Capture the Moment!

Here are all my posts on photography, covering techniques, trips, research, exhibitions, talks and workshops. Watch out for my latest article every Saturday.

I’ve also written dozens of articles for Expert Photography and Camera Reviews.

If you’d like to contribute a guest post on any aspect of photography, please email me at nick@nickdalephotography.com. My standard fee is £50 plus £10 for each dofollow link.

Note: Some blog posts contain affiliate links to Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Mana from Heaven

Most people who meet someone who works for the National Security Advisor would probably have a brief chat and then forget all about him. I didn’t. Toby impressed me so much with the ‘mystical, blue light’ at Mana Pools and the chance to walk right up to the animals with a guy called Stretch Ferreira that I booked a trip as soon as I got home!

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!

Feast or Famine

After Kapamba, I stayed at Zungulila in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, from 1 to 5 August. This was the last stop on my tour and, according to the website, it was supposed to be ‘a remote, classic tented safari camp that delivers an authentic safari experience in eminently peaceful surrounds’.

Birds, Dogs and Pukus

After Bilimungwe, I visited Kapamba in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, from 29 July to 1 August. According to the website, it was supposed to be ‘A remote and romantic camp situated in a prime location on the Kapamba River, and one of only two Bushcamps to be open from April to January’.

The Dog Whisperer

After Kuyenda, I spent four nights at Bilimungwe in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. According to the website, it’s ‘beautiful’, ‘warm and welcoming’, ‘blends seamlessly with its surroundings and offers unrivalled wildlife viewings’. That wasn’t entirely true, but it did allow me to meet Manda, The Dog Whisperer…!

Unpronounceable, Unspellable and Unmemorable

After Mfuwe Lodge, I moved on to the bush camps, which were all in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. They had names that were almost impossible to spell, pronounce or remember: Kuyenda, Bilimungwe, Kapamba and Zungulila! First up was Kuyenda, where I spent two nights from 23-25 July 2024.

Don't Drive Angry

I’d been to Africa many times, and I’d never got angry with any of the staff before. It was almost inconceivable because they were all so friendly and helpful. Well, there’s a first time for everything, I suppose, and it arrived when I visited Mfuwe Lodge…

Roller Derby

When people ask if I photograph birds, I say I do—if there aren’t any animals around…! That’s not quite fair, though, and I enjoyed seeing birds of prey and the colourful beauty of rollers, kingfishers and bee-eaters around Chikunto Safari Lodge in South Luangwa National Park.

Quality over Quantity

If you want to go somewhere that looks like the Palace of Versailles where you can see rhinos from a hide and they have oat milk, almond milk and five different kinds of tonic water, Kings Camp is the place for you!

Getting the Horn

One of the main reasons I went to South Africa was to see the rhinos. After the horrific disappointment of finding out almost all of them had been dehorned, I finally found what I was looking for at Simbavati River Lodge—a male rhino with its horn intact!

Raining Cats and Dogs

Where would you find an African civet, a pack of wild dogs, lions feeding on an elephant carcase and a woman called Miles? Well, you’d have to go to Arathusa Safari Lodge in South Africa—as I did a couple of weeks ago.

Last-minute Safari

It’s amazing how easy it is to book a last-minute safari. Within 15 hours of my flight home from Jo’burg being cancelled on 30 May, I was on my way to Kruger National Park!

Mr Nick Goes to Botswana

What did I see on my trip to Muchenje Safari Lodge in Botswana? Well, not much—apart from leopards, lions, a bateleur eagle and 20 male impalas chasing a single female!

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…!

My Wildlife Photography Bucket List

Most of us don’t have the time or the budget to go on many wildlife photography trips, so it’s worth making the most of what we have by going to the right place at the right time. In 2014, I wrote down all the destinations on my photographic bucket list. Here’s an updated version that only includes the best places for wildlife photography that I’ve never visited...

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.

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 Become a Professional Wildlife Photographer

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin…

Once upon a time, a boy bought a camera and decided to become a professional photographer. He took hundreds of pictures and told his mum he wanted to go to the London College of Printing.

“Well,” she said, “you can always take it up later as a hobby…”

And that was that for 30 years!