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The name “Kalahari” is derived from the Tswana word ‘kgala’, meaning ‘the great thirst’, or “Kgalagadi,” meaning “a waterless place”. In my 12 year photographic career I have produced five photographic books, three of which are dedicated entirely to the Kalahari. To achieve this, I lived there for nearly 7 years, spending hundreds of
hours capturing images of this captivating landscape and its enigmatic inhabitants.
It is my belief that the Kalahari can either make or break you. It is a merciless landscape, a vast area of red sand with no permanent water, and in the animal kingdom only the fittest survive. This place fascinates me for many reasons. I love the open spaces, the animals from largest to smallest, interactions between species, the predators, the birdlife, the raptors and the different coloured landscape over the seasons... there is always something to photograph. This is why I spend so much time here.
We always set up camp in one spot for long enough to be able to capture the essence of a particular area. It takes time to establish a base and make it comfortable. Once my wife Noa joined me 12 years ago, I made sure that that we always had a comfortable working and living environment... including clean sheets! Harsh temperatures, sandstorms, and torrential downpours are all in a day’s work. Having
KALAHARI
Previous pages: A group of Elephant bulls linger around a waterhole in Nxai Pan National Park in the dry season. With little surface water across the dry Kalahari, waterholes such as this one, is a lifeline to many species of Botswana’s fauna.
Below: A lion cub climbs a termite mound for a better view of its surrounds. All manner of wildlife will visit these water sources and so it is not uncommon to chance upon images such as these. The Elephant in the background further enhances the shot!
Facing page: The flehmen, from the German word, “curl the upper lip”, is a behaviour where an animal curls its upper lip and inhales through the mouth, holding that position for a few seconds. Love this image with a few stormy clouds in the background!
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