Wildlife Photography in Africa

Africa has always been known as one of the best destinations for wildlife photography, or nature photography in general. All serious professional wildlife photographers have quite a portion of their file filled with photos from Africa. Why is this? It is because Africa presents you with opportunities for wildlife photography like no other place in the world.

Abundant wildlife

Africas wildlife is legendary. There are countless beautiful species, each unique. These species can still be seen in vast areas of their natural habitat, all over Africa. In some places, natural migrations that cover thousands of kilometers still take place unhampered by human civilization. You will not find this rich diversity anywhere else in the world.

Some of the species make such a brutal and captivating living, preying off other species that they get admired by every naturalist. Who would not like to see a lion kill? Who does not dream about finding a leopard in a tree, with an impala ram that it has just taken down? And cheetahs stalking gazelle in long grass? Obviously you would like to experience these things, even capture it on film. Unfortunately it can happen only in Africa.

Amazing photography

Good wildlife photography usually involves capturing some action in the golden light of dawn or dusk. As I explained above, if there is someplace to see wildlife in action, it is Africa.

The golden light does not get more golden than in Africa. Believe it or not, but this is due to dust in the air. Most of Africa is dry, and particularly in the dry season it gets very dusty. This causes the sun to be very red as it leaves or approaches the horizon, causing a beautiful golden glow on any subject bathed in sunlight.

In the dry season, the bushveld is also a lot more open (not too dense) and then you can spot your subject easier and compose it with less interference (branches and leaves sticking into your photograph uninvited)

Other considerations

Africa is very dusty as I said. Now, this can interfere with your photography as your cameras digital sensor must be spotlessly clean for it not to show dust on the photograph. I would therefore recommend that if you cannot afford to bring different camera bodies for each of your lenses, to either just use a broad zoom lens or only to change lenses when there is no dust around, and to not change lenses often.

Most wildlife photography in Africa happens from inside a vehicle. You can try handholding all shots, but you will delete at least half you photos if this is your approach. Rather try using beanbags or a window bracket for camera support. These will ensure you get that sharp shot.

Conclusion

Africa is an excellent destination for wildlife photography. Why dont you come and see for yourself. One warning though! If you visit Africa and spend a night or two under African skies, you might just be hooked for life. Even worse, if you get back home and see the award winning photos you have taken, you might just make a permanent move to Africa Dont say I didnt warn you!

Dries Cronje makes a living from nature photography in Africa. He gives his fellow photographers some useful advice on his website http://www.africa-nature-photography.com.

Digital Stock Photography
The term digital photographs means photographs that can be viewed on a computer screen, mobile phones and Palmtops. Digital photographs have changed the way stock photographs are sold and distributed. Digital photographs are captured using a digital ...

Raccoons in Your Chimney
I have a raccoon in my chimney! Now what do I do?I have heard that question many times in my career as a Nuisance Wildlife Removal Expert.Should I light a fire? For some reason, the first course of action people tend to think of is lighting a fire!...

Equipment Needed for Bird Photography
The nice thing about bird photography is that it can happen anywhere on our beautiful globe. The not so nice thing is that birds are small or shy, and you need to be able to get close enough with your equipment. In this article, we will be looking at...

Photography Techniques
For most photographers the most important factor in their photography is the sharp quality of their images. To get the very best quality we need to know which lenses to use and the best time to use they. There are several lenses on the market today t...

What Are Underwater Cameras?
Over seventy-five percent of the earth is covered with water, with amazing and beautiful life forms beneath the oceans. Underwater cameras are used to capture or explore this amazing life that exists below every ripple and wave. Deep- sea divers use ...

Child Photography
Child photography can bring us back to a warm feeling nothing else can. Children are the "flowers" in the vast "forest of adults." They bring the freshness that gives life joy and purpose. When we hold the new baby that is only hours old we are mo...

How To Take Perfect People Pictures In Digital Photography
One of the things people ask me most about digital photography is how to take perfect people pictures. Digital photography is great for people because you can simply delete the ones you dont like, and show them, on the spot, what the digital photo lo...

What to Look for in a Photography School
Unlike some school programs that are offered in all state universities and colleges, photography, as a full-pledged course, is not as common. In fact, only a handful of art schools have such a comprehensive program.This can be both an advantage and a...

Animal Damage To Your Home - Are You Covered?
I have seen hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to peoples homes. This damage was not caused by storms or fires or high water. The damage I see is caused by wild animals. Sometimes homeowner insurance covers the loss. Often times it doesnt.I o...

Find A Photographer: Why Photographers Should Use an Online Directory
With the ever growing use of the Web for personal and business use, the need to be found via search engines and online directories is becoming ever more crucial to the success of your business.If the mantra preached by Estate Agents is "Location, Loc...

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 at 12:12 pm and is filed under Popular Photography . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.