Photographic Safaris — Bring a bean bag

Photo safaris don't come cheap, but they're worth it if you want your family album to look like a National Geographic magazine. It isn't easy for an amateur to take good photos while on safari. Roads are bumpy, the wildlife wears camouflage and they don't like to sit still; the sun is bright. Your regular point-and-shoot camera will tend to make the wildlife look a lot less impressive than it is in the flesh, and by the time the auto-focus works, the animal may be long gone.

Good photographic safaris will offer uncrowded vehicles to give you enough room to take the perfect snapshot and keep all your equipment handy on the seat next to you. Accommodations are often high-end so you can recharge your batteries every night and keep your equipment cool and free of dust. The safaris they take you on will be at an optimal time of year for photographing wildlife. They also have excellent advice on the right filters, film, lenses and other equipment you need for the specific time of day, season etc. Did you know for example that a bean bag (or bag of rice) is perfect for steadying your camera in a bumpy Land Rover?

Some good photographic safaris include:

• Andy Biggs Photo Safaris
• Eyes on Africa - Offering Digital Photo Safaris
• Gerlach Nature Photography
• Photo Safaris trip to Masai Mara

If you can't afford a specialized photographic safari you can of course still get beautiful wildlife shots. There are plenty of resources online offering advice, some of the best I've found are: Wildlife Safari, Luminous Landscape and Eyes on Africa.

I would also recommend a quick photography course or workshop before you go, so you know how to handle filters and lenses and you're not fumbling about while a lion kill is happening in front of you. If you are a birder or you're planning a gorilla safari (where flashes are prohibited) it's certainly worth taking some lessons from wildlife photography specialists.