I think it is important to remind folks of things to avoid when on safari.  Some of the items I will list have to do with personal safety, some with respect for wildlife and some are to help us preserve the natural environment of the park:

Personal Safety

• Do not get out of the vehicle:  While in the vehicle, I am told animals see you as an inanimate object in their environment and an object to which they are familiar.  Generally, they will let you approach quite close while in the vehicle.  You will see folks getting out of the vehicle to have a morning coffee.  Hopefully this is in one of the designated areas and/or with a guide that has permission from the rangers to stop at that location.  Even in this case, you are not 100% safe out of the vehicle!  I have been with groups in the bush that have spotted lions (with cubs in tow) within 100 meters of the picnic area at Serondela in Chobe.

I have friends that theorize that man is not a natural food source to the game, so you should be generally safe out of the vehicle.  Nice theory, however, within past articles of ChobeSafari, we have noted lions biting a man in his tent and wild dogs surrounding a person separated from their group.  I recall we have also noted baboons hassling folks at various public locations. This is not a zoo and these animals are not programmed.  Any one of them can be a danger to you at any time.  Be alert.

There are exceptions one can take but still take care!  For example, one may really, really need a bio-break.  I know I have.  In this case, I suggest driving to a large sandy beach area with lots of open surroundings, and then relieving yourself while standing in the doorway of the vehicle (so you will still appear to be part of the vehicle).

Another exception is car problems. If you have a punctured tire or are stuck in the sand or water, consider the potential of another vehicle coming along to aid.  Two reasons: 1) occupants of the second vehicle can act as second sets of eyes to spot problem game and 2) the second vehicle may be critical to pulling you out of the stuck mess.  Do not consider walking out of the bush to get help as a viable option.

Times like this may require you to leave the vehicle, but this is best done if another vehicle is nearby to help and act as a scout

By the way, I have personally had to change a punctured tire while a large population of Cape Buffalo were headed my way.  I was lucky enough to have a friend in a second vehicle arrive to speed my repair and to keep an eye on the narrowing gap as the herd approached.

• Watch your distance around elephants: I think elephants present one of the greater risks to vehicles in the park.  They are larger than you, they have a much better turning radius.  Generally, the elies are quite laid back at Chobe; however, they have been known to go ‘agro’ (get affrevated) if they feel pushed, feel their young could be harmed, are single animals, are bull elephants or particularly if they are a bull in musth.  As you can see, there are a lot of conditions that could provoke an elephant charge, so the best things is to keep your distance.  Previously, we published an article specific to dealing with elephants.  The link is here and we suggest you read this as a refresher prior to your safari.

• Take proper medication precautions: For most safari locations, one should have proper hepatitis and tetanus immunizations.  For some, anti-malaria medications are recommended.  Many of my friends do not like to take anti-malaria med due to side effects.  I prefer to be safe and take them.  I have written about these meds previously at this link.

• Stay on the roadway: This is primarily an issue within national parks. You will see guide drive into the bush to give tourist the best view of lions under bushes.  They are trying to improve their tips … and they are breaking the rules.  Do not follow their lead.  The environment is dry and fragile.  If everyone took these liberties, the bush would be a real mess.  There are other reasons to stay on the main roadway.  As noted earlier, the best way to get help if broken down is to wait for another passing vehicle.  The likelihood of another vehicle gets more remote as one gets further off the regular trails.

• Take care in using flashlights (also known as ‘torches’): The wild game is not limited to the park system.  Wildlife will often come very close to the lodges where you will be staying.  This wildlife can be anything from a badger to an elephant.  It is wise to use your flashlight to check the path ahead. This light will generally warn game to clear out for you.  It is rude and disrespectful to intentionally shine or wave bright lights at the eyes of game specifically to get their attention.

On my last trip to Botswana, we stayed one night at Elephant Sands, which is a small lodge and campground just  north of Nata.  Elephant Sands has a nice waterhole and viewing area.  I set up at this location and began photographing the night elephants as they came down to the water.  Drunken visitors with bright flashlights started shining the lights at the elephants, which startled them, perhaps put us in danger, and eventually led to the elephants running off into the bush.  Bottom line, move slowly, use the light wisely and it enhances your wildlife viewing.

• Leave no trace behind: This is obvious, and we have all heard this before. This means not to alter, modify disturb or destroy any habitat, food source or surroundings. Leave your location in the same state than you found it.  Enough said on this topic.

• Respect the people: Part of the images you may want to bring home are images of the locals at work.  Great idea, but be aware that not everyone wants their photograph taken.  For example, I have found that rangers on patrol in the park do not want to be photographed.  Military personnel or equipment should not be photographed.  Often the fishermen out on the Chobe River do not appear to like having their photos taken.  These limitations are not show stoppers.  We have written about the challenge here.  Review this article and then do what you feel is best.

Wildlife Respect: Don’t stress the wildlife: No image, no matter how good, unique or special it may be, is worth stressing, endangering or otherwise harming wildlife. As wildlife photographers, we all need to be advocates for wildlife, after all, if we, who love to photograph them, are not, who will?

Imagine being out of your vehicle when this lone fellow comes along. Not a good idea.

Take responsibility for our actions and make every effort to lessen our impact on wildlife and the environment. There any number of organizations promote their own code of ethics for safe and respectful enjoyment of nature, and I will list a few of those at the end of this article.

Here is my basic set of guidelines that I follow. I’ve made these simple and to the point in an effort to make it easy to remember and stick to.

• Do no harm: The foundation of the wildlife photographers ethic. You must always ask yourself if the next action you are about to take will bring any harm to wildlife. Sometimes it’s is very clear cut, sometimes it’s a little more difficult to discern what consequences your actions make have. In any case you should always be considering the welfare of your subject first and foremost.

• Never harass wildlife: This means never to never taunt, bait or force an action out of your subject. There are many ways to harass the wildlife.  Earlier in the article we noted that flashlights may harass the wildlfie.  Another ‘trick’ I have seen explored is honking of vehicle horns to get an animal to look up for a photo.  Generally this does not work, so don’t do it.

Be patient! The most beautiful wildlife photographs result from natural behavior. Never interfere with animals engaged in breeding, feeding, nesting, or caring for young. Learn the habits of your subjects; Respect and protect your subject, look for signs of stress. If you notice your subject is altering it’s behavior as a result of your actions, stop. Learn to recognize wildlife alarm signals for the safety of both wildlife and yourself.

PRINCIPLES OF ETHICAL FIELD PRACTICES

NANPA believes that following these practices promotes the well-being of the location, subject and photographer. Every place, plant, and animal, whether above or below water, is unique, and cumulative impacts occur over time. Therefore, one must always exercise good individual judgment. It is NANPA’s belief that these principles will encourage all who participate in the enjoyment of nature to do so in a way that best promotes good stewardship of the resource.

Environmental: knowledge of subject and place

• • Learn patterns of animal behavior–know when not to interfere with animals’ life cycles.
  • Respect the routine needs of animals–remember that others will attempt to photograph them, too.
  • Use appropriate lenses to photograph wild animals–if an animal shows stress, move back and use a longer lens.
  • Acquaint yourself with the fragility of the ecosystem–stay on trails that are intended to lessen impact.

Social: knowledge of rules and laws

• • When appropriate, inform managers or other authorities of your presence and purpose–help minimize cumulative impacts and maintain safety.
  • Learn the rules and laws of the location–if minimum distances exist for approaching wildlife, follow them.
  • In the absence of management authority, use good judgement–treat the wildlife, plants and places as if you were their guest.
  • Prepare yourself and your equipment for unexpected events–avoid exposing yourself and others to preventable mishaps.

Individual: expertise and responsibilities

• • Treat others courteously–ask before joining others already shooting in an area.
  • Tactfully inform others if you observe them engaging in inappropriate or harmful behavior–many people unknowingly endanger themselves and animals.
  • Report inappropriate behavior to proper authorities–don’t argue with those who don’t care; report them.
  • Be a good role model, both as a photographer and a citizen–educate others by your actions; enhance their understanding.

Adopted February 3, 1996 by the NANPA board of directors.

'Lion Siblings' - © Andy Biggs

Elephant Tusks - © Andy Biggs

This week, I had the chance to visit B&H Photo in New York City and hear my friend Andy Biggs talk on ‘a day in the life of a professional wildlife photographer’.

As usual, Andy did a great job of connecting with the audience.  During the presentation, he shared ‘keeper’ shots as well as the series of shots before and after that were rejects.  The presentation allowed us to climb inside his mind as he attempted to get position to get the shot. All of this was insightful and worth an article, but for today, I would like to talk about Andy’s intro into his presentation.  It really resonated with points I try to make to fellow photographers … and in Andy’s case, is really nicely backed up by his body of work.

At the start of Andy’s talk, he noted that as a beginning photographer, he wanted to define specifically who he was as a photography and what message he wanted to convey through his work.  Andy decided he needed to distill his message down to three words.  Yep, THREE WORDS. For Andy Biggs, the words were:

• Timeless.
• Hope.
• Remote.

When I review one’s photography, my first questions has always been “What’s your message?  What are you trying to convey?”  Often I get a blank stare as feedback.  I can usually correlate the blank stare to images with a weak composition or lack of subject.  Perhaps these photographers are beginners.  Perhaps these photographers are still finding their way.  Regardless, they will become better photographers if they strive to have a message in their images.

Even good photos often have the photographer answering my question with long ramble explanations..  For these photographers, the longer the answer, the more I can expect a portfolio that is a mix of subjects and (many times) over use of the latest plug in tools.  While I am a fan of experimentation, I still think the portfolio will benefit  from a unified vision for the artist.  Without direction, one’s photo journey is a ramble. Direction can be a good thing.

Elephants and Clouds, Serengeti NP, Tanzania - © Andy Biggs

I love Andy’s self challenge of distilling the vision to three words.  In my past life, I was often involved in product branding.  The challenges were always in trying to distill the offering to a tightly worded value proposition and in developing a brand/trademark a name that conveyed the customer benefit or primary product attribute.  Andy was developing a business … it made perfect sense to use classic branding methodology to develop what he calls his vision and business would call his value proposition.

Timeless. Hope. Remote.  Andy has done a great job of staying true to this vision.  As you look at the images within this article, do you see it?  Do you feel it?  Andy’s shots often include predators, but do you see lions on the kill? NO.  Andy isn’t selling ‘the circle of life’.  Andy is selling that special feeling of an Africa that was there long ago and still there today.  Andy is selling a feeling of a simplified setting in a peaceful land.  Andy is selling a tease that the future can support this beautiful wildlife setting.

Two Firaffe Heads, Lake manyara NP, Tanzania © Andy Biggs

In this article, we are sharing several of Andy’s images, but we have not handpicked the ones that support the article.  If you visit Andy’s galleries at AndyBiggs.com, you will see a consistency of the theme throughout the images.

This formula of 3 words and a gallery faithful to the words has worked for Andy.  So what is the message you wish to convey?  Can you distill it down to three words?  It will take some thinking time, but I feel the time reflecting will pay off in your future images.

Lioness Hiding in the Grass, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania - This article has featured a lot of Andy's B&W images, so we thought we would close with this color image just to show that the message can be consistent across both B&W and color - © Andy Biggs

We also encourage you to visit Andy’s blog, The Global Photographer, as it is full of photo and safari travel tips (but beware, Andy is a gadget freak, so if you read too much, you’ll end up buying a lot of new toys).

Which camera?

I often prefer shorter, 2 second exposures if windy conditions exist - photo by P. B. Eleazer

All you really need in the way of equipment is a camera on which you can manually set focus, shutter speed and aperture. Normally these days that would mean a digital SLR  or a high end P&S type digital camera. The reason that you need to be able to manually set the camera is that autoexposure probably won’t work, plus you need an exposure of several seconds in order to record fireworks bursts. You also need to be able to set the focus since there may be nothing in the frame when you open the shutter (more on that later), so AF will fail.

Which Lens?

Which lens you need depends on how close you are to the show, but I used a 24-105 zoom on a Canon 7D for a show that was about 1/2 mile away. Most of the time I used focal lengths around 80mm. If your lens has Image Stabilization, turn this off as it is not needed for tripod use and will add blur to your images. Set focus to manual and focus at the distance at which the fireworks will be from you. For most work, this will be a setting of infinity. If you zoom, make sure that your lens keeps focus when it zooms, otherwise you may have to refocus after zooming. The Canon EF 24-105 doesn’t noticeably shift focus when zoomed, or if it does the use of small apertures such as f8 and f11 masks any focus shift. Also, since you will be shooting stopped down, you don’t really need a fast lens and even a consumer zoom usually gives good results at f8 and f11.

Camera Settings

So what camera settings work? Well a good place to start is with a 4 second exposure at f8 with the camera set to ISO 100.

The shutter has to stay open this long to record the trails of the various components of each burst. You can also try exposures of 2 seconds and 8 seconds if you want less or more bursts captured. Remember, check the histogram after the first few shots to make sure you are getting the right exposures.  I find that for windy conditions, the 2 second exposure actually works best.

The brightness of the trails depends on the aperture and ISO setting, not on the length of the exposure. For very bright firework bursts, stopping down to f11 might give better results.

With such long shutter speeds the use of a tripod is essential and the use of some type of remote shutter release (either wired or wireless) is highly recommended.  I also recommend you carry a flashlight as you will be working in a dark setting.  I prefer an LED headlamp style light so my hands are free to work the tripod and camera.

When to Shoot

The problem of course is that you don’t know ahead of time how bright each burst will be, when it’s coming or exactly where in the sky it will be, so there’s an element of luck in capturing the image. If you wait until you see the burst, it will be over by the time you take the shot, so you have to anticipate. Sometimes you can see the rocket trail going up and that can give you a clue when to open the shutter. Ideally you want to open the shutter just before the major display occurs.

Some thought is needed on the ‘when to shoot’ part.  I find that if you try and shoot during the ‘grand finale’, the composition gets too cluttered with burst and is also easily over exposed.  Additionally, as the display progresses, the sky fills more and more with the smoke from the explosions.  This can add effect, but is out of your control.  For balance, I find shots with about 3 explosions being revealed often works best … but you do not know when or how many shots are happening at a given time.  The only solution is to shoot a lot of shots.  Yes, you will end up with a lot of reject photos, but some will be keepers – this is not an exact science.

