A VERY common subject I field questions about is PHOTOGRAPHY.  I am far from a professional photographer, but I am a fairly passionate photography enthusiast!  So I’m happy to share some tips and suggestions based on my own personal “trial and error” experiences photographing wildlife in Tanzania.

“WHAT TYPE OF CAMERA SHOULD I BRING?”

There is no right or wrong answer here, but personally I use an SLR camera with interchangeable lenses, specifically a  Canon 7D camera body, and most of my images were taken with Canon’s 100-400mm white lens. I find this to be a really nice all around lens. Easy to carry around and handle, while offering a reasonable range and speed. The flexibility of the zoom is great… I use both ends of the zoom range 100 to 400 and everything in between. (And the higher quality L glass seems to make a difference as the images come out much more clearly compared to my Tamron 200-500mm.)

I still bring a wider angle lens, such as my Canon 28-135 mm lens) for those landscape shots, migration shots and when the animals are REALLY close. But I find the 100-400mm lens meets my needs the majority of the time, which is great because I don’t have to change lenses that often!

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on camera equipment, you may consider “renting” some camera equipment. A camera equipment and lens rental company we have used many times in the past that offers great service, a wide selection, professional expertise and competitive prices is “Lens Pro to Go”.

They ship equipment via UPS anywhere inside the continental US, and make returning the gear super-easy with prepaid shipping labels so all you have to do is drop it off at a UPS pickup.  You can find them at the following link or by calling 877-578-4777:

http://www.lensprotogo.com/

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“DO YOU HAVE ANY GENERAL PHOTOGRAPHY ADVICE OR TIPS?”

That’s a question I get a lot too!  The internet is full of many outstanding articles about photographing wildlife, and you might consider purchasing a book on the subject, like this one by Uwe Skrzypczak, “Wildlife Photography –  On Safari with Your DSLR: Equipment, Techniques, Workflow”, which features advice specific to photographing wildlife in the Serengeti (thank you for the great recommendation Teddi!)

But in the meantime, here are a few very basic tips I’ve picked up through trial and error along the way!:

Tip #1)  Take advantage of the special light at sunrise and sunset!  Even an image of an ordinary subject can take on magical qualities when exposed to this beautiful light.

Tip #2)  When shooting landscapes, or any photo where you can see the horizon in the background, try to make sure the horizon is “level”.  A level shot provides perspective that is pleasing to the eye.  A crooked horizon in the backdrop of an otherwise amazing photograph can be distracting and might not look “quite right”.

Tip #3)  When an animal is close to the vehicle, I always like to try to shoot some photographs from the window as it gets you more of an “eye level” perspective with the animal, which can sometimes result in a more compelling image rather than just looking “down” on them from the open roof hatch of the vehicle.

Tip #4)  As you are framing the subject in the view finder, you can use the “Rule of Thirds” to add some artistic flair, dimension and complexity to the overall composition of some of your photographs.  It works like this:  as you frame the photograph in your viewfinder, picture imaginary lines dividing the image into thirds both horizontally and vertically. You place important elements of your composition where these lines intersect, or rather positioning the main point of interest slightly “off center” in an aesthetically pleasing way.  If you aren’t already familiar with this concept, you can find an excellent explanation of this rule of design here:

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/rule-of-thirds.htm

Tip #5)  If your camera has a rapid- fire shooting option, take advantage of it for action shots!  It’s much easier to use this setting than to try to capture the perfect frame yourself with a single shot while the cheetah is running past you chasing the gazelle or while the wildebeest herds are crossing the Mara river.  With the advent of digital photography, it’s easy to take a serious of multiple shots now and then delete unwanted photos later!

Tip #6)  A very compelling portrait of an animal can be even more compelling if you can catch the light in their eyes.  This is especially true of the big cats.  The angle of light in the early morning or late evenings are at an especially effective angle to help you avoid shooting the shadows in the animal’s face and rather light up those big expressive eyes!  Thanks to my friend Sharon who taught me to be especially aware of this tip early on in my career!

Tip #7:  Beanbags can be a useful tool to steady one’s camera when shooting photographs from the vehicle, or a rolled up sweatshirt or travel pillow can work surprisingly well.  I don’t personally mess with a tripod as they can be rather cumbersome to travel with, and I find their usefulness is typically limited to landscape shots where one has time to set up the tripod safely outside the vehicle.  However, there are some clever folks out there who have come up with solutions for movable tripods that one can use in the vehicle, such as this clever idea submitted by one of our returning guests:

https://blog.africadreamsafaris.com/?p=8143

Tip #8:  I always charge my extra batteries and other devices in the lodges or camps at night.  Having them charge during dinner up till bedtime seems to be the ideal time, since generators will be going full force at most camps, and that window of time seems to be more than sufficient to charge most devices.

Be sure to bring at least one 3 rectangular pin UK plug adapter is required to use electrical appliances including video cameras and digital cameras (of course the electrical equipment itself must be rated for dual voltage 120/240, as most video and digital cameras are these days). The plug adapter is placed onto your appliance plug so that it will fit into the 3 rectangular pin electrical sockets. Tanzania electrical sockets are identical to those found in the United Kingdom. You can find these adapters easily at Radio Shack or any number of travel stores.

You can also bring a multiple outlet device (a.k.a. 3-way splitter) to plug into your adapter, allowing you to charge more than one battery at a time.

It’s a good idea to travel with an extra camera battery too, just in case.  I never leave home without at least one extra!

Tip #9:  If you are a serious photographer, you might consider traveling with two camera bodies.

First of all, there’s the benefit of redundancy.  Malfunctions can happen.  Will your trip be ruined if your camera breaks or stops working properly?  If so, you should strongly consider bringing along an extra camera body.

Secondly, if you have a second camera body, you can leave a telephoto or zoom lens on one of them (for distant wildlife), and leave the wider angle lens on the second one (for landscapes and close subjects). This will minimize the amount of times you will have to change lenses in the field, rather than trying to change lenses when there is action happening (things happen fast in the bush!)  And the less you have to change lenses in the field, the less your camera will be opened up and vunerable to dust, etc.

Of course, for many people it can be cost prohibitive to purchase 2 nice camera bodies, but you can always rent one at Lens Pro to Go.

Tip #10)  Remember, when shooting photographs of wildlife, patience is key!  Spend some time with your subject if possible.  Allow them time to relax in your presence so you’ll be able to observe their natural behaviors.  And then be ready to capture the moment when they pounce, play, run, jump, look at you just right or simply step into the best light.  It may not happen right away, but the waiting and stalking for the perfect image is all part of the fun!

GOOD LUCK!!!