Getting Dirty!! (In a photographic sense!!).

Wildlife photography has never been so popular. In itself, this has many advantages with the development of better cameras, better lenses and all manner of photographic gadgets.

Conversely it means also that there is a lot of great photographic material out there in both social and printed media. It has probably never been harder to establish a “brand”, or reputation, as a great wildlife photographer. We are lucky in Southern Africa that we are blessed with photographic opportunity at every turn with the remarkable array of flora and fauna that we have on our doorstep, so much so that we don’t need to spend $000’s traveling to remote destinations to get the images of a lifetime.

With a little thought and imagination we can all produce wildlife imagery of the highest order in our local parks and game reserves, the secret lies in developing your technique to capture images that offer something different to other photographers out there. For example, how many unflattering photographs do we all see of animal and birds shot out of the window of a car in the Kruger Park, camera pointed downwards and with no thought for the environment in which the animal lives? These images might be nice keepsakes, but in many ways these images look the same as those shot in captivity and really lack punch. Far better to look for the interest value in an image and try and capture action from a different angle such as the shot of the Egyptian Goose below:

A simple solution is to try and shoot at the eye level of your subject. Whilst this can of course prove difficult to achieve with larger and more dangerous species, it’s easy enough to achieve with the majority of animal species and birds (especially working from bird hides) and the only inconvenience will be dirty, dusty clothing. A small price to pay for a knock out image good enough to grace the pages of Africa Geographic! Lazy photographers will just point and shoot from the window of the vehicle, and yes, on occasions they might get lucky but more often than not, they will just get an ordinary mug shot of no real quality.

Get down in the dirt and you enter the world of your subject, and see it from their eye level. After a while they will adjust to your being there and you might even get some interaction with them, or at the very least you will catch the light in their eye as they stare down the barrel of your lens. In my view, strong eye contact with the subject is what sets an image out from the rest of the pack. Sometimes you just don’t have the action of a lion kill, or an eagle swooping down on it’s prey, to give you that picture of a lifetime. But with a bit of legwork you can definitely find something out there that will be a worthy portfolio shot. Give it a try next time you are out in the field and, if nothing else, it’s a great deal more fun!!

Going on Safari?? Wildlife Photography Top Tips!!!

Sharing views, sharing images, sharing tips and techniques … for me that is the essence of photography. Pro and amateur alike … we will all learn from each other and we never stop learning.  So this week I wanted to look at my “Top 10 tips” on how to capture better wildlife images. Nothing within the list is going to be revolutionary in it’s thinking, but so many photographers have helped and inspired me to grow as a photographer over the years by sharing their approach, and in doing so they’ve left me with a checklist that I remind myself of whenever I’m out there in the field.

© Chris Martin

Its just a starting point for to develop talking points in our new blog. In the coming weeks we will look at some of these in a bit more detail, but for now I want to begin by putting some suggestions out there for you to consider. Probably the most frequently asked questions I get as a wildlife photographer is just “How do I get better wildlife photographs?” … “what settings do I need to make on the camera?” …”what equipment do I need to buy?”. There is no set answer to any of these ….. but there are sure ways to improve your consistency and preparedness  for when opportunity arises. So start by trying some of these:

1. Get familiar with the workings of your camera:

You need to understand how to switch between functions almost blindfolded. Often you will need to make adjustments to your shooting settings whilst the subject is in the frame … easy to do if you know the location of all the function buttons, impossible if you don’t.

2. Get off the fully automatic programme on your camera!! 

You need to be familiar with shooting in both aperture and shutter priority mode. Aperture Priority will give you full control over the “depth of field” (background blur) in your image and Shutter Priority is absolutely necessary when shooting moving subjects and you need to freeze the action.

Photo © Chris Martin

3. Understand your camera’s ISO performance: 

Pushing up your ISO gives you access to faster shutter speeds and allows you to continue to work in low light conditions without the use of flash. Personally I prefer to do this as it generally gives you a far more natural looking image than those using flash photography. Modern cameras are capable of incredible low light performance these days with some of them able to produce clear noise free images in very dark conditions.

4. The animal’s eye is your focal point: 

The expression from an animal’s eye can make or break an image. You should not only take the eye as your primary focal point, but should also look to use the available light to highlight this feature and really make your image stand out. Either way, it’s a cardinal rule, the eye is always the sharpest point of any world class wildlife image.

