The White Rhinoceroses

Both black and white rhinoceroses are actually gray in color. The term “white” or “black” refer to their lips instead of their color.  The black rhino has a pointed upper lip, while its white relative has a squared lip. The difference in lip shape is related to the animals' diets. Black rhinos get most of their sustenance from eating trees and bushes. They use their lips to pluck leaves and fruit from the branches. White rhinos graze on grasses, walking with their enormous heads and squared lips lowered to the ground.

White rhinos live on Africa's grassy plains, where they sometimes gather in groups of as many as a dozen individuals. Females reproduce only every two and a half to five years. Their single calf does not live on its own until its about three years old.

Under the hot African sun, white rhinos take cover by lying in the shade. Rhinos are also wallowers. They find a suitable water hole and roll in its mud, coating their skin with natures own bug repellent and sun block.
Rhinos have sharp hearing and a keen sense of smell. They may find one another by following the trail of scent each enormous animal leaves behind it on the landscape.


White rhinos have two horns, the foremost more prominent than the other. Rhino horns grow as much as three inches (eight centimeters) a year, and have been known to grow up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) long. Females use their horns to protect their young, while males use them to battle attackers.

The prominent horn for which rhinos are so well known has been their downfall. Many animals have been killed for this hard, hair-like growth, which is revered for medicinal use in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The horn is also valued in North Africa and the Middle East as an ornamental dagger handle.

The white rhino once roamed much of sub-Saharan Africa, but today is on the verge of extinction due to poaching fueled by these commercial uses. Only about 11,000 white rhinos survive in the wild, and many organizations are working to protect this much loved animal.

Come with the Photographer's Lounge as we go and see the white rhino when we visit Africa in 2013. In 2013 our plans to visit Africa are listed below. Check out these tours where the white rhino still live.

Tanzania with Rick Sammon in April of 2013

Namibia in October of 2013

Kenya in November of 2013

Namibia in April of 2014

Tanzania with Denise Ippolito in May of 2014

Species Spotlight - Rothschild Giraffe

The Rothschild Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) is one of the most endangered giraffe subspecies. There are only a few hundred members in the wild. The name comes from famous, Lord Walter Rothschild and is also known as the Baringo Giraffe, after the Lake Baringo area of Kenya, or as the Ugandan Giraffe.  All of those that are living in the wild are in protected areas in Kenya and Uganda. In 2007, it was proposed that the Rothschild Giraffe is actually a separate species from other giraffes and not a giraffe subspecies.

While giraffes in general are classified as least concern, the Rothschild Giraffe is at particular risk of hybridisation, as the population is so limited in numbers. There are very few locations where the Rothschild Giraffe can be seen in the wild, with notable spots being Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya and Murchison Falls National Park in northern Uganda.

You can join me and see this wonderful animal as we head to Lake Nakuru National Park to see these stunning creatures in November of 2013. http://www.photographers-lounge.com/photo-tours/our-2013-photo-tours/kenya-safari

There are various captive breeding programs in place— notably at the Giraffe center in Nairobi, Kenya—which aim to expand the gene pool in the wild population of the Rothschild Giraffe. As of January 2011, more than 450 are kept in ISIS registered zoos (which does not include the Nairobi Giraffe Centre), making it the most commonly kept subspecies of giraffe together with the Reticulated Giraffe. Of those, almost 50 are the result of births within the last year.

Rothschild Giraffes are easily distinguishable from other subspecies. The most obvious sign is in the colouring of the coat. Where the Reticulated Giraffe has very clearly defined dark patches with bright whitish channels between them, the Rothschild Giraffe more closely resembles the Masai Giraffe. However, when compared to the Masai Giraffe, the Rothschild subspecies is paler, the orange-brown patches are less jagged and sharp in shape and the connective channel is of a creamier hue compared to that seen on the Reticulated Giraffe. In addition, the Rothschild Giraffe displays no markings on the lower leg, giving the impression that it is wearing white stockings.

SmugMug Raises Rates... wow, its quite a jump

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/08/31/smugmug-pulls-a-netflix-raises-fees-for-some-customers-by-67/

Canadian Caravan Workshop with Rick Sammon

Ontario offers a wide variety of rich experiences perfect for both professional and aspiring artists. Come with us and explore Ontario's natural wonders under the guidance of renowned photographer, Rick Sammon. Together we will visit landscapes brought to life by the renowned Group of Seven and other Canadian artists. It is here where you will create your very own masterpiece. Ontario will both inspire and delight you!
Our destination is just over two hours north of Toronto, amid Canadian Shield cliffs, sparkling freshwater lakes and majestic forests. Our destination offers you not only the world’s best photography opportunities, but also world-class accommodation, shopping, dining, golf, entertainment, and outdoor adventure.

This is where you'll find some of Canada's most beautiful lakes, including the “big three” lakes; Muskoka, Rosseau and Joseph, as well as little known gems where we will be based out of, Salerno Lake. And where there's water, there are boats. New boats, old boats, fast boats, slow boats - there is much to see and do here in the classic boat capital of Canada.
Did you know Santa spends his summers in Bracebridge? Thrill the kids and grand kids and stop by Santa's Village and Sportsland, and treat yourself to meeting the fat man himself. Pick up something for the kids and get your request in for the next super telephoto or full frame camera.

