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Elephants at sunset. Nikon N90s, 20-35mm f/2.8, Sensia, Singh-Ray graduated filter. Note that this is the same waterhole where the cover shot of Frans Lanting's Okavango book was made. Different time, different photograper, different look.

Africa’s a big place, so just where do you go? The big three in my mind are Tanzania’s Serengeti, Kenya’s Masai Mara, and Botswana’s Okavango. Of these, Masia Mara Game Reserve is regarded by many as the Big Kahuna (sorry, wrong continent). If you want to see migrations, visit the Mara in early September, though since everyone else in the world is doing the same thing, it’s not very conducive to creating great photographs. A better idea is to visit in January or February, when prey is scarce for the lions, and you’re more likely to witness and photograph a desperate hunt.

What will surprise you about Africa is that you didn’t even realize there was such a variety of animal life to photograph. Take hoofed mammals, for example. You can probably name zebra and impala, but there are also dik-diks, elands, gazelles, gerenuks, gnu, oryx, topi, and waterbuck, to name just a few. Buffalo, hyena, hyrax, fox, jackal, mongoose, warthogs, and wild dogs probably don’t roll off the tip of your tongue either, and we’re just getting started. In short, get ready to be overwhelmed (and bring a good identification book!).

A typical safari is done in a four-wheel vehicle—Land Cruisers and Land Rovers are the norm—moving between temporary tent camps and the occasional lodge. Your vehicle may have as many as eight other folk in it, though the best tours try to restrict photographic safaris to a maximum of four shutterbugs per vehicle (two is perfect). Some of the vehicles are open seating, but many are more traditional, with a canvas “moonroof” that can be rolled back to allow for photography or closed to keep dust out during drives.

Shooting from vehicles is an art in itself. You need a wide range of lenses to maximize your possible shots, and even with support, you and your vehicle-mates will need to develop protocols to keep from shaking the vehicle while someone is shooting. Beanbags work reasonably well for casual support, but I found that I got the best support by splaying the legs of my tripod flat across the roof opening (I tend to gravitate towards a rear corner, so I can do this out of the way of the others). Alternatively, use a support designed for vehicles, like Kirk Enterprises Window Mount. Bring the very best tripod head you can afford, as you’re going to readjusting your framing almost constantly.

35mm users need a minimum of a 500mm lens, preferably with a 1.4x or 2x extender. A fast 80-200mm zoom and your wide angle of preference should round out your basic kit. If you have a D1 or other 35mm-based digital camera, you’re finally going to find a reason to love that 1.5x focal length effect imposed by the small CCD sensor. Suddenly your 70-300mm lens becomes an almost perfect wildlife lens (100-450mm), and your 500mm is a eyeball-grabbing 750mm. All-in-one digital camera users (Nikon Coolpix 990, for example) are going to be swearing at their lenses on safari, as virtually none have the reach you’ll need. That’s because the animals often are moving, but you need to stop the vehicle and shut off the motor in order to take vibration free photos. It seems as if you always need just a few more millimeters of telephoto, and most all-in-ones have none to give. Bottom line for all photographers: Invest in the longest telephoto (or lens converter) you can find, but make sure to practice shooting animals with them (hint: try the zoo) long before you arrive in Africa, as there are framing and focus issues you need to master.

Most safaris spend a few days in one location, returning to a tent camp each night, then move the whole operation to another area and repeat the process. On two-week safaris, most tours book a stop at a fixed lodge midway (yea, hot water!), while shorter tours usually end up at one. While camp conditions range from upscale backpacking to oh-my-god-this-tent-is-bigger-and-fancier-than-my-bedroom-at-home, you should expect to rough it, at least a bit. That means everything from being ready to pack up quickly to putting up with some dust and bugs.

But the pictures you’ll bring back are worth every bit of “putting up with” you have to do, and you’ll come home with renewed respect for your ancestors.

Why Go?
It’s better than Out of Africa even begins to hint at, and you’ve been dreaming about going since your were a kid watching Tarzan films (or Lion King for you younger folk).

Lucky Shot
Rhinos are rare, so any shot you get of one in the wild is a huge bonus.

Must See and Photograph

• The Big Cats: leopards, lions, and cheetahs are surprisingly easy to find and photograph, though getting pictures of them hunting or with a kill is a hit or miss proposition.
•   Herds. Seeing a herd of cattle on a farm is one thing, but standing at the edge of thousands of animals is a photographer’s dream.
•  Elephants at Sunset. Sunsets in Africa are Sunkist-orange and spectacular. What better to photograph in silhouette against that dramatic sky than the real lord of the land?
• The Forgotten Animals. Monitor lizards, hyenas, wild dogs, asps, chameleons, and a much wider range of birds than you’d expect are all there if you look hard enough in the right places.

Practical Advice

•  Bring zipper-lock bags to keep your camera in between shooting sessions. Dust is omnipresent and small enough to crawl through every gap in your camera’s body. 35mm users: bring a dust brush and check the pressure plate and rails on your camera every time you load a roll of film. Digital users: dust on the CCD sensor is a quality killer that requires expensive cleaning, so be extra careful with your camera, especially when changing lenses.
• Bring the longest telephoto you can afford. 35mm users: consider renting a 500mm f/4 or 600mm f/4 and extenders if you don't already own them. D1 users: you can get by with a 400mm, especially if you bring a 1.4x extender. Coolpix users: The Nikon 3X only gets a Coolpix 990 up to about 350mm (35mm equivalent), and you’re going to want 500mm or 600mm equivalents. I’ve tried the Kenko 8x spotting scope on my Coolpix, which gets me to over 1000mm, but the quality isn’t as good as I’d like and focus is a real headache.
•  Invest in a beanbag. A high quality bean bag can provide exceptional and versatile support options, allowing you to shoot out vehicle windows, etc.
• Get a car adapter for your recharger. But check first with your tour operator to see what voltage their vehicles produce. I’ve encountered both 12 and 16 volts.

Special Travel Advice

• Check the CDC’s Web site to find out what shots and medications you need, and get them as early as possible (except for those that are only effective for short periods, such as gamma gobulin shots).
• Larium (the most commonly prescribed malaria preventative) has strange effects on some people. I had hallucinations and personality changes on the evening that I took my weekly pill. If you’re taking the medicine correctly, you’ll know that well before you get on the plane, giving your doctor a chance to prescribe an alternative.

Best Book for Photographers

With plenty of competition, I’d still say that Joe McDonald’s Photographing on Safari is the most informative for someone trying to make the most of a photographic adventure. McDonald’s advice on metering off various animals is spot on, and hard to find anywhere else. Unfortunately, this book is now out of print (though you can often find used copies in Amazon's Z-Shops). A photo book by McDonald that's inspirational and still in print is African Wildlife.