Photographing the Big Five is a dream for many wildlife photographers.
The full set of the Big Five includes the African elephant, rhinoceros, African buffalo, lion, and leopard – five animals once considered Africa’s most dangerous and difficult targets of big-game hunting. The term dates back to the colonial era of big-game hunting, and though times have changed, sadly the hunting of these magnificent creatures is not yet entirely a thing of the past.
Fortunately, for many today, the camera has replaced the rifle. Wildlife photography plays a real role in conservation: when wild animals are valued for their beauty, presence, and freedom, it creates both economic and societal incentive to protect them. A single powerful image can be worth far more than any trophy on a wall.
Where to Find the Big Five?
You can try to capture the Big Five on camera in places like Serengeti in Tanzania, the Masai Mara in Kenya, Kruger National Park in South Africa, or the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Risto Raunio has captured his own stunning images on trips organized by Suomen Kuvausmatkat. The leopards were photographed in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, and Uganda. The lions, in turn, were photographed in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Tanzania.
“While spotting the Big Five through binoculars is relatively easy in many African parks, capturing a wall-worthy photograph is a whole different challenge”, says Risto.
According to Risto in the most popular safari destinations, crowds can sometimes be an issue, with multiple vehicles gathering around the same sighting. Finding the animals themselves isn’t always simple either. Elephants, buffalo, and rhinos are large and visible from afar, but heat distortion under the African sun often ruins long-distance shots. The smaller Big Five members – the big cats – are nocturnal or active in low light, and during the hottest hours of the day they tend to disappear into the bushes or tall grass.
“The cat images in this Big Five series were selected from around ten photography trips, mainly in Tanzania and Botswana. In some shots, the typical high-angle view from a vehicle has been successfully avoided – without ever stepping out of the car, as safari safety rules strictly require”, says Risto.
We are proud to present Risto’s Big Five series in two parts. The first focuses on the cats: lions and leopards – noble, striking, and elusive – exactly as they should be: free in the savannahs and thickets of Africa. For more Risto’s amazing images, please visit the nature photographer’s website.
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