Ralph Combs' photostream  

Erongo Region, Namibia, April 2012
Struthio camelus australis or the Southern Ostrich, is found south of the Zambezi and Cunene rivers in southern Africa.

Trying something different with the processing here. Not sure if it works, kind of think not, but I do like how the grass tone and the feathers contrast.

Appreciate any feedback. Thanks peoples!

Sand dunes, grassland, and mountains; Namibrand Nature Preserve, Namibia
April, 2012
At least in my dreams of Namibia, this is what I wanted to see. Subtle and dramatic. Wide open, big and intimate.
You really need to view this large to see the detail in the plain. Those circles are bare sand - they call them fairy circles since scientist have yet to decide what causes them.
Getting rain in the desert was a real treat and it made for some great skies one evening and morning.
Thanks for checking it out, more to come.

Erongo Region, Omaruru, Namibia
April, 2012
Equus zebra, ssp. hartmannae

The mountain zebra is considered fairly rare, with a wild population distributed between Namibia, Angola, and South Africa of about 4,500 animals. They are listed by CITES as endangered (www.cites.org/eng/resources/species.html) They are also very wary and protective of their younger foals (as a few later images will show). They are fun to watch as well.

I can't decide on a treatment for the wildlife images I have chosen. While the bronze / sepia / chocolate monochrome lends itself well to African wildlife, it is often used...like here. I am trying to come up with a bleached / faded tone that still holds the contrasts and richness but gives a feeling of the harsh sun and never ending openness of the country. Guess we will see what I can do. For now, enjoy and thanks for checking 'em out.

Star trails time lapse taken in the Namib Desert, Namibia, April 22nd, 2012

Possibly the clearest and most beautiful sky I have ever experienced.
More Namibia to come! Great landscapes there.

20 second exposures x 120 images layered in Photoshop

I updated this image from the previous version correcting the white balance and restoring some of the highlights. More better now!

Thanks for checking it out. Appreciate it!

El Cap, from the meadows, Yosemite

Guess you can't have a Yosemite series without one of the big ones, so here we are. Taken at about noon from the meadows.