Capture the Moment!
Since 2013, I’ve published hundreds of blog posts on all aspects of photography. Some are aimed at helping photographers with their technique, settings, and equipment, but others describe my exhibitions, workshops, and adventures in Africa, Antarctica, and beyond.
If you click on any article, you can subscribe for just £4.99 a year, which also gives you access to my monthly newsletter! Feel free to browse chronologically or click on any category heading for specific content, such as Trips or Hints and Tips.
If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, please drop me a line at nick@nickdalephotography.com or on +44 7942 800921.
Sales and Marketing Tips for Wildlife Photographers
Let me just say right up front that I’ve never been very good at sales and marketing. I’ve had to learn on the job, but it’s been a frustrating experience—and very hard to measure success.
Here are various tools I’ve used myself over the last couple of years. I can’t guarantee they’ll work, but at least you’ll have a few ideas…!
How to Photograph Cheetahs
I’ve taken more photos of cheetahs than any other animal, so I thought it was about time I wrote about how to do it! Whether you favour portraits or action shots, here’s an expert guide to improving your cheetah photography…
Where to See the Big Five
For most people who go on safari in Africa, it’s all about the Big Five: lions, leopards, African bush elephants, black and white rhinoceroses and African (or Cape) buffaloes. Back in the days of big game hunting, those were the five most dangerous beasts, so hunters prized them as trophies to take back home and put on their walls.
How to use Pre-release Capture
OM System has had Pro Capture Mode for years, the Canon R1 now has Pre-burst Capture and the Nikon Z8 and Z9 have Pre-release Capture. However, Sony doesn’t have any equivalent, and that used to be very frustrating. My two ⍺1s were probably the best on the market for wildlife photography, but they couldn’t ‘turn back time’. So what did I do? I exchanged one of them for a Nikon Z8!
How to Shoot from a Hide
Apart from an evening in the Brazilian Pantanal and an afternoon in Namibia, I never really had a chance to use hides to photograph wildlife until I visited South Africa in June 2024. Kambaku River Lodge had a hide beside a waterhole with gimbal heads for guests’ cameras, and Kings Camp had a similar facility—except with a very low ceiling!
How to Save Money as a Wildlife Photographer
People often ask me how I spend my time as a wildlife photographer. Some assume I spend my whole life on expeditions to exotic locations. If only! Sadly, I only have the funds to go on a few trips per year, lasting two or three weeks each. However, I’ve learned that it’s easier to save money than make money, so here are a few money-saving tips that should help you spend more time in the bush.
How do you Judge a Wildlife Photo?
People sometimes show me a wildlife photo and ask me what I think, but I always turn the question around. “What do you think of it yourself?” Aesthetics are subjective, so there’s no right or wrong answer, and my view is no more ‘valid’ just because I’m a professional wildlife photographer. However, if you ask me what makes a good photo, that requires a much longer answer…!
I'd Rather be Lucky than Good!
In a sense, every wildlife photograph is a matter of luck. These are wild birds and animals we’re talking about, not fashion models working in a studio! You can’t tell wildlife subjects to pose, and bears and big cats are too dangerous to get close to.
How to Organise your Photos
Have you ever been desperately trying to find a photo that you took? Have you had to scroll endlessly through your Photos feed on your smartphone? Have you ever had to give up because it was just too hard to find? I’m sure the answer for most photographers is “Yes”, “Yes” and “Yes”! Keeping track of your photos is hard for everyone, but here are a few tips that might help.
Addicted to AUTO...?
Are you addicted to AUTO? Do you leave your camera in AUTO mode without ever trying aperture or shutter priority, let alone manual? If so, let me be your sponsor! I can help you improve your photography by encouraging you to use different cameras, lenses, settings and rules of composition—and you won’t even need to go cold turkey!
Stills or Video?
If you’re a wildlife photographer who also shoots video, when should you take pictures and when should you film? Tricky one. I’m in the same boat, and I’m never sure of the answer. I see myself as a photographer first and foremost, so that’s my priority, but there are times when video is the right way to go.
How to Photograph in the Rain
Not many people like being out in the rain, and I’ve even been on a game drive with a guide who immediately turned round and went back to camp as soon as it started raining—even though we were only 20 yards down the road!
Getting Started on Bird Photography: 10 Essential Tips
Bird photography is a uniquely accessible pastime, particularly in the age of affordable high-performance cameras. However, it can be much more involved compared to other photography-related hobbies because of the technical know-how and personal discipline needed to capture human-shy bird species.
Top 100 Photos: Strengths and Weaknesses
I’m going to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPOTY) exhibition at the Natural History Museum in a couple of weeks to see the top 100 wildlife photographs in the world. Unfortunately, I know in advance that I’ll like hardly any of them!
10 Classic Safari Shots
To my knowledge, not many photographers who go on safari put together a shot list in advance. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s worth considering so that you can make the most of your experience. The last thing you want to do is come home kicking yourself you didn’t get a shot of a leopard or a cheetah hunt.
Types of Light for Wildlife Photography
Light is light, right? Wrong! Light varies in colour, direction, brightness and softness throughout the day, and each type makes different demands on the photographer. You need to know how to guarantee good light and how to cope with bad light by using the right camera settings and editing techniques.
Calibration can Make Your Images Pop!
Calibration might be the last panel in the Lightroom Develop module, but it’s by no means the least useful. I often use the Blue Primary Saturation slider to make my images ‘pop’', and you can do the same!
How to Avoid and Remove Noise
Noise is the bane of many wildlife photographers. It can easily ruin images shot in low light, and there’s no easy way to fix it. However, photography is all about trade-offs, and there are a number of things you can do in terms of your choice of equipment, your settings and your editing workflow that should allow you to create clean, high-quality images whatever the conditions.
How to Improve Your Backgrounds
By definition, the background isn’t supposed to be as important as the subject, right? Well, that may be true, but the real point should be that you usually have far more control over the background than the wildlife! Here’s a pick-and-mix list of things you can do to improve your backgrounds—either by removing something negative or adding something positive.
How to Shoot Handheld
The first photograph was taken in 1826 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce using a shutter speed of eight hours! He had to keep the camera still for so long that he needed a tripod. However, modern cameras and smartphones have brought shutter speeds down so far that most people shoot handheld. So what’s the best way to do it?