This week I returned to The Wetlands Centre in Barnes, South West London, one of my favourite places to visit when I have new equipment to test, or am just in need of escaping to somewhere peaceful. It is hard to believe that it is so close to the hustle and bustle of Central London.

I recently got my hands on the new Canon EF 100-400mm USM MK2,  lens. The MK1 lens was one of the first I used for wildlife photography, before I could afford the 500mm, which then became my default lens for many years. The Canon 200-400 mm lens is now my favourite when in the field. However, there are times when the 200-400 or 500 lens is just too large and too heavy to carry. For times like that, the new 100-400 really is an excellent lens. With its 4 stop image stabiliser it can be hand held at far slower shutter speeds than would otherwise be possible. Its optics are better than the earlier model, and instead of the push/pull zoom of the MK1, it now rotates to zoom, which is far nicer to use. It combines well with the 1.4x converter, giving an effective 560 mm lens. I tested it with my Canon 1DX with and without the converter, at ISO speeds of up to 10,000 and the results were amazing.

These are a few images from my day:

I enjoyed great weather, special sightings and wonderful sunsets on my recent trip to the Mara. I was fortunate enough to spend time with Malaika the cheetah and her four six month old cubs (she gave birth to six, but has sadly lost two) and Siri the leopard, with her seven month old male cub. An old male lion worked hard to fight off a pack of twenty-three hyenas and four young lions, who were keen on his buffalo kill.

It was good to feel the Kenyan sun on my back again.  I am now starting to prepare for my summer exhibition at the Gallery@Oxo on London’s Southbank, which this year runs from July 24th to August 16th – more info nearer the time. Below are some images from the trip.

I have just returned from the Masai Mara where I was able to capture some interesting images, including a leopard who had an ingenious way of dealing with a ticklish ear. The leopard found a nice branch at a suitable height, stood up on her rear legs and rubbed her head against the branch with a very satisfied look on her face, see below.

A white hare was also an unusual sight, it is surprising she manages to survive, standing out to the predators like a sore thumb.

A few more images below, for a larger selection click here:

For a larger selection of images click here:

Last week I visited my friend Billy Taylor, who is resident falconer at Lainston House Hotel near Winchester and an ex-Hampshire cricketer! Billy has a number of wonderful birds, including a golden eagle and various owls, falcons and hawks. As well as having an opportunity to photograph some of his birds, we spent some time in the nearby fields, searching for hares. We managed to dodge some heavy rain showers and spot at least fifteen. We weren’t lucky enough to see what I was really hoping for, which was the hares boxing, but I was able to capture a few nice images. Below are some examples.

Billy with his Bengal Eagle Owl

Billy with his Bengal Eagle Owl

Billy and a guest with his Bengal Eagle Owl

Bengal Eagle Owl

Bengal Eagle Owl

Bengal Eagle Owl

Bengal Eagle Owl

Golden Eagle

Golden Eagle

Hare

I have recently returned from another exciting trip to the Masai Mara, where I enjoyed good weather and great game viewing. For the first time in many years I saw wild dogs in the Mara. Let’s hope this is the start of more frequent sightings!  Attached are a few images from the trip, together with a link to more.

It was great to be able to spend some quality time with my good friend and guide Paul Kirui. There is no one with a more comprehensive knowledge of the Masai Mara and his ability to seek out the wildlife, especially the elusive leopard, is second to none. Congratulations are also in order, as Paul has recently been named one of Africa’s top 25 guides, along with Andrew “Stretch” Ferreira of Zimbabwe. I spent some time walking in the bush with Stretch, who is known as the “elephant whisperer” of Mana Pools, Zimbabwe. We walked close-up to bull elephants and prides of lion, which has to be one of the most amazing things I have experienced. There are few people I’d have trusted to get me so close on foot!  Click on here for the full article.

Apart from being my dear friend and guide, Paul Kirui is also involved in another aspect of my life, as he is the Kenya Chairman of my charity, Hoopers Africa Trust, which educates vulnerable and underprivileged girls in Kenya. In January 2014 our 100th girl will enter the scheme. If you are interested in learning more about the charity, please visit the website: http://hoopersafricatrust.org

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

To view more more images from my latest trip click here

I have just returned from a visit to my Charity, Hoopers Africa Trust in the Masai Mara, Kenya. The Charity puts girls through secondary education in Kenya, more of that shortly.  While there, of course I took some time out to enjoy some photography. Below are a few images and a link to a wider selection of images which are now viewable on iPad or iPhone.

Click here for gallery of images, now viewable on iPad/iPhone: Kenya August 2013 Gallery

I have just returned from Brazil, where I visited the wetlands of the Pantanal and the rain forest of Amazonia.  At this time of year, jaguars are extremely difficult to see and unfortunately I enjoyed only a few brief sightings. I have not yet had time to go through all my images, so here’s a small selection for now. I’m currently busy preparing for my next exhibition at the gallery@oxo, which runs from June 14 to July 7. More about that shortly…

Whilst photographing in Amazonia I was fortunate enough to spend some time working with renowned Brazilian bird photographer Edson Endrigo. Edson is not only a talented photographer but an entertaining, larger than life character. Edson took this picture of me while we were both on the river.

Amazonia

Jaguar

Brown Capuchin Monkey

White Nosed Saki Monkey

White Faced Spider Monkey

Hyacinth Macaw

Rufous Tailed Jacamar

Ringed Kingfisher

Curl Crested Aracari

Giant Otter

Giant Otter

Neotropic Cormorant

Yacare Caiman

Green Iguana