temperature changes while editing through 1,000's of images. I have a lot to share from my time in both countries, so please stay tuned for more...
As always, thank you for following.
Colin
Off to Namibia...
Today begins the long flight to southern Africa. I look forward to what Namibia has to offer this year, as well as my first visit to Kruger National Park, SA. This is our second tour of Namibia with Nat Expo Tours (https://natexpotours.com/) and we are already making reservations for next year's trip, which is going to include a visit to the famous Victoria Falls. Please message me if you are interested.
And it is official, I am sold out of my "Seasons of the Nature Center" 2024 calendars. 500 went pretty quickly, so I plan to print more 2025 calendars. Stay tuned for details...
Cheers!
Colin
PS - I still have "Seasons of the Nature Center" books available. All orders will be fulfilled when I return in November: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store...
Lions in Etosha National Park
Oryx in the Namib Desert
A Himba village in northern Namibia
Lioness
Lioness, Etosha National Park, Namibia.
What you can't see here is that she is wearing a radio collar, which is cleverly camouflaged by the tall grass. It almost seemed as though she was intentionally hiding it...
Cheers,
Colin
Thanksgiving 2022
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
I have much to be grateful for this year, including many new experiences in premiere destinations around the world, and 2023 is shaping up to be another banner year for travel and tours as well!
Finally, thank you all for following along and supporting my adventures. You are the reason I am able to continue this journey. I will have a couple big announcements in the coming weeks, so please stay tuned for those...
All the best,
Colin
Polar Bear on the icepack, 82˚ North, Svalbard
Zebras in Etosha National Park, Namibia
Humpback whale, northern Iceland
Day 4, Etosha in Black and White: "The Lion Tree"
In celebration of my Facebook page recently passing 6,000 followers, I am sharing my favorite image from Namibia and the final installment of the “Etosha in Black and White” series. As the lions left the waterhole and started making their way to the shade of the camel thorn tree, I had a vision that soon came to fruition. The first lion lay down facing toward the second, approaching lion, and they paused for this moment with the Etosha Pan in the background - a massive dry lakebed of approximately 1900 square miles (4800 square km), comprising around 20% of Etosha National Park. Again, the high key/bright highlights of the harsh midday sun made for an excellent black and white image that conveys the torrid environment.
This image will be added to my online store, available on canvas and metal: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store
As always, thank you for following my journeys. Reminder that I will be giving a slideshow on Namibia and discussing the 2023 tour with Nat Expo Tours (www.natexpotours.com) this Sunday, Nov 20, 2pm at the Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska.
Colin
Day 3, Etosha in Black & White: "Zebra Plain"
Zebras are the most common animal in Etosha National Park, Namibia, numbering around 20,000. They are usually found in groups, but this lone animal provided a beautiful composition against the open plains. I switched from my telephoto to a wider angle lens and used a polarizing filter to bring out detail in the sky, with the clouds signaling the coming of the rainy season.
I will be giving a presentation on Namibia at 2 pm this Sunday at the Eagle River Nature Center. If you are in the Anchorage/Eagle River area (Alaska), please stop by!
Cheers,
Colin
Please message me if you are interested in joining us in Namibia next October - the tour is already half full. You can see a list of all our 2023 tours on our website: www.natexpotours.com
Day 2, Etosha in Black & White: "Tusker"
A large bull elephant crossing the parched landscape of Etosha National Park (Namibia) in midday heat. A simple composition with a big sky suggests a sense of space while the single bush anchors the image behind the elephant, giving perspective and scale.
Thank you for following,
Colin
Please message me if you are interested in joining the October 2023 Namibia tour with Nat Expo Tours. For a list of all our upcoming tours, please visit our website: www.natexpotours.com
Day 1, Etosha in Black & White: "Zebra Fight"
One advantage of revisiting a destination is not feeling the pressure to capture all the new species that you might otherwise be observing for the first time. It allows you to see the subjects from a more relaxed perspective; to create new and unique images.
After the golden hour of early morning, the light in Etosha National Park (Namibia) becomes very hot, like the ambient temperature of 100˚F/38˚C. While it may not have the appeal of low angle sun, it conveys the harsh environment in which these animals thrive. I chose to utilize the high key light and bright contrast to convey a sense of place in this short series of black & white images. Please stay tuned for more...
Colin
Please message me if you are interested in joining us in Namibia next October. You can find more information about all our upcoming tours on our website: www.natexpotours.com
After the hunt...
This was the first pride of lions we saw on the Namibia tour with Nat Expo Tours. It was late morning and judging from the blood-soaked mane of the male here, they had just finished eating. After drinking from the waterhole, they moved to the shade of a camel thorn tree, where they likely remained until nightfall, when they would hunt again.
Stay tuned for a short series over the coming days: "Etosha in Black & White"
Cheers!
Colin
PS - please contact me if you are interested in joining any of our 2023 tours, including Cuba, Norway, Iceland, and Namibia, or visit our website for more info: www.natexpotours.com
Lions in Etosha National Park, Namibia
Mighty Lioness, Etosha National Park, Namibia
Day 3 in Etosha. On our morning game drive from Namutoni Rest Camp, we watched a pride of lions cross in front of us, some stopping to pose for our cameras. It was some of the best lion viewing I've had, with this lovely girl showing off her strength and beauty in the early light.
Please email me if you are interested in joining us (Nat Expo Tours) in Namibia next October. The tour is already half full!
Stay tuned for more lion images and "Etosha in Black & White"
Colin
Scenes from Sesriem
Scenes from Sesriem...
On the first full day of the Namibia tour, we drive through Sesriem and hike to the dry ancient lakebed of Sossusvlei, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The early light is golden, the compositions are endless, wildlife is abundant, and we complete our hike before the heat is intolerable.
The October 2023 Namibia Tour with Nat Expo Tours is already half full, so please contact me if you are interested in joining and feel free to share.
Cheers!
Colin
I would love to have an aerial perspective the Namib Desert from a hot air ballon. Someday we will have to look into this...
Hiking Dune 45
Hiking the dunes of the Namib Desert in Sossusvlei
Tour guest Laurie Kosik taking in the many compositions in the dry ancient lakebed of Sossusvlei
Cheetah Portrait
Good (early) morning out there! I am back in Alaska and trying to adjust to the time change. With the end of daylight saving time, I am now a full 12 hours behind where I was just a few days ago in Ethiopia, and waking up much earlier than I need to.
I'm still editing through images from Namibia and will continue to post in the coming days. Here is another portrait from the cheetah rescue facility at Neuras Lodge, in affiliation with Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary. Next year's Namibia tour with Nat Expo Tours, LLC is half full already. Please contact me if you are interested in joining.
Have a great Sunday and thank you for following along!
Colin
