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WILDLIFE BLOG
Wildlife: Cool Luangwa Morning
Hot off the press from my safari with Arun & Reeta from India, here is a beautiful lioness contemplating a distant bushbuck as the soft light of early morning reflects the green hues of vegetation across her coat. We took a long time at this sighting of 5 lions, moving carefully around to work on different angles. Finally, this lioness's distant gaze provided a perfect complement to her serene surroundings. Please turn on Javascript Your web [...]
Tips for Wildlife Photographers: #2 “Focus very carefully”
Wildlife photography is a rich and complex subject. A professional can take a lifetime perfecting his art, trying new ideas, pushing his equipment to the limits and seeking that one moment which will make his name. However, whoever they are, and wherever they live, they will have learned about obtaining accurate focus and how to do it every time. Modern cameras have outstanding auto-focus systems. They can obtain focus fast, accurately and in very low light [...]
Through the Lens: Something a little different
Simple composition does nothing to distract from the wonderful details and creases on this old gentleman's face. Please turn on Javascript Your web browser appears not to have Javascript enabled, please enable it to use the form below. This is required to prevent spam and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. Leave a comment Your Name Your Email(Optional) Your Comment No info required here, please press the button below.
Tips for Wildlife Photographers: #1 “Get Low”
It's one of most common recommendations offered to aspiring wildlife photographers...."Get low, below the subject's eye level or even lower if possible". This has given rise to the common sight of a vehicle-full of people descending the side-steps and throwing themselves on the ground with their cameras to get that low-angle shot that they're looking for. And yes, I will admit, the effect is dramatic: compared to looking 'down' on the animal from above, the angle [...]
Photo Safari Skills: Sharpness, Focus and Blur
It's question that I am regularly asked: "Why is my image soft?". It's actually a good question, as it opens up a discussion about factors that affect how clear and sharp the details of your subject are in your final image. But before addressing the causes of 'soft' images, we need to ensure that we have correctly identified the type of softness in our image. There are 3 types: 1. Softness due to incorrect focus - [...]
Wildlife: Lions and Dogs
I must say it's a relief! Much as I value the rains as a time of regeneration (and for great birding opportunities) a day comes when the air is drier, and the breeze is fresh, and I celebrate! Not only am I happy to be able to move around without permanent perspiration, but it's a very exciting time of year - the promise of a new safari season. The wildlife seems to feel it too, beginning [...]
Photo Safari Skills: What constitutes ethical post-processing?
The arrival of digital camera technology has put photo manipulation into the hands of every computer owner. Previously, only darkroom experts had the ability to control the output. Now that we all have this power, what level of 'adjustment' is ethical, and what is cheating?! I'm about to reveal my secret and share some of my favourite images, in both their RAW and edited forms. But before I do that, I want to explore this idea [...]
Tour Info: South Luangwa – a world-class destination for bird photographers
The South Luangwa National Park proudly boasts a bird list totalling more than 450 species. This is certainly impressive, but perhaps more relevant is the incredible fact that it’s possible to see more than 100 species in a day! As a destination for birders, it must be high on all bucket-lists with particular focus on the park’s healthy populations of Pel’s fishing owl, Southern Carmine bee-eaters and numerous Eagles and raptors. A Barn Owl in flight, [...]
Through the Lens: My Favourite 5……Mammals
Number 5: Giraffes along Luangwa Canon EOS 1D Mark 3, 70-200mm f2.8 lens at f5.6, ISO 200, 1/2500sec, EV 0 and Evaluative metering. For me, a photo is a winner when it shows wildlife in its environment and captures some beauty of composition at the same time. This image could only have been taken in the Luangwa, and anyone who has been here would immediately recognise these unique giraffes, and their equally unique surroundings. We spent [...]
Wildlife: The scourge of the rainy season?!
The rainy season is full of life: baby impalas, colourful birds and fat, healthy-looking antelopes. But there are other types of life that aren't so attractive: bugs, an explosion in the numbers of scorpions and centipedes.....and some very frustrating bird songs! It seems churlish to say it, but there are some birds that have a call so repetitive, insistent and loud, that it begins to grate the nerves a little. One such bird is the Woodland [...]
Through the Lens: My Favourite 5……Landscapes
Through the Lens: My Favourite 5......Landscapes. Number 5: Flooded Dambo Canon EOS 1D Mk 4, 24-105mm f4 lens at f4, ISO 320, 1/1600sec, EV 0 and Evaluative metering. Landscapes are a much more difficult technique than portraits of animals and birds, in my opinion. How often have you seen a beautiful scene and snapped a photo, only to find that it doesn't do justice to the view in front of you? Several elements have to come [...]
Wildlife: Long Grass, High Water and plenty of Colours
Wow, it's beautiful out there! The bush is in its most fantastic period of the rains. The grass is long and straight, making gorgeous patterns and the greenery has dulled slightly from the lurid hue that dominated back in December. Everything is full of life; elephants are happily munching mouthfuls of grass, impala calves are growing in strength and bound relentlessly around, and there are insects, bugs, flies and crawling creatures everywhere you look! Not ideal [...]
EDWARD SELFE
I organise & run photographic safaris in the finest wildlife areas on Earth.
