Photo Cast

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The Addo Elephant National Park was proclaimed in 1931, the park was formed to protect the remaining elephants in the Addo area, there were less than 15. At one time the Addo herd was one of the largest in the Eastern Cape with some 140 elephants, but hunting decimated these numbers over the space of around 200 years.

Not only were the elephants hunted but also black rhino and lions where made extinct in the area. The remaining elephants were 'rescued' by a land owner at Barkly Bridge - Mr J T Harvey, who allowed the elephants onto his land, preventing them from being hunted.

Elephants had to be chased to the area which had been set aside for the Addo Elephant National Park, but the fence was not strong enough to contain elephants, and they escaped and continued to be killed by farmers and by trains which travelled along the nearby line. In 1933 the manager of the park started to feed the elephants in an attempt to contain them.

In 1954 an elephant proof fence was developed by Graham Armstrong, tram rails and lift cable were used and an area of 2270 hectares was fenced off. The fence proved successful and can still be seen in the park today. Flood light were erected around the feeding areas and visitors would come to see the elephants, however the feeding caused more problems as the elephants came to expect the food and would stay in the feeding area. The plant life in the area was destroyed and the elephants became aggressive to the feeding truck and to each other, many elephants were injured, so this feeding was stopped in 1979.

The park was first opened to tourists in 1981, when they entered the park they could view the elephants easily as the numbers had grown significantly. Disease free Cape Buffalos were also protected bt the Addo Elephant National Park as were the flightless Dung Beetle. Eland, zebras, warthogs, black rhino and hippos were all introduced to the park over the following years.

Lions were reintroduced to the area in 2003 as well as spotted hyenas in 2003/2004. These are only some of the animals which can be seen jackals, kudu, red hartebeest and duikers are also found in the Addo Elephant National Park .

The Addo Elephant National Park itself has no natural waterholes; the water is supplied from boreholes. These manmade waterholes have the advantage that they are by the roads and can produce some excellent photo opportunities, with many different animals going to the waterholes at any one time.

The Spekboom waterhole and hide is fantastic for photographers. Hapoor waterhole is named after a bull elephant that was the dominant bull of the Addo herd for some 24 years, after being ousted from his herd by Lanky - an upcoming bull - Hapoor escaped through the fence developed by Graham Armstrong, he was the only elephant ever to do so. He was found grazing by Coerney Station and had to be shot as he was an aggressive animal - a cast of this giant elephants head can be seen in the restaurant at the main rest camp in Addo Elephant Park .

The main camp offers good quality accommodation from chalets to camp sites, there are also safari tents which look out directly over the park and it is not unusual to have an elephant or a herd of buffalo pass you by! Horse riding safaris are available, these tours go through the game area and can be quite nerve raking, a bit of experience is required.

Mornings, sunset and night drives are also offered from the main camp and are good value for money as well as very informative. Prior booking is essential, especially during the holidays. The park is relatively small and can be driven around comfortably in a day.

Gerald Crawford was born in South Africa, studied electronics, telecommunication, eco-travel and african travel concepts. He taught responsible tourism in South Africa. If you have any questions or comments please e-mail me on. E-mail Address: southafricantravelarticles@12234455.co.za Website Address: http://www.12234455.co.za

Better Photo Tips - Size Does Matter

Take a waterfall, tall and beautiful. Now visualize a small stream trickling over the edge of a few large stones. If you shoot it just right, they could look the same. “Wait a minute,” you're saying, “those are as different as night and day.” That’s a good point, but unless you also include something to compare the water to, you have no point of reference. This concept is generally referred to as opposition.

Say you’re hiking in a National Park, and find a really cool waterfall. You get close to capture detail, and shoot against a clear blue sky (so the background won’t distract.) You tell your friends about the adventure, and eagerly await your pictures from the photo lab. When they finally Come Back, you flip through the shots looking for your master piece. When you finally see it, your heart sinks. It looks OK, but there’s no magic, no majesty. It’s just not the same.

What happened? When you saw it live, you were there. You climbed over rocks; you walked through streams, and pushed pine branches out of your way. When you looked through the view finder of your camera, these images were also in the back of your mind. The human mind is a wonderful creation; it takes images, sounds, and smells and blends them all into wonderful memories. The problem lies in the limitations of the medium.

A photo tip worth remembering is; we experience in three-dimensions; but we photograph in two-dimensions. Opposition is one of several creative techniques that makes your photo appear more three-dimensional. The more three-dimensional you photo appears the more likely your viewer is to experience at least part of what you did when you took the shot.

Size is relative. A small mountain may seem big compared to a boulder. A boulder may seem huge compared to a rock. Even a small rock will seem gigantic compared to a grain of sand. In the world of micro photography, even a grain of sand could look like a vast landscape if there was nothing to compare it to.

At one time or another, most of us have seen a close-up of something that was made to make us think it was something else. Why did we not recognize the item for what it truly was? Simply put, you had nothing to compare it to. You had no point of reference. This works in both directions, small and large. I'm a big fan of simplifying an image when you can, but there are times when you can simplify too much. Leaving a rock or a branch in the edge of the picture can often mean the difference between a nice shot and a great shot!

A few years back I did a series of nature shots in which I included a “Barbie Doll” in every shot. This was the California doll; because her skin was more tan than most, so from certain angles she did look more realistic. Most of the shots I did either had the doll in silhouette or they were looking over her shoulder from behind. In most cases, I could have used a real model, but not all of them. One shot in particular showed this beautiful girl who had apparently hiked through the woods (pine needles were framing the shot) and she was looking at this gorgeous waterfall. The catch was: the waterfall in question was only 24 inches tall.

Think of your subject as the star in a major motion picture. Often that star does well, because of his or her supporting cast. No one is expected to go through life as a one man show. The people we meet, hang out with, or interact with also influence how people see us. Your subject; be it human or nature, is the same way. Include elements that support your vision, eliminate the distractions that do not. I firmly believe that in order to get the big picture, you need to include the small details. One of those details is showing size, by using opposition.

About the Author

Award winning writer / photographer Tedric Garrison has 30 years experience in photography. As a Graphic Art Major, he has a unique perspective on the Elements of Design and how those elements relate to all aspects of photography. His photo eBook (Your Creative Edge) proves that creativity CAN be taught. Tedric shares his wealth of knowledge with the world, at: Better Photo Tips.com

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