How do I start telling the story of this adventure? I never imagined that I would visit Madagascar in such a near future, a year ago I was returning from Brazil with a disk full of unedited photos and videos. I still dreamed of returning to the Atlantic Forest before I even dreamed of visiting other places. Without even imagining that I would be visiting another rainforest the following year. This trip was only possible because Vanessa was invited to help with a scientific work collecting bat samples. And there was the possibility of me accompanying her, helping with the field work and taking the opportunity to photograph the animals we found. Once everything was lined up, we took action and started planning the trip.
Suitcases and more suitcases: Poorly calculated organization
The hardest part was packing! What photography equipment would you take? And what about clothes? And extras for field work? First we started with the field equipment, since we were going to camp in the forest for a few days, we needed a two-person tent that was light and easy to transport, as well as sleeping bags, mattresses and sheets. This equipment would have to be small and light, as it would be transported in one of the checked bags along with other material for the expedition. And as we had a limit of 23 kg per suitcase, everything would have to be well planned. However, in the end we ended up exceeding the permitted weight! To the camping equipment we added capture nets, fabric bags to place captured bats, galoshes, collection bottles, repellent bottles, solar shower, flip-flops, and a few other accessories. When we finally went to weigh the suitcase, it was already 29 kg... We were left with a checked suitcase and a carry-on backpack to put all our clothes, which ended up being separated into clothes to take on the field expedition and those that would go in the carry-on backpack, and the remaining clothes that ended up in the checked bag.
Regarding photographic equipment, the choice would be more difficult. Although the visit to the Atlantic Forest gave me a lot of experience in terms of the material needed to photograph in tropical forests, I didn't know anything about Madagascar. And so, I had to go and investigate a little. Look for photographs taken in the different places we would visit, to get an idea of the distances, the intensity of the light, and other small details that allow me to decide what to carry with me. I also had the idea of filming, and that meant taking a tripod! And I wanted one that could handle the weight of the camera plus the 600mm lens that would be the most used. This decision turned out to be the right one, as I was able to come back with fantastic footage of the different animals we encountered. My only regret is that I won't have more filming days. I ended up taking my backpack completely full, with no room left for even a crumb. PS: I'm going to create a post just about the equipment so you really know what we took with us on this adventure.
All dispatched: Finally in the air
The trip started off rough in Portugal, managing to carry both suitcases down the stairs was like getting hit in football, an eye opener for what was to come. How could I carry all this in the middle of the forest? It would be better not to think about it now, as we had a few hours of travel ahead of us. It was the first time I entered Francisco Sá Carneiro airport in Porto, I have already traveled from Lisbon multiple times and from Faro when I went to the United Kingdom. The first part of the trip was relatively smooth, we went through passport control and security relatively quickly. I was pretty nervous, I'm not a big fan of traveling by car anymore, much less by plane. Then all those minutes waiting, in lines that never seem to end. All these moments are not easy for me, and Vanessa helped a lot to keep me calm. Knowing that I travel with photographic equipment, I get even more nervous when I have to go through security controls. Most of the time it involves taking everything electronic out of the suitcase, that is, emptying the suitcase completely... and of course having to pack everything again with the queue behind accumulating with every extra second it takes me to pack everything up again. The first trip would connect Porto to Paris, and we were quickly landing in France without any major problems.
Arriving at Charles de Gaulle airport we noticed something unexpected. Which at first glance we assumed was a mistake, but which turned out to be a big problem. The next flight would depart at 9pm from Paris, but the information panel said 9am (in the morning). Now Vanessa immediately said that it would be a mistake, I was more suspicious. And damn!! I hate when I get it right at these moments, basically our flight had been postponed until the next morning. Not really knowing what to do, we went to the boarding gate. The queue for more information, and at the same time to arrange accommodation and food was quite long, and we were practically the last to arrive, but what was ringing in our heads were the alarms regarding the flight we were going to miss from Mauritius to Madagascar!! Since we would arrive almost 6 hours after the flight departed. And we wouldn't have a flight until the next day, it would also mean spending a night in Mauritius! And this would also imply changing the day of travel in Madagascar, as the idea was to leave the next day for Ranomafana.