5. An image is nothing if it isn’t razor sharp:

Forget post processing and the sharpening tool, if you are sloppy with your focussing you will spoil your image. If you are wanting to have your images published or used as wall hung prints they have to be sharp!! This is probably the most common fault in most images I’m asked to review, so what can you do to ensure you get it right every time? Firstly, always use a camera support. Either a tripod, monopod or a bean bag (if shooting from a vehicle). I rarely hand hold a camera when working from my vehicle, using a window mount or a bean bag on almost every occasion. Secondly, another golden rule, always shoot with a shutter speed at least equivalent to the focal length of the lens you are using eg. 1/200sec when the lens being used is a 200mm. A final point to remember … if working from your vehicle, when you settle into position on your sighting and are getting ready to shoot, turn off the engine as even the vibrations of the vehicle can potentially ruin a great shot!!

6. Get dirty and shoot from low down!! 

Perspective is everything and so often we become accustomed to having to shoot from above (say from a game vehicle etc). Images such as this are generally very unflattering to the animal and so on every occasion when you can shoot from below the eye level of your subject, you should go for it!! Try it and see the difference, but stay safe and don’t break the Park rules

Photo © Chris Martin

7. Shoot in bursts and don’t be afraid to bracket your exposures: 

I always have my camera set on continuous firing mode and almost always the best image is rarely the first image in a sequence. Often the animal will react to the first shutter noise and it’s focus will shift to one of being more alert or it will start to run. Be ready!! The next frame might win you your next photography competition!! Most cameras also offer a bracketing feature which will allow you to fire off successive frames at differing exposure settings thereby allowing you options to find the right exposure quickly and without having to take your eye from the viewfinder. Try it …. it’s a great tactic.

8. Use exposure compensation:

This is a really important feature of your camera. It allows you to dial in under or over exposure as dictated by the prevailing lighting conditions. I rarely shoot anything without some degree of exposure compensation added to the photograph. Want to improve those washed out, brown tinted images of the African bush in winter? Dial in some under exposure and you will bring out much richer tones from the surrounding vegetation. A raptor in the tree but with a bright sky behind? Dial in some over exposure, meter off the bird and get much improved and detailed features on your subject. Use your camera’s histogram to confirm your exposure is just right, with a nicely centered “wave” peaking almost to the centre of your screen.

Photo © Chris Martin

9. Put away the big telephoto: 

We all love big telephotos, they get us right in amongst the action and indeed they nearly always produce the most striking of images. But stand out from the crowd and now and again try and wide angle or short lens. It’s true to say that working with a standard lens (50mm) makes you think harder about composition. It challenges your photographic skill. The nice thing is that it will allow you to tell a story not just about the animal but also it’s habitat and behavior. Don’t be afraid to try this. I often go on a shoot and challenge myself to  work with a standard lens all day. I inevitably come back with images I would never have considered previously and which always get good feedback.

10. Consider your foreground, background and check your horizon is straight!!  One of most common places for distractions in wildlife photography is the background of your shots. Run your eyes over the space behind your subject to see what else is in the image (do the same for the foreground). Consider whether you want the background in focus or nice and blurry. If the back ground is really “busy”, look to shoot with a wide aperture (low F stop number ie. f2.8) and add that nice blurred effect. Be careful of sticks, branches etc in your foreground that could “grow out” of your image and potentially ruin your shot. Finally, if the horizon features in your composition, make sure it’s straight (always a challenging one if you are shooting from a boat on a river or out at sea!!).

© Chris Martin

As the above represent a compilation of tips shared with me by countless others over the years as I grew as a photographer, I’m allowed to add one more which is my own piece of advice and is especially relevant when shooting wildlife in Africa…:

11. Grab your first shot … and compose your second!! 

As I approach a sighting, I always ensure that I give my clients the opportunity at a reasonable distance to get a “grab shot”. You’ll be glad of it if the animal takes flight and you don’t get a second chance. Once you have done this, you should move in closer and begin to compose your further shots more creatively, using as many angles as possible and looking for unique ways in which to highlight the animals most distinctive features … you have all the time in the world, because you have your shot already in the can!!

So there you go …. I hope that the above suggestions motivate you to go and try something different with your photography. Irrespective of your experience level these are all things that will contribute to you bringing a higher ratio of “keepers” home from your next photography trip. Even if you adopt all of them …. and perhaps you do already, the only way to guarantee any degree of improvement in your wildlife photography is to “Get out there and get images”. Good and bad, your learn from very one of them.

“Stretch' Photo by Chris Martin -- National Geographic Your Shot

“Stretch' Photo by Chris Martin -- National Geographic Your Shot

“After the Feast' Photo by Chris Martin -- National Geographic Your Shot

“After the Feast' Photo by Chris Martin -- National Geographic Your Shot

"Finding Diamonds in Dubai"

Diamonds and Africa … it’s a well known combination!! But earlier this year I went overseas looking for the brightest diamonds I could find. I found them in the sands of the Arabian peninsular … in Dubai.

