Africa Wildlife Photography
From ArticleWorld
With stunning landscapes and a varied wildlife, an African safari is what every photographer's dream. Regardless of you are a professional with several years of experience or a novice giving a shot to expressing art by making use of the lens, Africa is a beautiful and mystic place where you will find a numerous amount of wonderful subjects. Here are a couple of ideas to help you make the best out of your artistic endeavor.
Game reserves
Locate a safari that can let you see the best spots that have a lot of game. There exist agencies that advertise safaris made especially for wildlife photographers.
Exercise at your local zoo
A journey to the zoo before begin the safari could help you gear up for taking pics in the wild.
Upgrading your photography equipment
If you decide to purchase a new camera for your journey, make certain you understand how to operate it with ease before you're leaving.
Emergency batteries
Make sure you are prepared for emergencies. Take a lot of of spare batteries. And if you have one more camera, take that with you as well.
Bring a steardy tripod
If it is possible, don't bother taking tripods. They will only add bulk to your luggage and are very difficult to carry around.
Safety first
Do not get too much carried away with your creative ideas. Your safety needs to be your top priority. Make sure you always keep yourself at a safe distance while taking pictures, particularly when taking pictures of wild animals. Being too close could let them perceive that you are a threat - which will most likely force them to act in a belligerent manner.
Research first the wildlife behaviors
If there are specific animal species that you wish to focus on, find out information about their behavior and read up onwhere they can frequently be found. This will help you track them with ease and predict their moves and actions, helping you to take some fantastic photosgraphies.
The local culture
At some point, you could have to meet some people from local tribes whose culture is very different from yours. They could feel uncomfortable about you taking pictures. Remember to be polite and friendly. Ask for permission if you plan to take someone's photography.
Be ready to shoot
Be cautious with your camera. Animals move rapidly in the wild and they have a tendency to turn their backs when camera lenses are pointed towards them. You will have to to keep your eyes wide open if you want to take amazing photos and shots.
Focus on the animal's eyes
A quick tip for a excellent closeup is to focus on the animal's eyes to get the most even shot of the face.
Vary the composition
Try with various approaches and angles. This'll help you achieve some compositions that look more energized.
Long focals
Lens with a 400 mm focal length are the most desired to work with in this sort of setting. Some animals like birds however, are most efficiently photographed with 500 millimeters lens. A shutter speed of 1 | 125 is most optimal when shooting a subject that is not stationary. 1 | 500 or more is optimal when shooting wild birds in flight. When photographing people or scenery, a standard 50 millimeters lens will do.
African landscape photography
Wide-angle shots with clouds and photographs taken over water will have excellent results when utilized with a polarized filter.
Photo gear insurance
Always have your equipment insured. A lot of unanticipated things can happen during a safari trip. It is better to be prepared than blame yourself afterwards should you face any big problems.
Game lodge safari daily schedule
- One hour before sunrise: wakeup call
- Half an hour before sunrise: breakfast
- Sunrise: departure on game drive in a Jeep.
- 9:30 am: tea break
- 11:00 am: wash up back at the lodge
- 11:30 am: buffet brunch
- 3pm - 4pm: sandwiches and other tea
- 4pm - 4:30pm: departure to afternoon game drive
- sunset: table with alcohol and snacks
- sunset +1h: looking for predators with spotlight
- sunset +2-3h: buffet dinner
As fantastic and interesting as it is to take photographs of wildlife, always remember that safari activities are can be dangerous, especially if you will be working closely with wildlife animals. It is not a good idea to compromise your own safety simply to get that perfect shot.
The appropriate attitude to wildlife and animal photography is a appreciation for new experiences balanced with sure common sense.