Safari Photography Tips for Beginners - World Holiday Vibes Blog

“The best safari photos tell the story your heart remembers”

Contents

The African bush has a quietness all its own. The car decelerates. Your guide raises her hand. Suddenly, everyone is focused on the same thing. A lion emerges from the shade, an elephant walks across the golden grass or a giraffe hides behind an acacia tree. You have limited time!

This is when safari photography becomes more than taking pictures; it becomes a voyage of discovery. It’s about watching and waiting and being ready when nature provides a moment that may never come.

You don’t need the most expensive camera or have had a lifetime of experience taking photos to get beautiful safari photographs. By taking time to prepare, by tweaking a few settings on the camera and with a bit of patience, it is possible for beginner photographers to make photographs that can tell the story of their journey.

Whether you are going on your first game drive or your next extended tour to Africa, I will give you some useful safari photography tips that will help you to feel more confident behind the camera.

Start With the Right Camera

It’s important that you have the right camera, but you don’t need the most expensive one out there.

A camera that has a decent zoom lens, rapid autofocus and performance in varying lighting conditions will make a huge difference for safari. Wildlife doesn’t wait for the right conditions. You need to be fast to respond and your equipment should help you with that.

Popular camera options for wildlife photography include a mirrorless or DSLR camera equipped with a telephoto lens. A nice zoom enables you to take pictures of animals safely at a distance and offers flexibility as the scene changes.

If you still aren’t sure what to get, our article on Best Camera for Safari will educate you about what you should look for before your safari.

But keep in mind: You can make a better photo with a simple camera, than a professional one with a bunch of fancy gear but a lack of patience.

Choose Your Lens Carefully

The one tool that you should consider before your safari is the lens.

A telephoto lens is useful when animals are far away. A longer lens, such as 200mm to 500mm can be very useful when photographing larger wildlife and distant subjects, or when you get close to an elephant, buffalo or other large animal that is approaching close range.

However, there is no perfect safari lens.

A longer lens is great for portraits of wild animals, and a wide lens will capture the animal in its setting. Occasionally the background of grass, mountains, trees or dramatic sky is as significant as the animal itself.

The reason I always recommend to students that they think beyond the question “How close can I get?”.

Instead, ask:

What is the story of this landscape?

A slight shift in the way you think can change your safari photos.

Learn Before You Leave

Don’t be a professional photographer before the flight. However, it is best to learn some of the basics of the camera before you go on safari to save valuable time in the bush.

Practise changing:

• Shutter speed

• ISO

• Aperture

• Autofocus mode

• Focus point

• Continuous shooting mode

Try doing this without looking down at the camera.

It may sound simple, but when a leopard suddenly appears beside the road, you will not want to spend ten seconds searching through menus.

One of the best safari photography tips for inexperienced photographers is to practise before you leave for the trip, and not on the first game drive.

Use a Fast Shutter Speed

Wildlife moves.

It’s sometimes slow going. Suddenly runs, jumps, shakes water from its body or flies.

A quick shutter speed can capture those moments.

Approximate 1/500 sec is a good starting point for animals that are standing or moving slowly. In the case of running animals or birds in flight, a smaller period of time, perhaps 1/1000 sec or less, may be required.

These are not absolute rules! You will need to consider light, how long the lens is and whether the animal moves.

If your photo is blurred due to the animal’s movement, a fast shutter speed may have more impact than raising the image quality.

Do Not Fear a Higher ISO

African light can turn on a dime!

Mornings can be hazy and gentle. Evening game drives may get quite dark. Alternatively, an animal can be standing under heavy shade, while bright sunlight is all around.

That’s where ISO comes in handy.

Many people starting out are hesitant to increase ISO as they fear digital noise. A photo that might not be as clean as the last one that was taken, but is able to capture something special, is often worth much more than a clean photo of a barren landscape.

Many newer cameras handle higher ISO settings better than older models, but every camera has its limits.

Consider which of the following items is most important to you:

It’s better to have a crisp shot of a genuine moment than a perfect picture of a lost moment.

Shoot During Golden Light

Light is likely doing a lot of work if you’ve ever seen those photographs from the safari which feature the grass glowing like it’s been painted and an animal almost painted on the horizon.

Sunrise and sunset at the time of day can be great for photography as the light is softer and warmer.

Mist, long shadows, and fresh activity can be found during morning drives. Warm colours, silhouettes and scenes of dramatic skies can be in the cards in the late afternoon.

The light at midday may be more challenging, as it is often intense and the shadows may be more dramatic. But don’t turn off your camera.

Clouds, reflections, dust and strange animal behaviour can still make for memorable images.

“Perfect photography” does not exist – it’s about doing something well.

It’s about observing what is being offered for you.

Focus on the Eyes

The eyes are often the most expressive part of a wildlife photograph.