Paris: A night of little sleep
We spent the night in a hotel near Charles de Gaulle airport, we arrived around one in the morning and the next day we would have to be at the airport at seven. But during the waiting time we took the opportunity to research flights. And we found one from Air France that would leave at ten in the morning straight to Madagascar. And the remaining flights from Mauritius to Madagascar were all full, only becoming available almost three days later! We made the decision to wake up even earlier and go to the Air France counter to understand what they could do. Since our connection would require spending almost three days in Mauritius (with everything paid for by the airline). As soon as employees realized the situation, they looked for the solution we presented. The direct flight from Paris to Antananarivo. And I confess that we have to thank the two Air France employees who managed to put us on the direct flight! Which made the rest of the trip easier, and we went straight and arrived in Madagascar the same day.
Blue Cat: The Unexpected Arrival
We arrived in Madagascar at night. Tired after a journey of almost twelve hours, we still needed to resolve some matters at the airport before heading to the hotel. But while we were waiting for passport control we heard something on the communicators: “Miss Vainessa Mata, Miss Vainessssa Mata please go to the baggage counter”… (thankfully they didn't even try to say my name, or it would have been funny to hear) something was happening with our luggage! With so many changes, our luggage had remained in France and was not checked in on time. Now the funniest part was that we decided to send the carry-on backpack with clothes through the basement too... (a mistake we didn't count on at the time) this meant that it would be three days at least with the same clothes on our body. But to our amazement, this backpack ended up appearing on the conveyor belt! Which left us quite relieved and we would have a change of clothes for the next day. Before heading to the Sakamanga hotel, we still had to exchange Euros for Ariary, and buy two cell phone cards to have internet access during our stay. To make it easier, we bought one from Telma and another from Orange, so if one didn't have a network we would have access on the other cell phone.
Our colleagues were not so lucky! The flight from Mauritius, the one we would take, had also been delayed by a few hours. It then took off and returned to Mauritius due to a technical problem. And in the end, they took off around midnight and arrived in Madagascar after two in the morning! With all these small delays we ended up deciding to continue traveling to Ranomafana two days later. So we all have the opportunity to rest. We spent a day in Antananarivo resting and we had a chance to take a walk around the area, feel the atmosphere and prepare for the next day's trip, as we would have to leave around five in the morning, local time, which meant around three in Portugal... which meant After almost two days of traveling, this mini day of rest came in handy.
WANT TO LEARN HOW TO SET UP YOUR CAMERA?
As soon as we buy a new camera, most of us are so excited that we want to start using it right away and enhancing our creative process... but this process can also be frustrating. Knowing and learning all the menu, features, and functions is challenging, especially if we are switching from another system or a completely different brand. This guide is for those like me who switched systems and want to accelerate the learning process about the new camera.
Learn how to set up your Sony A7RIII camera: 30 Tips and Tricks for your Sony Alpha A7RIII | Diogo Oliveira onWILD
CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS AS WELL
I've created several videos about wildlife photography where I explain how to photograph various species and some of the best photographic techniques. From photographing coastal birds to photographing the beautiful kingfisher, it's a small playlist that I hope you enjoy and leave a like on the videos.
BUY THESE PHOTOGRAPHS
If the photographs in this portfolio have piqued your interest and you would like to purchase high-quality prints or digital copies, we invite you to visit our stock photos. You will find a wide selection of wildlife photographs, available for licensing in different formats and resolutions. By purchasing our photographs, you will not only be getting stunning, professional images, but you will also be supporting the ongoing work of biodiversity conservation and documentation. My mission is to inspire wildlife protection through the art of photography. If you have any questions or need personalized assistance, I'm on hand to help you find the perfect image.
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