Blog Tag: Photo Safari

Fall 2014 African Photo Safari – Notes from Tarangire

by Dave Burns | Posted in Trip Reports | Tags: , , , ,

Tarangire National Park in October never disappoints and we had some of the best sightings of our safari here. Our weather was very sunny but we had a small rain shower on two of the three days which led to dramatic skies for photography.

With the dry season in full effect, the animals congregated by the Tarangire river – the main source of water in the park. Tarangire is known for elephants and we saw large family groups bathing by the river. We even had a mother and child right outside our rooms at lunch time. One day we drove down past the Silale Swamp with beautiful views to the east. We caught this line of elephants heading towards a pool for a bath:
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Trying Fuji X Gear for My Fall 2014 Photo Safari

by Dave Burns | Posted in What's in the Bag | Tags: , ,

For my photo safari tours, planning what to pack for photography gear has almost been routine for the last couple of years: I like having two SLRs, one attached to a long lens and one to a medium. This also gives me a backup in case one stops working (the closest Canon service center is probably South Africa: about 2200 miles away). I go a little further than I usually recommend to my clients and I bring a third SLR body because it has been converted for infrared. A couple wide to normal zooms for that and I’m set:

My kit from past safaris using only Canon DSLRs
My kit from past safaris using only Canon DSLRs

This year I’m trying something a little different.
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Photo of the Day – Elephant in Tall Grass

by Dave Burns | Posted in Photo of the Day | Tags: , , , ,

This image is one of my favorites from a safari last year and not just for the main subject. One of the things I love about incorporating the African landscape in my wildlife photography is how backgrounds can reveal layers, or stripes, of tone and color.

Using a long lens can amplify the effect as it did here. I used Canon’s 500mm lens with a 1.4x extender giving me a 700mm total and the result is a stacking effect of the different shades of grass from foreground to background. Because this was taken in the Ngorongoro Crater, the foliage in the back extends up and out of the frame. And it helps that the elephant, which is a dark subject, was standing in a lighter strip of grass which makes it stand out.

Elephant in Tall Grass
Canon 5DMk2, 1/400 at f/11, ISO 400

Photo of the Day – Elephants in a Row

by Dave Burns | Posted in Photo of the Day | Tags: , , , , ,

One of the best places to see elephant in Tanzania is in Tarangire National Park, especially in the dry season as the large herds congregate around the river. We caught this group on an overcast day with the matriarch and her daughters leading their young ones down to the river for a drink.

Elephants In a Row
Canon 40D Infrared, 1/320 at f/8, ISO 400
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Photo of the Day – Lion Love for Valentine’s Day

by Dave Burns | Posted in Photo of the Day | Tags: , , ,

In honor of Valentine’s Day, here’s a little love, African-wildlife-style. Seeing mating lions is not common and to photograph it, you must be both patient and quick. Patient because the two lions will spend about 30 minutes between mating just loafing around. Quick because, without much warning, the male will get up, walk over, and before you know it, he’s done in about 10-15 seconds. This cycle will repeat for about 2-3 days. King of the Jungle indeed.

Lions in Love
Canon 5DMk2, 1/640 at f/8, ISO 320
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Picture of the Day – Rhino Mother and Calf in the Crater

by Dave Burns | Posted in Photo of the Day | Tags: , , ,

There are probably 12-15 black rhino in the Ngorongoro Crater but they are shy animals and tend to stay far from the road. On this day, we saw this mother and calf grazing far from the road but nicely lit in the short grass. Using Canon’s 1.4x extender on their 500mm f/4 telephoto helped me get enough reach to place them nicely in the frame.

Rhino Mother and Calf in the Crater
Canon 5DMk2, 500mm w/ 1.4x, 1/800 at f/8, ISO 400
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Photo of the Day – Grey Crowned Cranes

by Dave Burns | Posted in Photo of the Day | Tags: , , ,

We tend to see many Grey Crowned Cranes on my photo safaris, especially in the Ngorongoro Crater. It’s a beautiful bird and the national bird of Uganda. The trick to photographing them is to get the light to the side, to accentuate the texture of the grey feathers, and slightly behind, to backlight their crown.

Grey Crowned Cranes
Canon 5DMk3, 1/320 at f/8, ISO 100
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Photo of the Day – Baboon Baby on a Tree

by Dave Burns | Posted in Photo of the Day | Tags: , , ,

During a morning game drive on photo safari in Tarangire National Park, we watched a troop of baboons eating and grooming. Baboons can be interesting animals to watch because of their group interactions. This young one grabbed this insect off the ground and scrambled up this tree so he could eat it without being disturbed. He seems to be winking at me right as I snapped the shutter.

Baboon Baby on a Tree
Canon 5DMk3, 1/200 at f/8, ISO 400