Travel Plan Information

Photography Travel Jobs – Errors committed by amateurs

travel photography jobs are tons of fun! But not anyone can just point and shoot camera. So how can you be a travel photographer and is well out from the crowd waving photo enthusiast?

To return to the travel photography is more than shooting. It’s a passion to capture the beauty and there are complexities in the art that can only be learned through experience. Needless to say, traveling photographers with the lack of experience are amateurs. Either they have difficulty in capturing images that are impressive, dealing with the local culture, building your team for optimum results, or all three.

If you want to be a travel photographer, or just starting to become one, this article can help. Let me share with you some of the things that can save you many headaches and stress.

In its quest to make quality photos in a strange place, whether it be your guide. Avoid these mistakes fans so you can monetize their passion for photography in an instant. A play on words.

Travel Photography Job Mistake # 1. Not intend to bring the right equipment

Remember you ready to travel light, but travel. If you travel to a place where your goal is to capture the beautiful scenery, you should wear the right equipment for the purpose. Take your complete set of equipment is going to end up being a burden on your trip, why not bring the team really be used? Travel Photography Job Mistake # 2. Do not use the automatic settings of the camera

The only thing about photography is that sometimes the great opportunities for a fleeting image. You do not have enough time to change the lens or adjust the camera settings. So you need to know when the time came to carry and use a camera with fixed lens. Learning to love the automatic settings of the camera such as exposure and focus.

Taking pictures of the local culture and activities required to prepare and the instinct of a photographer. So you should be ready to point and click whenever an opportunity arises. Rely on your team!

Travel Photography Mistake Job # 3. Not to be polite and respectful of local customs

Take candid shots of people is invaluable, but sometimes people do not want to be photographed. Before making a few “shooting people” must first assess whether the atmosphere and ambience of the local people being shot.

You should ask first before shooting. Ask if you can take a few portraits of people and if you can take a few candid shots of them going about their daily business. Once you have permission, you can take with your camera, even without asking.

Note that some places have traditional customs that go against his art. Islamic countries, for example, that women do not want their photo. Stay informed about the customs of the people being shot.

If you can do it without looking suspicious use of a camera with a long zoom. This way you can take pictures without causing discomfort to the subject.

Travel Photography Mistake Job # 4. Programming the photos are not

As a photographer, you should take note of the highlights of the day to capture the image. Always investigate the first landscape . Know when natural light is beneficial for image capture. Some shots look better in the morning, while others look better in the early morning or late afternoon.

Most time, photographs of the landscape can be best captured in which there are no distractions of people. If it is better to take it early, make it a point to go to their principles.

It is just some of the mistakes amateur photographers are traveling. Prevent to get the most out of your adventure travel photography

Photography Travel attracts visitors Brand
When the holidays are individuals in a multitude of images and when you get home you can discover your shots do not resemble those of the brochures convinced everyone to go there especially in the first place. The field of travel photography involves more than taking pictures of sandy beaches and sunny skies. It is also about images that show the fun and excitement to attract people to spend their holidays and money here
Age Digital photography travel became easier, because the improvement of photographs on the computer can help make the corrections that the photographer may have missed during the filming of the scene and in some cases eliminates the need for an ideal climate. All books with blue sky and clear water that is used to examine week waiting perfect shooting weather. Now, with the photo of the aircraft can be as obvious as the photographer wants to be confused with that dissipated in the
is perhaps one of the most important aspects of travel photos that permanently altering the image should include all the benefits of a station in a frame. As the financial crunch is important for the photographer to capture the true essence of a place on the premises associated with fewer images.

travel photography fun and excitement to expect that a person must be contained in each image on the screen. People participating in water events, with the look of abject terror on her face, probably not attract many people. A person on water skis from the end of a ski jumping takes a big smile on your face, you can view the fun available even participating in extreme activities.