Living in the African bush is a privilege. It's something I relish every day of my life. That said,  it has a bitter taste at times when I consider that, each and every day, the greed and cruelty of the human species destroys it just that little bit more. It's because of this that I dedicate much of my "spare time" to conservation work and specifically the plight of the rhino, which as everyone knows has now reached a crisis of global proportions. I live my life surrounded by rhino and yes, I'm able to go out each and every day to observe and enjoy them. It's enabled me to forge a strong bond with the species and no matter how many times I see them they never fail to stir emotion in me. They are so prehistoric in their form, yet so gentle in nature. But as each day passes they slip slowly towards extinction just because we (a minority of the human species that is) have discovered a supposed “medical / recreational purpose to their horn". Social media abounds with campaigns to "Save the Rhino" and good causes reach for your cash in every direction you look, and yet the species day by day is edging towards that precipice from which there will be no return. So if the will is there, why are we not getting the results?

What has heartened me in the past year is just how much people do care. But the fact remains that in many parts of the world the true extent of the crisis is not truly known and understood. Now that might sound crazy to some folk, but my experience of travelling and speaking with foreign audiences has shown that to be the case. When people are educated and understand the crisis that is befalling the rhino in it's final stronghold of Southern Africa, they want to help, they react with a passion and they reach out  and want to share the burden with those of us on the front line of conservation. And that is how I discovered my Diamonds in Dubai ...

In February of this year I had an opportunity to visit Dubai and address a large audience on the work undertaken by myself and my colleagues at Rhino Revolution in Hoedspruit. We are a "front line" rhino conservation programme running both anti-poaching and community eduction initiatives. My message was clear .... There is too much "hung ho" talk about "shooting poachers" which to be frank achieves nothing ... they will just keep coming and filling the shoes of the last guy. Tackling the crisis at the coal face requires us to focus on community eduction and schools programmes, as well as equipping ranger teams in the field with the tools required to protect themselves as well as the rhino population. 

The people of Dubai rallied around and turned up in droves to learn first hand of the scale of the problem, and to generate much needed funding of which every cent, I assured them, would be spent on making a difference for the future of the rhino in South Africa. In most instances with overseas audiences it kind of stops there ... but not in Dubai. An action group was convened by Patsy Stagman and a working party involving the kids at JES, one of Dubai's premier English schools, as well as concerned members of the Dubai public. Result? The momentum continues to grow long after my return to South Africa. Dubai based corporations have stepped up and provided ongoing and generous commitment to our programmes. Media and advertising companies have donated time and skills to  sharpen the message and build on the support. Aside from raising much needed funds, the level of awareness on the plight of rhinos in the wild continues to grow and grow. The people of Dubai gave me back the heart that I was beginning to lose .. they showed me, demonstrably, that the people of the world DO care and together we can make a difference. We can rectify what many people have already accepted as the inevitable .. the demise of the white and black rhino in Southern Africa. 

Words cannot express the gratitude and admiration all of us at Rhino Revolution have for our friends in Dubai. Because of your efforts, kids in the community have benefited from conservation and sports programmes they previously would not have had a chance to enjoy. Poachers have been apprehended using equipment YOU provided. Rhino's lives HAVE been saved beacuse you cared enough to say "This isn't Africa's problem .. it's a  World problem and we are not going to sit back and watch”!!

They truly don’t come better and brighter than you guys. Thank you all so much.

“ANTics” in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve.

Have you ever wished that you could spend just a little more time “going back to school” and learning something not because you “have to” but because you “want to”. Education for many of us was a hardship of our youth, but like many others over the years, I have learned what a privilege learning really is and how fortunate I am compared to many others. My teachers from my dark school days would keel over and die at the thought of me saying that, but if that in itself didn’t finish them off, the thought of me being entrusted with the education of others, as I am now, certainly would!!

Most people would assume that one of the greatest privileges of working as a professional guide and wildlife photographer is the variety of wonderful places that one gets to visit in pursuit of your work, and the amazing wildlife encounters that go with it. True enough, but for me the wonderful people I encounter day to day, who care passionately about conservation and who truly want to learn …. they are what make me get out of bed like a coiled spring in the morning!!

I have recently returned from the Sabi Sands guiding a group of young aspirant field guides. A group of people who made me once again realise what a privileged life I have doing what I do. For many years now I have been associated with Africa Nature Training, firstly as a student in my own right, but in more recent years as a guide working on primarily their Level 1 FGASA (Field Guide of Southern Africa) teaching their students the mammal, ethology (mammal behaviour), and ecology aspects of their curriculum.