A photograph can feel much more alive when the animal’s eye is in focus. While the focus of the rest of the body might be a little off-center, the eye can still capture the viewer directly into the scene.

For moving animals, continuous autofocus can help keep your subject sharp as it moves.

When focusing on animals, if the portrait is close-up, try to concentrate on the closest eye that you can see.

One of these little things can help make a beginners wildlife photos look much more professional.

Capture the Whole Story

Not all photos have to be close-ups.

A lion’s face dominates the frame and it can be beautiful. However, a lion lying under a massive African sky can scream a whole different message.

Try three approaches:

Close: Capture close-ups of eyes, fur, horns, ears and feathers.

Medium: Take pictures of the entire body of the animal and some of its environment.

Wide: Display the animal in the landscape.

This option will make your safari photo portfolio feel more like a story than a folder of animal pictures.

Be Patient

This is the most valuable tip I can offer to any first-time safari shooter.

Avoid taking a picture of everything that you can.

In some instances, it’s best to get on the ground and observe.

Herds of elephants can do virtually nothing for several minutes. All at once, a young elephant can begin to play. A lion may yawn. A giraffe can walk straight through a ray of morning sunshine.

If you’re holding a camera and paying attention, then you can get it!

With patience you can make your encounters with ordinary animals, extraordinary photos.

Respect the Wildlife

The animals should never be used for the sake of beauty in photography.

Follow your guide’s instructions. Do not get out of the car when told to do so. Avoid asking a driver to drive close to an animal to get a picture.

Avoid shouting, sudden movements or anything that may disturb the animal simply to get a photograph.

The wild animals are not actors.

The beauty is to be present to see it.

There are also various rules and approaches when it comes to wildlife viewing in various destinations and experiences. People should be aware of the types of African safaris available before booking an African safari so they can select the safari they would like to experience based on their preferred style of exploring the bush, especially when tracking Kenya wild life.

Keep Your Camera Steady

A telephoto lens will make motion appear larger.

A slight shake of your hands can be apparent in the end picture.

If available, use a bean bag, vehicle support or other stable surface for your camera or lens. Sometimes, a monopod is beneficial as well.

If the engine is running, avoid resting your camera or lens directly against parts of the vehicle that vibrate, as this can affect sharpness.

In the case of safari shots, slow and controlled movements are important.

Wildlife are a lot more sensitive to movement than you think!

Try Burst Mode

Animals are not posed.

A zebra can turn its head for 0.5 seconds. A bird can flap its wings, and then it’s gone into the sky. Two elephants meet trunks and separate almost instantaneously.

You might be able to capture those fleeting moments with continuous shooting or burst shooting.

Use burst mode thoughtfully rather than photographing every second of the encounter.

Instead, watch the animal first.
Predict what might happen.
Then shoot.

Just a second of anticipation can help you make your photos more purposeful.

Watch the Background

Distracting photos can be caused by unorganized backgrounds, even when the photo has a good subject.

Quickly check behind animal before pressing the shutter.

Will you be able to move your camera just a little so that you can put it against a clean grass section?

Does it appear that there is a bright branch passing through its face?

Could you have the animal move to a better position?

While you can’t control African bush, you can often control your composition.

Sometimes, the only thing that’s needed is 3 seconds.

Photograph Behaviour

Safari photography becomes much more interesting when you photograph behaviour, not just animals.

Look for:

Elephants like to play in the water
Animals grooming, licking or showing affection
Young animals playing
Birds taking flight
Zebras interacting
Giraffes feeding
Hippos yawning
Predators watching their surroundings
Herds moving across open grasslands.

These photos are dynamic and expressive.

They also help to make your experience more of a story.

If the Big 5 animals are your safari must-sees then we have a ‘Big Five Safari Guide’ to help decide where and when to see them.

Photographs of People Too

Your safari is not all about the animals.

A silhouette in the sunrise, a hand pointing to distant animals, a steaming cup of coffee beside the car or footprints in the morning dust can make for great travel pictures.

These little things will remind you of how the trip was.

A set of photographs should also be able to respond to: “What did I see?”

It should also respond to the question: “What did it feel like to be there?”

Keep Your Phone Prepared

Don’t think that your phone isn’t as important as your camera.

The best shot sometimes occurs before you get your primary camera.

A phone is great for landscapes, backstage shots, camp living, food, portraits and quick snapshots.

You might even try a quick video on your mobile phone when an animal is acting in a manner that’s more suited to movement.

When capturing detail and/or range use your primary camera. Turn to your phone when you’re in need of speed and spontaneity.

Both can fit in there.

Prepare for Dust

Delicate camera equipment is not the best thing to take out in a Safari vehicle on dusty tracks.

Do not leave spare lenses in open drawers when not in use. Don’t change lenses unnecessarily in dusty environments, and use a small blower or an appropriate cleaning cloth.

It is also helpful to have a protective camera bag.