While many photos taken by travel photography using the services of models, especially in action scenes, there are situations in which the tourists fall into the true image. These are good overview of a range, for example, but the images that represent images with a restaurant close to the standard FedEx hired versions commonly used. Usually, a company can not use a person in a painting whose image is clearly identifiable without the permission of that person. If the decline in demand or payment terms, the situation is often vandalized.

Another trick to photography is a successful trip to all the scenes seem to be honest shot. It is the image should not look posed and the activity in which individuals are involved must give the impression of being taken as a spur of the moment choice.

Travel Photography Tips – How to take great pictures

take good pictures on your family vacation is easy when you know some basic skills of photography. Here are some really simple things you can do for your travel photos from so-so to great.

Add a little drama
To add interest and visual appeal of your photos by adding a little drama to your photos. One way to add drama to show the scale. You can do this by adding people and natural elements to your pictures of great things like monuments, landscapes and the world’s tallest Redwood.

clean up the mess
joy to see so much interest, it is easy to forget history. But before the shutter clicks, always take a look at the image you are photographing. With only a small change in position or change the angle, may be able to avoid the clutter of the background, such as billboards and power lines. />

Take pictures No matter when you travel around the world, learning to say some basic things like “I can take a picture? ” in the local language. Offer to send images back and make sure you have a laptop or a pen to write names, addresses and emails.

Unique and Candid Photos
Candid photos are great, but when you travel, remember to take the occasional family portrait in front of a stage or special a beautiful landscape. Remember to put in pictures Day also using the timer or remote release.

always take pictures of things that interest him rather than take pictures of things “take” as shown in the postcards in the gift shop. You can still buy postcards for souvenirs add and save the truly unique to your photos. original songs always make great travel photos, keep an eye on these unique photo opportunities. />

Each photo has a You tell your story vacation through the use of his photographs from the time he left for his return home , so be sure to capture those moments, too. Highlights include camp and its neighbors, a meal that was unusual, activities, look at the face of a family member when he or she saw something for the first time. After getting home and upload photos, choose the best to tell the story of his journey and then proudly framed on the wall.

Support shooting hire more
If you are traveling with children, give each child a camera (use of disposable equipment for children) and encourage them to take pictures too.

And when I get home, you’re sure to have a large selection of photos to put in a mounting frame and hang on the wall. Make sure you take notes during your trip if you have everything you need to write captions for pictures after arriving home.

Camera Care and maintenance
If you have any plans to close the water, make sure you use both a test of the water water or salt and sand beach camera.The can seriously damage or harm to your camera so much care, regardless of the type of device you are using.

Remember that even for more experienced professionals, not all photos will be a goalkeeper, so do not forget extra memory cards, unless you have a way to transfer your photos, while its distance.
Remember to recharge the batteries and replace the memory card every day so you can be ready for any photo opportunity comes your way. This way, you’re ready to go in the morning!

As you can see, taking great travel and vacation photos can be fun and relatively easy, just follow these seven tips. And when you get home you’ll have lots of fantastic pictures to share with family and friends.

Travel Photography Tips – 7 Tips on taking good photos

take good pictures on your family vacation is easy when you know some basic skills of photography. Here are some really simple things you can do for your travel photos from so-so to great.

Add drama to your photos

To add interest and visual appeal of your photos by adding a little drama to your photos. One way to add drama to show the scale. Scale can display your images with a person standing next to something as big as the world’s tallest Redwood so you can see the impact of the image.

rid of Clutter

When we see something new, it is easy to overlook the rear Background. But before the shutter clicks, always take a look at the image you are photographing. In some cases, a few meters can eliminate unwanted clutter such as power lines, billboards, or people walking through your picture.

Take pictures of the

local Wherever you travel around the world, learning to say some basic things like “I can take a picture?” in the local language. Make sure you have a small notebook and pen to write names or emails of people for what they can offer to send a photo.

Candid shots are the best transport, but the casual family portraits From spectacular views and sites are included in nearly all the albums on vacation. Remember to put in pictures Day also using the timer or remote release.

