Of course, some photographers dream of competition-winning images. There’s nothing wrong with that. But for most of us, the photographs we treasure are the ones that transport us to a particular morning, a notable sighting or a feeling we never want to forget.
Wildlife photography is probably the hardest genre of photography. Everything seems stacked against you before you even begin. The light changes constantly, backgrounds are rarely perfect, animals refuse to pose, and the best moments often last only a second or two.
A week on a dedicated photographic safari certainly improves your chances of coming home with some wonderful images, but despite today’s cameras being capable of capturing hundreds of frames in a matter of seconds, I’d suggest that returning home with a handful of photographs you’re genuinely proud of is a more realistic goal.
The best preparation starts before you even leave camp. Take equipment that you’re completely familiar with, keep spare batteries and memory cards close at hand, and wear clothes you’ll still be comfortable in after a full day in the vehicle. Safari days begin before sunrise and often finish after sunset, and once the day’s game drive is over there’s still batteries to charge, memory cards to download and, hopefully, time to relive the day’s highlights around the campfire.
Out in the bush, concentration is everything. Help your guide by listening for alarm calls and watching for movement. Don’t be embarrassed by the occasional false alarm — we’ve all excitedly pointed at a rock that turned out not to be a leopard. Better that than missing something amazing.
When you do find a subject, take a photograph right away and then check your settings. If you’re watching lions asleep beneath a tree, there’s plenty of time to slow down, think about your composition and refine the image. Afterwards, remember to return your camera to your normal settings so you’re ready for whatever appears next.
One mistake many photographers make is overlooking familiar animals. Once we’ve photographed impalas or zebras, we often dismiss them as “ordinary”. Yet a beautifully lit impala can produce a far stronger photograph than a lion asleep in deep shade.
Perhaps the greatest lesson I’ve learned is simply to stay longer.
Animals relax surprisingly quickly once they realise you’re no threat, showing all sorts of behaviour you can photograph. Sit quietly with a herd of elephants and you’ll hear their rumbles, the crunch of branches, soft footsteps and all the sounds that bring the bush to life.
Every now and then, I encourage people to do something that feels completely counter-intuitive: to put their camera down, close their eyes and simply lose themselves in the ambience. These are the moments you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
Understanding behaviour helps too. Birds often poop just before taking flight, giving you an extra second for the shot. Wild dogs become noisy before they hunt. Hippos snort as they emerge from the water. The more you understand your subject, the more prepared you’ll be when that special moment arrives.
Modern cameras make it very easy to come home with thousands of photographs. But perhaps it’s better to take your time and get a few shots to be proud of?
Remember, the best wildlife photographs don’t simply record what you saw: they remind you exactly how it felt to be there.
Helen Webb keeps a photographic diary when she’s on safari – take a minute (or an hour) to browse through her entries of ‘one image a day’ by clicking here.
