The only Apple Crisp Recipe you’ll ever need – Tender apples topped with an easy brown sugar topping.
If you asked me to pick my favorite fall dessert, I would say this Apple Crisp recipe. Because it’s classic. Because it’s cozy. And because the combo of warm fruit crisp and cold vanilla ice cream gets me every single time.
Apples: Thinly sliced apples are tossed with apple cider, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. A couple tablespoons of flour thicken the apple mixture, and then they get placed in a greased baking dish.
Crisp Topping: Oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter. This here is my favorite fruit crisp topping. Stir it up and crumble it over the top of the apples. The oats add heartiness, the brown sugar adds a depth of sweetness, and the melted butter ensures that every bite has a crisp buttery texture.
Baking: I like to start baking this Apple Crisp covered with foil. This allows the apples to begin to soften without any risk of the topping over-browning. After about 20 minutes, remove the foil and let the crisp finish cooking uncovered. Uncovering the apple crisp is what is going to make our topping crisp up. Once the juices are bubbling, the topping is golden brown, and the apples are tender, it is done!
What type of apples to use?
Use your favorite baking apples. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady and Fuji are my favorite for this recipe. If you prefer a less sweet apple crisp, you can use Granny Smith apples.
Make sure you slice the apples really thin (1/4 inch or thinner). This way they bake evenly and tender every time.
How to serve:
In my opinion, an Apple Crisp should be served warm, but not hot. It should be warm enough to slowly melt that big scoop of vanilla ice cream that I am undoubtedly placing on top.
Optional: A drizzle of caramel sauce over the top. Or you can even just spoon some of those sweet apple-cinnamon juices from the bottom of the baking dish over the top of your crisp.
Have leftovers? Place them in the refrigerator. You can eat the leftovers cold, straight from the fridge (breakfast of champions), or you can reheat it in the microwave to warm it up again.
Quick and Easy Angel Food cake recipes! Brilliant ideas and so EASY!!!
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE! Say something when you like one of my posts, it helps you KEEP seeing them! ☆ ♡
Angel Food Cake Recipes
Pineapple
Just two ingredients!! 1 large can crushed pineapple w/juice and 1 box angel food cake mix. Blend in large bowl and bake 350 for 30 min. in 9x13 ungreased pan. Oh so easy!
Cherry Angel Cake:
~ 1 box angel food cake mix and 1 can light cherry pie filling … mix both ingredients together and place in a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350’ for about 20-25 minutes.
Cinnamon Apple Cake:
2-ingredient Cinnamon Apple Cake: 1 Can Of Apple Pie Filling And 1 Box Of Angel Food Cake (dry Mix Only). Combine Both Ingredients In A Bowl. Transfer To Greased 9x13 Pan And Bake At 350 Deg. For 20 Minutes Or Until Top Browns.
Blueberry Angel Food Cake:
1 Box Angel food Cake Mx 1 Can Blueberry Pie Filling (approx 22 oz can) Mix both ingredients together and spread in 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 28-30 minutes. Let stand for about an hour and top with whipped cream!
Lemon Bars.
1 box angel food cake mix 1 can lemon pie filling. Mix dry cake mix and cans of pie filling together in large bowl (I just mixed it by hand) Pour into greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is starting to brown.
3-2-1 cake!
Mix 1 box of Angel Food cake mix with one box of cake mix. To make, use 3 tablespoons of cake mix, 2 T water, cook for 1 minute in microwave.
Meine wolkig leichte Amarettini Mousse mit Rum Espresso Karamell Sauce ist eines meiner Lieblings Desserts für festliche Anlässe wie Weihnachten oder Silvester!
Diese fluffige Amarettini Mousse mit Rum-Espresso-Karamellsauce ist jede Kalorie wert!
Die Hitze lässt nach, der Bikini ist ausgebleicht und wir haben uns gefühlte 3 Monate nur von Eiscafe und Salat ernährt. Oh Mann, war das ein Sommer.
Ich hoffe ihr habt ihn besser genutzt als ich, die ich meinen August mit Staatsexamens-Prüfungen verbringen durfte und auch vorher mehr in der Bib als im Freibad gelebt habe.
Naja, das dicke, fette Ende eines eigentlich recht entspannten Studiums.
Jetzt ist es vorbei. Nach 11 Hochschul- und 2 Urlaubssemestern, 2 Uni-Abschlüssen, 4 Umzügen und endlosen Flaschen Billig-Rotweins beende ich mein Studentenleben. Traurig bin ich eigentlich nicht! Es wird Zeit für was Neues!
Und wisst ihr wofür es noch Zeit wird? Für die ersten End of Summer alias „Nicht-Bikini“ – Rezepte!
