Safari Photography in East Africa A Beginners Guide

Safari is one of the few places where a novice can bring home frame-worthy wildlife images, as the animals are plentiful, the light is good, and the vehicle is a stable and tolerated hide. It's not about the equipment, it's about the habits that separate a snapshot from a strong image.

Gear first, kept honest. The zoom lens does most of the work, preferably at least 200mm, and preferably 400mm, as you will never get as close as you would like and heavy cropping results in loss of detail. A second body or a wider lens is used for scenery and animals in their environment. Fast memory cards and spare batteries are important, as cold mornings suck up batteries and a river crossing is no place to be changing memory cards. The vehicle door beats a tripod, on which a beanbag sits, which is not very comfortable in a safari vehicle. All of this does not have to be the latest model. Well-used competent gear beats high dollar gear used poorly. Good gear helps, but the guide matters more, which is why many photographers chooseguided Kenya safari tours.

Light rules everything. The best time of day is early morning and late afternoon when the sun is low and warm and the glare from overhead is absent. This is not a fashion statement, it's when the animals are active and the light looks good on them. This is what guides know and that is why drives begin at dawn and are repeated in late afternoon. The middle of the day is for resting, backing up images, and looking at what worked.

The most common setting that beginners get wrong is the shutter speed. Animals dart about, vehicles shake, and long lenses amplify all movements. Any shutter speed of 1/1000 or higher will freeze most action and even faster for birds in flight. In almost all cases, it is better to increase the ISO to maintain that speed, as a slightly grainy sharp image is better than a clean blurred image.

Focus on the eyes. The key to a good wildlife portrait is a sharp eye and a catchlight in the eye. Have one focus point, on the near eye, and allow the rest to be where it is. Soft eyes on animals will appear lifeless regardless of pose.

The record shot is separated from the photograph by composition. Give the animal room in the direction it is facing or moving. If the vehicle permits, get the camera low to the ground to look at the animal at eye level, instead of looking down at it. Sometimes include the setting, an elephant small against Kilimanjaro says more than a tight crop of its face. Also, keep an eye on the background as a bright branch or another car behind your subject will spoil an otherwise clean frame.

Patience is the method that no one markets. The most powerful pictures are from holding a sighting. Sit with a pride of lions long enough and the cubs will play, a yawn will come, a head will lift against the light. Many photographers chase sightings and end up with many mediocre photos. Those who wait, collect a few great ones. This is where a private car comes in handy, as you can stay as long as you like, and not leave when someone else gets bored.

The guide is the most helpful tool of the photographer. A guide who knows photography knows how to position the vehicle for the light, knows to shut off the engine for a steady shot, knows where an animal is likely to walk and can get you to a sighting before the crowd. It is reasonable to request a guide used to photographers when booking. When you are on a guided safari tour in Kenya, the field guide is often the most important upgrade you can make, as they can usually match a keen photographer with the right person.

This should be in every guide with ethics. Always maintain a respectful distance, never ask a driver to chase an animal for a better shot, and always stay within park rules. A photo is never worth stressing wildlife or breaking the trust between drivers and animals that makes close sightings possible in the first place.

It's helpful to come with a short list of scenes you want to shoot, as knowing what you want will alter your shooting. A golden light portrait of a lion in a low position, at eye level. A cheetah looking at a termite hill. Small elephants in the frame at dawn in Amboseli, against Kilimanjaro. A leopard draped in a tree. Birds flying over Lake Nakuru. Figures in silhouette against a sunset sky. Action from a river crossing in the migration months. With these in mind, you know when it's happening and are ready for it when it happens, not fumbling with settings as the light goes.

Field workflow safeguards the images you've worked so hard for. At midday, back up each card to a laptop or to a portable drive and store the copies away from the originals so that if a bag is lost, the trip isn't lost. Charge all batteries every night as drives begin before the lodge opens. After dusty drives, gently clean the front element; when moving, store gear in a sealed bag to prevent the fine red dust from entering the camera body. Most of it is taken care of with a rocket blower and a few microfibre cloths.

A note on drones and phones. Drones are not allowed or permitted in Kenya's national parks and reserves and it is illegal and disruptive to wildlife to fly a drone without prior clearance, so please keep it at home unless you have made arrangements for flying it beforehand. Phones are surprisingly good for wide shots and video, and work well with a longer lens on a second camera. The courtesy rule applies: don't obstruct another guest's view or request a guide to violate park rules for a shot, regardless of the kit.

Some East Africa details would be helpful. Dust is always present; change lenses as infrequently as possible and bring a blower. Mornings can be quite cold before the sun rises, so take care of batteries. There are classic scenes and their seasons: elephants and Kilimanjaro in Amboseli, big cats all year round in the Mara, and the river crossings of the migration from about July to October.

The trip photographs itself when you come home with sharp eyes, good light and a handful of moments you waited for. The plains do the majority of the work. The photographer's task is to be prepared, patient and to focus the eye.