02 December 2012

Photography for Business - How to get Started

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Photography is probably the most interesting tool for businesses to accelerate innovation and growth. But how to start and what does it need to use it?

Not much.

a camera, a cell phone camera is just fine
something to upload the images to like an iPad or a laptop
a training to learn how to read the images

Not needed are:

technical photographic knowledge
experience in photography
expensive equipment

What are the benefits?

Easy and instant access to insights and knowledge
Accelerates innovation and learning process
Allows access to until then untapped sources of information

And not to forget, it is playful and fun using it.

Let innovation begin now.


Ute Sonnenberg for
www.rohoyachui.com

Live from the Masai Mara - Time to Leave

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The Masai Mara has spoilt us with incredible sightings, vast landscapes, beautiful weather, evenings at the bond fire, stories from the Masai people and the camp warthogs roaming between the tents.

It was an amazing photographic adventure with plenty of learning moments and fantastic images to take home. We don’t want to leave, but we have to, until we come back for another incredible photographic safari in the beautiful Masai Mara.

Asante sana (Swahili for “Thank you&rdquoWinking Masai Mara.

… all for now.


Ute Sonnenberg for
www.rohoyachui.com




Live from the Masai Mara - Rewarding

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After the extremely amazing and spectacular game drives of the last days we had a quiet morning. Although a quiet morning in the Masai Mara means many elephants, all sorts of plains game, breathtaking landscapes and a delicious pick nick breakfast on the slopes of the escarpment, with an amazing view.

Well some in our group were a bit bored and found it difficult to see the beauty in the small things after the spectacle we had witnessed. Yet during lunch we agreed that wildlife photography is a lot about patience and that patience is always rewarded.

And it was rewarded. In the afternoon we went straight to a spot were others had just spotted the pride of lion we tried to see in the open during the last game drives, but only had seen some ears and heads far away. At arrival we saw the two male lion resting under a tree. After photographing the two male extensively we carried on to see the rest of the pride, in total 16 female lion and cubs!

It was just such an amazing sighting. The lion were scattered over a clearing and started getting up, yawning and playing. It was not possible to get them all in one photo, but at least about 10 of them at one stage. And then one of the male lion walked over to watch over them. He was obviously in control and not approachable for play! as he made very clear!

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Such a sighting makes one very humble and grateful, feeling rewarded for being out there the whole day and patiently waiting that the bush and the wildlife give some glimpses of their beauty and make the photographers heart beating faster!


… more to come.


Ute Sonnenberg for
www.rohoyachui.com

Live from the Masai Mara - Illusive

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In the early light of the morning we were out looking for the illusive big cats and we were lucky.

While heading to a spot where male lion with a kill were spotted the day before, suddenly a leopard was quickly glancing at us and just as quickly disappeared in the bushes.

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When we arrived at the spot where the male lion were seen, nothing was there, not even a tiny piece of the kill, a young hippo. So we carried on and suddenly a herd of zebra, eland and impala ran out of a little forest. A cheetah came with them, obviously seeing something interesting while being carefully observed by the antelopes and zebras from a save distance.

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That was not all. Our driver told us that he had spotted a lion on a termite mount, well at least he could see him, we didn’t, even with binoculars. We headed to the spot and there was a sub adult male lion enjoying the morning sun.

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All that happened within the proximity of the camp and during about two hours of our game drive. Not to forget the beautiful sunrise and the several herds of elephant roaming the area as well.

It is another beautiful day in the Masai Mara.

… and there is more to come.


Ute Sonnenberg for
www.rohoyachui.com


Live from the Masai Mara - Zebra Crossing

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Saying that this time of the year is not high season and no Great Migration is going on, doesn’t mean that one cannot see a crossing. And a crossing is what we saw today.

Several hundreds of zebra were gathering at the Mara River when we approached. They seemed to be determined to cross the Mara River to enter the Great Plains of the Serengeti for better food. Some of them were already on the other side of the river and such a situation usually causes them stress. The families want to stay together and they keep calling each other to encourage the rest of the family to cross.

But that was not an easy task. Plenty of hippos were lying in the river and crocodiles couldn’t be far away. The zebras made a couple of attempts and stopped them when they saw the hippos. After approximately two hours of trying they gathered all their courage and moved into the water, first to drink and then they moved on to the other side of the Mara River. But now the crocodiles were gathering as well and suddenly there were about eight of them heading for the crossing zebras. They were ready to attack. One crocodile was holding a zebra on its back leg, another crocodile came to bite into the other back leg and another crocodile took the zebra by its neck. They pulled the zebra into deeper water and started rolling with it and pulling it under water. It was over for the zebra. Now eight crocodiles were pulling it apart and swallowed whatever piece they got hold of.

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This one zebra saved all the others. It kept the crocodiles busy and happy and that meant no other casualties for the herd. It was an exciting and moving sighting and an amazing photographic adventure.

… more to come.


Ute Sonnenberg for
www.rohoyachui.com

Live from the Masai Mara - Arrivl

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The Masai Mara is probably one of the most famous wildlife areas Africa’s. These Great Plains are dotted with trees and spoilt with an abundance of wildlife. This time of the year is not high season, not the time of the Great Migration, yet the Masai Mara is always wonderful. At arrival zebra, buffalo and topi surrounded the airstrip. And on our first game drive we saw already two cheetah and two male lion, next to giraffes, zebra and several species of antelopes. There seems to be something magical about this place that attracts the animals in big numbers.

But not only the animals are heaven for photography lovers, also the landscape is very photogenic. It’s the place for wide angle lenses and at the same time for zoom as well. The Masai Mara is just a wonderful place to play with photography and to capture lots of beauty.

… more to come.


Ute Sonnenberg for
www.rohoyachui.com


Travel Memories 2008: On Safari in Africa - Day 14

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It was a clear morning. The wind had died and the Mount Kilimanjaro was beautifully visible. We went out to the little mountain/hill, serving as a viewpoint to photograph the Kilimanjaro. It was awesome and I enjoyed the serenity of that moment. A clear, calm morning in this majestic landscape, it was splendid. After a while we carried on with our game vehicle and followed for the rest of the morning the animals from swamp to swamp.
 
At lunch time the wind was back. 1.45 p.m. a rainstorm, 2 p.m. again a sandstorm, 2.15 p.m. sun and hot. This carried on for the whole afternoon rest time and there was no place without dust. At 4 p.m. I stopped practicing accepting and started thinking again. We need to change that. I got out of my tent and talked to Paul an Alex. We need to move the tents behind the bushes. They looked at me in unbelief but did move the tents, mine first still skeptical. But soon they were happy we did it. It worked!
 
4.30 p.m. we wanted to leave for the game drive but the battery was flat. With the help of a couple of Masai we got the car going and left the camp. Just around the corner on a smaller swamp was an elephant baby lying on the ground and two adults were standing next to it, watching and not moving. I thought the baby was dead and felt sad for them, but then arrived an elephant bull and the two adult females woke up the baby. It had been very deep asleep and needed some time to get up. I felt relieved.
 
The sand storms carried on that night, but we had a good sleep behind the bushes … until the mongoose came, shouting at each other and turning the whole place upside down.

Never a boring moment in the bush.


Ute Sonnenberg for
www.rohoyachui.com