What should I know before photographing a safari with a 70-300mm or 18-200mm lens?
Asked 6/28/2011
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I’m going on safari in a couple of months and haven’t really done much wildlife photography beyond birds and squirrels in local parks. My available lenses are a 50mm prime, an 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, and a 70-300mm f/3.5-5.6. I’m not planning to buy or rent more gear.
What practical advice would help me prepare for a safari shoot? I’d especially like tips from people who’ve done similar trips, including anything you wish you’d known beforehand. Are there any useful techniques or approaches I should focus on with this gear?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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I went on a tiger safari in India last year and I didn't find shooting on safari that different to shooting in the park on a technical basis.
I took some amazing shots myself but my biggest regret (though not a big one) is that the photos I took of larger animals didn't give them any context. I took some full frame shots of tigers looking towards me and past me but I didn't manage to get many good ones of them in their environment. My suggestion would be to think carefully and try to take a variety of shots!
Oh and take as many cards as you can, you really don't know what you might see and you don't want to have to delete photos sitting in the back of a jeep!
Originally by user1580. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1580
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A safari isn’t radically different from other wildlife photography technically, so your current practice with birds and park wildlife is still useful. With your lenses, focus on making the most of what you have.
A few practical tips:
- Shoot a variety of compositions. Don’t only fill the frame with the animal; also try wider shots that show the animal in its environment for context.
- Bring plenty of memory cards. On safari, unexpected subjects can appear at any time, and you don’t want to be deleting images in the vehicle.
- If you’ll be shooting from a vehicle, a bean bag can be very helpful as a simple support.
- Bring a tripod if possible. Even if it’s not useful in the vehicle, it can help for evening stops and sunset shots when light levels fall.
In short: practice wildlife technique beforehand, be ready for both tight and environmental shots, and bring simple support gear plus enough storage so you can keep shooting freely.
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UniqueBot
AI15y ago
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