If you've ever found that some of your photos - traditional or digital - are not as crisp as you hoped, then it's possible that the blur is caused by camera movement.

Under low light conditions it's usually necessary to use a slow shutter speed to expose your subject correctly. That's when camera movement can have a detrimental affect on your pictures unless you keep the camera dead steady.

When you use a telephoto lens, any camera movement is accentuated, so again it's wise to keep the camera as steady as possible.

It's in these situations that a tripod becomes essential, ensuring your pictures are crisp, even when enlarged.

Mothers in the wild keep a close eye on their offspring and often hide them in thick vegetation as protection from predators, so the little ones can be difficult to photograph. However, I've managed to put together a reasonable selection, including pictures of baby lions and baby elephants.

Photo Details: European Roller (Coracias garrulus) perched on tree stump, Mkhuze Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Camera: Canon EOS 350D; Lens: Canon 100-400 IS Zoom; Focal Length: 400mm; Shutter Speed: 1/640; Aperture: f8; ISO: 400

Although I mention in my Terms of Use that images can be downloaded and printed for personal enjoyment and for non-commercial educational or conservation purposes, many people still make the effort to ask if they can use pictures for school projects, personal artwork and the like. I appreciate that.

I don't like saying "No", but I do refuse those requests where there's a profit motive, whether this be for a web site that carries adverts or for arwork that will be sold. In such cases I regard the images as raw materials, which you would normally buy if you're creating something for profit, so I'm not prepared to give them away.

Unusual Request
Recently I received an email with an unusual request - one that I certainly could never refuse! Here's what the lady (I'm not disclosing her name to respect her privacy) wrote:

"I fell in love with one of your pictures, a GORGEOUS picture of a lion, I've never seen such a beautiful creature!

"I was wondering if there is any way I could get your permission to get use this picture as a tattoo for myself. I do understand if you say 'no'. But, I will explain why I want this picture to use for my own 'art'.

"My husband and I know a wonderful man named Ray Thunderhawk who rescues the big cats. I am fortunate to know many of his cats since they were cubs. My favorite cat, a tiger, passed away three years ago and I have his image on my forearm. Ray knows how much I loved this tiger and is happy that I have him on my arm.

"I would be very honored if you would allow me to use this gorgeous lion image as a personal expression! The picture would be used to make a 'stencil' which would then be transferred onto me and the tattoo filled in.

"I know this is probably a strange request, but I'm not a 'common' tat girl. The tats I have on me are VERY personal and mean something to me. I don't get them because they are 'cute' or 'pretty'. I get them because they are part of who I am.

Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to me, I hope you have a wonderful day!"

Even if there was a commercial motive, which there wasn't, how could one refuse such a request?

• Friends
• Family
• Boss
• Teachers
• Roommate
• Cellmate
• Neighbors?

It's irreverent, easy to use and plenty of fun. Not too sure where you stand on copyright, as the software makes it a breeze - in fact it encourages you - to find faces of politicians and celebrities on the Net.

You can download a trial version to play around with, but the images are watermarked until you buy the software for $24.95.

Photo Details: Rock Hyrax or Dassie ( Procavia capensis) crouching on low branch, Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana.
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel; Lens: Canon 100-400 F5.6 IS zoom; Focal Length: 200mm; Shutter Speed: 1/160; Aperture: f5.6; ISO: 400

More Info: The above photo was taken at Rock Camp, a small private camp in Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana's Tuli Block.

Rock Camp is flanked by a rugged, rocky outcrop, hence the name. This area is home to hundreds of dassies or rock hyraxes that live in the numerous crevices between the rocks.

The dassies emerge in the morning and can be seen basking for hours on the boulders and any low branches or tree stumps. They have slow metabolisms that make them dependent on the sun's heat to keep warm..

Although these small creatures don't look particularly agile, they have rubbery soles on their feet that allow them to move rapidly across, and up or down, the rocks.

Tomorrow I'll be returning to Rock Camp for five relaxing days, so thought it appropriate to feature one of the local residents.

Mashatu Game Reserve has had good summer rains in the past few weeks, so the wildlife has dispersed, which suggests sightings of wildlife will be sporadic at best.

I'll pay a courtesy visit to Pete's Pond, the small waterhole that gained international recognition after National Geographic set up a webcam there late last year, but it's doubtful if there'll be much to see. (You can find out more about Pete's Pond and the webcam from here if you're interested.

Got home earlier this week after five days in Mashatu Game Reserve, in the far eastern corner of Botswana.

It's summer, so can be brutally hot, as was the case when we arrived.

But then there was a storm on our first night, followed by two days of cloudy, cool weather. That was good for everyone - animals emerged from their slumbering in the shade and gave us some excellent sightings, including cheetah on the hunt and lion cubs at play.

Once the sun came out again we were treated to spectacular storm clouds in the late afternoons.

The picture above shows a rainbow within the clouds - an amazing sight that held us spellbound as the colors of the spectrum seeped out against a backdrop of deep blue sky and the looming storm.

As the clouds became more ominous, we headed back to camp in our open game drive vehicle. We got home dry, feeling lucky and privelaged to have experienced another of nature's awesome displays.