Fund Raising!

Here's a list of equipment I need to buy...which, after reading, you will understand why I am fund raising!!! A lot of this equipment in not covered by my grant, but are essential to the success of my project. The good thing is, once I complete my grant, I can sell my vehicle back. That money will then be used to thank every donor with a first edition, original, signed print from my trip and a public exhibit of my work on Cape Cod! (just think of how much that print will be worth when I'm a famous National Geographic photographer! ;)

I am hoping to raise $5,000 to help purchase this equipment.
If 200 people donate just $25, I would be able to reach this goal!!!

Please help me make the most of my Fulbright project!! Become a sponsor today!! If you are part of a business and would prefer to donate through a registered, non-profit organization, please contact me at liana.ras@gmail.com.

Thank you!!!!

details for equip. list

Below: top-bottom, left-right;

Some sort of used, 4wd vehicle. Kikoti said I'd be fine with a Suzuki, just for getting around the area. They are a bit cheaper than other safari vehicles...
$6-7,000

Canon EF 100-400 IS f/4.5-5.6 Zoom lens. Essential for wildlife photography. It would just be silly for me to go without a zoom lens.
$1,500

3 - OWC Mercury Elite AL Pro 1 Terabyte, 7200RPM, 32MB External Hard Drive
Honestly, I have no idea what this means... I need 3 separate external hard drives to back up all my photos and HD video; one to just dump everything on, another one to back it all up and one more in case of emergency or I need extra room. My roomate said that 3 terabytes would be enough and that this is a good, reliable brand.
$185/each ~ $555 total

Canon 10x30 IS Binoculars ...soooo awesome!! These binoculars have a huge range, so far that it makes you dizzy...until you press the Image Stabilize button on top and no matter how far off you're looking, the image just freezes! it's amazing, you have to try them! (and I got a connection!)
approx. $230

Manfrotto 701HDV fluid head with 547B tripod kit
A new tripod was not in my budget, but I was strongly advised by a professional wildlife photographer to invest in a new one because the one I have is not made for video. This is one is the best bang for your buck, and perfect for shooting video with my 5D Mark II.
(with connections) approx. $200

These are all things that are not in my budget. In all it is almost $9,000 worth of equipment! (ooyyyy) PLEASE HELP AND MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TODAY!!!!!!

pics of equipment

Scholar hears call of the wild | CapeCodOnline.com

Scholar hears call of the wild | CapeCodOnline.com

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My home in West Kili

So this is the beautiful tent I will be living in for 10 months. It is 10'x14' and very well may be set up in my backyard in Brewster before I go! When I get to Arusha, I'll have to get a bed, (not a cot, like a real deal bed & frame) tables, chairs, etc. Maybe a few tent plants,...baby animals?......

Thank You to my donors!

I just want to put up a current list of everyone who has already donated to my project!!

This opportunity is sure to be one the most amazing trips of my life. The Fulbright is such a fantastic program to send students and teachers all over the world to study what they love and I am SO grateful to be one of those people.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to the people who have donated!!!! Your contributions are making it possible for me to get all the equipment and supplies I need for 10 months of camping!! I truly cannot thank each one of you enough!

Current Donors:

Bernard McHugh
Ben Woods
Nik Pimental
Lexi Gaetano
Mark Hammond
Mary Lou Foley
Pat & Russ Bracewell
Carol Bracewell
Ron Rasmussen Sr.
Newtonville Camera
Scooter Software, Inc.

THANK YOUUUUUU!!!

NEW Cameraaa!!!!!!!!!

So, Monday I went to the camera store to buy a User Guide for the new Canon camera I was impatiently waiting for in the mail. I wondered when it might deliver, I never saw an email that it shipped, or a tracking number or anything. I was a little anxious, cause I didn't want to be at work and miss it when UPS came to deliver my sexy new camera, or, even worse, leave it sitting on my doorstep!

So I wandered around the store, dreaming about the new filters, memory cards, lenses and bags I was going to buy for my beautiful new camera...kinda like shopping for a pet... I finally left and headed home. When I pulled into the driveway, I saw it; a big square box with Canon labels on it SITTING ON MY DOORSTEP!!! I freaked out for a second, but quickly got over it, ran inside, screaming and tore open the package.

The GORGEOUS 5d Mark II is heavier than my last camera, which is not surprising at all, considering the last camera I bought was the Digital Rebel XSi, 3 years ago. Sadly, that great little camera is obsolete now, but will be a perfect back up. The lens that I got with my kit is surprisingly a great lens, not that Canon would pair such a fantastic body with a mediocre lens, but typically kit lenses aren't that great..that's cause they want you to buy a better one. The kit lens is a 24-105mm f/4, it will be great for landscapes and portraits!

Now, I think I have changed my mind about the Zoom lens I want to buy. I had picked out the 70-200 f2.8, but there will be so much overlap in range between the kit lens and that zoom, that I think I may go with the 100-400 f/4...? I'll have to bring my camera in and play with them both...oh boy!

Press Release!!!

I know this is a little too small to read, click the link below to see the full size image!
fbpress2009_1

This guy came strolling right through our picnic area! He walked right in front of me, he was probably 15ft away from me at one point,..it was bananas!
I have decided that Giraffes live in slow motion. These Giraffes ran right past us, but it looked like they were moving sooo slow, but they are actually traveling so fast! Their stride is probably like, 12ft. and their necks kinda bob back & forth slowly, definitely the most uniquely built animals in Africa!
Zebras have the best booties in Africa!

New Fund Raising Goals

Slight change of plans...

I have changed my fund raising goals to focus on one thing I really need; a new Zoom lens. There is no way I will be able to raise enough to cover all the expensive equipment I would like to have, so I am just going to juggle some things around, scratch a few items of my list and work it out!




The beauty of a lens that I would LOVE to have is the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS lens with a 1.4x converter. For those of you who have no idea what that means (and I still need to have it explained to me, so don't feel bad) This is an awesome, weather sealed, image stabilized zoom lens that is better than some other zoom lenses in low light conditions. Plus, with a converter, it extends the range of the zoom to almost 300mm.


This would make all the difference when shooting wildlife in Tanzania, especially in the unprotected areas. In Parks and Game Reserves, the wildlife has been desensitized to humans and vehicles. When I was in Botswana, we could just pull up next to an Elephant, like he was standing on the sidewalk and take close-ups of his eyeball! But outside the high traffic areas, the animals are still scared of vehicles and humans. (as they should be!)

I have done some serious number crunching, (which is quite a task for an artist! ;) and I think I have found a way to cover some of the larger items I know I will need. Here is a list of things I plan on getting before I go, if anyone has any suggestions, connections or feels like donating used equipment, pleeaaase let me know!!

4wd vehicle to be purchased in Tz:.........................check!
Heavy Duty Canvas Wall Tent, also getting in Tz:...........check!
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, ordered TODAY!!!!:...................check!

Things I still need to get:
10x Binoculars
Large Storm Case
Solar Powered Car Battery Charger
Car Adapter to charge camera, laptop etc..
Head Lamp
Solar Powered Lantern
Heavy Duty Flashlight (rechargeable or solar)
Global GPS
Field Guides for East Africa
Kiswahili Textbook
Fancy backpack that will fit ALL of my equipment
Serious hiking boots!

I leave SEPT. 28th! That's just 11 weeks away!! I am starting to get really excited/nervous and I still have SO much to do!!

Some of my favorite moments during my trip to Tanzania were when we had to get together for group photos. First of all, group photos in general can never be anything less than a shot full of goofy, forced smiles and awkward poses, especially when you're with a group of kids you've never hung out with before in a foreign country! The best part was, while we sat there, trying to keep steady smiles on our faces and our eyes from watering as we stared into the sun, was Curt, Kikoti and Julian fumbling with a dozen different cameras for 5 minutes. Curt, who isn't exactly camera-savvy (no offense, Curt) took the shots, while Kikoti "prepared" them by turning them on, Julian just held the ones that were already used. Between Curt's near-sighted shutterbug skills, Kikoti's tech knowledge and Julian's English it was like watching the 3 Stooges. It was at least a 15 minute ordeal to collect everyone's camera and squeeze into a small enough huddle to fit into the shot, yet at every scenic vista and observation area we had to get out and do it again. Watching Curt, Kikoti & Julian juggle and babble back and forth between English and Swahili never got old for me, it was just as ridiculous and hilarious as the time before. I felt like I was on family vacation all over again!

Here's the same shot from the other side....

Fulbright Conference coming up!

So in 2 weeks there is a mandatory (all expenses paid!) Fulbright Conference for all Sub-Saharan grantees. I get flown down to Washington D.C., put up in the Marriott Renaissance Hotel for 2 nights while I attend a 3 day orientation at the Convention Center! Hopefully allll of my questions will be answered...such as;

What is the best way to ship a crate FULL of my stuff to Tanzania?

Where will I stay while I am meeting with the Tanzanian Ambassador in Dar Es Salaam?

Should I get a gun license? Will I even have to know how to shoot a gun?

How much should I spend on a canvas tent that won't melt in the sun?

Can I get research permits that will let me off-road in the parks?

Can I get permits that let me go out at night?

(With most Safari tours, you are not allowed to go off the main roads, you are DEFINITELY not allowed to get out of the vehicle and you must be back before dark. I want to be able to do all of those things...)

Do I need permits to go in a Helicopter?

Can I write "FILM CREW" in big letters across my vehicle?

Will I have to kill my own animals for dinner?

and so on and so on....

My Professor (Curt) and my host/primary elephant researcher for the AWF (Kikoti) are busy with Kikoti's Dissertation, so I have not been able to meet with them or harass them via email.

For now, all I can do is research all the equipment I need and figure out how I can get a credit card with a big enough limit to cover it!