Ben Wilhelmi

lake Natron, photos and video

http://vimeo.com/17256797

some days ago, I posted a video overflying the middle of lake Natron. Here is the sequence, leaving the lake to overfly Pininyi village and fields before landing.
Ostriches, people, cows can be spotted...
The area is quite green thanks to the nearby river flowing out of the 2000 ft cliff and an irrigation system

 

and some older pictures of lake Natron:

 

part of one the few deltas around.

 

once in a while let’s admit it, colors can be faded, in the dry season usually when water has evaporated a bit to much but the pattern is still interesting and abstract

lake Natron, aerial pictures and video

 

Lake Natron, Rift valley, flying overhead the middle of the lake. That gives a vague idea of the vast expanse of red and white salts.
I've hardly ever been bored with that lake over the years. In 2 weeks time, the aspect will be different again. Though this red and white combination is the most frequent one.
I had never seen those kind of red tongues stopping so abruptly inland. Very interesting

link for the video: http://vimeo.com/17190926

 

and some older still pictures…

 

volcano Oldoinyo Lengai, video and stills of a Moon landscape

here is a full view and then the western slope of a unique and active volcano, Oldoinyo Lengai, in the Rift Valley, Tanzania.
In 2007 and 2008 eruptions occurred nearly on a daily basis, from minor to serious activity, with ash clouds climbing up to 55.000 feet.
More than 2 years later the ash layer or crust is still too thick for new grass to grow through.
Grey tones, ravines, gullies and small craters litter the area and give that moonish aspect.

link for the video: http://vimeo.com/17221428

 

and while I was shooting the video, I also shot some still pictures with my older Nikon D200…that starts to be a bit too much in turbulences and close to the ground: fly to orientate the aircraft for the video composure, sneak the camera in the little gap still available behind the video system, and check if the aircraft doesn’t put herself in a funny situation like slow speed or in a downdraft. One of the passengers was a nun and preferred to squeal instead of praying harder, heehee.

 

the Nikon D300s and 12-24mm lens installed near my left shoulder

a video of singing Maasai warriors

here is a link for a short singing session…

http://vimeo.com/17089781

 

these Maasai warriors were performing just for me, far from the beaten tracks. This is Ololosokwan, a remote Maasai village on the Serengeti northern border. I had planned to polish up more videos and photos while performing the Flying Medical Service outreach clinic but a puncture on landing with the Cessna 206 forced me to work instead. Only 10 minutes to spare while the glue was drying out, and the weather was quite overcast...Next time I hope.

I've always made a point to bring the promised pictures to each model I've shot. That helps to bring a relation of trust, and that explains the singing (and jumping and dancing to come soon) sessions just for myself. Now these warriors were just envious of their friends who had received such pictures from a previous clinic.

there is still room for improving built-in camera microphones. The wind blowing is always a killer on soundtrack, and that has been the case as far I remember the very first VHS videos 30 years back…C’mon on engineers!

Las Vegas, this and that…

show time is the norm, vintage cars are numerous but if you fancy the latest Ferrari or Lamborghini, just be patient. Palm trees so far from the ocean, always a puzzle to me, I don’t know why.

 

the MGM lion standing guard.

 

our room in the Caesar Palace… quite a difference from what we, poor pilots, are stuffed in by the usual stingy flying companies we operate for, haha.

 

our 2nd hotel, the Bellagio on the Las Vegas Blvd, aka the Strip…

just opposite was the Paris Las Vegas with the Eiffel Tower replica.

 

the old welcoming sign with a parking lot so everybody is tempted for a funny picture.

 

but modern style is creeping in. Exit the neon cowboy and cowgirl on Fremont street…

 

sunset on the Strip.

 

fashion is quite different from cold Europe, or

Tanzania all year long….I’ve never seen a walking pink candy in East Africa.

lake Natron, aerial shots

Flying Medical Service

I just came back yesterday from another Flying Medical Service outreach tour in Loliondo and lake Natron areas. 12 clinics to perform in 3 days. I’ve lost track of how many of those medical clinics I’ve attended over the years but I still love the various feelings to be out there.

even though I had a bloody puncture at a great location, Ololosokwan where I was to meet the jumping Maasai warriors for more pictures and a video, I still prefer some bad time in the bush than no bush at all. Nevertheless I had to fix that puncture for 2 hours I managed to take a few pictures and videos while the glue was drying on the tube. I’ll edit the video tonight and post it soon. Nothing to compete with Nat’l Geographic documentaries of course but entertaining enough.

