so i leave for kenya this coming monday the 18th for 3.5 weeks and i was wondering if anyone has any tips/advice on photography while im on the safari.
This is the list of photography gear i am planning on taking
Nikon d3100 with standard 18-55mm lens
Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-4.5 Di VC lens with hard lens case
Meike battery grip
bean bags for in vehicle stabilazation

any tips or advice is much appreciated!

 

I spent some time traveling throughout Africa and was able to do several game drives.

Your 70-300 will be on your camera the entire time. Due to packing constraints of my trip I was traveling pretty light and only had my 18-200 and would have loved the extra reach of at least a 300.

The bean bags are a good idea, but I'd check out a GorillaPod (probably the SLR or SLR Zoom) it came in handy, especially when we had an open-roof truck to keep things stabilized.

Also you didn't include memory cards, you'll want a ton! I think my first morning on safari I took close to 2000 photos, I reigned myself in after that, but you are still going to go through cards like never before

Along those lines do you have plans for saving off your photos? Are you planning on having enough memory cards for the whole trip? (I was on a much longer trip, but had a netbook and then was backing up to an external HD). Just something to think about.

And be prepared to have some major glass envy, I saw so many massive lenses (600MM+) popping up out of trucks all day. It was the first real time I felt like I had inadequate equipment I was still able to get some amazing photos, you'll love it.

Can't wait to see your pics

 

I would think about trying to rent a 80-400. I wouldn't about bean bags unless you're dealing with big lenses, 300 2.8, 500 4.0 and such.

 

thanks for the info
i have 4 32gb sd cards and a netbook with plenty of hd space.
ill be posting my favorite ones on here but all of them will be going on my photobucket account with a public album and ill post a link

 

I think I did OKAY with a 70-200. But if you're not in private game reserve, you may be limited where you can drive. So maybe a longer lens would be needed. Here are my pics from recent South Africa trip.

 

i think the pics look great! thanks for all the tips guys

 

sorry, no advice from me, but... 3.5 weeks vacation FTW!

sooooo jealous

 

yeah man im really pumped... im spending 19 days in kenya then 5days in Istanbul

 

I know it's probably too late, but all I know is... if I was going on an exotic vacation, I'd want an UWA lens (Ultra Wide Angle). But that's just me, I'm a wide angle whore

 

i thought about a wide angle but then i talked to a coworker who went on a safari and said he used it only a few times and that it wasnt worth taking on the extra weight and taking up space for a lens that might not get used alot.

 

first off thanks for all the tips! i just got back from the trip and took about 4400 pictures. We got really lucky on every game run because animals even lions and cheetahs literally were walking around 15yards in front of us. we also got to see all of the big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, black rhino, cape buffalo). according to the safari guys you usually dont see all five in such a short time. im no pro photographer but i think the pics came out well. here are a few pics. ill post a link to the full photobucket album once ive sorted through the pics and uploaded them

 

It's Massive Head Wound Harry!!


Awesome pics, can't wait to see more

 

thanks... some of the park rangers said that he got that wound fighting over a female.

 

Moar!

 

Nice I would love to see more photos.

4400, it is going to take a while to go through them.

 

did he win?

 

yeah im almost done sorting them. once i get them on photobucket ill have a link on here

yeah the female was with him

 

awesome, looks you had some great lion sightings. Would love to see some of your cheetah shots, we never got as close to them as I would have wanted.