It is helpful to check the 'image preview' screen on the back of the camera to see if you need a longer or shorter exposure. - photo by P. B. Eleazer

It’s a hit and miss process, but with digital you can afford to fire off 10 shots/minute for the duration of the display (usually displays don’t last more than 15-20 minutes), though that would get a bit expensive if you were shooting film. It’s worth varying exposure times and apertures a little, but bracketing around 4s at f8 and ISO 100 should usually give the best results.  It’s very difficult to get good framing (except by luck) since you don’t know exactly where the major bursts will occur or how high they will be. This probably means you’ll need to crop your images somewhat to get the best composition. Sometimes you may get lucky though and get a shot that has everything in the right place.

The Grand Finale

At the end of the fireworks show, many events feature a ‘grand finally’ with many burst happening almost simultaneously.  While this has great potential, the light entering your sensor is also drastically increased with this final event.  I suggest you increase your f-stop at least one and maybe two stops to decrease the potential for over exposure during this dramatic show end.

Summary

• Use a tripod. You can’t handhold the camera for a time exposure, even if you’re using an IS lens.
• Turn off the image stabilization.
• Use ISO 100. Fireworks are bright and the lower the ISO setting, the lower the image noise.
• Unless you are a really long way from the fireworks, a wide to short-telephoto lens should be fine.  For the shots above, I used my 24-105mm lens on a Canon 7D
• Stop down to around f8, maybe f11. This will give you the sharpest images and allow a long exposure.
• Prefocus the lens and switch to manual focus.  This is critical or you will not get the shot.
• Try shutter speeds from 2s to 8s. The longer the exposure, the longer the trails will be.
• Open the shutter while the firework is on it’s way up, not when the shell explodes.
• A remote release will be useful. Use one if you have one.
• Shoot lots of images. Some will work, some won’t. It’s a matter of luck.

In a recent Photo Contest at Outdoor Photo, I came across a series of excellent images … all by Miles Morgan.  I immediately googled the name and found numerous other great shots by Miles.  From there, we swapped a few emails resulting in this guest article.   Miles has a lot to offer, so we hope this post is the first of many by Miles.

Article by Miles Morgan

In wildlife photography, flexibility and quick reactions are critical.  Things happen fast, and trying to combine changing light, moving subjects (who aren’t interested in your direction), and safety creates a kaleidoscope of decisions that need to be made on the fly in order to make a successful image.  This is exactly why I’m a landscape photographer.

The preparation for my landscape images starts days, or months in advance.  After deciding on a subject that I would like to see for myself, I’ll scour the internet for information on the best time or day, the best season, the best tides (if coastal) and weather patterns, and the best composition.  Once I’ve settled on the time when all these things converge, I’ll arrive on scene early…. REALLY early… to set up and wait for my chance when the light is most ideal.  Having time is a landscape photographers luxury if he/she prepares properly.  Of course, any of you that have actually been in the field shooting are  putting a huge asterisk on that last sentence.  Some photographers are naturally flexible, and artfully maneuver from composition to composition during peak light, coming home with many different possibilities to process.  My preferred method of shooting is to spend quite a bit of time finding THE composition that I find most pleasing, and shooting images across the whole spectrum of good light.  That way, I am assured of having frames when the scene looks its very best.  But what happens when things are evolving differently from what you planned?

If the light is amazing in a direction different from the one you are facing, do you abandon the composition that you worked so hard to find and chase the light, hoping to quickly put together all the elements required to make a pleasing image?  Or do you stick with what you have, waiting and hoping that those same lighting conditions will migrate into your chosen scene?  The answer depends on several factors, and requires you to evaluate your personal strengths.  If you are also a wildlife shooter, comfortable with rapidly changing conditions, it might make sense to try to quickly create a new composition highlighting the best light.  I tend to be rather reluctant to change my original composition.   As an airline pilot, I’ve spent countless hours watching how light reacts to unfolding weather conditions, and I use that knowledge to constantly evaluate how I think the optimal light is going to look over the scene.  The combination of exceptional light and a sense that the conditions will never be ideal over my composition will finally be enough to spur me to try quickly putting together some strong elements in a new composition showcasing the great light.  An honest evaluation of your shooting strengths before arriving on location will give you the best possible chance of coming home with a memorable image.

Below is an example of a situation where I abandoned the composition that I had been hoping to shoot in order to take advantage of unexpected lighting conditions.  The story behind the image was so startling, that I thought I would include it as well.

Flexibility and an open mind can yield shots like this

Last night I finished my household duties a little earlier than I thought I might, and figured I had time to race to Kiwanda before sundown to try to catch the clearing storm that had been pounding Oregon the previous day or two. My friend Sonny had been anxious to see the Cape, so the extended invitation was quickly accepted and we were off. I’ve been trying to get a good image from here for some time now with little success on the light, but the conditions were ripe for another attempt.

Kiwanda Cliff

Climbing the dune and crossing the narrow paths proved entertaining, as Sonny is deathly afraid of heights. I should mention that Sonny is a friend of mine from flight school, and a pilot for UPS. I’ve thus found his acrophobia to be rather amusing, and I test it whenever possible. The last time Sonny and I went for a “hike”; we climbed Mt. St. Helens. At the summit, he had to lay on his stomach to feel comfortable peering into the Crater. When I asked him what he thought of the un-paralleled vista spread forth before him, he said, and I quote: “Well, I’d rather be changing the diaper on my 3 year.” There’s a man who is in touch with nature.

At any rate, we arrived successfully on the small cliff where I planned to shoot, and after setting up the gear, waited for the light. Sonny entertained himself by continuing out to the end of the rocky shelf to look for sea creatures. I was back on camera: focus, check. f-stop, check. polarizer, check. scooby snack break, check. While going through my settings I heard “WWWWWHHHHAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEE” and looked up to see a large Grey Whale surface not 100 feet offshore from where Sonny was standing. It was, without a doubt, the closest I’d ever been to a whale, and I was a good 75 yards further than Sonny. He screamed, I screamed, and we continued our vigil for quite some time as first one, then another, then another slowly swam south directly past the ledge. Massive and fantastic. Finally, Sonny walked back to my shooting area and stood watching for more marine life. I turned and saw this light burning from behind the clouds and faced my dilemma. I have a bad habit in photography.

Once I’ve found the comp that I like, I tend to stick with it throughout the best light conditions so I’m shooting from that spot at the ideal time. If I move from the spot that I want an image of, I might miss the optimal moment, and then I’ll be grumpy and generally make life miserable for all who come in contact with me. On this night, I broke from my comfort zone because the light was just too cool to pass up. I set up this image, and fired off a few frames.

I was just about to move to a different spot to improve on the too-centered comp when I heard a huge WOOSH from my right, just by the channel over which I was shooting. There, less than 30 feet away, was a Whale. I was so completely shocked that I forgot that I had a camera with me. I just stood on the ledge and gawked, watching the whale swim right up below the 10 foot ledge and roll around for several minutes. I eventually began to fear that he was stuck, as he kept bumping the side of the ledge, but I later learned that they will rub up against the rocks to clean barnacles off their bodies. His paw kept sliding up in the air and then down, (ok…. I’m sure they don’t call them paws – I’ve never been very good with animals) and he was close enough that clearing his airhole would have drenched us. I literally could have stepped off the edge and pretty much fallen straight on top of him. Finally, clean and satisfied, and probably wondering what this “OH MY GOD”; that he kept hearing from the two morons on the cliff meant, he slowly turned north and swam in front of the cliffs before slipping into the comfortable depths of his home.

Billy Dodson (left) with David Muteti - "We are a team and he (David) is the most important part of it"

“I’m not a photographer who happened to visit Africa and fell in love with the land and the animals. I do what I do because of Africa … that is, the magic of the place turned me into a photographer.”

Upon returning home to Williamsburg, Virginia,  Dodson found that he “spent an excessive amount of time trying to figure out a way to return to Africa – often – and make the travel self-sustaining.” Since he enjoyed documenting the Kilimanjaro climb with the SLR he purchased for the trip, Dodson decided to pursue photography as his ticket back to Africa.

“I subscribed to a couple of the popular photo magazines and really learned the principles of light, exposure, metering, etc. from reading them,” says Dodson. “Composition seemed to come naturally. I live in a very photogenic town (Williamsburg, Virginia), so I did a lot of shooting around town and even landed some images on the cover of our local magazine …but a return trip to Africa was my real goal.”

His goal was realized in 2005 when he bought a used 500mm Sigma lens, a Nikon D70 and a plane ticket to Tanzania.

“The images I captured on that first trip began to sell immediately, and the cycle has continued in the years since,” Dodson says. “Wildlife photography is now both my means and my excuse to continue to visit Africa.”

Dodson’s love for the natural world wasn’t always such a strong pull for him. Born in the farmlands of Sikeston, Missouri, Dodson’s outdoor experience was confined to his work in the hayfields and watermelon patches. Then as an adult, his time was spent dedicated to his career as a Naval officer.

“It wasn’t until my wife [Cynthia] insisted on a hiking trip to Glacier National Park that I realized that I’d never really taken the time to appreciate the natural world,” Dodson says. “And then my first visit to Africa heightened that realization — it was truly a life-changing experience. Since that trip I’ve been trying to make up for all the wasted time and missed opportunities in the preceding years. Better to learn late than not at all.”

Since that first fateful trip in 2001, Dodson has returned to Africa seven times, and has a number of future trips in the works. Starting in 2011, he will begin leading photo trips to different destinations to share with other photographers his many African loves: elephants, zebras, the landscapes and light of the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti, as well as the great animal migrations.

Throughout his travels, Dodson has found himself face-to-face with a hungry giraffe and an agitated bull elephant, but like most nature photographers, he has a wishlist of shots he’s still waiting to get. And at the top of his list? Cheetah cubs. “That’s my holy grail, and I ain’t quitting until I photograph some!”

Dodson hopes to use his photography to help protect his incredible subjects. He donates his images to conservation organizations including The Nature Conservancy (TNC), African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and Kenya Land Conservation Trust.

“I want to do everything within my power to protect the vulnerable animal species of East Africa and to preserve their fragile environment.”

As a member of The Nature Conservancy, Dodson has found a “natural fit” for his conservation interests within the Conservancy’s work in Africa.

“These days I’m also acutely cognizant of the pressure on the game reserves and the fragility of so many of their species,” Dodson says. “It’s made me appreciate organizations like TNC and AWF because I’ve seen the positive impact of their efforts firsthand. Supporting what these organizations do is the best possible use of my images.”

Dodson’s love of photography grew out of his passion for African wildlife. Once you’ve learned the basic principles of photography and digital post-production, Dodson believes the key to being a successful nature photographer is having a subject that you’re passionate about.

“I think it actually helps if you love nature, or some aspect of it, to the point of obsession. I’m not recommending insanity, but in my case I think it’s helped make me successful,” Dodson says. “If you’re passionate about your subjects, I think it makes it much easier to capture their heart and essence.”

Dodson will return to Kenya (and the animals he loves so dearly) this October.

Billy noted that he was packed and ready to leave when he saw this young zebra foal. Clearly it was worth unpacking the gear for a few last shots. Another reminder to always be ready. Note also, that a centered composition is normally not suggested. Further, the landscape orientation is unusual for the vertical features of the zebra, but the background, out of focus zebra makes this composition work for Mr. Dodson.

Elephants in early morning light - Note how the early morning light allows a nice soft feel for the image and allows image separation of the young elephant from the other elephants.

The 'money shot' that won the contest. Billy noted that his plan was to shoot a griaffe in profile and that the appearance of the ox pecker created the unexpected bonus. Two editorial comments: 1) always be ready, as you cannot predict nature and 2) adding action to an image (bird wing flutter) will separate your image from those of most others.

To Learn More about the photo Contest, visit The Nature Conservancy

To see more of Billy Dodson’s work visit his site, Savanna Images or see his photos at Photo.net

Two Finalist images by P. B. Eleazer

Beyond the Popularity Award, there will also be awards given by qualified judges.  We hope our images will be selected by the judges, but a good result in the popularity category can’t hurt.

As you review these elements, keep in mind that you don’t need all of these in a single image.  Matter of fact, most often only one of the elements will be used in a strong composition, but that one is enough to carry the viewer through the image and effectively convey the feeling of the artist.

Pattern

There are patterns all around us if we only learn to see them. Patterns are more obvious in macro-photography and man-made designs, but also exist on the grand scale in nature. Emphasizing and highlighting these patterns can lead to striking shots – as can high lighting when patterns are broken.

Zebras, the 'poster boys' of patterns. Please note that the pattern is just the stripes, but the repitition of the zebras themselves - Photo © Justin Eleazer

Patterns are once more created in the repeating back lines and horns of the sable. The lone impala creates an effective contrast to add interest - photo © Justin Eleazer

Symmetry

Symmetry is a really powerful tool.  Use it with care.  Symmetry can work, but can also cause a lack of interest.  The ‘rule of thirds’, for example, is based on the idea of asymmetry having a more pleasing feel that symmetry. Depending upon the scene – symmetry can be something to go for – or to avoid completely.

The key to symmetry working in an image is to have a strong point of interest.  Without the strong point of interest the eye will not instinctively flow through the image.

Symmetry: The lone tree and sun work well in this image - © P. B. Eleazer

Symmetry - The symmetry works because the croc's teeth create a dominant point of interest - Photo © P. B. Eleazer

Texture

Photos are flat, two dimensional artwork yet with the clever use of ‘texture’ they can have the feel of a third dimension.

When looking to incorporate textures, I my mind always goes to the axiom that light illuminates and shadows define.  Use the light and shadow to create the illusion of that third element.

Textures - Note how the shadows enhance the textures on this elephant's ears - Photo © P. B. Eleazer

Depth of Field

The depth of field that you select when taking an image will drastically impact the composition of an image. In macro photography, it is one of the most important tools to separate the subject from the background.  It can easily be used in wildlife also.

It can isolate a subject from its background and foreground with a large aperture (small f-stop), you can minimize distractions in the image.  The telephoto lenses used in safari photography work well to create separation, but any lens is up to the task.  While we like using this technique, be careful to use enough depth to have the key elements in your composition tack sharp.

Depth of Field - This warthog is easily separated from the out of focus region in the distant background - photo © Justin Eleazer

Depth of Field - This image evokes a powerful feeling which is enhanced by the controlled depth of field - photo © P. B. Eleazer

Leading Lines

This ‘element’ is the most natural one for me to use in my landscape photography.  Leading lines create flow.  They draw the eye to key focal points in a shot.  This progression through the image helps create a harmony when looking at the composition..

Leading lines can be diagonal, horizontal, vertical and converging lines.  My preference is the diagonal line and I most often use this line coming from the lower left of the image and pregressing toward the upper right side of the frame, but this note is added as commentary.  You can use leading lines in many, many ways.  The key is that you need to spot the leading lines while framing a shot and then utilized this element to strengthen it.

Leading lines - Note how the angle of the background grasses merge with the leading diagonal line of the fish eagle to guide the eye - photo © P. B. Eleazer

Leading Lines - here a simple dirt mound effectively creates a leading line to the carmine bee eater

Combinations of Elements

We have noted that a single element is all that is needed.  You will probably never have an image with all 5 of the above elements.  Matter of fact, if you did, the image would probably be confusing to the eye.  However, in some of the images above, you may see a secondary element that also helps build the image.  Below is another example of combining elements.

Combined Elements - The fish eagle has strong leading lines in the image, but just as important is symetry as the white body and sharp eyes create the strong focal point. - photo © P. B. Eleazer

Combining Elements - In this image, the foreground hippos provide leading lines to the upper right hippo, however the textures of the water and of the hippo heads are also key elements in this image - photo © Justin Eleazer

Summary

Many camera owners are ‘picture takes’ who take ’snapshots’.  this is fine if all you wish to do is to document an event.  However, it is just as easy for a camera owner to create images that are ‘wall hangers’, images that everyone wants a copy of and that you will want to frame.  To transition from picture taker to photographer is as easy as understanding a few elements to consider while looking through the viewfinder of your camera.  If you can master the five elements above, you will begin to shoot winning compositions.

From the email, Mr. Gorshkov is no stranger to Botswana as he has visited 21 times and is planning another trip there next week.  Sergey stated that Botswana, in his opinion, is the best country in Africa.  He noted that his favorite African safari subject is the leopard.  Mr. Gorshkov has provied us with a stunning leopard series which we now present to you.  (As noted on the images, all copyrights are the property of Sergey Gorshkov)

Nikon D3 at 24mm, 1/10 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 400

Nikon D3, 42mm, 1/640 sec. @ f/7.1, ISO 400

Nikon D3 at 200mm, 1/1000 sec. @ f/5.6, ISO800

Nikon D300S at 650mm, 1/50 sec @ f/6.7, ISO 1000

Nikon D3 at 400mm, 1/4000 @ f4, ISO 1000

Nikon D3S at 38mm, 1/640 @ f/5.6, ISO 1600

Nikon D3s at 24mm, 1/3200 @ f/5.6, ISO 800

Nikon D3s at 24mm, 1/40 sec @ f/5.3, ISO 12,800

As we reviewed Sergey’s leopard images, two things really struck us.  First, Sergey is a master at creating a truly intimate portrait of his subject.  If one had never seen a leopard in the wild, this series of images would be a strong documentary of the life of a leopard … and if you read the biography below, you will see that is a major goal of Mr. Gorshkov’s photography.  The second thing we noticed is the Sergey has embraced the new camera technology and it’s ability to shoot at high ISO settings.  Many of these images would have been near impossible if Sergey would have limited himself to ISO 400 or less.  There is a lesson for us in this work.

Again, the editors of Chobe Safari would like to thank Sergey for providing these works for this article.

A Brief Biography of Sergey Gorshkov: For many years Sergey has taken pictures of wild nature . . . and every year his feeling of alarm grows. The world, which he photographs, is in danger now.

“I have begun shooting wild nature imperceptibly, taking pleasure which I can’t compare with anything. I want to photograph the native wildlife as it is, what it always was and what it should remain for our children” Sergey says about why he entered into photography. “My camera is a connecting link between me and wildlife. Through the lens of the camera I can see things, take pictures and try to reproduce beauty of the wild nature, a piece of what I have seen and I have felt being there, in their escaping world which  is disappearing little by little from the face of the earth”.

Kamchatka region of Russia

Kamchatka, Russia is Sergey’s favorite place of shooting. “Travel to the world of the wild nature of Kamchatka is so fascinating and amazing that many years of work have gone as one day. I am happy that I had an opportunity to observe beauty of fauna of this peninsula. Memoirs, which I have got here, remain with me all my life…” Sergey says.

He thinks that each photographer should have an individual project, which he should know and develop. Sergey’s photography is focused on the wild world of Kamchatka, to be exact the wild world of a bear.

View more of Sergey Gorshkov’s images at the following web sites:

• A Gallery of Images by Sergey Gorshkov

• Sergey Gorshkov’s Journal/Blog site

We have chosen a few of Sergey’s ‘jumping animals’ collection to introduce you to his work …. so with no further ado, here are some of the typical images of Sergey Gorshkov (all images © Sergey Gorshkov)

Awards from the 1st Botswana Water Jumping Competition

First Prize is awarded to the Lioness

Second Prize is awarded to Sergey's Impala image

Third Prize goes to the Leopard, who may have one first if the image was taken 1/10 second sooner.)

Honorable Mention goes to the Waterbuck, who practically walks on water

Last Prize goes to Mr. Gorshkov's hippo, which made no effort to jump at all.

Links to Sergey Gorshkov’s images:

• Gallery of Images

• Journal / Blog

Our first example is a shot we titled “Two Elephants Grazing”.  Here are the reasons we deem this one a ‘keeper’.

• the elephants are in a position such that the sun nicely illuminates details on the elephants.
• even though the side of the smaller elephant is in shadow, the ear shows clear separation from the body.
• Also of importance is the shadows on the top of the larger elephants back allows some separation from the similarly colored background shoreline.
• we also liked that the trunk of the larger elephant is in an interesting posture as it plucks grass.

This combination makes the shot a nice addition to Justin’s photo collection.

"Two Elephants Grazing", 1/1600 @ f/6.3, ISO 400, 320mm - © Justin Eleazer

For our second example, we have picked an example of a photo that we consider a ‘reject’ from the shoot.  Overall lighting and exposure are good and the background is free of distractions, but here are the reasons this image was rejected.

• one side of the elephant’s head is in near total darkness, giving little to no detail. (NOTE: if a larger lens had allowed a composition of just the eye/eyelashes on the ‘dark side’ against the shadows of the ear, one might have a really nice detail study, but from this image, that would be way too much of a crop.)
• On the sunlit side of the elephant, there is not enough contrast between the ear and the sand on the Chobe beach.  This lack of separation does not allow this key part of the animal to ‘pop’.
• A more minor concern is the overall angle of the animal.  In general, animals will often have higher interest when at an oblique angle.  The ‘frontal view’ does not allow seeing all of the animals legs nor any of the side or tail.

Grazing Elephant - photo © Justin Eleazer

For our third example, we present a photo by Justin we titled ‘My Turf’.  This photo is a winner.  Here are the things we like about this image:

• Elephant Angle – we have a nice oblique angle that allows us to peak at the animal’s body
• Elephant Posture – this shot has the classic ‘flared ears’ that can make elephants appear even more dominating.  Elephants  flare the ears as a warning gesture to intruders and also flap the ears to increase cooling.
• Shadows -a classic photo phrase is that ‘light illuminates and shadows define’.  In this shot the shadows near the ears really allow them to ‘pop’ and separate from the rest of the body.
• Background separation.  In this shot, the full, late afternoon sun allows the elephant to have contrast with the sand of the beach.  By the way, the limited depth of field also accentuates this effect.

One final note on this image, we’ve often commented how the western eye flows left to right. We wanted the message of this image to be ‘I’m a tough elephant, so stay away from me.”   If we flipped this image, we would possibly lose impact as the right to left position of the animal adds to the feeling of conflict.  A strong comparison is this image and posein comparison to the one in our last photo of this article.

'My turf' - 1/1250 sec @ f/9 ISO 400, 320mm - photo © Justin Eleazer

The follow photo titled ‘Peaceful Grazing’ is another reject from the shoot.  The composition is okay and the exposure is nice, including good separation from the background, but these benefits are not enough.  Here are the reasons this image was rejected:

• light is on the wrong side of the animal.  Basically, the forehead and trunk are nicely illuminated, gut the rest of the shot is in darkness.
• animal posture.  While the prior image projects power with the flared ears, this image with the flat ears gives the impression of a submissive animal
• distracting man-made elements: The background beach clearly shows a set of truck tire prints.  These photos are from the wild and we need to preserve the feeling of the wild. These could cloned out. the tire tracks, but left them in our image so we can make the point that this type little detail can ruin a great shot.

Peaceful Grazing - photo © Justin Eleazer

As one can see, on this particular day, Justin was able to capture quite a number of ‘keepers’, yet, even within the set, some images become rejects due to the ‘little things’ that significantly impact the overall result.