Mr Bunny Chow

Zimbabwe

Mr Bunny Chow — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:25:00 +0000

Hi!

I just signed the petition “Allow international observers to monitor this year’s general election.” on Change.org.

It’s important. Will you sign it too? Here’s the link:

http://www.change.org/petitions/allow-international-observers-to-monitor-this-year-s-general-election?share_id=abfbNReUIj&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Thanks!

Mr Bunny Chow

this is always embarrasing

Mr Bunny Chow — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:12:36 +0000

this happens to me occasionally and I’m loath to ignore it because the thought behind it seems genuine, I’ve been nominated for another blog award, those of you readers unfamiliar with the blogosphere may think that this is a great honour and in some ways it is a recognition of what I do here, but there always has to be a but.

Blog awards are also much like the chain letters we’ve all received about the little boy in Ohio who’s been dying of something or other since 1984 and how no one has ever broken the chain, you know the ones, well yeah that’s how these blog awards work and I’m not someone who goes along with fulfilling the dream of little boys who’ve been dying for 30 years so I’m going to participate this time but only in part.

I was nominated for this award by wannabephotographer who’s a very kind and sweet lady and it’s for this reason alone that I’m going to play along a little bit.

So without further ado these are the rules

Rules for receiving the Sunshine Award:

Include the award’s logo in a post or on your blog.
Answer 10 questions about yourself.
10 other fabulous bloggers must be nominated.
Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.
Share the love and link the person who nominated you.The 10 Questions:
1. Favourite colour: today I’m going with olive drab
2. Favourite animal: Kudu cow yummy and pretty all in one
3. Favourite number: 13
4. Favourite non-alcoholic drink: Coffee
5. Prefer Facebook or Twitter? Google+ but am sticking with Facebook because my Mum kinda understands it.
6. My passion: My kids and photography
7. Prefer getting or giving presents: prefer giving, receiving always makes me feel guilty and awkward
8. Favourite pattern: houndstooth
9. Favourite day of the week: I’m a full time dad, all days are roughly the same but Mrs BC is extra Grumpy on Monday mornings so I can say that’s my least favourite
10. Favourite flower: Flame lilies otherwise known as gloriosa superba the national flower of Zimbabwe and darn purdy too.
Ten bloggers who deserve The Sunshine Award!:
yeah well I’m not going to pass this one along, I told you I was mean and grumpy and unwilling to pass on the feelings of guilt.

Otherwise, all is quiet on the western front, The Monkey Boy is full of cold and miserable but otherwise not much to report.

Please keep the comments coming on my previous post.

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

A giveaway for your help and advice!!!

Mr Bunny Chow — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:55:42 +0000

Well the amazing news is that I’ve been offered the opportunity to exhibit some of my photography at a local gallery. Unfortunately there are costs involved in this honour and I need to weigh them up – the obvious costs being printing and framing, but I also need to hire the wall space (the lowest cost being a 6′ x 6′ area of wall) which has a two-week minimum hire charge.

My ego says hire the whole hall, print hundreds of pictures, leave them for six months and you’ll be a millionaire by then. The reality is more like hire one 6′ x 6′ area for a month to six weeks and print out six strong images.

But how do I decide which pictures? Am I going to sell any of them? How much will people be willing to spend on them? How much do I spend on framing?

This my dear friends of the blogosphere is where I am seeking your help…..

Please look through the pictures and let me have your comments on any or all of the following:
* which six prints I should go with;
* whether you would have them on your wall;
* how much would you be willing to pay for a framed copy of approx 10″x 8″ inches;
* should I go with a theme, wildlife as a whole/owls/big cats/Brighton etc. etc. etc.?

Print 1

Print 2

Print 3

Print 4

Print 5

Print 6

Print 7

Print 8

Print 9

Print 10

Print 11

Print 12

Print 13

Print 14

Print 15

Print 16

Print 17

Print 18

Print 19

Print 20

Print 21

Print 22

Print 23

Print 24

Print 25

Please share this post around your friends – I will be giving away one personalised signed print (of your choice) to whomever writes the most helpful comment (not in the least bit impartial but it’s my competition) wherever in the world you may hail from.

I need to make some decisions in the next fortnight so that’s how long I’ll keep the initial run open for. Don’t forget to mention which print number you’d like as your prize.

Please feel to leave your comments below or you can go through the Facebook page or email them directly to rantingmrbunnychow@gmail.com

You see I am agonising over every aspect – I need your help!

Take care and thank you in advance

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

P.S. I reserve the right to ignore all advice and take more pretty pictures between now and when the exhibition happens.

Forgetful ?

Mr Bunny Chow — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:37:45 +0000

Reblogged from Birding in Zimbabwe:

Oh my ! How forgetful and dumb can one be ?

Ooops - not dumb - just forgetful .....

I completely forgot a whole country !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you want to visit this magnificent part of the Nyika Plateau as a Zambian, or from Zambia, you, unfortunately, have to first come into Malawi and go in from the east !!

We popped over - because we could - and added country five to our journey!

Above the tree line !

Mr Bunny Chow — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:35:08 +0000

Reblogged from Birding in Zimbabwe:

Hi all

I'm back for the final stretch .......

