Top tips to photographing the big five and taking incredible photos while on safari.

Basically, there are five common elements to taking great safari photos that you need to have... Good use of light, colour, a captivating moment, correct composition for the given situation, and distance to your subject... If you’re planning a Big Five African safari, one of the first items on your packing list should be a decent quality camera. Taking photos is a great way to get the very most out of your experience, while also making sure that the memories you make last long after you get home. And the better the photos are, the more likely your friends and family are to be enthralled when you show them (rather than yawning at yet another blurry, faraway shot of a zebra’s behind). In this article, we look at a few simple tips to help beginner photographers get shots they can be proud of. 

Phone, compact, bridge or DSLR?

As a beginner, there really is no need to invest in expensive, heavy camera gear to get the best out of your safari experience and capture it for prosperity. Thanks to huge advances in the latest smartphone cameras, today's top-of-the-line phones do a pretty good job of capturing landscapes, recording video, taking portrait shots and, of course, selfies! However, they're not that good at close-up work, so zooming in on animal action, unless it's literally alongside you, is not going to get you great wildlife shots.

This is where the range of great digital compact cameras that are currently on offer come into their own. Small, light and easy to carry, these "babies" come fully equipped with high quality sensors and built-in zoom lenses. Look out for Sony, Canon and Panasonic Lumix brands and check out sites like Digital Camera World for guidance on the different options. 

From compact, pocket-sized rockets to what we call "bridge" cameras - those that bridge the gap between compact and full-on digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. Bridge cameras give you a lot of the weight, ease and functionality of a compact with the lens quality and visual range of a DSLR without the need to change lenses and lug heavy camera bags around with you.

Check out the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ300 with its 25mm-600mm built-in Leica lens and superb image stabilisation. This is the perfect camera for wildlife shots as it allows you to zoom right in without losing image quality in just a fraction of a second (the images above were taken on its predecessor, the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ200). Equivalent bridge cameras are Canon's Powershot XS70 HS and Sony's RX10 models which have a larger sensor but a smaller zoom. 

On to the full Monty - the digital SLR cameras. Whether they be made by Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Sony or the like, a DSLR is the ultimate camera option for those who intend making a commitment to photography and learning its various nuances rather than just opting for the "auto" setting, pointing and shooting.

The Nikon D3500 is a great DSLR for beginners on a budget, or spend a bit more on the Canon EOS Rebel options. Or go for the Canon EOS 6D Mark II. Whatever your choice, remember that your money will be spent on a body to which you will have to add lenses for each scenario you want to photograph. So you'll need smaller lenses for wide angles and landscapes (greater field of vision) and bigger, telephoto lenses for close-up work like wildlife shots (300mm and upwards). Lenses can cost a lot more than the body, so you will need to throw serious money at your new photography hobby to get a DSLR kit that's going to capture your entire safari experience. 

Getting to grips with the essentials

If you want to become a serious photography hobbyist and document your safari as professionally as possible, it's important to understand the three essential elements of photography and how they relate to each other, especially when choosing a DSLR. 

Shutter speed: The amount of time your camera’s shutter stays open when taking a photo. The longer it’s open, the more light passes through and the brighter your image will be. However, if you’re photographing a moving object, a long shutter speed tends to result in blurring. If you choose a short shutter speed, less light will pass through and your image will be darker – but moving objects will be crisper. 

Aperture: The opening that allows light into your camera. The size of the aperture is measured in f-stops. The smaller the f-stop, the larger the aperture and the more light is let in; the larger the f-stop, the smaller the aperture and the less light is let in. Aperture also controls your depth of field. A larger aperture means a smaller depth of field, so that the background (or foreground) is blurred leaving your subject as the clear focus of the photo. A smaller aperture gives a larger depth of field so that everything in the image is in focus. 

ISO: Controls your camera sensor’s sensitivity to light. The lower the ISO, the darker (and crisper) the image. The higher the ISO, the brighter (and grainier) the image.

