12/23/2012

Best Options For A Perfect African Photo Safari

By Brandi Little


The continent of Africa is a massive continent. Africa is world renowned for its abundance of wildlife reserves that are perfect for wildlife photography. If you have wanted to get into wildlife photography then Africa could be the perfect place to start by going on an African photo safari, but some parks can be very busy with tourists making shooting a more stressful experience.

Africa presents a lot of choice when it comes to photo safaris. The most famous locations are: The Serengeti in Tanzania, Masai Mara in Kenya, and Okavango in Botswana. There are hundreds of other parks in Africa with an abundance of wildlife, they are mainly confined to east and south Africa.

East Africa has the most established safaris that are enjoyed by thousands of visitors each year, the most well known are in Kenya and Tanzania. These are not always the best choice for a photo safari as they are often crowded with many other tourists jostling for position to get the best pictures.

South Africa has many fantastic wildlife shooting opportunities. The main wildlife reserves are in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. These parks tend to see fewer visitors than their East African counterparts.

Botswana's parks are worth considering as a location for wildlife photography. The herds on large mammals are smaller so it is easier to snap individual animals, although this makes it hard to get the mass migrations that you can enjoy in East Africa. Botswana's parks are also much less crowded and more time is spend at one location, making photography but more relaxed.

Botswana's wildlife parks are also far away from population centers and it is easy to enjoy being at a location for days without seeing any other human beings.

Four wheel drive land rovers or cruisers are usually the vehicle of choice for African safaris. It is easy to move around in the vehicle in order to get the best shots. Vehicles should have an open top so photographers can stay inside the vehicle and be safe.

In terms of photographic equipment a good SLR is a must, with a reasonably fast frame rate so you can stop action. You will also want a camera that offers good image quality at high ISOs. You will need at least a 500mm lens that is reasonably fast so it can gather light, it can become very dark if you are not on the plains and in forested areas.

A good photo safari will spend an appropriate amount of time at the same location, returning to tent camps when the light goes. This makes it possible to observe the animals and get the best shots. The vehicle should stop and the engine turned off when shooting to minimize vibrations, improving image quality. Some pro photographers do their own African photo safari, which are a great way to learn or improve your photography. Take a look on the internet at photo safaris in Africa or for suitable safaris where photography would be possible.




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