Getting Ready for an African Safari
(click on images to view them full size)
Not long now!
Map of Africa with Zambia in the centre (green shaded country) above Botswana.
We have been anticipating our upcoming trip to Zambia which feels like it’s been in the planning stages for a long time (likely because we started over 2 years ago now). These trips tend to need a long lead time for planning and scheduling in order to get spaces in the locations we want. Kory and I prefer to stay in smaller and rustic locations in order to allow us to experience a more natural and low key atmosphere.
We’ll be partnering with our same guide (Michael Laubscher) and Wild Eyes for the logistics and planning of this trip. It is such a positive experience to work with this team and not have to worry about whether our plans will come together smoothly or not. They have also been extremely helpful to make suggestions of locations that will fit with our style and approach to travel. They did such a great job when we planned our trip to Kenya so I can’t wait for Zambia.
I’m now moving away from the itinerary planning stage of this trip to more focus on what to pack for camera equipment. This gets a little more complicated as I am packing not only for myself, but for Kory as well. He really enjoyed taking photographs during our last safari trip especially with a personal photography coach like Michael to help him figure out his settings etc.
Where we’ll be staying
This time we’ll be shifting from a strictly vehicle based safari experience to a combination of walking, water based and vehicle safaris. All three locations will be in Zambia including Mwamba Bush Camp, Chula Island Camp, and Kutali Camp.
Expecting to see lots of hippos in the river at Chula Island and Kutali Camp in Zambia - these ones are from the Mara River in Kenya. (EXIF data f5, 1/1000s, 200mm, ISO1250, -1EV)
Mwamba Bush Camp in South Luangwa National Park was declared a national park in 1972. The camp includes vehicle based, walking safaris as well as a hide at a waterhole on the property (a place for photographers to sit and be hidden from the wildlife which allows for some interesting viewing).
Our second stop will be Chula Island Camp which features 6 tents in a very rustic setting - canoeing, walking and vehicle based safari activities are included in the itinerary. The camp founded in 2019 is located on Katengahumba Island within the national park and is separated from the mainland by the famed canoeing area, the ‘Discovery’ channel. Additionally there are opportunities to interact with local groups and learn more about their culture - all things that we enjoyed during our trip to Kenya.
The third and final stop on our safari is Kutali Camp which is of a similar size and accommodates 10 guests maximum. The activities are similar to Chula with more opportunities to learn about the area and the wildlife. We’re excited to spend time in this amazing location.
What I’m hoping to see
It is interesting talking to Michael about the sorts of requests that he gets from guests who are hobbyist photographers - there are often shot lists or at the very least requests for specific sightings. While there is some benefit to having an idea of the sorts of wildlife you will see and how a sighting might unfold with potential compositions - there is no guarantee of what will be seen. As a result it is important to manage expectations and be prepared for what will unfold.
Lion cubs playing outside their den. (EXIF data f6.3, 1000s, 800mm, ISO1600, -1 EV)
We tend not to have a list of what we want to see, but rather we spend time talking to Michael about the types of scenarios he’s found during different safari locations. This enables us to be more prepared with appropriate focal lengths for the types of conditions we will encounter.
When we went to Kenya I didn’t have much understanding of what to expect with a specifically photographic safari. I learned that there is no set schedule (other than the times when vehicles can be in the park) and that when there is potential in a sighting that we can stay as long as we like.
One of the funniest experiences we had in Kenya was during a morning drive when we stopped at a known lion den. There was nothing to see as the lioness and her cubs were enclosed in a thick bush area. As we waited patiently to see what would happen, another vehicle rolled up with one photographer in the back. He looked around and after 30 seconds said, “There’s nothing to see here - let’s go!” Within moments of his leaving the lioness and her 5 cubs came out and put on a show for us for the next 45 minutes.
What I’m going to focus on
Panning image of zebra running. (EXIF data f20, 1/30s, 200mm, ISO64)
I have a number of great images from Kenya and in fact when I go back and look through my archives I keep finding scenes that I didn’t remember taking - it’s a great way to relive the magic of that trip. One thing that I noted from the last safari is that the longer we spent taking photographs, the more I felt able to experiment and make more creative images such as ICM (intentional camera movement) or slow shutter speed/motion blur images.
I’m really looking forward to trying some new ideas for this trip and capturing the beauty of Zambia in a different way for me. I have been really pushing my creative boundaries this past couple of years which makes it more interesting for me. I am hoping to capture more of the way that Africa makes me feel - my emotional response to the scenes I see unfolding in front of me.
The power of the animals, the scents and feeling of the atmosphere is what I’m hoping to capture and translate in my images. We’ll have to see how well I do in accomplishing this.
Ok - let’s talk gear
I can pretty much see my friend Heather rolling her eyes when she reads the header for this section (just teasing Heather!). However, when you go all the way to Zambia to take photographs it is important to be prepared with the right equipment.
One of the best parts of working with Michael is that we have a pre trip chat to discuss what we are likely to see, how distant the sightings will be from the vehicle or boat and the types of vegetation/lighting we may encounter. This then informs the best lenses to bring which usually includes a long lens (400 or 600mm), an intermediate range (70-200mm or 100-400mm telephoto zoom) and a wide angle lens (24 - 120mm range). In addition to focal length it is important to think in terms of light - often animals are more active at dusk and dawn which is typically lower light conditions, so having a fast lens (a lens with a wide aperture or low f stop number) is advantageous as this means that wider apertures will let in more light and you can keep your ISO number lower which impacts the amount of noise or graininess in the image. During our last safari I brought my 400mm f2.8 lens and it allowed me to take images when Kory wasn’t able to with his 600mm f6.3 lens. These are important considerations to review when deciding what to pack. The downside of this type of decision is usually weight as the 400mm lens weighs 8.5lbs and Kory’s 100-400mm OM series lens weighs about 2.5 lbs.
Neutral Density filters reduce the light getting to the camera’s sensor which allows the photographer use slower shutter speeds for creative images such as ICM (Intentional camera movement). EXIF data iPhone image.
It is interesting that some people think that bringing everything including the kitchen sink is the answer to what equipment to bring. In this case you are faced with so much choice that it can actually paralyze decision making or you spend your time fiddling about changing lenses instead of being in the moment of the experience.
We’ve had our Michael chat and I’m happy to report that I survived the volley of bad dad jokes lobbed between Kory and Michael. Our conversation about gear was great and I’ve made my final decision about lenses and camera bodies. I’m going to pack my Z8 camera body along with my 24-120mm lens for landscape or environmental images, 100-400mm lens for most of the boat based and walking safari images and my 600mm with a built in 1.4 TC (teleconverter) for when I need that extra reach. Kory will be using the Olympus OM1 body with the 100-400mm lens (this is equivalent to 200-800mm on a full frame camera) and the 14-150mm (28-300mm on a full frame camera). We’ll both have our iPhones for wide angle images.
Multiple exposure ICM image of a local landscape. (EXIF data 3 exposure ICM merged in camera f16, 1/4s, 24mm, ISO64 3stop ND filter)
There is no need for tripods when on safari as they tend to get in the way, but I do like to have a bean bag available to rest my long lens on and steady it in the vehicle. I may also take my ND filters (neutral density) in order to be able to take slow shutter speed ICM type images such as those I’ve been experimenting with lately. I really do want to make sure that I take time for more creative shots and not just typical safari images.
The countdown is on
I want to emphasize that sometimes it is important to put down the camera and just enjoy the moment - something that we did frequently in Kenya and I see us doing again this trip. There is something about just taking it all in.
Have you taken a memorable trip that you spent a lot of time planning for? I’d love to hear your experiences (whether it was a photography trip or not) in the comments below or drop me a note directly by clicking on the Connect With Me button.
A hyena walking off into the distance in Tsavo West (Kenya) - I hope to have such epic experiences in Zambia. (EXIF data - f5.6, 1/250s, 400mm, ISO800).
final image is what gets used for the thumbnail
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