Remember the memory cards!

It’s surprising how easily a full memory card can cost you a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Bring Spare Batteries

Long game drives can seem to consume batteries quicker than anticipated, especially when it comes to continuous autofocus, reviewing images, large lenses and image stabilisation.

Bring extra batteries and charge them when they are needed, such as when coming to camp or returning to a lodge.

When travelling to a remote area, make sure to verify the charging arrangements beforehand.

It’s not much help when the sun sets if your camera battery ran out of power 5 minutes before.

Think About Composition

There are ways to make photographs more interesting that don’t require changing your camera.

Experience with the animal being positioned a little away from the centre of the space instead of in the middle.

Allow an animal with a specific direction of look or movement to have space in front of them.

Make use of natural frames such as trees, grasses, rocks and shadows.

See reflections in water.

At times leave a lot of negative space around the subject.

An empty space can make a single elephant look even more powerful on the vast landscape.

Follow the Moment, Not the Checklist

Getting to safari with a checklist in your mind is easy:

Lion. Tick.
Elephant. Tick.
Leopard. Tick.
Buffalo. Tick.

But the most memorable photograph of your trip may not be one of the animals you expected to see.

It could be a small bird in the early morning light.

Maybe it’s a herd of herd that’s going down in golden dust.

It could be the shadow of a giraffe, that is, a long shadow that crosses the road.

May be your first sunrise over the savannah.

Remember to keep your eyes open for all other things as you search out the renowned animals.

Learn how to benefit from each game drive.

Your first game drive is a chance to learn. You may miss a few moments, but every drive teaches you something about light, movement, timing and composition.

That’s OK.

At the end of every outing, ask yourself the following three questions about your photos:

What worked?
What did not?
What could I change next time?

Perhaps your shutter speed was too slow. Perhaps it was your photographs that were too dark. You might have cut it too short.

Every game drive is a mini photo class.

Towards the end of the safari, you might shoot a picture every time you spark into action!

Understand Your Safari Style

Photography may also affect what sort of safari you opt for.

This could be an excellent opportunity to get some great shots of wildlife from the inside of a vehicle on a traditional game drive. Walking experiences provide an alternative viewpoint, landscapes, tracks, plants, and smaller details can be part of the story.

Reflections and unusual angles may be gained with water-based safaris, and specialist wildlife trips might allow for extra time on the lens.

If you are looking to book an African safari, you would find it beneficial to learn more about the various kinds of safaris that are available so that you can choose one that is in line with your interests.

To learn more about planning your adventure, check our Ultimate African Safari Holidays Guide.

The Great Migration: Be Ready

Preparation is even more critical when you’re photographing Great Migration.

Large herds can move quickly, and exciting scenes can unfold at any moment. Auto-focus and auto shutter speed can be particularly vital in situations of dust, motion or varying light.

Don’t wait for “something to happen,” but have your settings ready.

But don’t forget, migration photography doesn’t just have to be a dramatic river crossing.

Think of calves following their mothers, thousands of animals spreading across the plains, or a solitary wildebeest standing beneath the morning sky.

If you’re looking for planning ideas, check out our Great Migration Safari Guide.

Your camera is only half the story

The best safari photographs are rarely created by equipment alone.

They learn from waiting their turn.

Understanding the appropriate moments to step away from the apparent subject.

Knowing when the light is changing.
Knowing when an animal is about to move.
And, importantly, when to stop using the camera, and to simply be in the moment.

It’s not a photo contest!

You’re sent there to see something wild, ancient and wonderfully unpredictable.

Therefore, fellow travellers, bring your camera with you. Charge your batteries. Check your settings. Clean your lens. However, leave a small gap between the photos as well.

Look up.
Listen.
Watch the grass move.
Notice the light.

Sometimes the best photo you’ll take is the one that’s not quite in focus or the one with the biggest animal.

It is the one that brings you straight back to that dusty road, that golden morning, those ultimate world holiday vibes and that moment you will never forget in the African wild.

That is the real magic of safari photography.

FAQ

What are the best camera settings for beginners on safari?

Don’t worry about setting up a higher ISO when the lighting is insufficient, and remember to avoid blurring by using a fast shutter speed (approx. 1/500 sec or greater).

Do I need an expensive camera and lens?

No, a simple mirrorless or DSLR camera and a good zoom lens (200mm to 500mm) is enough to capture wonderful photographs!

How can I stop my photos from shaking?

Use the vehicle support or bean bag to support your camera and do not lean heavily against the car engine.

When is the best time of day to go on safari to take photos?

The golden hours are early morning and late afternoon when it is warmest and softest light for glorious photos.

Should I just focus on taking close-ups of animals?

No, mix it up with close-ups, medium shots and wide landscape photo’s to tell the whole story of your journey!

Source

E- book:

Youtube

Facebook:

useful links: