This was my third trip to Tanzania - the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. An advantage of having been before is that not only am I able to focus on the needs of the clients, but when shooting the animals, I'm looking for more than just a nice close-up. That's something I always suggest to those on the trip - get your nice animal shot, but then look for interaction – it’s what the animals do around each other, something out of the ordinary, that often results in better pictures.
As with any photography, one of the keys to wildlife photography is being ready. That means paying close attention to shutter speed, adjusting ISO when necessary to keep it relatively fast. Between telephoto lenses, shooting from trucks and animal movement, try to keep your shutter speed around 1/1000 second or faster to make sure you can stop any action that happens and counter any camera movement.
If possible, get familiar with the animals’ routines – when they eat, sleep, etc., so you can plan your time around being out when they’re most active.
To maximize the reach of my telephoto lenses, I shot mostly with a camera that has a DX chip. That narrows the angle of view of the lenses, resulting in a 1.5X “crop” factor. That means with the 200-400mm, I’m seeing the equivalent of 300-600mm and capturing the shot with 16 megapixels. Being able to adjust your framing at any moment is worth the extra expense and weight of a zoom lens.
If you have guides, take advantage of their knowledge. Ask questions and explain your special needs as a photographer. Most tour groups don’t want to go out as early as photographers, or want to spend as much time out. As our guide, Yusuf told us, no trip to the Serengeti is ever the same. The animals and the land are always changing. Those changes - those moments - are what make it so special for a photographer.