Ohja Kinders, wir holen wieder die Sahne raus!
Ob fürs Weihnachts-Menü oder die Silvester Party – diese Mousse mit Amaretto Likör und weißer Schokolade wird eure Gäste begeistern!
Heute habe ich als Auftakt gleich ein absolut göttliches Dessert für euch, das farblich, wie auch aromatisch ganz vorzüglich zu einem herbstlichen oder winterlichen Dinner passt!
Eine wunderbar cremige Mousse aus weißer Schokolade, Amaretto Likör und italienischen Amarettini Keksen.
Zur Krönung dieser Dessert-Wolke servieren wir unsere Amarettini Mousse mit einer großzügigen Portion Rum Espresso Karamell.
Schreit das nicht lauthals: „Ich bin fluffig, locker leicht und zerfließe nur so im Mund?!“
In der Tat! Diese italienische Schoko Amarettini Mousse ist genau wie sie sein sollte: stichfest und gut zu stürzen und mit all diesen kleinen Luftbläschen, die auf eine herrlich lockere Textur hinweisen.
Amaretto Mousse mit Espresso Karamell
Warum diese Mousse so einzigartig lecker ist:
Eine Mousse aus weißer Schokolade mit feinem mandeligen Amaretto-Aroma mit knusprigen Amarettini Keksstücken – und dann auch noch durchzogen von kleinen Schokoladen-Stückchen. Also da muss ich doch eigentlich gar nicht mehr viel sagen!
Außer vielleicht, dass ich beim nächsten Mal lieber die doppelte Menge Amaretto Mousse mache. Und dass ich wohl dieser Tage ein groooßes Glas von dieser Espresso Karamellsauce machen sollte. Als Topping auf Eis, Pfannkuchen, Latte und ..hm…einfach alles ???
Seht ihr die Schokostückchen und die kleinen Keks-Brösel in der Amarettini Mousse ??????
Ohja! All das in nur einem Löffelchen! Dazu ein kleiner Espresso, vielleicht? Weil es doch gerade so gemütlich ist! So kann der Herbst kommen, nicht wahr?
Disclaimer: Dieser Artikel enthält Werbelinks zu amazon.de. Beim Kauf eines Produktes erhalte ich eine Kommission im Centbereich, die mir dabei hilft meine laufenden Blogkosten zu decken. Für euch kommen dadurch keine Zusatzkosten zustande.
★ Habt ihr mein Rezept für Amarettini Mousse nachgemacht? Hinterlasst mir gerne einen Kommentar mit Bewertung oder postet ein Bild undtaggt mich auf Instagram!
Meine wolkig leichte Amarettini Mousse mit Rum Espresso Karamell Sauce ist eines meiner Lieblings Desserts für festliche Anlässe wie Weihnachten oder Silvester!
Ingredients
Instructions
Die Kuvertüre im heißen Wasserbad schmelzen und die Gelatine in etwas kaltem Wasser einweichen. Die Eigelbe mit Vanillezucker und 2 EL warmem Wasser verrühren, über dem heißen Wasserbad schaumig aufschlagen. Gelatine ausdrücken, in der warmen Creme auflösen.
Die geschmolzene weiße Kuvertüre esslöffelweise unter die Eigelbmasse ziehen. Creme kalt stellen, bis sie anfängt zu gelieren. Die Amaretti Kekse grob zerkleinern und 2 El des Amarettos darüber träufeln. Die Sahne steif schlagen,
Den restlichen Amaretto untermischen. Amaretti, Schokoraspeln und Sahne unter die Eigelbmasse heben. Die Mousse auf 4 Förmchen verteilen und mindestens 3 Std. in den Kühlschrank stellen.
Für das Rum Espresso Karamell den Zucker mit dem Espresso in einem Topf goldbraun karamellisieren. Dabei nur ganz am Anfang rühren, um Zucker und Espresso etwas zu mischen.
Dann nur noch schwenken! Tipp: Um zu verhindern, dass sich am Topf-Rand Zuckerkristalle bilden, taucht ihr einfach einen Küchen-Pinsel in Wasser und streicht damit an den Seiten des Topfes entlang.
Sahne und eine Prise Salz zugeben und 5-6 Minuten köcheln lassen bis eine schön dickliche Karamellsauce entsteht. Zuletzt den Rum unterrühren.
Tipp fürs Rum Karamell: Um zu verhindern, dass sich am Topf-Rand Zuckerkristalle bilden, taucht ihr einfach einen Küchen-Pinsel in Wasser und streicht damit an den Seiten des Topfes entlang.