In addition to the obligatory photos, shoot what interests him, not what you think should interest you because you are on postcards in all stores. You can always buy some postcards to add to your holiday memories. unique themes make great travel pictures, then look for those opportunities.

Every picture tells a story

You can also tell the story of his journey so make you take pictures from the time he has left his return. Include vacation special stands out as a fun activity that makes the new friends we did or where he stayed. Once you get home and see the pictures, select the images that best reflect their travels and the frame on the wall to remember.

hiring extra help to take pictures

If you are traveling with children, give each child a camera (use of disposable equipment for children) and encourage them to take pictures too.

Then when you get home you can create a souvenir photo album of your holiday fun. During the holidays, remember to take notes so that later you can add captions to your photos.

Camera Maintenance

If you are going to be at or near the ocean, be sure to use a time to test water camera.The or salt water and beach sand can severely damage or damage to your camera so much care, regardless of the type of device you are using.

Remember that each image does not go very well, because even the experienced photographer to take some pictures some time to time. The best solution is to carry extra memory cards and a way to transfer your photos every day during your absence.

Remember to recharge the batteries and replace the memory card every day so you can be ready for any photo opportunity comes your way. This way, you’re ready to go in the morning!

As you can see, taking great travel and vacation photos can be fun and relatively easy, just follow these seven tips. And when you get home you’ll have lots of fantastic pictures to share with family and friends.

Most of us grab one, or maybe two, family vacations each year. Some go for the classic beach holiday, whilst some people are far more adventurous. Nevertheless, you will want to capture every memorable moment and image. Here is a summary of some digital photography tricks to help ensure you don’t return home without the shots you really wanted.

Just because you are on holiday, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get up early, as this is when you can get some of your best shots. Just after dawn, light can be softer. The sun’s low angle is great for landscapes. Getting out and about early also means you can avoid crowds, so historical sites and landmarks can be captured in their full glory.

Shops and markets make perfect locations for really getting a feel of your holiday destination. A little research will tell you when the local markets take place, and these can often be colourful events. Market stalls or shop displays create interesting colours and shapes. Watch out for recurring themes such as bowls of colourful spices.

Beach holidays can provide some exciting action shots. Watersports always create the chance to produce scintillating images. One of the most important digital photography tricks to note is to take with you, if possible, a telephoto lens of at least 300mm. This will enable you to get close up shots of windsurfers, waterskiers, or even paragliders. A fast shutter speed, of around 1/1000 sec, will be required to freeze the action.

The classic sunset will round off the perfect set of holiday photographs. It’s easy to fall into the trap of waiting for the sun to set and just pressing the shutter. Sure, you can still grab a decent sunset picture, but it actually helps to provide a little foreground interest. For example, why not persuade a local out walking his dog to sit by the water’s edge. Take a before and after shot of the same scene and notice the difference.

Finally – I could write an almost unending list of travel digital photography tricks, but just as important when you are taking pictures on vacation is to keep everyone happy! Not everyone one in your family may be as enthusiastic as you are about photography. Make time for yourself, so that you grab the shots you really want – but also make time to include your travelling companions, so that the family album has some good additions too.

It has been observed that web sites buy around 38 million photographs in a year from professional as well as non professional photographers. This clearly indicates the bright prospective of online stock photography today and in years to come. Today, stock photography is a thriving business that offers guarantee returns of around 10,000 $ to 50, 000 $ a month. This profession offers lucrative opportunities for almost every one possessing a digital camera and a passion for clicking original and unique pictures.

There is a huge viable market comprising of many online stock photography companies like advertising companies, publication agencies, and web designing agencies et al who are in a constant need of digital and stock photographs for their publications and presentations. These pictures, on the other hand are predominantly used by web site designers who need to design different companies’ logos, banners, headers etc.

These companies buy the license of your photograph to meet their own personal / professional needs. They prefer picking suitable pictures from stock photography sites as firstly, these sites are a reserve for abundant pictures collected from photographers across the globe and secondly, they find downloading a potential picture easier than hiring an expensive photographer.

Online stock photography is yet another viable business prospective for those contemplating to earn some extra income at the leisure of their home. Internet has made this opportunity accessible by offering many stock photography sites which invite all the passionate photographers to market their pictures to a wide range of buyers. This is an easy option as it does not require any initial capital investment, apart from the negligible membership fees asked while registering for a stock photography site.

So, the process is simple. You click a picture, place it on the right web site which further markets it to a wide belt of audience and you get paid on every download or purchase of your license of the picture. However, as a word of caution, make sure that every picture is unique that compels the visitor to buy your picture. Since stock photography is a competitive profession now, there is no room for a casual photograph to thrive.

The best sellable pictures are those which heart-melting human gestures. Even a hand-shake if taken with the right shot transcends the emotion captured in the picture on to its viewer. So, no longer do the pictures of historical monuments or popular places sell like hot cakes. The job no more requires extensive traveling as affective pictures can be taken right at the backyard of your home / office.

Call Me an Optimist

I just spent hours trying to figure out how to post my blog onto my Facebook fan page. When I finally figured out how it was, uh, so simple! Yikes! The Internet is great at making me feel like an idiot. Oh well….   Facebook in particular humbles me constantly.

 

I am sure that at some point everything will click into place. When I think back to how long it took me to figure out F-stops, depth-of-field and all that other technical stuff, well, I know all this web nonsense will eventually make sense. Hey, call me an optimist!A Glass Half Empty, or Half Full

This whole Internet thing as had an interesting effect on me. I have always found myself getting antsy if I haven’t made an image for several days. Then, when I do make an image, it is almost like I am high for a while…it just puts me in a great mood. Now I find I am having similar addictions to blogging!

 

If I go more than three days without posting a blog I start to feel anxious, and after posting what I think is a good blog, I end up feeling…well…good. So now I have two ways to start feeling good and two ways to start feeling anxious…kind of the glass half empty or half full kind of thing.   I think I prefer to look at it as half-full. Winners, Losers, and Longevity

BTW, my own stock photo of “The Glass” has an interesting history.   When I created the image, in conjunction with my studio manager at the time, Tiffany Schoepp, I was sure I had a best-selling image. Then the image went two entire years with only about one measly little sale!

 

When I was checking my sales reports a few months ago I noticed that that particular image is now up to over $4,000. 00 of revenue, my share, after about six years.   Interesting, two years with virtually no sales, then a nice significant amount of revenue over the next several years.

 

One thing that always stands out to me when I look at my total stock photo sales is the longevity of many of the images, and the significant amounts that accrue after a number of years. Of course, you can never tell which ones are going to be the winners and which ones the losers until after the fact. New Pricing Models

Speaking of glasses-half full, I am feeling more the half-full (that is the more positive one, right?) version in regards to the old stock photo career. There is a lot of buzz about the need for a new pricing model that will better serve everyone.   While it is insanely hard to change things once they are already established, it is clear that the models currently in use are not particularly good for anyone. With RF and micro pricing the opportunity for a client to see when and where his or her competitors are using the images is simply not there, nor is there a clear path to exclusivity.

 

With RM most people find it just too confusing and cumbersome. From a photographer’s perspective, the value that an image brings to a client is not being taken into consideration in the pricing for RF or micro. The whole thing is a mess. I am starting to believe that such a mess will eventually force the industry, for its own survival, to adopt an approach that makes sense. Reasons I Love Stock Photography

For the last couple of years I have been madly trying to figure this whole stock photo future thing out while at the same time attempting to be as productive as possible in creating new images. Yesterday I was reflecting on that while also planning a trip to Southeast Asia and working on a shot list for that trip.

 

Such trips, which I used to do once or twice a year, really enhance the quality of my life. I have been too worried about money and the state of our industry (OK…and a little surgery) to engage in such trips lately…but for some hard-to-determine reason I am feeling a little more relaxed.

 

If I don’t make any more images for the next six months, if I just took that time off and did something completely different, it would be hard to notice any significant difference in my income for at least a year, maybe longer. That is kind of a cool thing. It reminds me of some of the reasons I love stock photography so much.

 

Stock photography, despite all the problems and challenges, still offers me an unprecedented amount of security and freedom. Keep in mind, I worked my butt off for seven or eight years before I reached that point…but here it is twenty years after I started that process and in spite of all the industry problems I still have a pretty nice life. I see it getting better too.

 

I think with the end of the recession the sales of my existing body of work will climb again, and I believe the industry will find its way to a better place. There is just too much demand for imagery for the whole thing to collapse. SEO, Social Media, and Blogging

Of course, I am really trying to help the process along through making my images more visible on the Internet, utilizing SEO, social media and blogging. But I also see the size of the market out there for photos and the success that some other photographers have had tapping into the “Internet” market.

 

I believe that the biggest of all possibilities…the possibility that individual photographers can harness Google and other searches entities to link up their photos with those who want and need them.

 

They can establish a clear and simple path for licensing and/or utilizing such imagery, and will eventually coalesce into a coherent form that will allow photographers to benefit immensely.

 

I plan on putting myself into a position where I am one of the ones who will benefit.

We all take photos on vacation but do we all take good photos? If you’re one of those people who’s more disappointed than pleased with your vacation photos, the good news is that’s all about to change. Many years ago I was fortunate enough to take classes from National Geographic photographers at UCLA. The 3 most valuable secrets they shared will make a dramatic difference in your travel photos. The beauty of these 3 secrets is their pure simplicity. Secret #1: Place Your Main Subject Off CenterEveryone puts their main subject in the middle of their photo. Bor-ing. When you place your subject off-center viewers find it intriguing. Though they may not consciously know exactly why, they’re compelled to take a closer look. To compose an attention-grabbing photo nudge your main subject toward one of the four corners. First focus it in the center by pressing the shutter half way. Without releasing the shutter shift your camera so your subject is off center then gently press the shutter the rest of the way. Your subject will remain in focus. Secret #2: Shoot Everything TwiceCameras are made in a horizontal format, so it feels natural to take all your photos that way. However, for every photo you take in a horizontal format, stand your camera on its side and take another in a vertical format. Some subjects lend themselves to the vertical format like tall trees or skyscrapers. This also adds eye appeal if you’re putting together a travel blog or a scrapbook. You’ll have several options of how to make your text and photos flow together in an appealing way. Secret # 3 – The Rule of 3The number 3 has significance in photography. Visually it adds balance and symmetry to your photos. It’s appealing to the eye and can result in an extraordinary moment frozen forever in time. So, let’s say you’re photographing elephants in Thailand. Isolate 3 from the herd and feature them. If you’re photographing monkeys in Costa Rica pick out 3 of them huddled together or playing. If 3 isn’t an option you can still achieve symmetry with an odd number like 5 or 7. Make the most of your vacation photos by following these simple tips. Off centered subjects taken in vertical and horizontal formats in groups of threes will make you look like a pro. Happy shooting.

While winding along with your digital camera, you can utilize it to serve you all the way by a range of possible harms that might occur. It’s moreover significant to acquire many safety measures to guarantee your camera and associated apparatus will be protected as you journey. Journey taking pictures needs several particular ways.

Wandering along with your camera can be a stressful practice for persons not associated with camera-take journey. Worries of break and stealing consider greatly on the mentality of wandering lens man. There are numerous methods to build your next move along with your camera additional of a joy and fewer of worried condition.

Here are digital cameras wandering guidelines for creating the mainly of your camera’s capacities, whereas as well defending it, throughout journey taking photographs.

Evading weather troubles. The weather conditions can be undeterminable while you’re journeying. There’s moreover a possibility you’ll be close to water or cruel warmth. If you don’t have an all-weather or waterproof camera — if you aren’t sure, you probably don’t comprise one — you are able to attempt maintaining the camera affixed in a plastic container to defend it from wet. Maintain it draw near to your body part, to shield it from severe freezing. Discontinue make use of it by the time you’re going back indoor, if you observe compression lying on or within the camera.

Lock your gear/bag

When journeying in an assemblage (similar to an airline), think about a little security device for your camera purse. This can aid avoiding expert stealers from “pick your pocket” as bearing the carrier on your shoulder. Furthermore fastening your equipment while leaving in a hotel area is an excellent initiative. You could make use of a laptop security device wire throughout the zipper hauls to lock the bag to a strong portion of furnishings. It is frequently secure to depart your equipment in the case of your vehicle than unsafe in an inn area or in the frontage of the automobile

Backing up images. Even if you contain several memory storages through your camera, it’s an excellent thought to support the information on the memory storage. Finally, those holiday photographs are not disposable must the memory storage shatter or else get misplaced. Some establishment that permits you to create photographic prints from your digital photographs must be capable to reproduce the pictures on memory storage to an information CD or DVD.

Digital Battery chargers. The majority battery device chargers will operate through the 220V/50Hz electric current established in Europe. Assure the invert of your machine charger to be confident. You’ll also involve a transition plug to link through the plugs exercised in the European land you’re tripping.

Insuring your equipment. Well ahead of you tour, get in touch with your pledge business as well as make certain your taking pictures apparatus is enclosed while you take a trip. Be precise regarding what gears you’ll be taking and wherever you’ll be traveling. Since take a note of successive data and representations of each and every one of the apparatus. You may require purchasing a traveler to cover up your picture making apparatus.

Permanently label each piece of equipment. The majority of stealers will discard a part of apparatus once they understand it is noticeable. Write down your name (and telephone number if there is room) lying on every portion of your apparatus. You be able to make use of an undying ink indicator (photographic pens actually immerse into plastic) otherwise include a specialized merchant incise the data.

Are you planning  for asafari?Do you know what are the problems you will face while on your safari?Then if not  hear we have A Travellers Quide  To Safari  Photography for you,

Preparing  For  A Departure.

When preparing you need to put to consideration very many aspects but we will only touch on the photography Tips as we dont want you to be dissappointed after spending alot of money on asafari and you are unable to get the right results. It is always unwise to commence a holiday with new untested equipment. With digital cameras,take some pictures on each of your memory cards and check that they download correctly onto your computer. For adigital multimedia storage device,check that your memory cards copy successfully and that you can then transfer the files onto your home computer. It is adviceable at least to put one roll of film through a new camera and carry out a full test on any newly purchased lenses. Before deaparture ,make yourself familiar with all the commonly used camera and lens fuctions. Ensure you understand all the functions of any digital storage systems you will be using. Researching might seem to be invaluable and having established the flora and fauna you are likely to encounter,will aid you in selecting the most appropriate equipment to satisfy your own photographic needs. Also ensure and it is for your own good and advantage to insure all your equipments incase of damage,theft in all the countries you will be visiting. It is paramount you keep a checklist of the cameras and lens serial numbers as this will be useful in an event you need to lodge aclaim. Should equipment be stolen,it is important you record a statement with the local police of that country andd get a document with rubber stamp as the insurance will only process compensation when they have this document.

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU.

Cameras

These days there is avariety of cameras to choose from. For really successfully safari photographers a top brand  Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera,either digital or film,with an interchargeable lens facility is ideal. Almost all of the top models have an auto facility which is  a great asset to the wilddlife photographer. This systems can save a valuable seconds and consequently secure pictures that may have been missed with manual focus equipment. Due to the rigours and stresses that any safari places on equipment ,it is strongly adviceable you take at least two camera bodies -there will be little or no chance of getting any camera repairs undertaken outside major cities. Obviously it is beneficial to have two identical camera bodies,but if this is not feasible you should ensure that your “back up” camera accepts the same range of lenses and accessories as your principle camera body.

Compact cameras have either a fixed or zoom lens,are quick andd easy to operate and prove ideal for those visitors wanting just a photographic record. When visiting coastal area it is possible to obtain underwater compacts. This is a relatively cheap way of getting started in underwater photography. Since most of these underwater compacts are  unpressurised they are only operational to depths of just over ametre.

Most of the compact digital cameras are similar to their film equipment in size and operation but have the added advantage of instant replay,either through a small built in monitor or computer link. Images are recorded on a memory card,so pictures can be quickly sorted,saved or deleted,to make space for more photography. An increasing number of digital videos records have a stills option, and these have the added advantage of being able to record hours of action. As most digital cameras are powered by rechargeable batteries dont forget to pack chargers,leads,and plug adaptors and also a spare rechargeable battery and memory card are paramount.

Lenses

If your choice is the SLR option you will need to think about what interchangeable lenses to take with you. The wide variety of photographic opportunities that are presented to the nature photographer whilst on safari demand an equally wide range of lenses. These can be found  with the manufacturer of your camera system in an excellent range of lenses to choose from. In supplement,independent lens manufacturer will be able to offer competitive prices and maybe different focal lengths. Amedium zoom lens of between 70 and 300mm and a short zoom lens of around 28 to 135mm will cover most photographic opportunities. For the more wary mammals and the vast majority of the bird species ,longer telephoto lenses are required. These lenses are usually 400mm,500mm or 600mm and although often heavy and rather large,are essential for the more serious nature photographer and some camera manufactureres even offer image stabilizer lenses. These use a vibration gyro which detects shaking and then counter balances the movement with  amagnate and coil driven optical compensation system. These particular lenses are useful for handholding situations such as from boat or vechicle. This technology really comes into its own when using longer telephoto lenses where camera shake is greatly magnified,it makes using 500mm and 600mm lenses with teleconvertors a far more successful  option. Many of the new lenses will have auto-focus and this will offer three options. Firstly,by switching ift off,you can manually focus,secondly,using  single shot auto-focus the camera will lock on to whatever you are pointingat,but will need activating again should the subject move. Thirdly,servo-focus can be selected where the auto-focus will be constantly updating the focus point:this is ideal for moving subjects.

Macro Lenses

The inclussion of a macro lens in your equipment bag is essential if your photographic interests are in  recording close-ups of insects and flowers. The most useful macro lenses have a focal length of between 90mm and 180mm : these allow a reasonable working distance from most subjects. With experience macro lenses of around 50 mm have too short  a working distance, which can disturb some  subjects. This short working distance can also often cause lighting difficulties ,particularly when using flash. The macro facility offered by some zoom lenses can be useful, but it is rather restricted and in no way matches the quality of a true macro  lens.

Cheaper  alternatives to amacro lens include the use of extension tubes,placed between any lens andd the camera body,thereby reducing the minimum focusing distance,the use of reversing rings and the use of close-up lenses attached to the front of an existing lens.

Lens Accessories

Tele-converters increase th lens magnification by a factor of either 1. 4x or 2x and some zoom lenses are designed specifically to work with them. Extension tubes and close-up filter attachments are another way of increasing magnification for macro photography. A UV or skylight filter on each lens offers  extra protection from accidental damage to the front lens element. a polarising filter is well worth taking, as it will help contral reflection and increase colour saturation. Many enhancements  that filters achieve on film can be added later to digital images through computer  programs such as photoshop.

Digital Storage

Many of the digital cameras use some form of removable storage memory cardd,such as XD, Smart Media (SD) or compact Flash (CF) . Storage capacity is measured in megabits (mb) or Gigabits (GB) . The higher the “mb” or “GB” the more images can be stored between downloads. Its a good idea to use a digital storage device to dowenload your memory cards each night. These are palm size hard  drives that vary in capacity from 20 to 100+ gigabits. Some have small colour screens for viewing. Travelling with  a laptop is another alternative where images can be viewed,stored,or even burnt onto CD or DVD . Small battery power CD and DVD writers are also available and offer probably the most secure form of backup.

