Some time ago Anne and I did a safari in South Africa and I’ve been meaning to do a blog about what we learnt from the experience ever since. So here’s a collection of tips covering what we tried and what we felt we would do differently next time. Although mainly about the photographic side of the trip I’ll throw in some general advice for the non-photographers planning a safari.
Straight away I need to tell you that I don’t consider myself a pro wildlife photographer by any stretch of the imagination. But of the land photography we do the majority is probably wildlife.
Cameras and lenses
After booking our trip we put some thought into what camera equipment we were going to take. We already had Olympus OMD E-M10 MkII Micro-Four-Thirds mirrorless cameras and all the pictures featured in this blog were taken using these. If you are trying to decide what camera to take I’d suggest pushing your budget to some type of interchangeable lens camera and at least a quite long telephoto and a kit lens. While bridge cameras have impressive zooms this is achieved in many cases by using small sensors which may struggle to cope with the low light conditions on the early morning and evening game drives. A compact camera even a ‘super zoom’ like the Sony RX100 VII won’t have the reach over some of the distances you may be wanting to take pictures at.
Be prepared to use your camera on manual. The game drives on our trip were early morning and late afternoon, so light levels weren’t high. To get fast shutter speeds to deal with potentially moving creatures and using a telephoto lens handheld we often had to push up ISO’s and use larger apertures.
We decided to buy two extra camera bodies (used with low shutter count) so that we wouldn’t be in the position of needing to change lenses when something came closer than our telephoto lenses were suitable for. This meant we were ready for different encounters and also we weren’t changing lenses in dusty conditions.
The lenses we used the most were the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 100-300mm f/4.0-5.6 telephoto and unless mentioned in the image captions you can presume that was what we had on the camera when the picture was taken. This is actually one of the cheapest of the long telephoto lenses available for M4/3 cameras and with the crop factor of the smaller sensor it gives the equivalent of a 200-600mm lens on a full frame camera for a fraction of the size and weight, a big advantage when taking shots handheld in a vehicle.
Stops for breakfast and sundowners while out on game drives are nice opportunity to stretch your legs and sometimes see some of the smaller wildlife up close. This cheeky hornbill was hanging around a rest stop in the Kruger National Park.
The other lenses we took with us were the Panasonic Leica 45mm f/2.8 macro, Olympus 75mm f/1.8 , 25mm f/1.8 and the 14-42mm EZ f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. Of these we got the most use from 25mm’s which we tended to keep on our second camera while on the game drives in case something came close. The 45mm macro saw some action especially around the camps where there was a range of smaller critters to photograph.
I’d seriously recommend using either lens hoods or UV filters to protect your lens as there is quite a lot of bouncing around in the vehicles and plenty of dust. We threw away two UV filters after the trip because they were so scratched.
Other kit to take
While attending the Photography Show at the NEC, Birmingham we found some harnesses made by Sun-Sniper (to buy from Amazon click here *) that would allow us to carry two cameras and a pair of binoculars all readily available for use.
We were amazed by the number of people who didn’t bring binoculars with them. Ours were invaluable during the trip and we got to see stuff that we would’ve missed without them. Guides will usually have a pair of binoculars but sharing them isn’t ideal and all the camps we stayed at had viewing areas (usually overlooking water) where you could watch the wildlife between drives with drink to hand. Our binoculars are RSPB 8 x 42 HD’s not cheap but very sharp, well made and a lot less expensive than the next brands up in quality.
One of the things we wished we’d brought with us was a small UV light. Another guest in the first camp we stayed at had one and used it to show where the scorpions were (they fluoresce in UV). It turned out there were quite a few, which made me a lot more cautious about leaning on trees. Having a UV light would be a help if you are a fan of crawly critters but also if you are a bit wary of them you can use one to check there aren’t any in your room. We were careful to shake our shoes out each morning before putting them on, but never found any stowaways.
This fearsome looking critter is actually a harmless whip scorpion that I found living on the wall of an out building at one of the camps. If you are into small creatures like this, it’s worth taking a macro lens with you. This was taken using the Panasonic-Leica 45mm.
Dress sensibly
You don’t need a khaki safari suit like Roger Moore in James Bond but subdued colours are a good idea. Blue, grey, green or brown are all more appropriate than luminous orange. Also bear in mind the time of year and the fact you’ll be going out early in the morning. We were in South Africa at the end of winter and needed fleeces and warm hats when we set off each morning, but within a couple of hours we were warm enough in the sun with just shirts.
Big Five
A well planned safari itinerary will give you a good chance of seeing the so called ‘big five’. So unless you are only doing a very short trip don’t get too worried if you haven’t seen them on your first day. From most accounts we had off friends and family, seeing leopards was the least likely of the five in most safari destinations. We upped our chances by going with On Track Safaris a travel company that helped fund leopard research in the Greater Kruger area, so we were with the specialists. By the third day we had seen all the five and were relishing seeing the other stuff that doesn’t get as big a mention.
