Day 3: Six Days of Africa Photo Safari Tips

Today is the third day of a series here on my blog: Six Days of Africa Photo Safari Tips.

I'm running this series in preparation for my 2014 Kenya/Tanzania Photo Safari, which is listed on my 2014 Workshops page.

Today's tip: Strive for animal behavior shots.

Sure, portraits of wild animals are nice, and I'll share a few of my favorites tomorrow here on my blog. But behavior shots tell more of a story, such as the photograph above of a small herd of elephants protecting their young.

For good behavior shots, you first need to be lucky, as I was when I took the above photograph of a lion and lioness fighting.

But as lucky as you may be, being prepared to capture the behavior is a must - you must have a good understanding of light and composition, which I cover in my on-line classes.

And, of course, you must have the right lens. I recommend always having two cameras ready: one with a wide-angle zoom, say a 24-105mm, and one with a telephoto zoom, perhaps a 100-400mm lens. That's for starters. After that, you may want longer and shorter lenses in your camera bag. All my gear, including those lenses, is listed on My Gear page.

Planning can also help you get good behavior photographs. I planned one of my Africa photo safari workshops so the group would be there for the annual migration of the zebra and wildebeest. Talk about getting good behavior shots! The opening image of the migration is one of my favorite photo safari photos.

In my first post in this series I shared a portrait I took of our guide. Again, portraits are nice, but behavior shots tell more of a story, such as the above photograph that I took of a Masai warrior demonstrating his jumping skills.

Here's something else about behavior shots: they can make you smile, as I do when I look at this photograph of a mommy elephant and her baby.

I hope to see you on a photo safari or on any of my workshops. I'm there to help you make great pictures and process your images.

If you like stuff like this, you can subscribe to my blog here.

Explore the light,
Rick

This post sponsored by Borrow lenses - which rents all the lenses you'll need on a photo safari. Back-up cameras, too.

Day 2: Six Days of Africa Photo Safari Tips

Today is the second day of a series here on my blog: Six Days of Africa Photo Safari Tips.

I'm running this series in preparation for my 2014 Kenya/Tanzania Photo Safari, which is listed on my 2014 Workshops page.

Today's tip: Go wide.

First-time Africa photo safari photographers often focus on getting super close-ups of the animals with super-telephoto lenses, and subsequently don't take wide-angle shots.

Taking wide-angle shots on your photo safari is important. These shots give a "sense of place" to your photographs - and for sure add interest to your slide shows. After all, you can take close-ups of lions and giraffes in a wildlife park or zoo. Right?

Of course, you can also take "sense a place" photographs with a telephoto lens - as long as you include the surrounding area in the frame. Just shoot wide, and don't fill the frame with the subject.

Lenses used for these photographs:
Lone giraffe - Canon 24-105mm IS
Elephant and elephants passing safari vehicle – Canon 17-40mm
Several giraffes - Canon 100-400mm IS
Safari guide – Canon 15mm lens

You can read about these lenses on My Gear page.

Getting back to telling the story, pictures of wild animals and beautiful landscapes are not the only pictures that tell the story of your photo safari. Behind-the-scenes shots do that, too.

Behind-the-scenes pictures also bring back memories of your long safari drives and time with your guide - and how close the animals actually come your safari vehicle.

I hope to see you on a photo safari or on any of my workshops. I'm there to help you make great pictures and process your images.

If you like the composition of the photographs in this post, and if you want to learn how to make the best possible exposure, check out my Kelby Training Classes on my On-Line Classes page.

If you like stuff like this, you can subscribe to my blog here.

Explore the light,
Rick

This post sponsored by Borrow lenses - which rents all the lenses you'll need on a photo safari. Back-up cameras, too.

Day 1: Six Days of Africa Photo Safari Tips

Today is the start of a series here on my blog: Six Days of Africa Photo Safari Tips.

I'm running this series in preparation for my 2014 Kenya/Tanzania Photo Safari, which is listed on my 2014 Workshops page.

Today's tip: Go on a foot safari.

Photographing from a vehicle is awesome, but a foot safari can't be beat. Here are some photos from my previous foot safaris, along with some tips. Enjoy.

Not all camps offer foot safaris – where you actually walk on, rather than ride over, the African plains. But if the camp does offer this experience, go for it. It can't be beat for the thrill of being one with nature.

Above: That's me on my previous Kenya trip with our Masai Mara foot safari guide, Jackson, and our security guard, Francis.

Is a foot safari dangerous? Not really. After all, your guides are not going to take chances. That means not getting super close the animals, but you'll be doing that anyway on your driving safaris. 

Camera gear is important, but before we get to that, dressing properly is also very important:
A) you want to wear clothes that blend in with the surroundings;
B) you want to wear good hiking boots.

Dressing in "lion hungry" pink and wearing sneakers, through which a thorn can easily penetrate, is not the way to go. See the shot above that I took on a foot safari in South Africa directly above. Ouch!

Speaking of dressing for success, check out Outdoor Photo Gear for great prices on Bug Shirts, Gloves, Neos over shoes, gloves and more.

Okay. Here are my camera gear recommendations for a foot safari.
- Two camera bodies. I use Canon 5D Mark III cameras.
- Wide-angle to medium telephoto lens on one body. I recommend a 24-105mm.
- Telephoto zoom on the other body. I recommend a 70-200mm f/4 (relatively light).
- Black Rapid duo strap, for easy access to both cameras.
- Domke photo vest - to carry spare batteries, cards and water.