RAW or JPEGy

Most digital cameras offer the option to shoot in RAW or Jpeg and this is the format that records your image, the digital equivalent of film. Jpeg is  a file format that stores digitsl photographs in a very  space efficient way. It uses compression to reduce file sizes at the expense of fine image details to do this. The level of the compression ( and thus the loss of quality) can be varied. Raw files contain all the data collected by the sensor,not  a sub-sample as is the case with Jpeg files. Raw  gives the most flexibility for post correction of the exposure and  colour and is the preffered shooting format of most professional photographers.

Noise and ISO

As in film photography,the noise level increases with higher ISO settings and shows itself in the form of pixels of the wrong colour appearing at random in dark areas. At ISO settings up to 400 very little noise is noticeable, so keep the ISO below 400 and save the higher ISO settings for when there is no alternative.

Film

There is avariety raging from negatives for prints or transparencies for projection,there is avast array of films to choose from. The speed or sensitivity to light is gauged by an ISO rating. The higher the ISO ,the more sensitive to light the film will be. However,the results will look more grainy. As light levels in East Africa are general very good,it should be possible to take advantage of the finer quality of the lower ISO films. The quality of film you require may be difficult to calculate. Try and work out a daily requirement and then double it! X-ray security checks at airports are standard procedure. However , those used for hand luggage checks should not cause any problems for film or digital. Hold luggage is aften checked with more powerful X-rays,so always take your film as hand luggage.

Camera Bags

For the protection of your camera equipment from damage,dust and rain is essential hence the need to buy a good quality camera bag. There are many  well-designed camera bags on the market  nowdays,with several more recent designs taking the form of rucksacks- these are excellent particularly if you expect to have to carry  your equipment any great distance. In selecting a suitable bag,resist the temptation to purchase one that is  too big- you will only feel obliged to fill it! with ever-tightening controls and  restrictions being imposed by airlines on the size  and weight of the cabin  baggage, the smaller the better. Waist – mounted camera and the lens pouches can help to spread the load. Stuff bags,sold in  most camping shops in varying sizes, offer an additional form of protection from dust and rain.

Camera Supports

The commonest cause of picture failure is undoubtedly lack of defination as aresult of camera shake. Ovecoming thi problem will increase your success rate enormously with the help of camera instructions manuals which give details of “How to hold your camera” and it is well worth developing a good technique in this area,with elbows locked tightly into the body.

Whenever possible we would recommend the use of a tripod. There are many lights, yet sturdy models on the market which will fit confortably into the average suitcase or roll bag. Monopods are also a good means of steadying the camera, but they do require a little practise. On most photographic safaris to East Africa the vast majority of filming will be undertaken from  a vechicle  during game drives, in most cases this precludes the use of  a tripod or monopod. The best alternative for photographing from a vechicle is to employ the use of a beabag, a very simple, but extremely effective method of camera support. Although beanbags are commercially available they are not difficult to make and all you need is  a section of cloth or canvas sewn to form a zippered bag of around 300mm by 150mm. This can be packed in your  luggage ,on arrival at your chosen destination,be filled with rice,beans or peas and then place it on the roof of the safari vechicle it quickly moulds around your camera and lens, forming a very efficient support.

Rifle stock and pistol grip supports allow freedom of movement when attempting to photograph moving subjects such as animals running or birds  in flight. if you have no option other than to hand hold your camera while shooting ,you should always ensure that your shutter speed is as great or greater than the focal lenghth of the lens in use, so for 500mm-1/60th:100mm-1?125th:200mm-1/250th:500mm-1/500th and so forth.

Once you have all as mentioned below you are set for your safari and ready for any evcentualities and are assured though we do have technical problems but you already know and have the backup.

Scenic Safari,sightseeing & aerial photography will only be enjoyable andd memorable when you get quality pictures orelse it is all awaste and hence the importance of giving you tips on what to do when perparing for a safari to avoid last minute dissappointments.