Together, these three elements can be used to create the best conditions for great photos. 

Which lens?

Ideally you need at least two lenses: a wide-angle or mid-range one for photographing landscapes and animals at very close quarters, and a telephoto lens with a good zoom. A zoom of between 300mm and 600mm is required for close-up animal portraits, and is especially important if you want to focus on bird photography. 

When choosing between similar lenses, always opt for the one that has better low light performance, ie: the one with the lowest f-stop number. This will allow you to get brighter, clearer photos at peak game drive times: in the early morning and late afternoon. If forking out for multiple lenses is a bit beyond your price range, ask the professionals at your local camera store about a good quality compact camera. Nowadays, there are models that offer similar results and great flexibility in terms of settings for a fraction of the price of a DSLR and lens set. 

Don’t forget your accessories

Camera accessories are equally important. Must-haves include plenty of memory cards for storing your images, and at least one spare battery. You will also need equipment for cleaning your lenses, since African safaris inevitably involve a lot of dust. Consider cleaning liquid and cloths; and a hand-held blower for removing dust from the body of your camera in the event that some gets in there whilst you’re changing lenses. To keep dust to a minimum, a decent camera bag with plenty of protective padding is also essential. 

Learn to adjust your settings

Although there’s nothing wrong with shooting in automatic mode, you can often get much better results if you know how to adjust your camera’s manual settings. Ideally, you want to keep your shutter speed as fast as possible on safari to avoid the blurring of moving animals and birds in flight. A good way to do this is to set your camera to shutter speed priority. This means fixing a shutter speed, and letting your camera adjust the aperture and ISO automatically depending on the available light. 

Other things that you should know how to do include changing your focus point and switching between auto-focus modes (some prioritise fast focusing for moving subjects, others prioritise crystal clear clarity for stationary subjects). Knowing how to turn on burst or continuous shooting mode is also great. This allows you to hold down the shutter and shoot multiple images in a single second, so that you can be sure not to miss out on that perfect action shot. Above all, familiarise yourself with your camera and all its settings before you go on safari. 

Understand your subject 

To get amazing animal photos, you first have to find the animal. This is easy if you’re taking part in a guided safari, since rangers already know the best times and places to look for certain species. You can help by keeping your eyes peeled. Look for unexpected flashes of colour or movement, check up in the trees as well as in the bush, and scan the landscape from right to left. Why right to left? Our brains are so used to reading from left to right that when we switch direction, we automatically pay more attention to what we’re seeing. 

If you’re planning a self-drive safari, our top tips include making sure to time your game drives around the golden hours of sunrise and sunset. This is when many animals are most active, and it also offers the best light for photography. Focus on waterholes and rivers since animals tend to congregate around water sources (especially in the dry season) and above all, have patience. If you have a specific species or natural event that you want to photograph, make sure that you plan your safari carefully for the best chance of being in the right place at the right time. 

Consider your composition

When you find the ideal subject, remember that composition is key. Photos with the main subject situated a little off-centre are usually more interesting than those with the animal in the middle of the shot. Make sure not to cut off ears, tails or feet by accident; and always try to focus on the eyes. Including natural elements like trees or water reflections can help to add interest to the shot and frame it in a compelling way. If you have a great zoom lens, you’re naturally going to want to take lots of close-up portraits. Don’t forget to take some photos that show the animal in its natural landscape as well. This adds context, and proves you didn’t just pay a visit to your local zoo. 

Don’t forget about post-production

Before uploading all 3,500 of your safari photos to Facebook, take the time to go through them and select the best images. Consider editing each one individually with your computer's included editing software or invest in a professional program like Photoshop or Lightroom. The aim is to keep the image as natural as possible while using tools to enhance it in subtle ways. This could include brightening an under-exposed image, increasing the contrast of an image taken in the harsh midday sunshine, or straightening a lopsided horizon. 

Happy photographing....

#NewWorldSafaris @Photos #Africa #bigfive #pictures #fun