The Photography Safari

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8 January 2010

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Taking your passion for portraits out in the wild is one of the really exciting assignments a photographer can get. Whether you are going out into nature to photograph a great sunrise, a phenomenal river or to capture some other wonder of nature or if you are making the choice of where your next photography assignment should be that tell the story of a people, the safari nature of the trip is the same.

Safari is a unusual term for such a trip because like that hunter going into the deep into the firest to find a big deer, you are going to the unknown to get that perfect photograph. Your preparations have to be expert. Your discipline out in the field must be focused. But above all, your the passion to achieve the perfect photograph you’re in search of as you hunt the prize you want to bag, nor with a big game rifle but with your digital camera.

One mistake to avoid is over packing for your adventure. It’s easy to do because you may have the urge to bring all the cameras you own “just in case”. First of all, if you have every piece of photography equipment you own with you, the likelihood that something will get broken or stolen is pretty good. So you have to know how to strip down your travel gear to just what you have to have to get the job done.

But do you have knowledge that if this experience is new to you? One way is to do a few “dry runs”. Just as you went out and did practice photographs when you were learning your craft, take one or two test trips to the next town. Do these without the pressure of a deadline or a deliverable that you have to complete. A visitor to take some random images in the closest metropolitan area will show itself what is needed and what is not. Then repeat the same steps in a different scenery out in the country where you may have to backpack your equipment in. You will find out pretty fast what “stuff” is worth the extra weight and what needs to stay home.

Your photography safari is a business trip to you and you have a mission. But your mission is about more than just going somewhere to get a snapshot. Just as every picture has personality and soul, the more you become part of the area where you are traveling, the better your “eye” will be to capture the perfect photo.

Yes, you must stay focused on the purpose of the trip and stay on schedule. But don’t forget relax and have a good time photographing. If you are going to take a picture of a natural wonder, like Mount Rushmore, for example, spending time visiting with other photographers going to that sight or talking to locals may surface never seen before landmarks about the site that other photographers would not get if they just came, snapped a photo and left. Use the “down time” to charm the other travelers and let them charm you. You not only have a variety of pictures to pick from, you will have a lot more fun.

Finally, as you reach your destination, your preparations need to pay off and you need to let them pay off. Here is where focus and the eye on the subject matter counts the most. It is so easy, especially when traveling, to become obsessed with the equipment, than with the set up and with your settings.

Make sure you get all the items finished before setting off on your photographic journey, or in the hotel room the night before. On location, the session is about your subject, not your equipment. Your equipment is there to serve you. Don’t worry about it. Trust yourself that you did a good job getting ready. You have quality equipment and you have prepared the lenses, checked the batteries and done all the right things. It all will work when it needs to work.

Now you pay attention to what you’re photographing. Your expert eyes are needed to judge the lighting, the angle and every aspect of the shot to determine if it tells the story that you know this photograph has to tell. Here is where the artist in you works artistically with the photographer to produce a photo that you will for sure to love. And if you obey your disciplines and get that shot, it will be a photography safari that comes home having “bagged the big one” to add to your trophy room for sure.

Author: Richard Rives, Photographer in San Antonio Texas. Visit our senior portrait gallery or our family portrait gallery