While the less well known creatures were really interesting, our encounters with leopards were some of the highlights. This female was stalking a small herd of impala in Thornybush Game Reserve
Taking Pictures
As mentioned in one of the captions we generally shot with the camera on manual, something we do all the time for underwater photography. Shutter speeds needed to be high so we often had to use increased ISO’s and wider apertures. We used the cameras in continuous shooting modes to increase the chance of getting a good shot and also used them on silent, electronic shutter more to reduce the disturbance to the other guests in the vehicle who weren’t taking pictures as the wildlife who didn’t seem bothered by small noises from us. In low light conditions the EM10 MkII’s auto focus did struggle somewhat so we used manual more than we would normally do.
We took a selection of tripods and monopods which we didn’t really use, instead almost all the shooting was handheld. Often there wasn’t even an easy position to rest the camera in the vehicle although some of the time I used a bean bag on a door edge or similar.
Anne is a big fan of snakes, so we were pleased to see this little one which wasn’t dangerous. I think she would’ve been happier if we’d got to meet some bigger ones but no such luck. Shot with the Panasonic 45mm macro.
Listen to the guides and ask questions
The level of training and knowledge the guides had was amazing. They aren’t just there to point out an elephant every now and then. You need to pay attention to what they tell you for your safety and to avoid disturbing the wildlife. This was something a number of guests we encountered at different camps couldn’t seem to understand. Including a brightly clad German lady at one camp who seemed incapable of staying still even when we stopped yards away from a pair of lions courting. The guides are also there to impart their knowledge and they are only too happy to do this, especially if you ask about the more out of the ordinary stuff.
Our itinerary had a lot of opportunity to do stuff not every safari includes. We laid camera traps and took leopard ID pictures to help with the research being done. The guides at Rukiya Safari Camp one evening gave us a ‘bush senses experience’ where got taught to not just use sight when out in the bush.
Vehicles
We were in trucks with tiered seating for all the game drives apart from a trip into the actual Kruger National Park where the rules meant we had to be in an enclosed mini van. The view from the trucks is good in any seat but the ride is a lot rougher on the back row. We tried to get to the vehicle early on the busy drives but were careful to rotate which row we sat in for the sake of the other guests if the truck was full. In fact most of the time we didn’t have many in our truck which meant we could pick where we sat. If you have a bad back let people know so you can get a seat in the middle where its going to be less bumpy.
The back row often seemed to be the place to be for close encounters with animals circling the vehicle quite closely on several occasions.
Not the best shot of a leopard ever, but this image taken at ISO 16000 with very little light and was used to identify this individual we saw one evening at Wild Rivers Game Reserve.
Think about what time of year to go
We opted to go at the end of the South African winter which is also the dry season. There are some advantages to going at this time of year. There is a lot less vegetation which makes it easier to see the wildlife and as the water sources dry up the wildlife is concentrated at the ones that are left. Also the numbers of mosquitos are quite low and this reduces the malaria risk, although we did take anti-malarials. There is however a lot less greenery as you can probably see from the pictures and you may find yourself feeling a bit cold sometimes.
Be prepared to go on a diet when you get back
Safaris aren’t very energetic, you mostly spend your time sat in a vehicle although we were lucky to get the chance to walk with an armed guide a couple of times. You aren’t allowed to wander outside the camps so there isn’t a lot of exercise to be had. On top of this where we stayed the amount of food was prodigious and the quality was very good. A typical day starts with coffee and a biscuit before you get in a vehicle for the early morning game drive around sunrise. Picnic breakfast and, depending on the camp you may get a bush coffee with Amarula liqueur in it midway through the morning drive. Then you’d arrive back an hour or so before lunch and have a bit of time in the afternoon before going out on a game drive once the sun was a bit lower. The evening game drives always included a stop for sundowners and plenty of snacks before some time looking for nocturnal animals on the way back to the camp. After all that we’d have a good sized dinner and some excellent and very reasonably priced South African wine each evening while listening to the interesting sounds from around the camps.
My top tip for a first time safari, even if you consider yourself a serious photographer, is relax and enjoy the encounters rather than spending the whole time thinking about getting the best pics. This shot (taken with the Olympus 25mm will never win a competition but it’s a memento of the fantastic moment when a pack of rare African hunting dogs wandered up to the truck and hung around while the pups checked us out up close.
Parting shots
We absolutely loved the safari experience and would heartily recommend it. In fact writing this has made me desperate to do another, so we might have to give On Track a call.
For those readers who are divers, you’ll find it somewhat remeniscent of a diving trip, with early morning starts, chance sightings and breaks for food and sleep.
We stayed at four different resorts in just under two weeks each offering different opportunities to see wildlife and different styles of accommodation while not being overly far to travel between.
If you are a photographer I’d suggest you don’t rely on a cloud based system for storing or editing images, wifi was available in some of the camps but wasn’t all that consistent.
If you are interested in the stuff we do as a business have a look at the rest of the website and if you would like advice, especially on underwater photography, join our Facebook Group or drop us an email at info@alphamarinephoto.com
All the equipment I’ve mentioned was bought by us not loaned by manufacturers and we have received no incentives from any company to promote them.
As part of the trip we got to spend some time at the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre including a chance to feed some very large vultures. Love the one at the bottom of shot hoping it’s mate will drop something.
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