Safari photo tips for amateur photographers:

If buying a new camera, Nikon and Canon are good choices

• Spend time learning your new camera BEFORE your trip!!
• You will want 30X or greater optical zoom (Digital zooms are fuzzy)
• Take at least 3 batteries and charger(s)
• Take quantity of 2 or more memory cards at least 8-16 GB each, more if you plan to video
• If your camera charges off a USB port then consider an “on the go” charger. Make sure you have a wall plug or a wall plug with USB capability
• Set to action setting for animals/fish so if they move when taking the photo the camera will catch the action without the blur
• Sunset photos – aim at the skyline and “grab” the color by lightly pressing the shutter button so that the camera will “learn” the needed settings. Then while still lightly pressing the shutter button lower the camera to where you want the picture and fully press the button to take the picture.
• When you zoom in leave a small margin as often the camera will crop your photo – so leave a little room
• Take multiple photos of animals/fish or scenery throughout the day as the light changes and your photos will as well.
• Hold the camera steady and squeeze the shutter button rather than pushing
• Use a bean bag or some other kind of support, as most things can be corrected in the editing phase except “out of focus” image
• Composition is critical, don’t put your subject in the middle, use the “rule of thirds”
• Image file size – set your camera to the largest possible file size and raw is better
• The bigger the image file size the more information is there that you can work with later in editing and enlarging
• Take lots of photos as you can edit and delete later
• Look at your photos periodically to make sure they look good to you BUT only look at a few as reviewing your photos will drastically drain your battery life. Wait until the evening when you have access to a charger to spend a lot of time looking at photos.
• When the light starts to fade, don’t put your camera away as often great pictures such as silhouettes will present themselves.
• Wide images are often more difficult to shoot but end up being more pleasant images. In other words, put your animals in context
• The most interesting photos have a subject whether that is a person or animal. Scenery photos are nice to have but most people enjoy looking at a subject.
• Remember to take photos of the people that make your trip special!

FINALLY, DON’T SPEND YOUR ENTIRE SAFARI/ADVENTURE LOOKING THROUGH A CAMERA! ENJOY YOUR SURROUNDINGS!