Camera Memory – Make sure you have loads of memory, remember you are going to be in the middle of the bush with no access to shops. The worst thing you want to happen is run out of memory just as you arrive at a sighting of a leopard stashing it’s kill in a tree!
Camera Power – Make sure you have a backup of whatever power source your camera uses and a the necessary adapters and chargers to recharging the batteries. Electricity should never be taken for granted in Africa, so carry more backup than you would normally and recharge at every opportunity.
Camera Sounds – Turn off all the noises on your camera. . . . . there is nothing like your camera beeps chasing of timid wildlife to make you unpopular with your fellow passengers.
Know your equipment – Animals are unpredictable and unlikely to give you enough time to fiddle with the camera before they disappear into the bushes. You normally won’t get any second chance so make sure you are well acquainted with your equipment before you leave for your safari.
Camera Shake – To keep your pictures pin sharp, a sandbag or a compact travel tripods (like the fexible Gorillapod) can be invaluable, especially when using a large telephoto lens or zoom or when photographing in the low light of dawn and dusk when the animals are most active. The sandbags are great as you can travel with them empty and then only fill them once you arrive in Africa.
Composition & the rule of thirds – The temptation is to compose images with the subjects bang in the middle of the picture. There are always exceptions but your photographs will generally improve if you apply the rule of thirds. In your imagination draw lines dividing the image vertically and horizontally into thirds with grid lines, where the lines intersect give the four optimal locations to put the focal point of the picture.
Where to focus – Ensure that you decide what aspect of the shot you want to capture and focus on it. In general wildlife photograph where the subjects eyes are out of focus loses a lot of its appeal however there are times where other parts of the anatomy can be as captivating such as the pads of a lions paw or a gorillas hand.
Create Space – Leave space for animals to “move” when you frame your images. So of the animal is walking towards the right compose it so it is on the left of the photo so it’s walking into the picture rather than out of it.
Continuous Shooting – Most cameras have a continuous shooting or burst mode function which allows you to take multiple shots very quickly. Burst mode is especially useful in catching an animal that is moving, follow the animal with your camera taking multiple shots, you can then select the best ones later and delete the ones that don’t make the grade.
Small is Beautiful – Most people go on a safari to see Africa’s large mammals and when they think of African wildlife photography, they thinking elephants, lions & giraffe. Africa’s smaller creatures will however provide you with some incredible opportunities if you just keep an open mind.
Colours and Textures – Make an effort to capture the colors, textures and patterns that are symbolic of Africa and its wildlife special. A cheetah’s spots, the tracks of a dung beetle, the texture of an elephants skin!
And finally . . .cheat – Using digital zoom tends to result in loss of quality. If you have a decent pair of binoculars you can sometimes get a better result by using your bino’s as your zoom. Line the lens of the camera carefully with the eyepiece of the bino’s (taking care not to scratch either) and snap. This lion cub photo was taken with a pocket digital but through a good pair of Leica Bino’s.
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