A soft and fluffy almond-flavored cake filled with fresh cranberries and topped with a buttery almond streusel. A delicious and comforting breakfast or dessert for the holiday season.
You are looking at the reason I am currently stockpiling cranberries. You are also looking at the BEST thing to come out of my kitchen in weeks (months?).
A fluffy almond cake studded with fresh cranberries, topped with an almond streusel and drizzled with almond icing – like, I can barely write that without licking my computer screen. Gah! This is the cake for almond lovers! Pssst…If you love almond, you’ll go crazy for these Almond Croissants and Almond Cake, too.
Can this be breakfast? YES!
Can this be dessert? YES!
Should you make this and then invite me over to share it with you? Also, YES!
I am writing this post on a sugar high, nibbling bits of sugared almonds off the plate in front of me. I have consumed so many pieces of cake that I’m embarrassed to put the actual number on this page. Cake makes me happy, and I’m working on living my best holiday-life. ‘Tis the season!
Almond Cranberry Cake
This cake starts with a soft and fluffy sour cream cake. The cake batter is flavored with vanilla and plenty of almond extract. The sour cream keeps it fluffy and moist, and keeps it from being too sweet.
The cake batter is filled with beautiful fresh cranberries. 1 1/2 cups of cranberries add a pop of color and distinct tart flavor.
The cake batter gets topped with a sweet and buttery almond crumble made from sliced almonds, butter, sugar, and flour.
After baking, drizzle the cake with almond icing … and enjoy a big slice while it’s still warm.
This cake can be served for breakfast alongside a cup of coffee or tea. It can also be dessert, topped with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
Can You Freeze Cranberry Cake?
You sure can, friends. I tightly wrapped leftover slices of this cake and they freeze beautifully. Bonus: You can freeze slices and thaw them everytime you need a sweet treat (read: every single day, if you’re me).
The combination of cranberry and almond is basically a match made heaven. I mean, after trying this I am basically giving the cranberry-orange combo the boot. CRANBERRY-ALMOND is where it’s at!
One of our favorite summer fruits is the blackberry. Popular because of it’s great flavor and they are relatively easy to grow. Did you know blackberries are rich in bioflavonoids and Vitamin C?, They are also very low sodium count and have only 62 calories to a cup. Blackberries have one of the highest antioxidant levels of all fruits.
But wait, it gets better. Eating blackberries can help to promote the healthy tightening of tissue,which is a great non-surgical procedure to make skin look younger. Prolonged consumption also helps keeps your brain alert, promoting clarity of thought and good memory. What? Now I find this out.
We found this great video on growing blackberries that we thought you would enjoy. Further down the page are some of our favorite blackberry recipes.
On hot summer days what is better than fresh fruit and ice cream. We found this great recipe for easy ice cream from the view from great island.
Air Fryer Peanut Butter Banana Dessert Bites are an easy and quick treat, suitable for Elvis. Serve with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.
Air Fryer Peanut Butter Banana Dessert Bites
Air Fryer Peanut Butter Banana Dessert Bites Image
These Air Fryer Peanut Butter Banana Dessert Bites are like little packages of sweet and creamy pillows, in a crackling shell. They are easy to make and cook up quickly. If you have unexpected company, prepare some tea and sit down to a cup of tea and a treat or two, or three….
The World is your oyster.
Berries, apples, peaches, all will go well in this recipe, so if you are out of Bananas, no worries.
Sprinkle with Air Fryer Peanut Butter Bites with Powdered Sugar and/or Cinnamon Sugar. Serve with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream, if you like. It’s an easy dessert, that will impress your company…and your kids!
Caring is sharing! If you would like to support This Old Gal, please share this recipe on Social Media, so that I can continue to bring you more wonderful recipes!
Here is the handy printable recipe:
PIN this Air Fryer Peanut Butter Banana Dessert Bites recipe!
If you are looking for a quick treat to prepare for breakfast or to serve to guests with coffee, cinnamon rolls are always a popular choice. They are delicious, easy, and always a favorite among guests and family members. They make the perfect quick breakfast on holidays and weekends or for any occasion at all. The best news? Your air fryer can make this quick dish even quicker! So we are pleased to tell you how to make air fryer cinnamon rolls!
Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls: A Faster Alternative
Everyone has their favorite brand. Ours is Pillsbury. Yes, we pop the can open like every other busy American with better things to do than whip up a batch from scratch. We’re here to make your life easier. With an 11-13 minute cook time, plus the 15 minutes it takes to pre-heat an oven, you’ll spend almost 30 minutes baking cinnamon rolls in a conventional oven.
However, because there is no preheat time, the air fryer can get the job done much quicker.
Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls: Cooking Time and Temperature
Depending on the capacity and brand of your air fryer, you may need to adjust the temperature and times accordingly. A general rule of thumb with air fryers, especially when it comes to “baking”, is to set a lower temperature and reduce the time.
For my FrenchMay air fryer, I find that it takes around 15 minutes at 340°F | 171°C, flipping once. However, my Chefman is a little different. I bake the cinnamon rolls at 360°F | 183°C for 12 minutes, flipping halfway. So if it’s the first time you’ve tried cinnamon rolls in the air fryer, be sure to check them often and make needed adjustments.
For other breakfast ideas try one of these breakfast favorites:
Moving to Southern California after years living in London, Caroline Diani was looking for a place to spread out, close to nature. When she saw the canyon views that this 1950 ranch-style Santa Barbara home offered, she knew this was where she wanted to be. The house needed a bit of work, but Caroline was confident that she could turn it into her dream home and she’s spent the past sixteen years doing just that. Then, last year, the home underwent even more changes when Caroline married Jeffrey Doornbos, actor, writer and former member of Blue Man Group. The couple held the wedding at the house so in the month leading up to the big day, there was a flurry of renovation activity, which included installing a new dining room floor. They realized that the dining room needed the foundation replaced. The workers had to come up with a way to cure the concrete in a short time so the house could be put back together before the guests arrived. They had humidifiers going 24/7 and tried every trick and gadget they could think of to get that foundation to dry. Everything came back together just in time for 100 guests to dance at their wedding in their Santa Barbara home. When she’s not working on a house project, Caroline spends her time making sure the ladies of Santa Barbara are well-dressed. She owns two boutiques in the city, an online shop and is set to open a home store in the fall! Luckily, she has the perfect place to relax at the end of the day. –Amy
Image above: “The dining room is a bright, airy room with a large communal table dominating the space,” Caroline says. “A great place for dinner parties and intimate dinners alike. The table is Victorian era and inherited from my parents, and the print on the wall is made by my dear friend, Gail Bryson. The rug was brought back from Marrakech on our honeymoon to Morocco.”
Image above: “My husband and I love to cook together in this room. For my husband, it has been a place to explore his budding passion for cooking all things from scratch. I think he likes the challenge and the adventure of trying new things. The kitchen holds bits and pieces of cookware from his life and my life, combined. The dish towel, from Goop, was a gift from one of my childhood friends to us after we got married. A lot of the dinnerware is Juliska and cookware, Le Creuset. I designed each cabinet in the kitchen and worked with a carpenter to realize the design. I wanted each piece to feel unique and like furniture. The hardware was sourced from Liz’s Antique Hardware in LA.”
Image above: “This photograph was taken by my husband (who’s other work can be seen here). Notebooks are a central part of our daily lives. I use them for design ideas, and he uses them for his writing. I’m a spiral notebook gal, and he’s a Moleskine guy. The antler sheds are a part of the concept for the new DIANI Living store he and I are creating. The Home Store/Marketplace is opening this fall.”
See more of this Santa Barbara home after the jump!
Image above: “This room creates an indoor/outdoor living space for us. It welcomes the canyon environment into the home. I found a walnut tree root on the beach, brought it home and turned it into a coffee table. It’s become a great focal point to sit around and chill with friends.”
Image above: “The fireplace creates such warmth in this room on chilly canyon nights. The photograph on the wall was shot by my husband on the beaches of Kenya, and is a part of a series he did called “On Location: Kenya.” I was born in Kenya and this place has influenced my design aesthetic. The driftwood mirror is also designed and made by me. The Hugo slingback chair brings a modern touch to the cozy nest.”
Image above: “The chalkboard drink menu was created by a close friend and used at our wedding reception. The mirror is from Morocco.”
Image above: “The photo is by Santa Barbara local, Jeff Clark. The dessert wine was a gift from our friends at Demetria Winery in Santa Ynez.”
Image above: “A corner of the dining room. It’s a great place to read and cozy up by the stove for a little after-dinner cocktail. The chairs are 17th-century Flemish with original horse hair cushioning, which I had re-upholstered. The antlers on the wall were found in Kenya by my parents whilst living there. The wood burning stove is surrounded by objects that my husband and I have collected on our travels.”
Image above: “This is our “cloud” bed. The window at the top of the wall lets in light from the pool area outside. We love this room… it’s electronics-free and has a very private feel. The photo above the bed is by my husband and is a part of his series “On Location: Kenya.” It reminds us that we are on this incredible journey together.”
Image above: “This corner of our bedroom is a great place to sit and enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea and look out at the canyon. The chair was found at a local nursery. The photographs on the wall were taken by my late father when I was little. I was born in Nairobi, Kenya and spent my early childhood there. The top photo is my sister and me walking down our favorite beach, and the one below is of me being held by my nanny.”
