Many thanks to everyone who submitted their images the Bum View/Photo Bomb Competition. We had 72 entries! Many of you wrote how going through your pictures rekindled special memories. Photography is like an archive of treasured moments in our lives. What matters most in an image is what it stirs in our hearts and minds. Read the full story to see Grand Winner and finalists in several categories.

Our Grand Winner Bum View winner is Phil Ayers! His zebra image invites an immediate reaction and tells a powerful story. Phil we grant you full bragging rights for this wonderful photo.  Phil wrote “Thanks for running the contest.  We were glad to have a reason to go through our photos, which brought back many happy memories.”

We have 42 submissions so far in the Bum View/Photo Bomb Competition. Animals do what they do, it’s up to the photographer to capture the best gesture, lighting, and story. Often the animal’s behaviour doesn’t match what we hoped for, but humour redeems the shot. Like this Grevy Zebra with ears askance. He could guide an aircraft landing with those ears! 

So far Zebras are outnumbering submissions with elephants a close second in the Bum View/Photo Bomb competition. There’s still time to email me your submissions. Winners will be announced Aug. 28th.

The Bum Views/Photo bomb competition is open! Many thanks to those who have submitted images. I will share submissions until Week 3 August 21st on my Facebook page Kathy Karn Photography.

Readers! Send me your favorite animal photo bomb photos and I will post them on my KathyKarnPhotography Facebook page. In a few lines share the story behind the shot. It’s often the story, more than the image, that makes these photos memorable. We want to see your images. Let’s have some fun!

Photographing animals in the wild involves an interesting dance between slow and fast; patiently waiting for a shot while simultaneously staying ready for that fraction of a second when it all comes together. The drivers and spotters on a game drive do their best to set up photographic shots, but wild animals have a mind of their own.

If you come across a herd of Cape Buffalo on a game drive, you will usually see red or yellow-billed oxpeckers perched their bodies. The birds provide a valuable service - they eat insects and ticks. The symbiotic relationship between the oxpecker and the hooved host is known as mutualism.

Photographing animals in the wild involves an interesting dance between slow and fast; patiently waiting for a shot while simultaneously staying ready for that fraction of a second when it all comes together. The drivers and spotters on a game drive do their best to set up photographic shots, but wild animals have a mind of their own.

This week, I wrote a short children’s storybook about some of my favourite African animal mothers and babies in honour of Mother’s Day. I am grateful to Haya (3) and Mara (6) and their mothers who gave me valuable feedback about which images they preferred. I wrote this book with them in mind.

Zebras sport one of nature’s most recognizable patterns. Several African animals have made an impact in the design world, but who can resist the distinctive black and white stripes of the zebra? Just like our fingerprints, every zebra’s pattern is unique. Is the zebra a white horse with black stripes or a black horse with white stripes?

Watching the sun rise on the Maasai Mara fuels attention and astonishment. Seeing Africa’s iconic lions in their natural setting is like stepping through the TV screen into the magic of Africa. Even after a few years of game drives in Kenya, being in the midst of African wildlife still feels like a pinch me moment.