Gilbert Laloge
Amateur photographer, lover of the savannah its animals and its lights
Wanderings in the savannah
“I had a camera in Africa”
A preamble adapted and borrowed, without her authorization, from Karen Blixen whose famous novel (La Ferme Africaine) gave birth to one of the great films of world cinema, Out of Africa by Sydney Pollack.
It turns out that I actually had a camera when I arrived in Kenya.
It was there that I contracted an almost incurable disease, the love of wildlife photography in the savannah. Throughout these almost 10 years spent in Kenya, I had the chance to see the big cats looking into my telephoto lens. I felt the elephants of Amboseli and Tsavo coming past and sometimes rubbing against my car. I accompanied the immense herds of wildebeest and zebra in their deadly crossing of the Mara River. I drove for hours and hours looking for animals, looking for light. I got bogged down during the rainy season. I waited and waited, often for nothing, but sometimes for the opportunity to witness a totally unexpected scene. I have learned a lot about life on the savannah, but there are millions of other facets of this vibrant life in the middle of Nature that I will continue to ignore. So much the better.
Being lucky enough to own a car in Kenya, I took the oportunity to visit almost all of Kenya's National Parks, National Reserves and Conservancies. I have been a driver, guide and photographer. Of course, this certainly prevented me from seeing as much as I would have liked. I missed a multitude of animals and situations, but above all it allowed me to acquire something of inestimable value: freedom. Being alone, or often accompanied by my wife, I could stay as long as I wanted in front of a stage. My traditional phrase has always been this: “If I decide to stay two hours in front of a warthog, I allow myself this pleasure”.
I also learned to imagine, anticipate and try to predict the movements of animals while respecting a single rule: never go in the direction of an animal, whatever it may be. You have to know how to wait for him to come to you, after he has analyzed the situation to see if the car could represent a potential danger. It is all these experiences that allowed me to take all of the photos that populate this little work.
I invite you to follow me throughout my “African Wanderings”, to discover this magical and wild fauna. Each of the photos in this booklet has its story, sometimes very small, sometimes marked by exceptional moments whose narration is impossible. Just know that each of these photos brought me incredible emotion. Enjoy these images. The life of African wildlife is very threatened by the madness of men and it will not last much longer. But that is another story.
Parks, Reserves and Conservancies of Kenya
Nairobi National Park
The savannah in the heart of the Capital
Amboseli National Park
In the Kingdom of Elephants under the protective gaze of Kilimanjaro
Masai Mara National Reserve
The Land of Felines and the Great Migration
Mara Triangle Conservancy
The Reserve on the other side of the Mara River
Samburu National Reserve
Fantastic lights, animals and landscapes
Aberdares National Park
The atypical safari
Solio Ranch Conservancy
The Paradise of White and Black Rhinoceros
Buffalo Springs National Reserve
On the banks of the Nwaso Ng'iro river
Tsavo East National Park
The wildest park in Kenya
Tsavo West National Park
The Park of all surprises and superb landscapes
Lake Nakuru National Park
The ancient paradise of pink flamingos
Ol Pejeta
The benchmark for Conservancies in Kenya
The Conservancies of the Laikipia Plateau
Certainly the most beautiful landscapes in Kenya
The Enlightenment of Africa
From the blue hour of the morning until the sunset which illuminates the savannah with golden colors, Kenya offers magical moments.
The light of Africa is unique
For the past ten years or so, I've been searching, searching again, and sometimes I find the moment, the image that resonates with me, the one I want to share. At daybreak, with its bluish hues, and at the end of the day, when the sun sets, coloring the savanna with golden tones, I roam the trails in search of the ultimate image.
Research
A passion for the savannah and photography
Sharing my photos is sharing emotions. Every picture I've taken has been captured with the utmost respect for the animals. I try, in all circumstances, not to intrude on their lives, never to interfere with their movements. I am simply an observer of the savanna. I simply hope that the emotions I felt at the moment the shutter clicked are strong enough for you to feel them too.
