Shem Compion’s most memorable experience as a nature photographer

Last time we relayed Compion’s motivation for one to become a nature photographer. Well, the experience below could go one of two ways: you’ll either be dying to get out there and take some potentially risky snaps, or you would rather die!

Being on safari a lot brings its fair amount of adventure and misfortune: I walk with elephants, I have been struck by lightning while opening a gate, and I’ve even been medevaced from the remotest part of Ethiopia after falling down a cliff into a river and knocking myself out.

Shem Compion: Shem Images website

I believe in the law of averages when it comes to walking with big and dangerous animals and one day that caught up with me and two others in Mana Pools [National Park, Zimbabwe].

Shem Images: Shem Images website

We walked up to an old elephant bull who was having a morning slumber. From about 50m we observed him and then moved away. Something woke him suddenly and with his reverie disturbed, he decided to take it out on us. He only stopped 2m from us, covering us in dust and dirt. Our guide – an old Mana pools legend – added another notch to his belt on the law of averages for walking in big game country…

Unsplash.com

For some more memorable experiences captured by nature experts alike, page through just about any one of our image-rich publications. Be confronted with nature’s charms from the comfort of your own home, and make your own memories!

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How to make your garden bird friendly

NINE SIMPLE TIPS FROM EXPERT HERMAN VAN NIEKERK At the start of #BirdFeedingMonth, we found ourselves asking, Are we actually giving the birds in our gardens what they need? You might be putting out some food, hoping to attract as much birdlife as possible – but at what cost? We caught up with Herman van Niekerk, author of Briza’s Sappi Birds of South Africa, for some expert insights. Figure 1: Sappi Birds of South Africa
“Most cities and towns have developed as extended bushland or forest areas because of the gardening practices of owners,” says van Niekerk. “Of course the result is an influx of birds from their natural habitats which is wonderful news for city and town dwellers who can now enjoy birdwatching in their own gardens.”
In response to our question – What do the wild birds need from our gardens? – van Niekerk asserts that there are in fact ways to optimise the environment for the birds in your garden so that just as your garden is a birdwatching oasis, just so it is the wild…

The An(tea)dote

While we are enjoying warmer weather here in the Southern Hemisphere, it turns out that January is #HotTeaMonth. But the heat doesn’t put us off this scrumptious brew – on the contrary, South Africans will brew it cold if we have to! In fact, some of us prefer an iced tea drink no matter the weather: refreshment at its purest, barring water. Anyway, thus began our inves-tea-gation which is when we discovered that tea actually holds the key to a healthier lifestyle. And of course, sharing knowledge is what we do best… so please enjoy some of our findings below.
Figure 1: "red liquid with ice and plant" by Jennifer Pallian on Unsplash Let's start with the heart Recent studies have shown that coffee might not be as problematic as experts once thought. Nevertheless, research on tea and heart health is growing and some studies have found that there can be as much as a 20 percent reduction in heart attack risk among people who drink up to three cups of regular green tea per …

How books come alive with the Callfinder®!

A truly revolutionary developmentBriza launched its Callfinder® ready titles in 2013 with the publication of SAPPI Birds of South Africa, (SAPPI Voëls van Suid-Afrika in Afrikaans) written by Herman van Niekerk and Saartjie Kidson. For the first time in South Africa, this exciting and highly anticipated book allowed the bird watcher to see an image of a bird and hear its actual call on the same page of the book, ensuring quick association, supplemented by information and hints on the bird’s behaviour to assist with finding and identifying it correctly. It was an instant bestseller and remains one of Briza’s most sought after titles. To date, more than 30 000 books have been sold!

Following the success of SAPPI Birds of South Africa, Briza released a revised edition of Mammal Guide of Southern Africa (Soogdiergids van suider Afrika in Afrikaans) by Burger Cillié in 2015, complete with Callfinder® ready capabilities. The new edition of this popular field guide made it one of the most…

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