When we left off last time we had made it all the way back to Mt Rungwe just north of Tukuyu in south western Tanzania.

We made an early departure (another big thank you is due to the Clowes family) and headed for Malawi.

After crossing the Songwe River and doing all the normal customs and immigration stuff we were off southwards back down Lake Malawi, past Livingstonia and back up onto the escarpment.

this one may prove to be unpopular

Mr Bunny Chow — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:23:47 +0000

I know the below article from Outdoor Life Magazine is controversial but I want to share it anyway because as a Zimbabwean it is a subject close to my heart. I know the article is about Tanzania but the subject is transferable except that the percentages in Zimbabwe’s case are even higher with regular tourism not bringing in anything like as much as the big game hunters.

I personally have never hunted a lion and even if the national lottery came a calling would the desire ever possess me, I have hunted plains game for meat though and would do so again tomorrow if the opportunity and finances presented themselves.

What do my readers think?

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

Hunting: The Only Way to Save the African Lion

by Gayne C. Young

The New York Times ran an editorial Sunday arguing that the only thing that can save the African lion is legalized hunting.

In the piece, director of wildlife for the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism Dr. Alexander N. Songorwa explains that American sport hunters constitute 60 percent of that country’s trophy hunting market and that money from this group finances Tanzania’s game reserves and wildlife management areas. Yes, Dr. Songorwa points out that some of the money for these operations comes from tourists but “[hunters] pay thousands of dollars to pursue lions with rifles and take home trophies from what is often a once-in-a-lifetime hunt. Those hunters spend 10 to 25 times more than regular tourists and travel to (and spend money in) remote areas rarely visited by photographic tourists.”

The editorial continues by breaking down how that money impacts the country.

“In Tanzania, lions are hunted under a 21-day safari package. Hunters pay $9,800 in government fees for the opportunity. An average of about 200 lions are shot a year, generating about $1,960,000 in revenue. Money is also spent on camp fees, wages, local goods and transportation. And hunters almost always come to hunt more than one species, though the lion is often the most coveted trophy sought. All told, trophy hunting generated roughly $75 million for Tanzania’s economy from 2008 to 2011.”

If the United States Fish and Wildlife lists the African lion as endangered, as many are proposing, the decision would be “would be disastrous to [Tanzania's] conservation efforts.”

Lion hunting, of course, is heavily regulated in Tanzania. Females and lions under 6 years of age may not be hunted.

For now…

If the USFWS lists the African lion as endangered, no one from the US will be hunting them.

It's a long way home .........

Mr Bunny Chow — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:57:12 +0000

Reblogged from Birding in Zimbabwe:

Hi all

I'm back ...........................

Leaving the Indian Ocean behind us we drove steadily westwards passing the famous Uluguru Mountains. There are a bunch of special birds up there including the Uluguru Bush-shrike. Unfortunately it is a long hard and arduous climb and as ANBM had a triple by-pass some months previously it was deemed unwise for us to attempt the climb.

Chessington Zoo

Mr Bunny Chow — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:13:05 +0000

and to follow on, here come the big cats, well and some meerkats because, well because they’re cute and some jellyfish because they’re pretty.

The light on the day way dire to say the least and my primary focus was ensuring I didn’t lose the kids in the crowds too often, I still came away with a couple of shots that I am over the moon with and several hundred more for the scrap-heap.

as previously shared

darn sticks

my favourite picture of the day

here kitty kitty

am I regal enough?

ok I’ll move along then

why hello there

it wasn’t us we’re innocent I tell you

we’re not aliens

I hope you like them and please do add your thoughts and comments to the section below, I’m obviously emotionally attached to the pictures and critiques and ideas are always welcome.

Hope you’re having a great day.

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

Mach 23 Around the Silver Planet

Mr Bunny Chow — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:07:10 +0000

as promised I am going to share some shots from my shoot with new Croydon rock and roll band Mach 23 Around the Silver Planet I had an absolute blast with these guys and whilst I’d do the shoot differently next time (dig out my flash for a start) I really enjoyed forcing myself to really make the best use of the terrible lighting in the studio.

so without further ado, here they are in all their glory.

I’ve gone fairly lo-fi on my editing for a number of reasons, first I think it fits the feel of the band’s style, all of them would really like to have big hair and tight leather trousers so they could be as if they could be in Bon Jovi in 1986, second the low light meant I really had to push the ISO to the limit of my ancient DSLR’s (1600) capacity, especially as the small room meant I was forced to use my wide lens which doesn’t go below f4.

I still am really proud of how they came out though and I know the band themselves were over the moon.

Maybe one day they’ll be rich and famous and will pay me for my services.

My photo’s from the zoo are still coming.

Have a great day y’all.

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

A quick preview

Mr Bunny Chow — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:14:36 +0000

This is just a quick preview of what’s coming up on these here pages, I did a photo shoot with new band Mach 23 Around the Silver Planet on Friday night please check out their page for some of my pictures. and then on Saturday we visited Chessington Zoo where I managed to get what I think are some stunning big cat photo’s which I’ll be doing a full post on in due course.

Please do also swing by my facebook page and say hi I promise I’m getting much better at getting things on to there in a timely manner.

In the meantime here’s a quick teaser

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow