Safari: A Photicular Book

"Shots of cheetahs, rhinos, and gazelles spring to life as the pages turn." — Entertainment Weekly “An imaginative interpretation of the real thing.” — Audubon magazine "Lenticular technology takes a big leap forward with this virtual safari." —PW magazine “AMAZING! The safari comes to life with each turn of the page.” —Jennifer Holland, bestselling author of Unlikely Friendships “Lenticular technology takes a big leap forward with this virtual safari.” ― PW magazine ― Entertainment Weekly “Shots of cheetahs, rhinos, and gazelles spring to life as the pages turn.” ― Entertainment Weekly ― Audubon magazine “An imaginative interpretation of the real thing.” ― Audubon magazine A magical journey. A safari in your hands. xa0 Animals in living motion, as real as if you were there. The cheetah bounds, the lion charges. The African elephant snaps its ears. Using unique Photicular technology, SAFARI is the adventure of a lifetime, and a book unlike any other. xa0 Experience it for yourself. Dan Kainen is an artist, designer, and inventor living in New York City. He is the creator of the bestselling Photicular books Safari, Ocean, Polar, Jungle , and Wild . His website is DanKainen.com. While working with some of the pioneers of holography, Dan created a special spotlight that was used by Soho’s Museum of Holography to light holograms. The related field of holography led to Dan’s interest in lenticular art and, in turn, after nearly a decade of research and experimentation, to the creation of his “Motion Viewer,” his third patent in that field and the inspiration for Safari and the other Photicular books. Carol Kaufmann is the author of 97 Ways to Make a Cat Like You and co-author of the bestselling Photicular books Safari , Ocean , and Polar (Oct. 2015). A freelance writer and editor, her work for National Geographic and other publications has taken her to all corners of the globe, from the Pacific Ocean’s floor to the top the Atlas Mountains. In addition to National Geographic , her writing has appeared in the New York Times’ Draft column, Reader’s Digest , where she was the National Affairs Reporter, The Washington Post , George , and in the anthology A Woman’s Europe . She is also the author of the ebook, MamaTricks . She lives in Alexandria, Virginia. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. INTRODUCTION Dan Kainen xa0 My grandfather was an inventor, my father was an artist, and as a boy, I loved performing magic. So I like to think that these Photicular images are a direct result of generational influences, merging innovation, art, and magic. xa0 Photicular imaging is an old technology—“lenticular,” or “integrated” photography, done in a new way. Individual video frames are sliced into very thin, adjacent strips to create one master-image. On its own, it just looks blurry, as if all the images were overlapped, but slide a sheet of thin lenses over the master-image—and it comes alive in fluid, film-like motion. xa0 The beauty of an animal moving is another kind of magic that has fascinated me since childhood: the thrilling grace of a cheetah as it streaks across the grassland, the incongruous gentleness of a fierce-looking silverback gorilla quietly chewing plants, or the delicate gait of a young zebra trotting across the savanna. (The Jungle Book and Man-Eaters of Kumaon were early favorites.) As Carol Kaufmann recounts in her essay, which opens this book, there is nothing more powerful than watching an animal in its natural habitat. That’s why a safari seemed like a natural fit for the first Photicular book. For those unable to make the trip to Africa, I offer these images as a glimpse into the thrill of a safari and the astonishing sight of an animal in motion. SAFARI Carol Kaufmann As the 10-seater plane approaches the dirt landing strip in the northwest corner of Masai Mara, Kenya’s 583-square-mile national reserve along the Tanzanian border, a giraffe is waiting. The plane touches down, rolls closer, but the giraffe—a big male about two stories tall—doesn’t move. He simply stares at the plane as the pilot veers to avoid him. A jolt comes not only from the rough landing on the bare earth, but from the shock of seeing that first animal in the wild, and at such close range. xa0 Another surprise: refreshments on arrival, arrayed on a red tablecloth. The crew from our camp is there to greet us. “Welcome to the Mara!” says Milka our hostess, her white smile brilliant. “Champagne?” Not just yet. The small-plane flight and giraffe standoff have left me unsure of my footing. Salty banana chips prove soothing. xa0 Milka introduces us to our guide, James, a quiet, dignified man in his 30s, dressed neatly in a pressed khaki collared shirt and shorts. He’s a Maasai, and his village stands atop an escarpment that borders one side of the Mara. His face is polished ebony, his voice soft and steady, his English lilting, lyrical. His kind eyes make me feel safe, happy. We learn that James is his Christian name. Maasai choose one for themselves when they go to school. His given name is Massek, he tells us. We begin to call him that instead. This makes him smile. xa0 Massek helps us into an olive-colored Land Cruiser, a rugged-looking vehicle with no doors or windows. Thick metal roll bars hold up a canvas. Plump tsetse flies stick to the roof above my head. I hit the canvas and they fly off. Who knows if they’re carriers for the sleeping sickness. In spite of the inoculations I got before traveling here—six shots in total—nothing will prevent that dreaded disease. xa0 Massek takes off along the bumpy road. More like a country lane, it’s dirt, dotted with jagged rocks and large, smooth stones. The deep potholes and crevices, left over from the rains, cause us to jiggle and jostle. First timers clutch the thick poles. Will the combination of jet lag, caffeine, motion sickness, and malaria pills require us to pull over? xa0 Thankfully not. xa0 How could it? Every sense is so completely engaged and overstimulated, curiosity operating on overdrive, that my brain doesn’t have time to notice something might be wrong inside. xa0 En route to camp, we hear of a leopard spotting. A glimpse of the secretive leopard is a prize, even for seasoned guides. The cat, nearly invisible in the dappled afternoon light, picks the moment we drive up to emerge from beneath a bush. He walks in front of the vehicle and, for just a moment, stares into our faces before running off, out of sight. xa0 Even Massek is visibly excited. He tells us this chance sighting portends good things for the journey. We haven’t even checked into our room. xa0 Tent, rather. We arrive at camp and are led to a living room–size, thick canvas tent on a platform built about a foot off the ground. Inside, the beds are actual beds—not cots or sleeping bags—and are covered with soft cotton sheets and thick, white duvets. The walk-in slate-lined shower contains soaps, sugar scrubs, and shampoos laced with herbs. Large bottles of mineral water stand ready on the double-sink vanity. Beyond the zipped-up mosquito netting, we have a private patio complete with leather club chairs that look out onto the savanna. Commuter traffic and busy sidewalks lined with rectangular buildings seem very far away. Read more