New Gallery: Amboseli National Park

Its been a long time coming but the shots from Amboseli National Park are done.

If you only have a short time in Kenay, Amboseli is worth a visit. This lot were from just 2 days.

We even managed to score the elephants in front of Mt Kilimanjaro shot.

Check them out: Amboseli

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Kruger National Park

Last July we went to Kruger National park in South Africa for a 2 week stay.  Check out the images

Kruger is a conundrum for the wildlife photographer. It gets a bad rep for the amount of tourists and bitumen roads but as we found a lot of this is undeserved.

Admittedly it’s not the Masai Mara or the remoteness of Zambia or the exclusivity of a private reserve but it does have something very cool.

The thrill of self discovery.

Until this point we have always been on "proper" safaris, your guide drive you about in your landrover looking for lovely wildlife to take photos of. The guide finds the animals and is in charge of safety. This is all great fun but there is something to be said for self drive. Even in Kruger with its bitumen roads and other tourists, you get a real sense of freedom driving yourself around.

The Pros:

• The exhilaration of making your own discoveries.


• If you want to spend 2 hrs watching a lion sleep you can!

Getting Kruger specfic:

• It’s easy to get around, no 4wd skills needed.


• Its well sign posted, you won't get lost.


• The animals are use to cars so they don't run a mile when they see you.


• The various forms of accommodation in the camps are cheap for what you get and there’s a range for every budget.


• You can do ranger led walks, and game drives from the camps.


• There are some very good hides scattered about the place.


• The park is huge, with plenty of different habitats and has plenty of animals.

The Cons:

• It can be very busy but in July we still managed to find out of the way roads and got sightings of cats to ourselves.


• Most cat sightings are a nightmare of vehicles. Just move on, if you are there long enough you are highly likely to get your own cat eventually.


• No open vehicles for the general public, this makes shooting a challenge at times (unless you are use to shooting from a car).


• They could do with more places where you can get out of your car, preferably with toilets. This would cut down the amount of toilet paper you find in the quieter spots!


• The bush can be rather dense in some areas making clear shots difficult.

I would not recommend Kruger as your first African safari, if you can afford the more upmarket options. If you are on a budget or it’s your first taste of self drive its excellent value and highly recommended. 

We will be going again, in a different time year to see the changes. You could almost say I am addicted!!

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LightRoom goes to Kenya

Taking a laptop on the recent trip to Kenya allowed me get a good feel for what shots were in the bag while in the field. Of course though you need some software to make this easy.

My current workflow involves LightRoom. Though its exact place is not set in concrete at the moment, so I am using it as much as possible to see what fits.

Lets have a look at how I used LightRoom in the field?

Lightroom is the one stop shop of RAW processors, its DAM, its a Processor on steroids, its print tool, its a slideshow generator, its a web gallery tool.

At home its the current processor of choice and DAM tool but for the trip it was mainly used as in importer and review tool.

It was used as an importer because it does a reasonable job of the task.
Yes Photo Mechanic is quicker and given time is the enemy of digital photographers this may force a change in the future.

Another consideration was I had grand plans to do some keywording on the flight home so by importing the shots into LightRoom from the beginning would save some time.

Reality:
Doing a photo safari with Andy Rouse (The Mara with Andy Rouse) is not for the faint of heart, we spent vast amounts of time in the field. Which is fantastic BUT doesn't leave a lot of time for digital housekeeping.

In my plan to keyword on the way home, I forgot my most recent workflow idea.
DNG is the new Master file, ie every shot must be converted from RAW to DNG before keywording.

See post To DNG or not to DNG? for my reasoning on why I use it.

Given I had little time for the digital side of wildlife photography on the trip I decided to import each sessions RAWS into my Preview LightRoom catalog.

There is much rumbling on the net about how slow LightRoom is to import shots. Obviously this is hugely subjective, it depends on the quality of your computer hardware for a start.
As an idea, I just imported and generated a 2048 pixel preview of 1977 DNG images and it took 56 minutes with a MacBook Pro 2.16 Ghz, 2GB RAM.

All that said its still can take some time, so to speed it up, I did not check the Render Standard Preview option.
This sped up the import but meant I took a hit when reviewing the images.

On the time downside, I did choose to copy the files from their original location on my Nexto Ultra ND2525 to a new folder with new names (as per my naming standard).
for full workflow in the field (Digital Workflow for a Wildlife Photographer in the field).

Reviewing with LightRoom was easy and the laptop had enough grunt to generate the previews in the fly without too much delay. Occasionally the "Working" popup appeared but that's expected.

I reviewed the shoot on the Library panel in Loupe View using the x key to tag rejected shots.
Using the left & right arrow keys to move through the folder.
When done, it was simple matter to delete the rejected photos.

Hardly a pushing the boundaries of what LightRoom is for but it did was asked.

Should I have used something else? Maybe, Photo Mechanic is much faster for importing but I haven't shelled out for it yet.

Still using Lightroom gave me the option of keywording direct into my catalog if I had time to follow my workflow.

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Wildebeest Migration Carnage

While in the Masai Mara recently to try and get some migration shots we noted the lack of decent crossings. There had just been some heavy rain and the Mara river was flowing fast. Hence not a lot of crossing action.

It would seem the situation hasn't got any better!

Check this out

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The Mara with Andy Rouse

Arrghh! Trying to adjust back to "Normal" life after our recent trip to Kenya.
That said coping with post trip depression can be a topic for another post!

The focal point of the trip was a Photographic Safari with Andy Rouse, 10 days in the Masai Mara.

Should you do a similar trip?
What's it about?


Andy Rouse is a well known British Wildlife Photographer who has made a name for himself on the world stage. If you are unfamiliar with his work then do yourself a favour and check out his website or check out his books on Amazon.
Andy like a few wildlife photographers also runs workshops & tours. The trips are a chance for us to get some tips and more importantly see how a professional works.

If you have read any of Andy's books or articles you soon get the feeling he is a down to earth kind of guy. There is none of the artistic pretence or sense of importance that surrounds some other well know wildlife photographers. The first thing that surprised me with Andy himself was that what you read is what you get. When we got off the plane at the airstrip in the Mara, Andy was there to greet us and help with the bags. That level of hands on participation was there for the whole trip.

The other thing that stands out is that he is very passionate about wildlife. Not just photographing it but wildlife in general. The welfare of the subject is of the utmost importance. If you are only interested in ticking off species shots no matter what the cost then a trip with Andy is not for you. If the animal in question is getting stressed or anxious the shoot will move on to give the animal its space.

Just because the trip has a casual atmosphere and a good sense of fun do not think that you don't get the goods. When you are on tour with Andy you get the full benefit of his vast experience. I never got the feeling that we weren't being told of a technique or composition because it was a trade secret or part of his "style". During the evening slide show we were given insights into the "How" on many of his iconic shots. When you are in the vehicle with him, he shoots with you. Andy really enjoys the teaching/interaction side of these tours and it shows.

Obviously to get the absolute most out of the experience you should have a good idea how to use that expensive DSLR and big lens. Still our trip had a mix of experience levels and Andy's assistance was tailored to the individuals. If you needed help with the basics you got it. Personally I got more out of the compositional side and what it takes to get the shot. You have to make it happen. Just being in the Mara isn't enough. Think about the shots you want with animals and ask the drivers to help get you in the position. The importance of knowing the habits of your subjects. This will get you in the position to "get lucky" and get that behavioural shot.

As they say the proof is in the results. 10 days, 10+ hrs a day in the field meant 8000 or so shots so I have some work to do. The results will show up here on the blog and of course on the website so pop by every so often and check them out.

If you love wildlife photography and you are serious about getting the best shots you can but want to have a fun time while you are doing it then you cannot go past a photographic safari with Andy Rouse.

If you have any questions about the trip or would like to know more than do not hesitate to post a question.

Since this reads as an advert for Andy's tours, I had better state that this trip was fully self funded and will gladly be paying for more trips in the future.

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What do I take on a Photo Safari in Africa

The simple answer: Anything you want!

Everybody gets hung up over this one, what can I take, what should I take. I don't mean to trivialise the question but as with most of life there are many layers to this. Some fairly obvious others not so.

The most obvious is the camera gear. After all you are going on a photo safari to take pictures of wildlife and for the majority of us these days that also means digital photography.

So lets delve into the obvious first off.

You are a competent wildlife shooter so you should have a pretty good idea on the equipment you require for the results you want. For those not so sure what I am getting at, we are talking big zooms. Even though most animals you will come across in Africa are confined in some way these days, the place isn't a petting zoo. In general they don't come up alongside and have a chat. So to get a decent size animal in the frame you are going to want a at least a 300mm lens.

The lens choice changes slightly dependent on your type of safari. In South Africa on the private concessions you could get away with a 70-200. To be on the safe side though I would want something with a tad more reach. I don't have a lovely 500mm so I get by with the Canon 100-400 IS, with on a apc sensor DSLR gives a nice reach. For East Africa I would say that this range is probably the minimum. We are taking the 70-200 f2.8 IS to Kenya shortly but we are also taking the 1.4x and 2x extenders to make sure we have the reach.

Other than the big zoom you should also take a wide angle or something appropriate for landscapes. Africa has alot of big open space and some very dramatic landscapes. By having one of these handy with you, you will have something to do even if there is no wildlife action. Or it maybe a case of not very thrilling action, you can only watch a herd of impala for so long. Try to get some shots of the animals in their habitat.

Don't get me wrong I know the seduction of the big lens, I mean you have spent some decent cash on this monster lens, lugged it halfway around the world so you want some frame filling shots. By all means do it, fill the frame, do the interesting crops (that only you will appreciate) but do pull back at some point. Get the tips of the ears in, make sure the animal has feet, make sure it still has a tail. I could show you a multitude of these shots from our first safari. In fact i could show you too many from the last safari as well. No matter how much you may love them very few other people will so pull back get the whole animal in. Then when you are comfortable with that pull back a bit further and show some environment. Trust me on this, you will appreciate those shots when you get home.

Anyway the point here is you can and will use a variety of ranges when on safari, so make sure you have room in the bag for some of the others. Besides its digital if you don't like them you can delete them when you get home!

I have rambled a tad so the other obvious bits will have to be for another day, so stay tuned,

Next: What camera to take

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Does style of trip affect my photo opportunities?

You bet it does!!

The style of trip you choose for your shoot in Africa has a direct relation to your chances of getting the shots you want.

Is the lodge close to the action, if not then more shooting time is spent getting to and from the action. Does the park allow night drives, if not your guide will have to have you out of the park before dark, severely limiting your time with that sweet sunset light. Or you camp activities mean you will be busy while the action is happening.

All of these things will affect the quality of your final images. In todays post I will look into the most common style of trips and the various pros and cons of each with relation to wildlife photography.

So heres the types of trips I have been on and their affect on digital photography.

Overland: As I mentioned the other day this is one of the cheapest ways to get around (a plus) but it has a few downsides for photographers.

PRO

• Can cover vast distances cheaply.
• Other like minded people to share the fun.

CON

• Lack of security for your expensive camera gear.
• No control of your time on site. "A 30min game drive is all you will need"
  
• Camp chores will get in your way at some point.
• Charing your power hungry digital toys will be problematic.

Lodge Based: Hmm now we are talking, this is the way to get decent images in Africa but it comes at a price.

PRO

• Lodge is usually in or near the park with the wildlife, thus less time on the commute.
• Game drives are conducted by a guide who knows movements of the animals.
• You just take the gear you need for the shoot out on the drive.
• These places are usually more sympathetic to the needs of the photographer.
• Dependent on the particular camp but charging is usually available.

CON

• The big one is the cost. Even the more affordable lodges are not cheap. If they are there is likely to be a reason.
• Again this is dependent on the camp/lodge but you can be at the mercy of their guides. If they have a vehicle full of non photogs then your time maybe cut short.
• Most of the time there will be other people in the vehicle and they will get in your way at some point and kill your shot. Good thing we are digital now!!

Lodge Based Fly In: Pretty much as for Lodge based but with a couple of extra pluses.

PRO

• You get to the camp alot quicker, thus more time shooting with your DLSR in the glorious African light.
• You can can get to more camps in your holiday. More camps = more variety which can mean better shots.

CON

• Way more expensive but if time is short....
• Luggage issues, light planes can only physically fit a certain amount onboard. 3-5 people with 500mm lenses takes up some space.

Walking Safari: There is no better way to get a feel for Africa, you haven't "experienced" Africa until you have done a walking safari. So get out of the jeep and get down amongst it.

PRO

• You are in the thick of it, down on the ground, part of the food chain! It provides a better angle for your shots, no looking down on anyone.
• You are unlikely to get anyone in your way.
• While there are time constraints there is usually more flexibility in exactly where you wander.

CON

• You had better travel light because you are lugging your own gear (Even for high end walking safaris you have to carry your own camera gear.
• Charging! Whats that. Only the high end is going to provide the digital photographer with enough power.
• You get way closer to the animals in a vehicle. In most places the animals are habituated to safari vehicles so they pretty much ignore you. On foot they will most likely run away. Which means you have to be quick to get yet another bum shot.

I think my preference is pretty clear, if you can afford it do a lodge based safari, you are pretty much guaranteed of getting some worthy shots. Whether self drive is better (if it is available) is an issue I haven't tried yet. It would give more time and every photographer likes to be in control of their time shooting.

Sorry about the long article (well done if you have read this far!!) but there is alot to consider on this topic.

Next time we start looking at what photographic goodies you should take with you on your adventure to Africa.

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What style of Africa trip will suit my photographic goals

The How

The how means how will you experience Africa, how will you get the shots you desire.

The how can be influenced by a number of factors.

• Location
• Time
• Budget
• Comfort Level /Style of travel/ Security

Lets delve into these in more detail.

Location:   So how can your choice of trip location affect you.  Some countries restrict the types of travel available within them, ie Libya means no independent travel, tour groups only.  Thankfully none of these restrictions really apply in the prime wildlife areas.  That said some of the prime areas charge alot, which may blow your budget or mean less time onsite. All of which can drastically alter your chances of getting the shot. So check out your choice of country and its options fully before booking.

Time:   No doubt you are fully aware that for wildlife photography the more time you can spend with the critters the better your chances of getting the shot. Obviously when the critter is in your backyard this is not an issue but in Africa you could be spending $500-1000 a day. As a photographer you cannot go by the standard tourist brochures "Allow 2-3 days on safari to make the most of it". Yeah right for us this is the bare minimum. You have paid alot in airfares and greenhouses gases to get to Africa so make the most of it; maximise your time on the ground with camera in hand!

Budget :  This controls how long you can spend with the critters. Most Africa countries have a wide array of options available for the traveller. Some of which are not really suitable for serious photography. ie Overlanding is a great cheap way to get around  but you can be guaranteed that the best action will happen at the waterhole while you are on kitchen duty!! (I speak from experience on this!). Self Drive is great in alot of Southern Africa but finding the game is not always easy. Still this is a good mid range option if you have time.  Lodge based offers the best option for photographers on a time limit. You get a guide who knows where to find the animals. Don't be fooled into thinking the $1000 a lodge has the best wildlife. There maybe other cheaper options in the very near vicinity.

Comfort level:  No where near as important as the others but you have to think about it. The $1000 a day place will be offering good wildlife but its main draw card is the luxury and pampering. I cannot speak for you but I am there to spend time in the wild taking photos not to get a massage. The flip side of this is that the back packers is no place for your uber expensive zoom lenses!! I prefer a mid range lodge in a good area. Another facet to this point is security, how comfortable are you travelling in 3rd world countries. There is no pint going to Africa if you are going to be to worried by street crime to go outside the hotel.

As you can see these are all linked together, one affects the other. So have a think about these points and next time I will have a closer look at the styles of trips available and their pros and cons.

As always fell free to comment.

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Nature Photogrpahy Mecca: Africa

So you have decided to go to Africa

A very good choice but now the question becomes where in Africa to go. Lets face it the place is huge.

You cannot always even go by the preferred habitat of your favourite animal, ie Elephants pop up all over the place.
So now the fun starts; where in Africa to go

Unless you have a decent zoom you are going to be getting some of the surrounding ecosystem in the shot. In fact is a good idea to do some animal in its environment shots. Hence the location can be important. Southern Africa in the dry season (prime animal viewing time) is rather full of brown and yellow, so if you want something green you had better look hard.

Every country has is definitive backdrop, the amazing orange tones of the Namibian sand dunes, the huge open grasslands of the Serengeti in Tanzania, the lush green jungles of Rwanda.

Having spent most of our Africa time down south I will go through the highlights of the places we have been. At a later date i will do a more thorough review of the areas visited.

South Africa: Good animal densities in the major parks. Mainly bush setting, light scrub. Having spent some time in the private reserves around Kruger I can highly recommend the area for animal action. Mala Mala was particularly good for leopard but as always with leopards you mileage will vary.

Namibia: Other than in Etosha the animal densities are low but you will be rewarded with some interesting backdrops. If you can get it a Gemsbok on the orange sand looks great. Namibia is mainly desert, varying from sandy to stony. Etosha has wide open areas, lots of herbivores (read lots of zebra and giraffe). Elephants and lions are more scattered

Zimbabwe: Again lots of bush land, but it varies dependent on exact location. The Mana Pools area is good and can provide some ver close encounters with Elephants. Sadly the more remote park have been badly hit by subsistence poaching and commercial poaching so the few animals that remain are a tad spooked. Still don't just write the place off, it still has plenty to offer.

Botswana: Varies dramatically form the lush waterways of the Okavango Delta to the sandy grass plains of Chobe. Sadly we haven't got the private concessions yet but the are suppose to be quite special. Linyanti has a good reputation for Hunting Dogs. Chobe National park has good diversity of animals and huge herds of Elephants. These elephants like to take a drink from the Chobe river at sunset making for some spectacular images. Chobe also produces some amazing sunsets.

Shorty we are off to the Masai Mara in Kenya so I will add much detail to the site about that location hopefully while we are there but if not when we get back. In fact this trip and its preparation is forming the basis of a few upcoming articles so stay tuned.

Another time we will look at other parts of Africa from a non wildlife perspective, ie the cultural highlights of North Africa and Roman Africa.

As always share your thoughts and experiences with us. Aside from photography we are also dedicated travellers, so tell us about your adventures. As any keen traveller knows the only people who truly appreciate your tales are other travellers, the people back home just don't get it.

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Where in the world do I go to take photos of wildlife?

Wildlife photography covers all the wonderful array of life on our planet, but of course we all have our favourites. Those critters who we live to shoot.
My preference is for the larger fauna, most likely because our Australian wildlife while unique and fascinating is rather small. What I wouldn't give for a species of elephant local to Australia!!
If you like your critters large then 3 continents instantly spring to mind:

• Africa
  

  Yes other places have big animals but these have plenty of them. Lets face it the place is huge, its wildlife prolific and the eco systems diverse. All that adds up to much varied and interesting photography.
  Once you have been there its like a virus is inserted into your system and it itches constantly until you are back in Africa. Its an expensive addiction!
  In fact its where we go regularly to be get away from the artificial world and immerse ourselves in bush and spend valuable time with our camera gear.

  
  
• India
  

  Its next on the must do list. Of course you think India, you think Tigers. Certainly a very photogenic subject if there ever was one. Still India is not a one trick pony, its national parks hold a staggering diversity of wildlife, even more diverse than Africa. From the elephants, rhinos, elusive leopards, rare lions, Black buck, Musk deer and the list goes on. Lets face it anywhere with elephants and big cats has to be on the list.

  
  

• North America.
  

  
  

  An interesting choice and some may argue it but there is no denying they have some iconic animals who photograph well. First to mind is the bears, big bears!! A good shot of grizzly catching salmon would be a nice addition to anyones library. Clichéd and unlikely to sell, as its done to death but its not all about sales. Next would be the Bison, Ok not as pretty as a big cat but still an interesting subject. Good luck with getting a shot of the cats in the wild but they are there from mountain lions to bobcats and lynxes. How about the other hoofed species, Moose, Elk, and the very cool MuskOx up in Alaska.

  
  

Given I have an unhealthy fascination with Africa it is there we will delve into next. The question of where to take the camera in search of wildlife.

If you have been to any of the 3 continents to indulge in some wildlife photography then let us know. Or maybe you have somewhere in mind that is more worthy of the top 3.

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