Top 10 Wildlife Photography Tips to Remember April 9th, 2009 • by Matt Holmes Planning the safari of a lifetime to Tanzania or Botswana? Here are a few tips from the pros on how best to capture the perfect moment: Shoot at the Highest Resolution – You can always compress an image for e-mail or web display later, but it’s tough to up-res or add picture information if it’s not in the original file. Know Your Equipment – You should be able to change a lens or memory card without looking, be familiar with the controls by touch and location and be aware of how many shots you have left before the memory card is filled. That means taking the time to learn your gear intimately before you chance upon your visual prey. Use a Telephoto Lens for your Aurora HDR Camera- It’s the unspoken agreement between man and the wild: stay at a safe distance, and the inhabitants will make like you’re not on their turf. Keep It Steady – Streaks and blurs of motion can sometimes bear the semblance of creativity. When you’re hunting for detail, though, nothing beats a sharp, clear picture. Even panning with the action is better done with a tripod. Know Your Subject – Learn about your photographic subjects and their habits, and you’ll have greater success capturing images of them. Aim for the Eyes – A sharp focus on the eyes will lend a realistic and dynamic feel to your wildlife photo. Consider Composition – Close-ups of an animal can be intriguing, but placing your subject within its natural context offers something different: a quiet understanding. Use the advantage of a zoom lens to bring home the same shot from a variety of perspectives. Get Creative – Shoot the same scene in different ways; if time allows, try vertical as well as horizontal framing, zoom in or out during a longer exposure, add a filter, create a sequence or stitch together a panorama. The image variations you can achieve during post-production editing are virtually limitless. Know Your Light – The light at sunrise or sunset warms a subject’s color. Where will the sun be when you begin snapping? Behind you, it’ll light up the subject, it’ll create a dramatic silhouette. In your “studio under the sky,” clouds make for a great diffuser, as they soften specular light and hard shadows. Take a Lot of Pictures – You may not be returning to the wild tomorrow. Digital memory cards are economical and can hold thousands of breathtaking and no-longer-fleeting memories. The Wilderness Safaris Wildlife Trust and B&H Photo Partnership Before you leave on your African safari, a visit to the B&H Photo Video online store is a must. Any orders you place with B&H via the link below will be recorded and B&H will donate an amount to the Wilderness Safaris Wildlife Trust on your behalf. Wilderness Safaris is widely consider as the best safari operator in Southern Africa, and is Boundless Journeys‘ partner for all of our Botswana trips: Botswana: Wilderness Safari Botswana: Ultimate Private Safari Botswana: The Kalahari Desert To thank you for participating in this initiative you will receive free freight anywhere in the continental US using standard shipping methods (up to 70lbs). To visit B&H online store, click on the link below: www.bhphotovideo.com Read more about the Wilderness Trust here.