Photo advice on safari – on your Tanzanian safari there will be plenty of opportunity to take photos. You can prepare for this in several ways.
Camera
On safari in Tanzania it is useful to have two cameras. An automatic camera that you can carry with you at all times to capture anything at short notice. Also take your DSLR as you will be using this a lot.
Lenses
A variety of lenses will be useful on safari in Tanzania as you will see some wildlife in the safari truck and other wildlife in the lodge itself. A selection of lenses is good such as a 200-500mm range for animals, 10-22mm for landscapes and 24-104 for portraits.
Camera bag
On your safari in Tanzania there will be dust at times so ensure that your camera bag sips up. Ensure that it is not bulky as you will need space to move about in the safari truck.
Batteries
You will be using your camera a lot on safari from your early morning game drives to relaxing at the lodges in Tanzania. Three batteries and a charger are recommended. You might want to take a portable car charger for your batteries as the safari driver can plug this in for you.
Memory cards
You will need to take memory cards with you on your Tanzanian safari. If you are shooting in RAW four 32 GB or JPEG two 32 GB will be enough for a two week safari.
Tripod/bean bag
On safari in Tanzania you will spend time in the lodge and a tripod would be useful here for capturing evening or bird shots. In the truck on safari you will be standing up and moving around, a beanbag will be useful for you to lean your lens against the window.
Sturdy camera strap
You will be moving around on your safari, lots of safari trucks in Tanzania have a rooftop area you can sit or look through. This means you will need a sturdy camera strap. A joby is ideal for this, especially if your Tanzanian safari includes a walking safari. This will leave your hands free to use the binoculars
Portable storage photo device
Bringing one of these on your safari to Tanzania means that you can upload your photographs. You will clear the memory card to be used again. These are lightweight and compact, perfect for travelling in Tanzania.
Filters
A polarising filter is a must for your Tanzanian safari. This will reduce glare and increase saturation. A lens hood can prevent flare which in turn, reduces contrast. If you don’t have a hood shade the lens with your hand, but watch you don’t get it in the viewfinder. This will stop the harsh rays of the Tanzanian sun spoiling your photographs on safari and also ensure that you keep your lenses dust free.
Practise before you go
On safari in Tanzania many techniques will come in useful such as panning, the rule of thirds, focusing on the animals eyes and avoid centring all shots