even though we fly there to help people in medical need, this time we only brought some light patients to the hospital. Nobody dying, which allows me to say I had a superb time out there without guilt. As I said before I’m not a saint nevertheless I’m a volunteer so I see no problem to have fun at the same time. The video below in a steep gorge proves my point, heehee. Even the medical staff gets to enjoy such a flight.

the weather and the visibility were excellent on Friday and I‘m quite pleased of other videos over lake Natron. The red tones and white salt lines were finally back and all explode on the film. I just can’t have enough of that place. That colorful area with incredible mountains and cliffs in the background is always surprising and different. More editing to come.

I also shot a few films with a vintage camera for a different style of pictures where I have to rewind the film, focus, choose other settings with various knobs, frame and finally click if my subject hasn’t moved too much. I took time to walk in a Maasai village under scorching heat, greet some people. There were those little boys, less than 10 years old, in charge of dozens of cows or goats walking long distances to find fresh grass or water. One warrior took my camera to shoot his friends with limited results of course: he had never held a camera in his life. We flew in other gorges, over a wet delta, overflew wildebeests, zebras and ostriches and of course, flamingoes. Cherry on the pie the flamingoes were nesting. White eggs were clearly visible in the grey nest but young dark grey chicks were already walking along their parents. What a treat!

we got caught, while having lunch under the aircraft wing, in a dust devil or a mini twister that blew our plates and glasses away. At the same time, we felt like hundreds of needles were stinging us, like sandblasted. Then we finished our lunch with gritting sand in the food…

http://vimeo.com/17051818

on the western shore of lake Natron, Tanzania, runs a steep 2000 ft high cliff.
One of the gorges in that area is near Pininyi, a remote maasai village.
See this video to enjoy some steep turns, people along the river, and spectacular scenery. Personally, I still love every second of such a flight."

 

aerial photography, Tanzania

 

mix of clouds and dust…

lake Victoria.

 

rain shower under sunset.

 

dust again.

 

and below are some salt lines, Lake Natron, northern Tanzania

photo shooting with Maasai warriors, Tanzania

 

Ololosokwan, on the northern border of Serengeti, not even on the map.

just like women getting ready, they didn’t like too much being pictured while getting dressed, telling to wait every time.

serious ear extension!

 

lake natron, aerials

one vast expanse of uniformed pattern suddenly switches to something else. Here is a clear demarcation between blue and burgundy patches.

extinct volcano Shombole, Kenyan border

various aerial pictures of animals, Serengeti, lake Natron, Tanzania

aerial photography is a never boring activity, specially with animals.

early or late in the day os my favorite time: better colors and contrast and long shadows

 

blue blue blue! Lake Natron, Rift Valley, Tanzania

aerial pictures of lake Natron. Blue tones are quite common, though not as much as red tones.

 

jumping and posing Maasai warriors, northern Serengeti, Tanzania

on the northern edge of Serengeti. I had a great time with these Maasai warriors, posing, pretending to fight etc, and all of this juts for me. Great laughs and giggling when viewing the camera back screen.

swapping jewels between friends…they couldn’t get enough of their portraits in various poses and outfits.

video in flight, Ngaresero gorge in the Rift Valley

That’s one of the very first videos I shot a few weeks ago, with the camera attached and shooting from inside the aircraft, through the windshield and propeller. Quality is not at its best in these conditions. I hope to go there again in about 2 weeks and reshoot the whole stuff with the camera gear sticking out of the airplane this time.

http://vimeo.com/16704416

a bit of rock'n'roll flight in a steep gorge, 600m drop in about one minute and a coupla steep turns. That is Ngaresero gorge in the Rift Valley, near lake Natron and volcano Oldoinyo Lengai. Lengai which can be seen at the beginning of the video.
I particularly like this gorge and I remember fondly the few walks done in there.
The last bit of the video overflies Masonik. And since I'm climbing up at slower speed, I keep some safety altitude. But I'll try to get some footage there too another day

Sahara, south western Libya

a 2 week trip in 2006. A Leica M, a 28mm lens or 90mm, a polarizer filter and Fujichrome films.

mostly a walking safari in the desert but a few days here and there were to be done by jeeps. Here getting ready with lot of fuel, firewood, food…

 

an oasis, Oum el Mah (I’ve seen dozens of spelling over the internet…) where we spent some time.

late afternoon and low lights give incredible long shadows.

lake Natron, Rift valley.

all of this on one lake that is not that big, 40 by 10 miles or so…impressive variety in colors, even in one little flight, the diversity can be amazing.