Image above: “The hallway leads toward the guest bedroom, guest bathroom, linen closet and master bedroom. The metal sculptures were found on a recent trip to Kenya.”
Image above: “The guest bedroom is actually one of the coziest rooms in the house. The walls are lined with photos of family and painted with muted stripes in alternating matte and gloss paint. It adds character to a small room.”
Image above: “This is Plum (black lab), and Raisin (mutt). They are the guardians of the couch. From this perch, they warn us of the activities of the coyotes across the canyon, and they make the perfect late-night snuggle buddies.”
Image above: “This is the guest bathroom. The perfect place for a long, hot soak. The mirror was created by my husband using an antique Indian window frame we found and a metal Moroccan lamp that we brought back from our souk foraging in Marrakech. The sink counter was made from a salvaged park bench. The photograph on the wall is by my husband and from a series he did called “On Location: Kenya.“
Image above: “This is our sanctuary. The centerpiece of our indoor/outdoor life. The canyon and the mountains beyond offer a stunning backdrop to our life out here, whether we’re dining or just laying around. We love to eat out here and watch nature at its finest. We have so many birds that visit out water feature.”
Image above: “That’s our very productive orange tree, from which my husband makes killer fresh-squeezed orange juice. The pool is his favorite place to exercise with our lab, Plum.”
Image above: “I planted these palms and Mexican weeping bamboo when I moved here 16 years ago, and now they provide a lush backdrop to our sanctuary. A place to breathe and enjoy the ever changing patterns of light. The little seated Buddha sets the tone and reminds us to stop and smell the roses that surround the pool. “
Loved the cookie bags!!! I want one, even though I graduated a few years back…. :)
Oh and loved the apple touch!!
“Old school” (yar, har) retro…I LOVE it…I particularly love the chalk board. What a cute touch.
Gorgeous, and BTW…really good photography as well.
Mel at shareholidays
I adore your website. I’m throwing my husband an MBA grad party, and am going to use some of your ideas. I love the centerpiece idea! I’m going to use it, except use textbooks instead since they don’t have yearbooks… And I adore the DIY paper pennants too. I cut out a bunch of triangles last night in his school colors… now I just need to buy ribbon and staple it all together. Thanks for all the fabulous ideas. If you have any more graduation party decor ideas please do share. Thanks. :)
Thank you for sharing this. I was lost on where to start for my son’s HS grad party – UNTIL – I saw this wonderful party theme!
Used many of your ideas….placed my son’s old wood desk at the entrance of my back yard with a sign-in pic/frame, metal lunch box, small chalk board, and an apple with a Welcome and please sign-in sign. I used apples for signs throughout my back yard. Placed my son’s many yearbooks on any table surface. Hardcover books (covered with brown paper bags), metal lunch box, small chalk board, red bottles with a flower as centerpieces on my tables. And so much more, ALL because of your inspiration!! Thank you!!!!
I’ve always enjoyed setting up for a party, but I’ve never met anyone else who I can share my thoughts with….UNTIL now, for that – thank you!
Thoughtfully Simple is my FAV site!!
These ideas are awesome and soooo personalized! Last year, I attended the high school graduation party of my niece that was so wonderful. They had put up a big-screen tv and played a musical show made with pictures of her growing up from childhood to now. It reminded us of the time she was born and it depicted the story of how she evolved into a beautiful young woman. Everything was perfectly synchronized to music and the results were awesome! They got the show custom made for them by Smiling Snaps and I had never seen anything like that before.
I found these great ideas from perusing Pinterest. Would you please tell me where you made the photobook that your guests signed? This is a fabulous idea and I definitely want to implement it for my son’s graduation in a few months.
Thank you, Wendy
I had to giggle. I was searching Pinterest for party ideas for my daughter’s up-coming graduation. When I stumbled upon a pin from your blog, I thought what amazing ideas and perfect they are her school colors. Then I saw your year books and had to do double take. My daughter is graduating from Elsinore High School!
This is a very cute idea for my little ones cereal on St. Patricks day. Thanks for the idea!
Karis
Adorable – any chance you might “share” the sign with us? Too sweet! My girls are 18 & 20 and will be having this next week before they leave for a day at college! LOL!
Thank you for sharing your sign. I will definitely be using – esp since it is my daughter’s birthday 3/17!
I LOVE this idea! I don’t even have kids, but I’m going to make this for my husband on St. Patrick’s day because we, too, only keep sugary cereal in the house as dessert (hence why we call it “dessert cereal”). It’ll be fun to have some with green milk for breakfast!
