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Going on a photographic safari in Africa has so many complexities with packing, equipment selection and picking out clothing. Here are some bullet points to help you prepare for your big safari.
Camera equipment
- Â Two cameras are best. This insulates you from camera failure, and it also allows you to have two cameras with two different lenses at the ready. I use a 100-400mm on one camera and a 500mm f/4 on another. I use a third camera (currently a Rebel 400D XTi) that has been converted to infrared, and I use a 24-105mm that never leaves the camera.
- Redundant data backups. I use an Apple Macbook with a 160GB hard drive, and also have an Epson P5000 storage device. In case my Macbook dies on me, I still have a way to download my images from my compact flash cards. I often see folks with a laptop and an external USB or Firewire hard drive, which is great, but if your laptop dies you have no way of offloading your images from your media cards. Food for thought.
- Do not use camera bags that are rigid. For safari photography, you will be shooting from vehicles most of the time. If you have a Pelican case or rolling camera bag, you will have difficulty getting in and out of your bag. You want to have a bag that you can shoot out of. You will grab a camera, use it, and put it back inside and away from the dust. You do not want your bag bouncing around on the floor of your vehicle, as this is the quickest way towards equipment failure. A Pelican case or rolling bag does not easily sit in the seat beside you. The problem is that most camera bags on the market that can fit a ton of gear are either too large, too heavy or both. I am developing my own camera bag that will be coming to market in the near future (blatant plug!).
- Clean your digital sensor as often as you have the time to do it. It is easier than cleaning up your images after the fact. I have heard that cleaning your sensor can be accomplished while enjoying a glass of red wine after sunset. wink wink.
Clothing
- Dress comfortably. Safaris are not fashion shows. Do your research before you leave, because temperatures vary wildly from dusk to mid day to dawn. For example, Tanzania might have a 90 degree afternoon with mid 50's at night. Or Botswana might have a freezing morning and a mild afternoon. Dress in layers.
- Most lodges and camps can do laundry for you. Take advantage of it and pack your bags with as few items as possible. On a 10 day safari, I usually bring enough clothing to last 4 days. So I will do laundry once, maybe twice on a safari. It sure is nice to have a small duffle bag with me.
- Don't wear white clothing.
Photographic Technique
- Learn your autofocus system on your cameras before you leave for Africa. You will benefit from this experience. Understand when to use AI Servo (Canon) or Continuous Focusing (Nikon) and when to use a single shot autofocus mode. Learn all of the beeps your camera makes during this process.
- Determine what the slowest shutter speed you can use for your longest lens and still have a sharp photograph. Replicate the shooting situation at home first. For example, use a beanbag in your vehicle and go out shooting. The rule of thumb is 1/focal length. So if you are shooting with a 500mm lens, it would be 1/500sec. I often shoot at 1/160sec with my 500mm, but this requires practice and proper long lens technique.
- Learn how to expose in tricky situations. I have found that most metering situations for African wildlife is fairly simple: most subjects are either middle tone or within a stop of middle tone.
- Don't stay up late the nights before early game drives. Your photographs will suffer. Get good rest, as most safari days will take it out of you.
- Have fun!!
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