 

lake Natron over the years, salts, abstract art, colors

Rift valley, northern Tanzania. Extreme variety in colors, geometry, shapes.

one rare day with exceptional visibility. That triangle shape in the middle of the horizon is an active volcano: Oldoinyo Lengai.

 

another bunch of jumping Maasai warriors

sequence to the previous posts. Ololosokwan remote village near Loliondo. Did I say I had great fun while spending time? A private show just for me, far from the touristy roads…priceless! Now I hope these warrior models will like the pictures. I may also need a bodyguard as the local “photographer” will see his crappy business cut short in this village…

 

on their own, some decided to jump and show me their back for a change.

 

the one of the right side seemed proud of his round buttocks!

 

one the numerous examples where these funny guys pretended to fight or throw a weapon.

 

 

 

more of the jumping Maasai warriors

 

Ololosokwan, Flying Medical Service clinic. These guys were obviously healthy and didn’t need our services…

not only posing in a classical manner but they decided to take other poses, like pretending to fight, to throw spears, dance, and mostly jump as seen below. To say I was happy was an understatement.

 

quite a feat: to jump so high up and down, without showing any effort of course. They like to synchronize their jumps too.

a quick check up before another shot.

 

and to add a little touch, the deep guttural sounds they push in rhythm… maybe a video next time?

a video: take off on a lake Natron airstrip, Rift Valley, Tanzania

here is a link to another video. Just a take off and a bit of flying, nothing striking but for the African landscapes that never bore me…

http://vimeo.com/16610543

lake Natron in the Rift valley, northern Tanzania. Flying Medical Service runs a few outreach clinics out there.
Here is a take off from Pininyi alongside the western shore and 2000 ft cliff, or 600m.
Soon after take off, the mountain on the horizon is an extinct volcano on the Kenyan border, Shombole.
Then part of a delta is visible where zebras and ostriches find clear water before the salted waters of the lake.

 

and here below a few pictures of the video contraption I’m using lately. A Nikon D300s, a 12-24mm usually set at 12mm, a suction system for the “tripod” to glue on the window and an extra strap just in case…

the Cessna 206 is a bush plane that doesn’t fly fast, so there is no problem to fly with the window open (except for the noise and the blast of air for the passengers behind). Best to use a protection filter on the front lens as it picks insects very often and probably tiny stones too.

 

 

Maasai warriors, getting dressed and jumping for photo shooting

from previous post, I had done some photos of Maasai warriors with the promise to bring them many prints, and the next time I went again to Ololosokwan to deliver the promised pictures, other warriors were hanging around. On viewing their friend’s pictures, that new bunch of warriors started to laugh and called each other, and got envious….it didn’t last long before one warrior asked for a snap then another etc. This time I had one hour ahead of me. We started with regular composures, simple portraits. They prepared themselves or helped each other to get ready but also change their look, swapping jewels and cloth or weapons for different poses.

 

 

 

 

their idea to take a more aggressive attitude…

 

 

there was a good atmosphere during the shooting. They were all happy at viewing the camera screen. They started to vary the poses, pretending to fight each other, throw spears…and I finally asked them to jump as well. That’s something Maasai are very good at. And they happily obliged, while singing at the same time. Well should I say rather producing a deep guttural sound coming from deep in the chest, in rhythm. Which makes the exercise even more impressive. I can’t describe how happy I was, how privileged I felt.

Maasai warriors, very narcissist

2 weeks ago, while performing the Flying Medical Service clinics near Loliondo, in a small village, Ololosokwan, north of Serengeti, these warriors spotted me shooting some kids and women. They noticed the big laughs from camera screen viewing. So they got curious, had a look at some pictures and decided to get their own. So they started to dress and prepare themselves. I realised these were freshly made warriors: all young, sporting more complicated wigs and being more decorated with jewels and weapons than usual. This was confirmed by our Masai medical worker and the special temporary warrior village nearby. So the novelty of being warrior hasn’t worn off yet and they are still very proud of their newly hard-won status. All for my benefit too because they were really narcissist, behaving like western girls in a shopping spree before a wedding. They exchanging their jewels and weapons, rearranging in various ways their haircut for different pictures. And even posing with their back towards me! Even girls rarely do that, too afraid of the 3 grams they might have gained in the bum…

too bad it all happened in 5 minutes at the end of the clinic, I had to leave unfinished business…

 

serious ear extensions for this happy warrior.