The key of course to a good foot safari is a good guide – with an eagle eye. A good guide will spot animals, even if they are well hidden. I never would have seen this lion resting in the shade had my guide not pointed him out. Good thing our guide kept us at a safe distance!

While you are out and about, take the opportunity to make portraits of your guides. They will be much closer than the lions . . . which you actually don't want to see up close while on foot! I took the lion shot above while safely seated in a safari vehicle.

If you like the composition of the photographs in this post, as well as the lighting check out my Kelby Training Classes.

Explore the light,
Rick

This post sponsored by x-rite. X-Rite is the global leader in color science and technology. The Company develops, manufactures, markets and supports innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services.

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ColorMunki
Passport Color Checker

Rick's Backyard Digital Photography Workshop - Learn Digital Photography From Start to Finish

Each Fall and Spring I offer an intimate (10 photographers) digital photography workshop in my "backyard" – Croton-on-Hudson, NY. It's one of my favorite workshops of the year. Cost for the two-day workshop is $500.00. (Private lessons in my backyard are available, too.)

We shoot along the Hudson River at sunset and at the New Croton Dam. I teach lighting and composition – two ingredients that make a good picture. I also talk about the value of thinking like a painter, which frees us up from the limitations of photography.

I take the students to the largest Buddhist Temple in the United Sates. We shoot indoors and outdoors. We make straight shots and HDR images.

I show the participants how to shoot and process panoramas, too.

We have plenty of time to process our pictures using Photoshop and Lightroom. We also cove creative plug-ins. The group slide show/critique is the highlight of the workshop.

I stress the importance of making pictures rather than just taking pictures. Making pictures is way more fun and creative.

Left Photograph: Jeremy Pollack. Right: Photograph by Joe Brady.

We also have portraits sessions, during which you'll learn about speedlites and fill-in flash.

I hope you can join me someday in my "backyard" for a rewarding digital photography learning experience. Shoot me an email for more information. Please keep in mind that these workshops fill up very fast.

Places to Stay
Comfort Inn (15 minutes from Croton)
Bed and Breakfast (in Croton). Our recommendation.

All my workshops are listed on My Workshops page. I hope to see you on one someday soon.

Explore the light,
Rick

P.S. I call the opening image – an in-camera HDR image taken with my Canon 5D Mark III and enhanced with Nik Color Efex Pro – "Sunset in the Park with Rick."  Yes, the title of the image was inspired by the play, "Sunday in the Park with George," a musical inspired by the paining by Georges Seurat, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." 

Check Out Topaz Clarity – and save a few bucks!

Readers of my blog, as well as those who come on my workshops,  know that I am a big fan of plug-ins – because plug-ins can help you awaken the artist within.

My latest (just launched today) and favorite plug-in is Clarity from Topaz Labs. So far, I have been using Clarity to create stronger images.

This before-and-after set of images of Official Parking Man in Old Havana, Cuba is one such example.

Compare the image below (original) with the image above (enhanced). Notice the increased detail in the wall behind the man, as well as the increased structure in the man's face.

To add the texture and "a look" to the image, I used the Documentary filter in Clarity, which gave the photograph a stronger look and feel.

Above is a close-up of the man's face. Clarity increases details in an image without creating halos, which can creep into an image when adding this type of enhancement. That's very cool.

Above: One viewing/working option in Clarity is to see your images side-by-side. That's the way I like to work (and play).

Above: Cool controls in Clarity include: Hue, Saturation, Luminance, Dynamics and even Masks! Plus there are tons of pre-sets to get you going and to give you some creative inspiration.

Clarity Sale, Discount and Download: Until May 31, use the code - claritynew - and get Clarity for only $29.99. After that date the price goes to $49.99. You can download the cool plug-in from the Topaz site. Go to Products and select Clarity.

While you are on the Topaz site, use my discount code - rsammon - and save 15% on other Topaz plug-ins . . . and save a bundle on a bundle.

As long as I'm talking about Topaz Labs, Topaz Adjust is another favorite artistic plug-in. I usually use it to remove some of the reality from an image. When you remove some of the reality from an image, a photograph can look more artistic and more creative.

Above: I used The Lomo II filter in Topaz Adjust to remove some of the reality from the image on the left. I photographed the young woman in Old Havana Cuba, too.

Above: All Topaz plug-ins offer easy-to-navigate windows for . . . that's right . . . easy navigation.

My favorite plug-ins are listed on my Save on Plug-Ins page. Check 'em out and save a few bucks.

Explore the light,
Rick

P.S. Plug-ins are, indeed, cool. But you must start with the best in-camera image, which starts with a good exposure and good composition - stuff I talk about on my on-line classes.

Here's a fun shot of me in Old Havana, Cuba. The man makes "cameras" out of beer cans.

For street shooting, I usually travel with two Canon 5D camera bodies and two zoom lenses: Canon 24-105mm IS and Canon 70-200mm. All my gear is listed on My Gear page.

Starting Thursday: Six Days of Photo Safari Tips

In preparation for my 2014 Kenya/Tanzania photo safari/workshop, starting Thursday, I'm running a series here on my blog: Six Days of Photo Safari Tips.

You'll find info on the workshop on my 2014 Workshops page.

Also check out my On Safari gallery here on my site.

Stay tuned.

Explore the light,
Rick

This post sponsored by x-rite. X-Rite is the global leader in color science and technology. The Company develops, manufactures, markets and supports innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services.

Check out these cool x-rite products:
ColorMunki
Passport Color Checker

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