We, too, do green milk and Lucky Charms for breakfast on St. Paddy’s Day! Thanks for saving me the effort of posting about it! Ha!!! Your printable is DARLING. I’ve pinned this and will be linking to it in my St. Patrick’s Day round-up either today or tomorrow. :)
Aloha, Charlie
This is fantastic!!! I hope you will link up to my St. Patty’s Day Project Parade.
This is such a cute idea!! Thanks so much for sharing it with us!! I would love to feature it on my site at http://www.prekfun.com . It is a curriculum resource for Early Childhood Ed. professionals and Parents. Let me know if this would be okay. I will be glad to post a link back to your blog beneath your photo. Once your idea is posted, I will send you a “Featured on Pre-K Fun” image that you can add to your blog if you would like as well.
Thanks!
Hi Tori! I included your green milk idea in a round-up on my blog today! : ) Here’s a link:
Hi, I am sharing your wonderful post tomorrow in my “100 Something Green St. Patricks Day RoundUp” http://wp.me/p466oG-11f with a link back to your original post plus pinned to my St. Patricks Day Board! Have a terrific weekend! Cathy from APeekIntoMyParadise.com
40Pingbacks & Trackbacks on A Lucky Breakfast
[…] A bowl of lucky charm cereal (only on this day) I’m not a personal fan of sugar cereal (however once in a while is A.OK with me) & a glass of milk with some green food colouring is absolutely the best way to wake up on St. Patrick’s Day! I will follow-up after March 17th with my own photos with my boys enjoying this once a year treat! If you end up doing this with your little one(s) please feel free to share your personal photos! You can always post them on Baby Yums fan page If you have any traditions you’re doing with your little ones to celebrate this day please comment below and let us know what you do! […]
[…] St. Patrick’s Day Goodie Posted on March 16, 2012 by admin I stumbled upon this cuuuute St. Patty’s Day goody over at It Is What It Is. Super simple. I found the Rainbow Twizzlers in the candy aisle at the grocery store along with the chocolate gold coins. I had some bags and ribbon on hand from Addie’s party, and the adorable tag can be downloaded for free here! Or you could use this cute free printable from Thoughtfully Simple. […]
Photography—it’s all about passion, skill, and commitment. Ever wondered what a day in the life of a professional photographer is like? Every week, we ask a 500px photographer to document a day at work, giving you an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at their shooting schedule and techniques in the field.
This week, we’re going on an expedition in the wild with internationally-renowned photographer Marsel van Oosten.
You might remember him from his famous monkey using an iPhone photo, which went viral and received worthy acclaim. He also leads wildlife and landscape photography tours, which you can check out on his official website.
Taking up residence in both Amsterdam and Cape Town, a safari work day for him involves capturing the day-to-day lives of the animal kingdom’s most ferocious and most gentle, especially large mammals in great landscapes. With his Nikon D4, D3s, and D800—Marsel’s action-packed photos capture the drama of nature and its inhabitants. His images are a reminder that we live in a wonderful yet fragile world.
Interested in getting into wildlife photography and see if you have what it takes? Then you’ll want to read on to see how he spends an exciting 24 hours in a photo safari in Zambia! Scroll down, and get inspired.
24 Hours with Marsel van Oosten
2:45 A.M. My day starts with an early wake-up call in Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia. We have booked the entire bush camp for our group, so we can do whatever we want, whenever we want it. Tonight, we’re gonna search for leopards. Our guides will come and pick us up from our rooms with their Jeeps. The camp is in the middle of the wilderness, right on the banks of the Zambezi—and there are no fences. Wildlife wanders through our camp 24 hours a day, so no walking around the camp by yourself after dark. You wouldn’t want to bump into a lion, elephant, hippo, or buffalo.
3 A.M. Leopards are elusive, solitary, and largely nocturnal. This makes them notoriously difficult to track down. Most leopards are active between sunset and sunrise, which gives you only a very short time to find and photograph one in daylight. As strange as it may sound, it is actually much easier to find leopards at night. Animal eyes reflect light, and by using a spotlight, experienced trackers can determine the species by looking at the color of the reflections. It is for this reason that most leopard sightings occur during so-called night drives. It’s always exciting to see an active leopard at night. But from a photographer’s point-of-view, those sightings can be really frustrating, because the extreme low-light conditions make it very difficult to get decent pictures. That’s why I decided to turn the common safari routine around: start at night when it’s dark and use the spotlights to find a leopard. When we find one, we stick with it until it gets light again. Good photographs are hardly ever the result of good cameras, but of good thinking.
