Well, we (with the help of the wonderful Steff) managed to get our Blog to take some photographs. So we can show you a few of our photographs from the expedition.
This was the view each morning as we climbed above the clouds on our way to the Gorillas. As you can see that particular morning it was not raining!
It makes us want to fly straight back!
Julie and Adam
A beautiful country - 17 March 2007
Uganda and Rwanda - Chimps and Gorillas - 15 March 2008
Gorillas and Chimps Expedition - What an Adrenaline Rush!
Hello
We are just back from our expedition to Uganda and Rwanda. We are almost finished writing up the trip report which will go onto the site soon! We are having a little trouble with our server and unfortunately cannot upload our photographs as yet, GGGRRRRRR!
Highlights for our clients were:
1. Treking Chimps in Uganda for two days. The Chimps are really noisy and when moving along the floor of the rainforest they are always screaming to let each other know where they are and what they are doing. The photography was really difficult as the light is pretty poor but we managed to get some good shots of some of the males looking up from the jungle floor, staring in fact and waiting their turn with a female who was "in heat". Racing along to keep up with them on one particular day with bodies and lenses weighing us down was exhilarating and bloody hard work to say the least, but what fun and it certainly got the adrenaline pumping as much as watching a Lion kill.
2. Treking the Gorillas in Uganda for two days and THEN Rwanda for three days AS WELL. This was really hard work - I don't think our group will mind our saying we were not a group of Olympic athletes! But we were all determined to see what we had come for and we came, we saw, and we conquered those treks! Some days we think awards were deserved! It was all good fun though and the pictures our clients were able to get are really very impressive. We provided the opportunity, and they, to their credit, provided the rest.
Uganda Gorilla treks (2 treks): The second day was the hardest. It was raining, we had to cross a raging river, and the last climb was very hard. We eventually caught up with the Gorillas and to our delight the sun came out and we were treated to a wonderful display by the Silverback (yes, he beat his chest), some of the young and the entire family stretching out along a valley. We came back tired, wet but on a complete high! We also had the opportunity of photographing a group of Gorillas in the rain which was quite beautiful and serene.
Rwanda Gorilla treks (3 treks): This was much easier. The views were great and we all managed to get a good portfolio of really interesting shots. On our first trek, we were sitting more comfortably than usual on a bank looking down at a female and a baby when without any warning a blackback (young male Gorilla, but BIG) walked past the front of the group, brushing our legs, it then turned, took one look at Marian, decided she was the one and slapped her on her leg. Marian, if not all of us, will be telling this story for years. We all managed to do what we had been told to do in the briefing ie we kept remarkably quiet during what was a phenomenally exciting wildlife encounter but once we were out of the forest.... what a high!
Prize giving on the last night of our trip saw the overall prize for consistently good photographs from every trek going to Wendy. The prize being five yards of printing from Shutterspeed Travel's 24inch HP printer - this will allow Wendy to print poster size on art quality paper, we are looking forward to the results. Murray and Lisa also won prizes, but what goes on tour stays on tour!
A great, great trip. Please take a look back at this blog at Easter when hopefully our server issues will have been solved and the photos will be up here in the Blog. Our full trip report and the library database photos should be on the site then as well.
Julie and Adam
B&H New York - 3 February 2008
For those who are ever passing through New York, B&H is a photographic store that is as good as anything in the world. It's scale gets bigger each time we go. This afternoon they had 62, yes 62, staff working behind the counter giving advice and selling kit. The shop has some sort of conveyor system which takes goods from a warehouse, to the customer for checking, then to the exit where the kit is given to you [after you pay]. At about 3pm we counted 24 customers a minute being serviced. That is well over a thousand an hour. Despite all this speed, the service is good, the staff we met knew their stuff and we left very satisified.
We were only buying some small items of kit for our Uganda and Rwanda expedittion including Kata waterproof camera covers in case it is raining when we get to the Gorillas!
Julie and Adam
Thoughts on moving to Hasselblad - 26 January 2008
I have been a Canon SLR user for over 25 years, starting with a film camera called an AE1-Program, a fine robust camera. These were the days of manual winding and before auto-focus. I moved away from slide film to digital for our first expedition to Uganda and Rwanda back in 2005.
