Ben Wilhelmi

my year 2019 in pictures, part 1

2019  was personally a great year, again. here is a loose summary...

 

Bush flying is always a big component!

 

 

 

 

But then....there was quality time in our idyllic camp with this crazy girl, Lazy Lagoon, Bagamoyo, amongst other places.

And Olivia also brought me to Uganda. Unusual picture but this memorial is located in Entebbe. There is quite a story behind this monument.

 

A little trip to Nairobi and its notorious colorful matatus...

 

 

Back in style to Mahale NP, lake Tanganyika. No road to that camp...

I did miss these fellows!

 

Back in this heavenly camp after 13 years! How did I survive...

 

A farewell after a wonderful stay...

 

The GoPro, always put to good use (even though I curse it a lot but not for the picture quality which is stunning). Here over the Katasunga plain, Katavi NP, where I did also spent some great time.

 

Our camp in the Ruaha NP where I enjoy quite often my secondary residence, another view from our restaurant

 

Intense pace in mafia island...

 

One of the mangroves in the Indian ocean, here on mafia island.

 

2 unusual view from Zanzibar where I also lost count on how many nights we, pilots, spend there.

 

 

Some nights in various competitor camps in the Serengeti, all stunning like this one including a swimming pool with a view.

Birds in Tanzania, feeding d'Arnaud's barbet.

 

 

When one spends so many days in various camps or lodges one might as well develop a liking for birds. 1388 species in east Africa, 900 in Tanzania...birding activity can keep someone busy.

With the rains there has been a renewed activity, for instance in our Ruaha River Lodge, Ruaha national park. One of those many days meandering between the hills, nose up, binoculars and big lens handy, I spotted this d'Arnaud's barbet. I had initially thought he would eat its "olive" on the spot but no, it landed next to a narrow deep hole and climbed it down.

 

It reappeared quickly, see the tail over the hole, flew off and soon after it was back... this time with a big praying mantis in its beak. Quite a feat.

 

...this time with a big praying mantis in its beak. Quite a feat.

Back to that hole, again it climbed it down instead of dropping the prize.

 

 

Eyeing me briefly, I was standing in the shade of a tree.

 

 

Sadly I missed the take off picture... Quite a bright colorful bird nevertheless

B/W portraits, Tanzanian bush

 

 

Young Masai mother and a traditional cheek scar. She will keep her hair uncut till the baby has officially been named during a proper ceremony.

 

This woman wanted to wait to wait while getting prepped up for the pictures.

 

Sonjo woman using an umbrella to protect from the scorching sun in the Rift valley.

 

 

Some masai women in full regalia.

 

(Picture shot at 12am in natural light but with a +3 stop correction while the model stood under the aircraft wing)

 

 

 

Fishing activity near Bagamoyo, Indian ocean

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B/W portraits in the bush, Tanzania

 

Good ol' B/W pictures on films from the archives...I still happily use my analog cameras. Mainly 2 here, others in Belgium. Here shot around 2000 in northern Tanzania, an area pretty remote by then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Street photography, Arusha, Tanzania

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funny? There could be a passenger sitting on that bag...

 

Amazon style for this pretty girl, a common way to sit on a motorbike taxi.

 

 

 

Streets are busy with little businesses.

 

Gossipers like everywhere.