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.
Feel free to browse chronologically or click on the category heading above any post for specific content, such as Equipment, Trips or Hints and Tips.
If you’d like to write a guest post, please drop me a line at nick@nickdalephotography.com or on +44 7942 800921.
(Please note that some posts may contain affiliate links from which I can earn a small commission.)
Accessorise!
If you want to buy a camera or lens for wildlife photography, there are probably millions of online articles to give you all the advice you need, but what about accessories? Tripods, filters and cleaning kits might not be as sexy, but when you need them, you really need them!
The Two-second Rule
How long does it take you to get ready to photograph something? If it’s more than two seconds, you might miss your chance. The ‘two-second rule’ is a way of crystallising the importance of being ready at all times. Birds fly away, animals turn their backs, and some idiot in your vehicle might drop something and scare off all the wildlife!
Sony ⍺1 Field Test
I’ve been using my pair of Sony ⍺1 cameras for a couple of years now, and I thought it would be worth doing a proper field test. I’ve just come back from a couple of weeks in the Serengeti photographing the Mara river crossing, so how did they perform?
Eight Ways to Photograph Crowd Scenes
As a wildlife photographer, I find crowd scenes very difficult. I’ve just looked through my Top 100 shots of all time, and only one of them had more than four subjects!
Mara River Crossing
Beautiful women, power cuts, cold water, wildebeest, rain, laughter, one business class seat and 78,000 photos. That’s what I got when I went to see the Mara river crossing in the Serengeti National Park!
Fieldcraft
What is ‘fieldcraft’ exactly? Well, it’s the combination of knowledge and experience that lets you maximise your chances of taking good wildlife shots by knowing where and when to go and being able to predict what happens next.
Get to Know Your Camera Gear!
I often meet guests on safari who have just bought a new camera but haven’t had a chance to work out how to use it properly. They couldn’t be bothered to read the manual, they didn’t have time to take any pictures or they were supposed to go on a course, but they were too busy…
When to Abandon Default Settings
When you become a wildlife photographer, people give you lots of instructions about how to take pictures. They’re all good starting points, but the rules don’t always apply!
Find a Travel Company you Like and Stick with it!
Professionals like Andy Skillen are funded by the BBC and other clients to go on photographic trips around the world. The rest of us have to make do with booking our own—often at great expense! So what’s the solution?
Create a Shot List
I have to confess that I very rarely make a shot list. The problem is that I’m a freelance wildlife photographer, so I don’t have clients to satisfy, and I’m happy to take pictures of whatever I happen to see. As Matt Kloskowski is fond of saying, I ‘embrace the chaos’!
Experiment with Different Styles
Have you ever taken a slow pan shot or used focus stacking? Have you taken macro shots of the insects in your garden or stayed up all night to photograph star trails? If you haven’t, maybe you need to experiment a little bit more!
Coping with the Cold
When I went to Sweden, the cold broke my tripod. When I went to Canada, the cold broke my lens. When I went to Antarctica, the cold broke my camera. I could go on…!
Extremely low temperatures can wreak havoc with your photography gear, so here are a few lessons I’ve learned in the past few years to help you cope with the cold.
Blur the Foreground With 'Look-overs'
Wildlife photographer Andy Rouse is a big fan of doing ‘look-throughs’—pointing his camera through a hole in the foliage to create a blurred foreground.
In Africa and the polar regions, you don’t get many chances to do that, so I prefer the ‘look-over’. This involves filling the bottom third of the frame with a blurred foreground.
10 Best Places in the World for Wildlife Photography
I’ve been a wildlife photographer for 10 years now, and I’ve been on over 30 trips. I’ve set foot on all seven continents, but most of my expeditions have been to Africa. If you want to learn from my experience, here are my top 10 locations for wildlife photography. There are a few good places I haven’t been to, such as South Africa, but these are my favourites.
What Your Driver can do for you
As John F Kennedy almost said, “Ask what you can do for your driver - and ask what your driver can do for you!”
Drivers and guides are there to help you on safari, and it’s worth getting to know them so that you can benefit from their knowledge and experience—but it’s important to try and give something back.
How to Pack Light!
In March 2021, I wrote a post on my packing list to let people know what I took with me on my photography trips, and you can see an updated version of the list below. However, I thought it was worth revisiting the topic to try to help people pack light.
What are Male, Female and Baby Animals Called on Safari?
I spend a lot of time on safari in Africa, but even I don’t know the right names for some of the male and female animals! I’m sure some of you are in the same boat, so here’s a quick guide to the major species. If you have any other suggestions, please add them in the comments section below…
Adventure Photography: How To Capture Action And Excitement In The Great Outdoors
Adventure photography focuses on outdoor shots such as stunning landscapes and heart-pounding situations. This photography also includes capturing extreme sports, including skiing, mountain climbing, and kayaking photography, hence a fun way to mix adventure with your passion for photography.
How to Photograph Birds Fishing from a Perch
We’ve all seen dramatic images of a kingfisher or bird of prey grabbing a fish while flying across a river or lake, but how do you get those shots? Bird in flight photography is hard enough without having to worry about the fish, too!
Tiger, Tiger...!
Hurry up and wait. That just about sums up any tiger safari. You wait to enter the park, you wait to see a tiger and you wait for it to do something interesting!