September 16th, 2010
'Cheetahs DO climb trees' – Cheetahs have dog like paws, and as a result have no 'cat' climbing ability. With that knowledge, I certainly never expected to see a cheetah in a tree, so you can imagine my surprise when this cheetah sorta ran up the angled trunk of this tree to get a better view of potential prey over the nearby grasslands. By the time he got to this point, he was probably 8 feet off the ground. One of his brothers (actually there were 3 brothers living together that we followed for a couple years) climbed up a neighboring branch of the same tree as well and it was obvious that they had done this before. When they decided to return to the ground it was a combination of a run down the trunk caused by gravity, and then a jump. The next day we saw him jump up into another tree several miles from this one. In more than 30 safaris throughout Africa, this is the only time I have witnessed a cheetah in a tree and it happened 2 days in a row. Witnessing the unexpected is such a thrill and there are several such experiences on every photo safari.
www.ThePhotoSafari.com
"Join me in Africa… 2011 trips now available"
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September 15th, 2010
‘Stripes Drinking’ – The 4 zebras drinking here are merely a tiny snapshot of the Serengeti’s Mega Migration that includes 100’s of thousands of zebras as well as wildebeests. Normally they migrate together, but sometimes they are on their own. This herd of 3000+ zebras that stretched for more than 3 kilometers on their way to a pool in the marsh near the Simba Kopjes provided a truly spine tingling and moving experience.
248-828-0666
2011 African Safaris and workshops now available
www.ThePhotoSafari.com
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September 13th, 2010
‘King Climbing’ – A large male lion climbing a tree to join his mate in Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania (a park known for it’s ‘Tree Climbing Lions’). The only time out of 19 visits that I have seen lions climbing a tree in Lake Manyara was this experience in May 2006. To have it happen in late afternoon with warm sunshine bathing the lion in a tree near the road was just so exciting I could hardly hold the camera. We were so close that I could not get the entire lion’s body in the shot with my the100-400mm lens, so I picked up the other camera on which I had a 28-135mm lens to capture this shot. I would not have had time to change lenses on a single body and still catch this shot (another reason beyond dust that justifies having 2 camera bodies with you on safari). 2 shots of his brother in the same tree are in the show as well.
2011 African Safaris and workshops now available
www.ThePhotoSafari.com
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September 12th, 2010
Today (Sept 12) I will be at the Southfield Library (26300 Evergreen Rd) from 2-4pm greeting visitors to my exhibit of 46 African safari wildlife prints.
The first print is one of an angry matriarch of a herd of elephants that decided to charge our car. Totally unprovoked and out of 19 safaris totally unique, this herd sought us out from more than a kilometer away and charged / chased us for nearly 20 minutes. You can see highlights in a YouTube video called ‘Elephants Gone Wild’. Less than 30 minutes later we approached another elephant herd and sat among them and their babies for almost an hour as they the grazed and totally ignored our presence. We see hundreds of elephants on every photo safari, and while occasionally we witness a ‘mock’ charge to warn us that babies are being protected, we have never been aggressively attacked as in this case. The only explanation is that the herd was passing through the protected area of the ecosystem and had been poached and/or shot at prior to our encounter.
2011 African Safaris and workshops now available
www.ThePhotoSafari.com
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July 16th, 2010
Our first 2 nights we will stay at the beautiful Mt Meru Game Lodge in Usa River (Arusha). While here we will have a chance to try our photography skills on blue monkeys, possibly the black colobus monkeys, and 1000′s of birds. We will walk to the schoo…l which is being supported by my travelers … classroom building/finishing, refurbishment, landscaping, hand washing stations, etc. We will spend an afternoon at Arusha National Park which sits between Mt Meru (15,000 ft) which is taller than any mountain in Colorado and Mt Kilimanjaro (19,300 ft) which is roughly a mile higher than any mountain in Colorado. Here we will photograph the black colobus monkey, buffalo, giraffe, and many other African species of birds and mammals.
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July 5th, 2010
I have finally posted a video of the story, photos and video of this most amazing and emotional wildlife encounter that I have experienced in my 19 safaris to the Serengeti. Click on link and enjoy!
Cheetahs Attack Their Own
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June 16th, 2010
I am privileged to run 3-4 photo safaris / workshops to the Serengeti each year. I get no greater pleasure in life than introducing people to the ‘wonder’ that is the Serengeti. No matter how you pre-visualize it… it’s better in real life. I can not imagine losing this opportunity for future generations.
I do understand the dire need for infrastructure development for the people to the west of the Serengeti. It is obvious to even the casual observer that the economic potential of connecting the shores of Lake Victoria to the rest of Tanzania is significant and needs to be done as soon as possible. However, nearly half of the proposed northern road will run through protected areas (Loliondo and the Serengeti) that are crucial to the ecosystem, and along which no development will be allowed. The southern route not only would connect a much larger population, but it will spur development all along the entire length of the road.
The Serengeti is one of the few positive examples on our planet of how wildlife management and protection can work. There are roughly a million more large mammals today in the Serengeti than there was in 1960. In August 2005, National Geographic stated that the wildlife is as varied and as plentiful as it was 20,000 years ago. To risk this amazing accomplishment for a slightly shorter road to fewer people is beyond comprehension. The migration of roughly 2million mammals is in Tanzania 9 months of the year. They cross the proposed road in August/September on their way to water in Kenya, and cross again in October/November on their way south to the special grasses needed for nursing their young (all born within a 6 week period in January / February).
If you have not experienced the migration in person, do so while you can. I assure you that once experienced, you will do all you can to stop this development. Please help. Join / Like Facebook Stop The Serengeti Highway page to get started http://tinyurl.com/StopHwyFB
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May 5th, 2010
I was honored to be selected to photograph the food and beverages for Casa Real in Oxford Michigan. During the course of the day I photographed 7 different dishes that I had never seen on a menu at a Mexican restaurant. A few weeks later I took my family to experience the delectable flavors of these new dishes and the reviews were outstanding.
Flavorful seafood soup(shrimp, clams and talapia)
Chicken in a cheese sauce and a chilli relleno
El Molcajete (Beef & shrimp dish in a lava bowl)
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May 4th, 2010
I had the pleasure of photographing food and beverages for Casa Real (Mexican Restaurant) in Oxford Michigan. Great place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and eat some awesome food.
Sooooo many beers to taste
Sooooo many tequilas... not enough salt
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April 19th, 2010
For Immediate Release:
The interior re-design of MacDonald’s on Rochester Road south of Long Lake features architectural photography of Troy landmarks by Troy professional photographer William Cowger of Acacia Photography. Three of the photographs have been etched into glass panels (4’x 10’ each) that form a black & white translucent room divider. These photos include shots of the Columbia Center, Liberty Center and the walkway leading up to the Capital Grille. The other shot is a 4’x10’ black & white reverse image photo of the building at 840 W. Long Lake Road (Home of Miller Canfield Troy).
For more information contact William Cowger at:
248-828-0666
www.acaciaphoto.com
wecowger@acaciaphoto.com
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