Safari Photography: Tips and Techniques for Capturing Stunning memories in Tanzania

Going on a Tanzania safari can be one of your best experiences in Africa. While it is enjoyable to see everything during your safari, it may mean a lot more when you keep those memories with you. Whether you are a professional photographer or just looking to take nice pics, safari photography can help share your once-in-a-lifetime experience with your loved ones.

In this article, we are going to explore some of the most effective tips and techniques to capture the best photos during your safari in Tanzania.

Why Safari Photography Matters

Every safari experience is unique, and you will likely see different animals and encounters from your last one. What better way to capture those moments and make memories out of them than to take amazing photos? In fact, you will be amazed at just how much impact safari photography can have on your journey.

Tips and Techniques

A safari in Tanzania stands out because of several things, including the wildlife, expansive scenarios, and the local culture. Although everyone’s interests are different during a safari, you will be most intrigued by the same things. Here are some of the tips and techniques that will make your safari photography a masterpiece.

Carry the Right Camera Gear

Every good photography starts with having the right equipment. This means choosing a camera and lens that will be able to take nice Every good photography session starts with having the right equipment. This means choosing a camera and lens that will be able to take nice photos in the wild.

Since you will spend most of the time in the vehicle as you drive across the savannah, consider a lens with great zooming power and a camera that is easy to handle. Any camera suited for close-up shots will probably not do you any good when taking safari photography.

As you select your camera gear for a safari in Tanzania, keep in mind that you will spend most of the time on a journey. This means that you pack lightweight gear, but versatile enough to get the perfect shots for different scenarios. At some point, you may want to zoom in on a herd of elephants a distance away, and the next moment you are taking an intricate macro photo of a flower.

The most essential gear includes:

• Camera and lenses: Choose a quality DSLR or mirrorless camera that you can easily change lenses for various occasions. A 15-35mm lens is great for capturing landscapes, while 100-400mm or 70-200mm will do a good job for close-up animal shots. You may consider carrying two camera bodies to avoid switching lenses in a dusty environment every time there is a change of scene.
• Accessories: Remember to pack those extra batteries, a sturdy tripod, a memory card, a camera bag, a lens cleaning kit, filters, and any other accessories that enhance your photos.

Taking safari photos is more fun and exciting. So, make sure you go for something that is comfortable and can be adjusted to different settings. Also, consider the ease of carrying your camera and setting it up whenever you find a nice spot for taking photos.

Be Aware of Changing Photography Conditions

Perhaps one of the main challenges of safari photography is that it is not planned, and conditions change all the time. Animal behaviors and light conditions tend to vary throughout the day, and you may not always get the perfect shot. However, early in the morning or late in the afternoon offers the best conditions for taking wildlife photos. If you can plan your safari around these times, you are more likely to capture stunning images.

For the perfect shots, the golden hours provide the best lighting conditions. These include early in the morning before sunrise and later in the afternoon before sunset. With the soft, warm light, you get more visually appealing images without those harsh shadows. This is also the time when the animals are most active, allowing you to capture more animals.

If you go for a game drive at midday, taking photos can be so challenging. You will have to deal with the harsh lighting conditions that create overexposed highlights and strong shadows. However, you can still get some nice shots in shaded areas such as near water sources or forests where light is more diffused. You may also take close-up photos of the wildlife to avoid the impacts of the intense light. 

Choose the Best Location for Safari Photography

If this is your first time in Tanzania, you will be amazed by just how vast the country is in terms of wildlife viewing. The country has some of the most iconic wildlife areas, with each having unique opportunities for photography. Depending on the kind of shots you are looking for, finding the right location is the key to the best wildlife photos.

The Serengeti National Park, for instance, is preferred for its dramatic landscapes. You also get to take photos of a vast array of wildlife in their natural habitats. The Great Migration is particularly one of the most iconic moments to capture while at the Serengeti. Take stunning photos of thousands of zebras and wildebeest as they traverse the Savannah plains.