4 A.M. Man, it’s early. Whose idea was this again? We use two vehicles that go in separate directions to increase our chances of finding a leopard. Each vehicle has three photographers—one per row of seats, plus a guide. I’m sitting next to my guide, while my wife and co-tour leader Daniella is sitting next to hers in the other car. We use our radios to keep each other updated on any tracks or sightings. The first two hours are critical as the spotlight will only work until civil twilight. After that, it will be too bright and the spotlight will have no effect anymore. Every now and then, we stop the vehicle and turn off the engine. When tracking predators, you don’t only use your eyes. You also need to use your ears. When there’s a leopard on the move, many animals will give some sort of alarm call—monkeys, birds, squirrels, antelopes. Monkeys are particularly reliable when you’re looking for a leopard. They live in trees and leopards can climb trees, so that’s their main enemy. Lions don’t climb trees (there’s a few that do, but not like leopards), so monkeys usually stay quiet when they see one.
4:30 A.M. We hear impalas alarm calling. We quickly drive into the direction of the sound. Our guide gives the update to the other vehicle, and they decide to join us for the search. When we get close to the herd, we try to see the direction the impalas are looking. Most prey animals like to spend the night in open terrain, away from dense vegetation as that it where danger usually lurks. The second vehicle arrives at the location. We decide to stay with the impalas, the second Jeep is going to check out the area behind the bushes in front of us. We have switched off our engine and use our spotlight to scan the surrounding bushes. We can hear the other station driving in the distance. Five minutes later we hit the jackpot – Daniella’s vehicle has spotted a female leopard. It has realized it has been spotted by the impalas, so it is no longer trying to hide. Good for us. She briefly looks at our vehicles and then sits down.
4:45 A.M. It is still too dark to take photographs without the help of some extra light, so we decide to take some shots using the spotlight. We don’t want to blind the leopard, so we put a filter on the light to soften it. Before we start shooting, I ask our guides to reposition the vehicles. I don’t like frontal light because it makes everything look flat, so we’re going to use side lighting. When the cars are positioned at a 45 degree angle from each other, my car will shine the spotlight on the leopard while the other car will take photographs. After a few minutes we change this around – Daniella’s car provides the light, we’re shooting. Luckily the leopard is very relaxed and remains stationary – shutter speeds are around 1/15s @ ISO 6400, so motion blur is a serious concern. From my experience, a bean bag gives the best results as it offers much more stability than any of the fancy heads and brackets.
5 A.M. The female is on the move again. It’s still dark, but we decide to kill the spotlight and just follow her at a comfortable distance – we don’t want to scare her away. All we have to do now, is stick with her and wait for it to get light.
5:15 A.M. The leopard is walking up a fallen tree and lies down on the horizontal trunk. A perfect vantage point for her, and the perfect setting for us. Sunrise is still half an hour away, but the pre dawn light is stunning – soft, low contrast with a pinkish glow. We’re still in high ISO territory, but I manage to get 1/60s @ ISO 1600, which is fine for most modern day sensors. Our subject seems completely oblivious to our presence and the machine gun fire from our cameras. She looks at some impalas in the distance, but does not show any real interest.
5:45 A.M. The sun is rising, and so is our subject. She walks across the open field in the direction of the light. We drive past her and position ourselves a considerable distance away, hoping to get some shots of her walking straight at us. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t. Depending on the direction she’s walking, we also try to get some backlit shots and silhouettes. I’m still shooting from my beanbag, but every now and then I take some shots handheld as well – especially if the angle is difficult or when there’s only two nanoseconds to respond. By this time everyone’s long forgotten about the unpleasant early wake up call and happily clicking away.
6:30 A.M. A hyena arrives at the scene. Our model is not amused and runs off into the tall grass. We try to find her again, but we eventually give up. She’s been extremely cooperative and has given us great photo opportunities. All this time we’ve had this sighting to ourselves. This is one of the main reasons that we have moved our tours away from the typical safari destinations like the Masai Mara and the Serengeti – too many tourists. Over here, if you see another vehicle, chances are it will be the other half of our group. This is still unspoiled, true wilderness. It’s time to move on. Now that our mission is accomplished, we continue our game drive with a much broader perspective – anything in good light will do.
7 A.M. We stop near a narrow channel with a pod of hippos. The light is slowly getting harsher by now, but the hippos are in a shaded area that will be perfect for photography for at least another hour. We decide to very slowly get out of the vehicles and lie flat on the ground to get to eye level with the hippos. The moment we step out, all the hippos submerge. I know that they have to come up to breathe every now and then, and that they will get used to our presence, so we just have to lie still and not make a sound. Patience is often the key to success with wildlife photography, and here it’s no different. After a few minutes the first hippos start showing themselves again, and half an hour later there’s enough hippo activity to keep us busy trying to predict when and where a hippo will emerge again. Time flies.
