Sunrise over the Maasai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS-10D, EF 300 f/2.8L IS.

The Land

Kenya's geography includes deserts, alpine meadows, forests, large expanses of open plains, dramatic valleys, huge freshwater lakes, and 300 miles of beautiful coastline. In short, it is almost a microcosm of Africa.

Kenya is bounded to the north by Ethiopia and to the northeast by Somalia, a hot arid semi-desert (and the locus of great political instability). In the far north is Lake Turkana, the cradle of man, where some of the oldest humanoid fossils have been discovered. Around Nairobi and the foot of Mount Kenya is the agricultural heartland of the country: low rolling hills and plains crisscrossed with farms, many worked by hand in the ancient ways. Most of the eastern coast of Kenya is almost tropical, with white-sand beaches and strips of tropical forest that reminds one almost of a South Seas island.

While we did not see all of the country, we did encounter some really beautiful spots. One thing that makes for striking pictures in Africa is the air: at times it seems almost thick, as with the smoke of countless campfires. The combination of the landscape and the atmospherics results in dramatic sunsets and beautiful colors, and you sometimes get a beautiful layering of tones.

Here are a few images that will give you a flavor of the country and a sense of what it is like to travel in Africa. I hope you enjoy them.

Above: pre-dawn light, Maasai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS-10D, EF 300 f/2.8LIS.
 

Cloudscape and acacia trees, Maasai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS-10D, EF 300 f/2.8L IS.

Stormy late afternoon light, Lake Nakuru, Kenya., Those dots in the middle distance are flamingos. Canon
EOS-10D, EF 16-35 f/2.8L.

"God-light", Maasai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS-10D, EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS.

Moonrise, Samburu, Kenya. Canon EOS-10D, EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS.

Animals are part of the landscape too. Maasai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS-10D, EF 300 f/2.8L IS, EF Extender 1.4x.

Samburu, Kenya. Canon EOS-10D, EF 16-35 f/2.8L

Zebra and hot air balloon, Maasai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS-10D, EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS.

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