Photography in AFRICA


it is important to have in mind that there are other African countries catering for Safaris, some are new while others have become so unsafe for the independent traveller that I have excluded them from the list below.

Countries included in these notes and offering great Safari experience:

Kenya - Poor infrastructure and has safety issues for the independent traveller. Best to book with a good Safari Company.

Tanzania - It has the best and the most famous game park - the Serengeti. Poor infrastructure for the independent traveller.

Botswana - Offers first class safari but very expensive. Good for the independent traveller. The Okavango is where the animals are and go during the season when the floods arrive from Angola.

Namibia - Good safari - small but excellent infrastructure. Good for the independent traveller.

Zambia - Boasts to have at least one very good game park.

S. Africa - Expensive for the independent traveller, offering a number of game parks, including Kruger and Kgalagadi. Kgalagadi can easily be reached and entered from Namibia. In S.Africa Personal safety in some areas needs to be considered carefully by the independent traveller.

There are three basic ways for the wildlife photographer to plan his photographic adventure in Africa.

1. Travel with a Safari company that arranges everything having to do with visiting a game park, including where stay, entry passes and vehicle. This means that you will have to share your space in the safari van/truck when driving searching for the animals. This is the safest method and the cheapest. For the most part you follow a pre-determine plan organized by the safari company you booked with. If photography is the main reason to be there - this is by far the weakest of the three options presented here.

2. The semi-independent traveller organizes everything about his travel and stay but contracts a local guide to go into the game parks to offer expert knowledge and safety advice.

3. The independent traveller does it all himself. Rents the van in advance, books flight tickets, gets maps, decides where to stay and the many other matters associated with travelling and entering a game park. Many independent travellers rent a van and camping equipment. Namibia and S. Africa are perhaps the best two countries for this. With photography as the main reason to visit a game park, this is in my opinion the best of the three options, provided the photographer prepares very well in advance.





Africa is unique. Blue skies, game parks, wilderness, deserts rich in wildlife - and who has not heard about the beautiful African sunset?

What equipment to Take

Before we consider the equipment to take on safari, a note of caution directed to the independent photographer, the one in control of all travel arrangements and movements when on safari.

In some countries the autonomous photographer can rent a car or camp
ervan and drive to game parks or wilderness areas staying the night in designated camps. However, in other countries this is impractical and unsafe due to the poor infrastructure, mainly dirt tracks with huge pot holes and deep sand. Malaria and other water born diseases are also active in some of these places. Personal safety has become a real issue in some places.

You’ll need to make a careful and comprehensive research of the locations you intend to visit. Learn about people, customs, potential dangers, where not to go, documentation and vaccination required. If you are visiting a game park in S. Africa, the entry passes for the park can be obtained well in advance but they are very expensive. Africa is not a place for short cuts unless you are absolutely certain of what you are doing. Ignorance is not an excuse.

There are dangers posed by wildlife if the photographer acts irresponsibly. As an example of this, take note of what happened in 2010 in one of the camps in northern Kgalagadi on the borders of Botswana and South Africa.
This camp is in a semi-desert area. It’s fenced off but as it often happens in Africa maintenance wasn’t carried out properly. Some of the wooden poles holding the wire mesh needed urgent repair.

During the night growling lions awakened the camp. People rushed to the perimeter fence to see what was happening. There were about one dozen lions by the fence looking in. Some campers quickly returned to their tents to fetch their cameras.

The only ranger on site was furiously running about ordering people to move away from the fence and stop taking pictures with the flash.
He said later, “there was a great danger that the light from the flash would have caused the lions to attack - if the large male lion attacked the fence, I think the barrier would have bent inwards allowing the lions to jump into the camp.”

What a disaster that would have been. True, the fence was flimsy but it was good enough, provided people acted responsibly.

Unforeseen events can happen any wherever, but people’s ignorance, carelessness and sometimes stupidity are at the root of most problems in wilderness areas.


Before departure read everything you can about the location you’re visiting. If available, follow the advice of government agencies where you live, informing you about the country you intend to visit.

When travelling through built up areas be discreet keeping your photo equipment covered from view at all times.

All-inclusive preparation and a wise head will go a long way to give the self-sufficient photographer one of the best photographic experiences in life, returning home with wonderful images and memories.

Some of the images below are fun pictures; they illustrate some of the points raised in the text.

Basic List of Photo Equipment

Travelling light has many benefits, but for a wildlife photographer it can have some disadvantages. For example, the list below doesn’t take into account camera break down. Without some duplication there is a risk of not having a working camera if your main camera breaks down.
A good alternative is to take with you a small back-up compact camera.

Another item on the list is an empty been bag. You can buy the beans on arrival. Perhaps most of your photography will take place from inside the vehicle. A beanbag to rest on the door window of the motor vehicle will enable you to operate a long telephoto lens in any light conditions.

This list also omits a device to transfer images from the memory card for safe storage. A memory card can easily get lost or corrupted while in transit.

Camera with two lenses - Long and short focus.
Grey graduated filters - to control sky light at sunset.
Polariser filter.
Empty beanbag.
Lightweight tripod but strong and stable.
Camera and lens cleaning material.
Fast memory cards - take more than your needs.
Photo bag to take kit.

The list above is basic and lightweight. A lot depends on what kind of photography you intend to do - and that is the key point to consider when selecting the equipment you’ll need to take. Only you can make the right choice.

How can you protect your camera and change the lens to avoid getting dust into the camera sensor?
I change lenses inside the vehicle and when there is a lot of dust around I change the lens inside a transparent plastic bag. When not in use I keep the camera inside that plastic bag. Every evening I clean the camera and lenses to always have them in the best possible condition.