8:30 A.M. After our hippo shoot, we slowly drive back into the direction of our camp. Surprise: our bush breakfast is set up underneath a big winter thorn tree on the river bank. The Lower Zambezi is famous for its huge number of elephants, and we soon see the very proof of that walking past us. A small breeding herd is slowly moving in the direction of the river. We decide to leave our cameras in the bags and just enjoy the view and the sound of snapping branches.
10 A.M. Camp is just around the corner. It’s only 10 AM, but we’ve already been out and about for seven hours straight. We return to our bush chalets. Time to upload our images, run a backup while taking a shower, and prepare a few images for the image review after lunch. Or a little nap.
12 P.M. We meet at the central lapa (an open structure that is popular in Southern Africa, consisting of a thatched roof supported by wooden poles) for lunch. Many elephants walk into camp to feed on the seeds that have dropped from the numerous winter thorn trees. One of them gets so close to our table, that we can only shoot details of the animal. Halfway through lunch, the herd decides to cross the river. We have to choose: dessert, or shots of elephants crossing the river. Dessert loses. We quickly get our camera bags and get into the boats. By moving upstream we can shut down the engine and let the current bring us closer to the ellies as to minimize any disturbance. We get some great shots of lines of elephants crossing the Zambezi. Some of the smaller elephants are completely submerged and show only their trunks that they use as a snorkel – a hilarious sight. There is plenty of light, so I take most of the shots handheld. The boat is constantly drifting and moving, so shooting from a fixed point doesn’t work. Some of the sub adults start to play in the middle of the river, so we decide to bank the boats on a sand bank and get out to get down to water level perspective. Elephants love water, and they give us a good show.
1:30 P.M. Image reviews. We have all selected two images from this trip so far, processed or unprocessed – it doesn’t matter. I analyze each image in front of the group and give constructive criticism, both from a technical and creative point of view. It’s not a competition, it’s purely educational. These sessions are always very inspirational – we’ve all been shooting the same subjects from more or less the same angles, yet the image diversity is often incredible. ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ is a question that most of us ask ourselves at least once during these sessions.
2:30 P.M. With new inspiration we return to our rooms to pack and prepare for an afternoon boat safari. We’re at the end of the dry season, and it’s hot. A boat safari is nice and refreshing, but not only for homo sapiens. Most of the wildlife also moves towards the river at this time of year, so that’s where the action is. Shooting from a boat gives an entirely different perspective, not in the least because our boats are very quiet which allows us to get much closer to the animals than we can on land. We meet at the lapa, but getting there is a problem – too many elephants in camp. Our guides have to pick us up again from our rooms with the Jeep, a distance of less than 50 meters.
3 P.M. Tea and snacks. One can never have too much carrot cake.
3:30 P.M. We get into our boats and spend the next few hours photographing a herd of buffalo that has come down to the river to drink, sunbathing crocs on the river banks, countless elephants grazing on the many small islands in the Zambezi (basically from ground level), a fish eagle, a goliath heron, and we spend some time at a carmine bee eater colony.
5 P.M. We have found a relaxed pod of hippos close to shore. We bank our boats with the setting sun to our side and wait for the hippos to get used to our presence again. When they do, we have the most amazing warm light hitting the hippos, bringing out every wrinkle on their skin and creating great catchlights. This time I’m shooting from a beanbag with my 600mm lens – not the kind of lens you want to handhold. We get some great yawning shots. The reflections could have been better, but there’s always tomorrow.
6:05 P.M. Sunset. We move away from the hippos towards the middle of the river and have our sundowner drinks while floating down the Zambezi river. Life is good.
6:45 P.M. We are dropped off on the river bank, where two safari vehicles are waiting for us for a night drive back to camp. Along the way we see a porcupine, some grazing hippos, and a few spotted genets.
7:30 P.M. Back at camp. We gather around the campfire for a pre-dinner drink. Or two. And then we eat. Nothing beats a three-course dinner out in the bush. Everyone should experience the joy of eating a creme brûlée with a soundtrack made by hippos and hyenas at least once.
8:30 P.M. Everyone is tired. It’s hard to imagine that our leopard adventure was just this morning—it feels like yesterday. We are all escorted back to our bush chalets, and most of us go straight to bed. Tomorrow is another early day.
Did you enjoy Marsel van Oosten on 500px‘s exciting, action-packed day? We hope his passion and zest for wildlife, nature, and adventure gave you some insight into what it takes to be a nature and wildlife photographer.
For more inspiration, scroll down for a collection of his awe-inspiring body of work, from wildlife to landscapes:
