Starting today, I am re-posting a series here on my blog: Six Days of Africa Photo Safari Tips.
I am running this series in preparation for my 2016 Botswana/South Africa digital photography workshop.
Check out my Beauty of Botswana gallery to see my favorite photographs from my two previous trips to this wildlife wonderland.
Also check out my on-line class: Capturing the Wild: Safari Photography. You can use my tips for making great pictures on a photo safari (and even at a wildlife park).
Today's tip: Go on a foot safari.
Photographing from a vehicle is awesome, but a foot safari can't be beat. Below is a photo from a previous foot safaris in South Africa, 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.
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 – as illustrted in the photo above.
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.
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!
I hope to see you in Botswana/South Africa. If you can't make an Africa photo safari, I offer wildlife photo safaris at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas. That's where I took the photos above. Shoot me an email for 2016 dates.
Explore the light,
Rick