I have alway liked printing off my best shots. This started in the late 1970s with the Cibachrome printing process to today's very high quality inkjet printers. We have settled on an HP Z3100 for our large prints. This was reviewed on Luminous Landscape and received high praise. It is quite easy to use, and what we really like is trying out some of the really interesting matt papers.
For our recent expedition to DRC to photograph Bonobos, I took the [expensive] plunge and purchased a Hasselblad digital camera. My Canon digital cameras have 16.7 megapixels, the Hasselblad had 39. For me the key was giving more details AND more accurate colours.
So, after an expedition to the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was hot, humid and mucky, my initial thoughts:
Negative points:
1. The Hassey has only one autofocus sensor, while my Canon has 45 points
2. The Hassey's autofocus is much slower and less sure than that of the Canon
3. The Hassey has limited exposure options
4. The Hassey is not really built for our sort of outdoor expeditions. Opening the flap to insert a memory card reveals bare circuit board. Combine this with rain and I would expect to see some smoke! It does not have the same sort of seals that the Canon professional models have.
5. No really long lenses are made [as yet] for the Hassey. The longest is 300mm, which is roughly the same as a 240mm on a Canon.
6. You need lots of memory! I was using three 8Mb cards a day!
7. No image-stabilisation on the lenses.
8. Limited ISO range, a maximium speed of 400ASA.
The Positives:
1. A fantastic viewfinder which is really bright.
2. When I was able to take shots without camera shake the quality is absolutely outstanding and the detail recorded is extraordinary. I am able to produce prints 24" wide and 40" high with colours that have real impact and amazing detail. To me far, far better than my Canons.
So overall I am really pleased. We are off to Uganda and Rwanda in a few weeks which will really test the Hassey and me. I will be reporting back!
Adam
Travel tip for DRC; One Dollar notes - 21 January 2008
The Democratic Republic of Congo has a few surprises, even for experienced travellers. To our amazement one Dollar bills are not generally accepted by anyone! Five Dollar bills and above are fine, but not singles! No real idea why this is the case. Perhaps fear of forgeries? Anyone who knows why, let us know!
Julie and Adam
Bonobo photographs - 20 January 2008
As you will see from the site, we have now processed most of our photographs from our Congo expedition and are pretty happy with what we produced. If you go to the home page of our site you will find a link to the trip report from the Congo and also a selection of photographs for your perusal. We really were bowled over by the trip, the country, the reserve and the Bonobos. Absolutely amazing.
Adam has been busy printing of some large prints from the HP Z3100 printer for our gallery. We have moved away from gloss paper and currently are using Hahnemuhlephoto rag paper. This has matt finish, but with texture. The paper really suits some of the darker and moody portraits which Adam really likes producing.
Julie and Adam
Bonobo heaven - 4 January 2008
After all his passport adventures, Adam was glad to arrive in Kinshasa on Saturday evening. Julie and Jean collected him from the airport and drove straight to camp. Tip for other travellers to DRC; bring your yellow fever certificate as they do want to see it. The last time Adam was required to show his certificate was in Tanzania over 20 years ago.
Anyway, we have been shooting non-stop for the past five days. Highlights for us have been:
1. We spent a few hours this morning tracking a small group of Bonobos. This was quite hard going as the jungle is very dense and thick. However being able to shoot these fantastic animals in their natural habitat was very special.
2. Taking shots from one of the local bateau (or boat) is great. Some of the Bonobos come down to drink, some to wash and some to play. We found a place where the bravest wade up to their necks to get to the other side. 
3. Simply observing the Bonobos behavior is wonderful. Their play, the youngsters running round and chasing each other, endless sex, feeding and grooming. It is like a combination of East Enders, Dallas and other soap operas - high drama with lots of high pitched squealing.
The internet speed here is too slow to post our shots on the blog, but we will produce a trip report which we will post to the site and we will will also update the onsite database with additional photos.
This trip has been surprisingly tough on equipment. No dust, hard knocks or rain to contend with but the humidity is very high and some of the Bonobos are in the habit of throwing mud, fleas and other muck at us as we try to take shots.
Great trip, excellent charity which is doing much to support the cause of Bonobos in DRC and hopefully some great photos.
Julie and Adam