Another popular spot for safari photography in Tanzania is the Tarangire National Park. In this park, you will find huge herds of elephants and magnificent baobab trees. Taking photos here is seamless as you can combine both the wildlife and landscape in the same photo frame. Other areas popular for safari photography include the Ngorongoro Crater and The Selous Game Reserve.

Capitalize the Rule of Third in Safari Photography

One of the best tips in any kind of photography is the Rule of Third. This also applies to safari photography to make sure that your subjects are well-placed within the photo. As a framing rule, you ensure that the animals you photograph are within the frames of the photo.

Instead of taking a photo that places the animals at the center of the frame, the rule of thirds states that the subjects should be either on the right or left of the center. If you are not sure how this works, you can activate the grid lines in your camera. Then, aim to compose your shots in a way that the animals will be in any of the thirds of the display. This makes the shots more appealing to the eye, allowing the natural landscape to be well captured as well.

Use Fast Shutter Speed for Perfect Shots

The kind of photos you will take in the wild will include animals moving, sometimes very fast. To capture the perfect moment and get that shot, you must have the settings on your camera right. Unless you are shooting extensive scenery or a stationary object, you will need to use a shutter priority setting with a faster shutter speed.

The Shutter Priority mode in your camera gives you those perfect shots even when taking photos of birds flying. If your camera does not have this mode, you can set it to Action Shot, which can produce similar-quality photos. You can also manually set the shutter speed to a faster rate for better photos. This is how you avoid taking blurry photos when in the wild. 

The reason you may want to keep your cameras in the Shutter Priority Mode during the entire safari is that it allows you to specify the shutter speed you want to use when taking photos. The camera will then take care of the other settings, such as the aperture settings that will give the best exposure.

Depending on the animal you want to take or how fast they move, you adjust the shutter speed higher. For instance, most scenes will appear great without any blurs when you use a shutter speed of 1.50 to 1/320 of a second. However, if you want to get a perfect photo of a cheetah running, then you will need a higher shutter speed of up to 1/100 to 1/1250.

Focus on the Eyes

One of the most beautiful things about wildlife is that they communicate with their eyes. If you have been taking wildlife photos for a while, you know the importance of focusing on the eyes of the animals. Rather than taking quick snaps of the animals as they move around, wait until they look your way and take the shot.

Make sure youOne of the most beautiful things about wildlife is that they communicate with their eyes. If you have been taking wildlife photos for a while, you know the importance of focusing on the eyes of the animals. Rather than taking quick snaps of the animals as they move around, wait until they look your way and take the shot.

Make sure you focus on their eyes and admire the masterpiece you have just taken. The Big Five, including the lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhinoceros, look great in photos when taken looking directly at the camera.

When you focus on the eyes of the animals and then take the shot, you create the perception that the animal is looking at the viewer through the photograph. These kinds of photos tend to be more captivating than when the animals are looking away, and they may also capture the emotion of the animal. The photos become even more impactful when you take close-up shots of animals like lions on the savannah.

Make Sure Your Camera is Always Ready

When you are on a Tanzania safari, remember anything can happen at any time. If you want to take amazing photos, you must always be ready to take that shot. In any case, you never know when the animals will be around next, and the perfect shot only happens when you first see them.

By keeping your camera ready and on standby, you can take the rarest photos when something happens. You could notice a few unique animals on the horizon, and if your camera is not ready, that could be a missed shot. Being on the lookout and having the camera ready is the best way to make sure you do not miss a thing. 

Book an Itinerary with the Best Photo Scenes 

Going on a safari in Tanzania offers a unique experience to watch the animals in their natural setting and capture stunning safari photography.

At Bobby Tours, we are committed to ensuring that our visitors have the best safari experience while in the country. We follow some of the most photogenic routes and plan our game drives to get the best lighting conditions for photos. Contact us today to make a booking or inquire about our safaris. 

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