 

Profile! They giggled like crazy at this. Nobody had ever seen his own profile! So it was a serious novelty. I learnt that there is a kind of a “photographer” in the area shooting people with a  very old cheap camera and selling the pictures very expensive. So one copy is usually enough, if that, and certainly no profile. I bet that guy is going to hate me because I’ll give a few prints to everybody, cutting down his business. Ooops…

 

 

unusual wrap around…but he suggested it and I was not to criticize his apparent lack of respect for fashion tradition. Fashion is there to be changed after all.

 

I shot a lot more than these, and last week I was to meet them with a bunch of various prints for each one of them. Trust has been built and there is no way to disappoint anybody.

Flying Medical Service, various portraits

I’m just back from a tour of medical clinics with Flying Medical Service. As usual I had a great time. Too many things that I enjoyed but mostly a show, just for myself, of dancing and jumping Maasai warriors. Quite a feat I must say, I felt very privileged. Those pictures and explanations on show tomorrow, promised. I just need time to select and edit them.

In the meantime, some pictures from the Sonjo Valley, near Loliondo, shot 2 weeks ago.

Maasai and Sonjo people mix together kind of peacefully. There have been some flares of violence not so long ago, including exchange of Kalashnikov bullets…

 

whichever tribe they belong, these women like colors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

piercing eyes but a cooperative model, in exchange of prints to bring later on, as usual. No money is paid, never. Maybe it’s not up to me to decide for them, I know, but since those villages are pretty remote and off the tourism pollution, money is seldom asked and I don’t want to start a bad habit. So I talk a bit, show some other people’s pictures to convince the ladies, and warriors who have a distinct feminine side sometimes, to pose. I really enjoy their smile and grateful look when the pictures are handed down usually 2 weeks later on the next round of clinics. It takes me a lot of time to process and print the shots at home. And now because I’m a bit “known” over there I also have to shoot asking people I don’t find photogenic or that I know I’ve got similar images already but I don’t want to refuse and hurt anybody in the process…”ransom of the glory” we say in French.

 

Flying Medical Service and others, the Cessna 206 in the bush

 

   

 

an old picture, the other warrior who took it had never held a camera. So he saw nothing wrong to frame skew to include the full length of that jewel. 35° in average on lake Natron. Guess what? People wear woolen hats and jackets as seen behind us.

 

Engoveroni, an upslope airstrip on Empakai crater, Ngorongoro highlands, 11% gradient.

 

 

 

 

 

 

busy refueling with jerrycans.

 

and below is another Cessna 206, not from Flying Medical Service.

and a bit of bad luck for this pilot. Ngaresero at the bottom of the Rift Valley, sandy airstrip, the nose wheel got stuck. Luckily the plane didn’t flip over.

only visible damage was the propeller

Flying Medical Service, the airplane in the savannah

 

after a bush fire.

 

having fun, hard to fly that close and shoot, so I was pretty quick and didn’t compose properly to avoid that black strip.

 

Sengerema, a remote village but quite big with an official airstrip…located straight in the middle of the village. dangerous of course as people use that strip for whatever use they see fit, crossing or playing football for instance. Also in case of an accident, there is a serious risk for the houses alongside. Positive point: the hospital is also located on the very side of the airstrip, transport would be reduced.

 

unusual high grass in Njurlan, next to lake Natron. Normally a very inhospitable area, dry and hot.

and the same can be said for Olorbelin, a few miles away, still on the lake shore.

 

Engoveroni and volcano Lengai in the rainy season.

but the airstrip had been maintained. Notice the slope of that crazy airstrip.

 

before the storm.

street life, Arusha

according to Lonely Planet and a survey amongst their readers, Arusha has been classified as one of the 10 worst cities in the world to visit in the world. maybe a tad harsh but that’s not going to spoil my sleep…as opposed to many Arushans who felt deeply offended.

maybe this picture is not from Arusha but could be anyway.

 

training overloaded riding to be dala dala driver or passenger…dala dala is the most dreaded public transport minibus…

 

cart pushers waiting for business. Rest is a big plus because the loads to push can be heavy…

as shown here.

 

various street sellers or fixers squat the streets or pavements, both of which really don’t need additional obstacles to navigate on!

 

cops looking for bribes, at best for a free ride. Forbidden pictures of course which explain the lousy composure of this one.