Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Discover the Colours of Africa by Mona D'Amours CPA
Africa is a kaleidoscope of colours. It’s a magical place of wildlife, nature, and people. My travels to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Mozambique for 34 days from September 27 to October 30, 2024, were a time to reflect on the past and future of Africa while appreciating the present, the continent, and photography least understood until you visit for yourself.
It was after our departure at 5:30 am for my African safari that I captured my first leopard. If you can capture the Big 5- lion, elephant, rhinoceros, cape buffalo, with the leopard being the most elusive- you have experienced the Best African Safari. This leopard, which was my first image accepted for wildlife accreditation, was sleeping in the distance, oblivious to my presence. I captured him with my Sony A7R IV, as I did with all my images. The camera was set at f/6.3, 1/800 of a second, with a focal length of 600 mm. It was this image that inspired me to write this article. It symbolizes the merging of black and white peoples following the end of Apartheid in 1994 to create a powerful force that is the future of Africa in its glory and COLOUR of all peoples.
On my first day in Johannesburg, South Africa, I was surrounded by botanical gardens with chirping birds and lush vegetation. If you are interested in obtaining your botanical and bird/ornithology accreditation, there are over 23,000 species of plants and 879 species of birds in South Africa. One of the most colourful birds is the Lilac-Breasted Roller. All my images are edited in Photoshop, and this image was created with the sky replacement tool. What better way to present my enchanting bird perched on a branch Somewhere Over the Rainbow to complement the colours of his feathers? It was shot at f/2.8, 1/800 of a second, with a focal length of 200 mm.
The accredited guides in Kruger National Park, the largest game reserve in the world, transmitted their passion with each sighting as though they had also seen the wildlife for the first time.
The cats are usually the first sightings on safaris, and a long lens is recommended. I photographed my cats with a 200 – 600 mm lens. Later in the day, my 70 – 200 mm lens was ideal for elephants, zebras, giraffes, and Impalas that are referred to as Fast Food by the guides. I packed both lenses on all four safaris, two in different locations in Kruger National Park, which is 19,623 square km, and two in Botswana which is “la pièce de résistance” in Chobe National Park. The Impala was shot at f/6.3, 1/800 of a second, with a focal length of 600 mm.
If you want to experience the ultimate safari, travel to Botswana, and you will capture wildlife in a 4x4 jeep at sunrise on sandy dirt roads which our guide referred to as an African Massage, and on the Chobe River on a sunset cruise where you see animals in the water such as the hippopotamuses, crocodiles, cape buffalos, and elephants. You might even be lucky enough to see a Courtship on the Chobe River between hippopotamuses
There is nothing more beautiful than to see mothers with their young congregate around water holes in October during the dry breeding season before the start of the rainy season in November. It was the hyenas that captured my attention. A young hyena cub climbed out of its underground den very cautiously into the bright sunlight with Glassy Eyes looking for its mother who was sleeping beside the den. With both ears perked up, I captured the inquisitive tiny face in this image. Hyenas are one species that are misunderstood, especially after their portrayal in the Disney movie The Lion King. They are an intelligent species with a frontal cortex similar to a primate, dominated by the Matriarch, and are more powerful than a lion since they travel in large clans of females. They communicate with their distinctive laugh and can crush bones, which is why their feces are white, filled with calcium. My baby hyena was photographed at f/2.8, 1/400 of a second, with a focal length of 170 mm.
My image of a baboon captured my heart with his aging grey beard and a glimmer of hope in his eyes. His gaze reminded me that Wisdom Comes with Age when we sit quietly alone and ponder. He was shot at f/2.8, 1/500 of a second, with a focal length of 84 mm.
Beyond the safaris with sightings of wildlife, nature is captivating in Africa with Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, which was designated a World Heritage Site in 1989. Africa offers a plethora of opportunities to obtain accreditations in nature and pictorial/scenic. Though there was no rain for three months, I was able to bring Victoria Falls to life with its untouched clear blue sky and lush browns and greens framing the Falls in the distance. During the rainy season, the entire mountainside is blanketed by the thunderous roar of the waters flowing down the mountainside. This image was shot at f/13, 1/250 of a second, with a focal length of 33 mm.
The people in Africa are the warmest, kindest people. We sometimes think we live in a civilized world, but after meeting so many people in Africa, I ask myself: “Is our world the civilized world?” The people in the villages have little but give more. They work hard but smile more. Mother and daughter support their five children on their small family farm in Zimbabwe. The older patriarch members of the family have died. Mother and daughter were photographed at f/4, 1/320 of a second, with a focal length of 36 mm.
The children in all four African countries wear colourful school uniforms and are so well behaved. We visited Lesedi School in Zimbabwe, where children walk up to 10 km/day to go to school. They learn academic subjects including business & accounting in this class, plus music and dance, agriculture and ecology. They attend school from 7:30 am to 1:00 pm before the scorching heat is impossible to bear in buildings without air conditioning. We can learn a lot from children, especially those who are keen to learn. One day, Africa will become the civilization of the future as they focus on educating the young and respecting the old while maintaining strong human values for each other. Lesedi School is funded entirely by donations since it is in a remote rural area. If you would like to sponsor a child at Lesedi School, visit the Lesedi Website.
The indoor classroom was photographed at f/4, 1/125 of a second, with a focal length of 24 mm. Though I set up the camera, it was taken by Londiwe Mathema Ncube, who shared the photograph with me when I wanted to be in the picture. She is a university graduate from Zimbabwe who wants to give other children the opportunity she had. My husband, Desiderio Fortunato and I were the first white guests to the school. We made connections with so many people in Africa by talking to them, taking an interest in their culture and lifestyle as well as their struggles. This, for me, is the purpose of travel. Desiderio was actually given a new name in Zimbabwe, Makhaya Mfana, Country Boy in Zulu, because he, too, lived in poverty in his youth in a rural village in Portugal. I was called the City Girl.
Music & Dance Class at Lesedi School - Meet the photographers and dancers of Africa, Mona D’Amours, Desiderio Fortunato, Ndaba Mpofu, Londiwe Mathema Ncube.
Though my husband and I have travelled to all the continents of the world, Africa was the best educational experience, which I would like to share with other PPOC members by organizing a two-week safari adventure for those who are interested. I can be reached at contact@monadamoursawp.ca for more details. It is the ideal continent for botanical, bird/ornithology, nature, pictorial/scenic, animal and wildlife accreditations. With the contacts we have, it will be the most affordable adventure of a lifetime.
Imagine luxury camping within Kruger Park. This image was shot at f/4, 1/160 of a second, with a focal length of 32 mm. Nkambeni Safari Camp, Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Imagine living in a secluded resort amidst a rural village. This image was photographed at f/5.6, 1/100 of a second with a focal length of 30 mm. Peneal Retreat Centre, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Imagine a luxury resort that offers two safaris on land and water. The image was shot at f/5, 1/160 of a second with a focal length of 90 mm. Cresta Mowana-Safari Resort & Spa, Chobe National Park, Botswana.
Mona D’Amours has been a PPOC member since 2019. She received accreditations in Performing Artists, Pictorial/Scenic, Botanical, Bird/Ornithology, Nature, Equine, Architecture, Sports, and Wildlife featured in this article and slide show. She is the Secretary/Treasurer of PPOC-BC, past Blog Chair, Mentor for two PPOC-BC members, and will receive her CPA at CICE 2025. She continues her journey with PPOC by being invited to judge accreditation submissions June 23, 2025.
