DigitalPro Shooter -- August 14, 2008
DPS 6-07: "Back to Africa" Safari Notes & Announcement, Nikon's new Raw file Format, plus update on Nikon D700 & SB-900.
Back to Africa: Photo Notes from our May safari to Botswana
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This May marked my sixth photo safari to Botswana. We had a sold out trip with ten eager participants and three of us leading the trip. Once again the reality exceeded all of our expectations. We had consistent access to photogenic game thanks to our use of Wilderness Safaris's well managed private concessions. Our guides were all excellent and after several years of working with them have become quite expert at helping us get in good position for great images. Between drives Wilderness's hospitality and their awesome camps made everyone feel at home and provided great food, drink and relaxation. |
Quality time with a Leopard
One of the best parts of our photo safaris is that we spend enough time in each camp that we can really spend some time with specific animals. Because each area has a strictly limited number of vehicles it is not uncommon for us to be able to spend a morning or afternoon tracking and photographing a lion, cheetah or leopard with only another truck for company.
The result is that we get a great experience and great images. This trip we were fortunate enough to spend several hours with Legadima (the leopard made famous by the National Geographic Eye of the Leopard documentary) as she stalked & took an Impala but then had the Impala taken from her by a Spotted Hyena that had been following her. Anxious to get the food to her cubs, she remained in the area and several times tried to rush the Hyena--and later a pair of Hyenas--to recover the kill. Watching the drama unfold in front of us was a unique experience by itself but even better it happened only feet away and we were able to capture it all in some wonderful images.
Female Leopard (Legadima) at Sunset, waiting for dark
to try to get her kill back from a pair of Hyenas.
Nikon D3, 70-200f/2.8 lens at 170mm, 1/125s @ f2.8, 6400 ISO.
"Photo-Friendly" Lions
 Lion cubs playing Okavango Delta, Botswana Nikon D3, 1/750s @ f13, 210mm, 200-400mm lens |
Conventional wisdom is that lions hunt at night and are most active in the night or early morning and late evening. That's certainly true of most lions. However by doing our homework we found out that one small pride had taken to moving and hunting during the day--possibly to stay out of the way of the other larger prides. So we focused our efforts on them and were rewarded. Pound for pound they were the liveliest pride of lions any of us had ever photographed--and they were happy to show off during the hours when we could photograph them. One very important tip for photographing lion prides is to have an idea where they are headed and place the truck where you can get a shot as they approach but not be in their way. |
Ethical and Effective Safari Photography
One of the major reasons I enjoy photographing in private concessions is that the areas are carefully managed by an alliance of the camp operator and the local villagers. The total number of trucks in the concession is strictly limited and in all the concessions we use hunting is not allowed (both of these raises our costs but the benefits to the wildlife and to us are well worth it). And the guides are allowed to strictly control the number of vehicles at a sighting--never more then 3 and less if there is danger of stressing the animals.
The result is a quality nature and photographic experience. But it doesn't stop there. Because the concession is being managed for the long term guides are very sensitive to their impact on animal behavior. Once a predator begins to stalk, for example, we'll hang back and wait so that we don't accidentally alert the prey. Once the chase is on then of course we'll be racing along and photographing the action as it unfolds.
That brings up another advantage of small group tours in concessions. Because there are so few vehicles in the large concessions we can take the vehicles off-road to track and follow animals. Off-roading makes a world of difference in photography. It is really the only way to position your vehicle correctly to get the background you want in the right lighting conditions.
What a Difference Water Makes
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We always try to include a "water camp" in our safaris, where we can get some incredible scenics plus experience the world of the famous Okavango Delta in its full glory for those who are interested. It is amazing how close we can get to birds in a boat and how many different colorful reed frogs are around. The toughest decision for the participants each morning is whether to head out in a truck for a game drive or take a break and head out in a boat! This year we've also added nature walks with native Bushmen as an option for those interested. |
These few images certainly don't do the trip justice. Even though I spent much of my time helping participants with their photography and I had seen many of these animals before I managed to take several thousand images that were worth taking home. I've put a few of them online to give you an idea of what you can expect in the way of photographs if you come on a trip with us.
Finishing the Safari: The Onsite Digital Darkroom
Everyone on our Botswana safaris gets great images. That's pretty much certain. With lots of opportunity and lots of quality coaching no one came away without way more quality images than they expected.
But in the digital era snapping the shutter is only part of the final product. Quite a bit of the quality of an final image or print is determined by how it is processed and printed. So we are happy to offer optional instruction and coaching in image workflow and image processing each afternoon. Popular sessions this trip included ones on Color Enhancement and Sharpening, Photo Book Production and using Masks and Layers--of course some of the participants preferred to spend that afternoon time relaxing instead. In the evenings we can all relax around the campfire and review and discuss images from the day and go over some shooting tips to work on for the next day. We even have a printer along to show how final prints look once the images are processed.
 Elephants, Okavango Delta, Botswana Nikon D3, 1/1500s @ f8, 200-400mm lens at 400mm |
We showed participants how to make black and white images from their safari photographs. In camp instruction doesn't replace the 1:1 instruction on the trucks, but is a great supplement and really helps everyone get the most out of their trip. |
Botswana 2009 Photo Safari Announcement & Sign-up
The best news for the many of you who have been asking is that we'll be returning to Africa in November, 2009 for another Botswana Wildlife Photo Safari. As those of you who have been with us before know, there is nowhere else in the world that compares to a small group specialized photo safari to the private concessions in Botswana. Not only is the wildlife abundant, but the camps are gorgeous. Most importantly there are strict limits on the number of people and vehicles in each concession--and for our photo safaris, a strict limit on the number of people per vehicle. Many days we may not see anyone except the handful of people from our group.The year 2009 will mark my 7th photo safari to the concessions in Botswana. Every trip we've seen not just plenty of lions, hippos, giraffes and antelopes but also cheetahs, leopards and wild dogs. Truly a special trip. Note: The camps in Botswana are very popular so we need to confirm our book space very far in advance so if you're interested please act soon by signing up or emailing us at safaris [at[ cardinalphoto.com. Thanks!--David
Visit our Full Image Gallery from our May Botswana Photo Safari
Event Update
We've announced our Alaska Grizzy Bear photo safaris for July 2009. (July 8-15 & 14-21) and these very popular trips are already half full so sign up soon! Our Southeast Asia trip is nearly wide open. It's a little more unusual and harder to convince people to go, but everyone who has come along has been delighted. We've also just announced our 2009 South Texas Bird Photo trip for April. This trip has sold out the last two years and is already mostly full for 2009, so plan ahead and sign up soon!