Smaller communities afford plenty of charm, eclectic shops, dining, and local arts and crafts. Stop in, fuel up, indulge in an ice cream, check out the shops. You never know who you'll bump into. As a cottage destination, this area has long been a draw for celebrities and the well-to-do.
Further north we will find ourselves amidst Algonquin Park. Rocky ridges, pine-clad shores and miles of lakes and rivers dotted with campsites, lodges and resorts provide the backdrop for memorable experiences in Ontario’s best-known outdoor vacation destinations, the “cottage country” areas of Muskoka, Haliburton and Bancroft.

The essence of our destination is the vast interior of maple and pine-clad hills, rocky ridges and thousands of interconnected lakes, rivers and streams, typical of the Great Lakes forest region. Numerous access points to waterways, allowing for a variety of experiences and sights.

This landscape is “Shield Country”, formed 2.5 billion years ago, it is the world’s oldest exposed bedrock. Through the millennia, “land building” activity has left large and irregular lakes with rocky cliffs, pocket beaches and deep waters; with moraines, eskers, inland dunes and kames. Having created thousands of kilometres of rivers over time, the Canadian Shield covers almost one-third of the country and is a dominant segment of Canada’s ecological identity.

The weather in August will see average day time highs in the high 70’s with some humidity. At night the temperature drops to a comfortable 60 to 65 degrees. You can expect a minimum of eight hours of sunshine per day and some morning fog coming off the water in the golden hour.  

To learn more about our Canadian Caravan, please visit http://www.photographers-lounge.com/photo-tours/our-2013-photo-tours/canadian-caravan

New instructor at the Photographer's Lounge, Deb Sandidge

The Photographer's Lounge has been blessed with many talented instructors willing to share their photographic and post processing talent with our students and friends.

Our latest friend, Deborah Sandidge, is a travel/freelance professional photographer who enjoys sharing her insight and creative ideas through writing, workshops, teaching, and seminars around the world. She is the author of Digital Infrared Photography, published by Wiley. As an instructor at BetterPhoto.com, Deborah teaches Enhancing Images and Creating Works of Art, as well as Digital Infrared Photography. 

Deborah's style of creating dramatic story-telling imagery reflects in her travels, and interaction with the people she meets. Deborah's views her "favorite" subjects as ever changing, which she loves. Today it may be contemporary cityscapes at twilight, tomorrow it could be traditional landscapes, or astrophotography. Deborah believes that every photographer's unique perspective and style makes each photograph distinctively different. Photography is Deborah's passion.

Specializations

Travel Photography: Her passion is being able to respond to various shooting environments to create unique and compelling images. She strives to capture a depth of feeling about a location through  street photography, people photography, landscapes, cityscapes, and at the same time, inspire students and fellow photographers to do the same.

Low Light and Night Photography: After the sun goes down, many photographers pack up their gear and leave. However, Deb feel landscapes, cityscapes, and nightscapes often look the most dramatic and beautiful during twilight and night. She enjoys sharing with photographers the tips and techniques for setting camera's for optimal depth of field, shutter speed, and white balance in order to capture the beauty of nightscapes.

Creative Capture and Image Post Processing:  Her goal is create unique story-telling imagery through techniques in-camera, and through post processing, and assist students to recognize not only the technical aspects of making a great picture, but the importance of the artistic component, the soul of a picture as well. Her expertise also includes HDR (High Dynamic Range Imagery) and also infrared photography.

Please join me in welcoming Deb to our family.

To see some of Deb's work visit www.deborahsandidge.com

Venezuela weather conditions in October

The photographers lounge is headed to Venezuela to see the Catumbo lightning and to go into the Andes mountains in October.

We thought it would be a good idea to show you what the weather will be like during october.
October is the shoulder month between the rainy season and the dry season. It will be humid while we are viewing the lightning. But, as we travel into the mountains the weather will be cooler.

The heat can get up over 100 degrees and the rainfall, mostly due to the night storms we are there to see can produce 15 inches of rain for the whole month.

Generally the weather is pleasant and anyone accompanying us will have a great time on the Photographer's Lounge trip

Workshop Leader Showcase

As the Photographer's Lounge continues to grow we are continually looking for experienced leaders to run our workshops and seminars.

I would like to introduce the new members of the family to you.

Kevin Pepper...

Kevin is a nature photographer at heart. He has been taking photos for over 30 years and travelled to 17 different countries on four continents; learning to appreciate and respect multiple cultures.

But no matter what the country or season is; the draw of being out in the outdoors is what inspires him to take photos and take amateur photographers on one of his photography photo tours and workshops.

Kevin’s photos and articles have been seen in publications such as PhotoNews Canada, National Geographic website, the Canadian Nature Photographer, Sun Media newspaper chain, Photo Technique magazine and the Olympus Corporate website.

Kevin is 44 and currently resides in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada with his wife, two children and Oliver the fat, lazy cat.

Please visit his website at www.kpepphotography.com