Looking the part is one thing, and hey do these students look fantastic here as they prepare for their “on the job” working assignments, but the level of study and practical experience required of a guide in training is often not fully appreciated and understood by many of their future guests. It is a privileged job that you chose as a result of your passion for wildlife and conservation. The rewards may not be huge in monetary terms, but oh boy, the magnificent sunsets you get to experience almost daily make life in the city undertaking a more “traditional” occupation just unthinkable.

Africa Nature Training has been turning out some of the best field guides in the industry now for over 12 years. The guides and teachers who mentor the students over the course of their studies are some of the most experienced and knowledgable in their fields and are united by one thing … a passion for the bush and a passion for sharing their knowledge. Home base is the magnificent Nkombe Camp, managed superbly by husband and wife team, Channyn and Conrad, along with their staff Benny and Mandla. What makes this place so special is the fact that students and staff live their daily lives  alongside the wildlife with no fences securing the camp. Problematic you might have thought? Not at all. Yes, we have frequent visits from elephant, lion and leopard in particular, but you soon learn that these animals are as wary of us as we are of them and when given justifiable respect they will happily ignore everything going on in the camp, and go about their own business. It never fails to take your breath away whenever you get a visit though!!

Morning and afternoon lectures focus on everything from trees, grasses, mammals, birds, insects etc. through to weather, astronomy, geology and navigation. Hard work in itself but the students also need to learn to deliver a practical guided experience to paying guests. FGASA is a guiding qualification above all else and thus there is rightly a large emphasis on managing both the enjoyment and safety of your guests whilst they are on safari.

Training students to “get in tune” with their environment might seem a less obvious part of the curriculum. Guiding skill is not just about having a sharp pair of eyes, but it’s about being able to get in touch with the full spectrum of your senses, being able to touch, smell, hear and generally “feel” the bush”. Probably, the quietest and most pensive time I get to spend with the students. But I do enjoy it!! A good hour of peace and quiet as the students immerse themselves, blindfolded, and left to savour all the bush has to throw at them!! Don’t worry though, their safety is paramount and a rifle bearing guide is never too far away!!

So next time you are on safari, take time out to get to know your guide and really enjoy your time with them. He or she has invested a huge amount time, expense and passion into becoming sufficiently qualified to share your safari experience with you. Without exception, they had to excel to earn the right to occupy that driver seat in your game vehicle. They too know that their lifestyle is a privilege, and sending you home with memories that will last a lifetime is THE most rewarding aspect of their job.

To Matt, Jamie, Rianna, Carmie, Ralph, Elzaan, Dionne, Frederik, Morgan and Herman … thank you for the special time we enjoyed in the Sabi Sands. You were a fine bunch of students and will be a credit to Africa Nature Training when you graduate in a few weeks time. Thanks also to Lorraine Doyle at Africa Nature Training for once again “trusting” me with her students for a few weeks!! I hope I didn’t let you down!!

I wish you all the very best of luck with your forthcoming assessment and examination and hope to have the privilege of having you guide ME when you are snapped up by the lodges in the near future!! Good luck guys ……

Gallery Fun!!

One of the greatest pleasures you get as a professional photographer is standing back and watching others enjoy your work hanging on the wall of a gallery. I have always loved preparing for exhibitions. Despite the stress and the pressure, it’s a fun and exciting time. Having said that, perhaps the greatest thrill is preparing for a gallery showing and being able to share it with your family. My family visits are sporadic but often lengthy (too long my family think sometimes as they count the days until my return to Africa!!).

So when it came to starting to discuss the possibility of exhibiting at The Joe Cornish Galleries in Northallerton; North Yorkshire here in the UK I was really excited. The gallery is a photographers dream and is on my doorstep at home in the Yorkshire Dales countryside. Dreamy British landscapes by Joe Cornish himself adorn the walls across two floors of a beautifully historic house in this market town which in itself is steeped in medieval British history.

Joe Cornish is a British landscape photographer of legendary proportions. His work is the staple diet of those people who love National Trust properties the country over and his work is published widely across the globe. Very few landscape photographers will have honed their craft without reference to some of Joe’s sublime and dramatic compositions of the British wild open spaces. He is the author of several books and is a regular contributor to many photographic magazines and journals. Want to go on one of his workshops or courses .. best you book early. They are always a sell out!!

During a visit over Xmas I got the opportunity to meet with Joe's business partner, Joni Essex, and his Gallery Manager, Jo Rose, to discuss the possibility of my exhibiting my work at his gallery as a visiting photographer. We went through my portfolio, drank amazing coffee and eat stupendous cakes from the Gallery cafe which in itself is just another excuse to make a trip to the gallery!! The result is that I will be exhibiting there in early 2015 with a collection of my images from my years in the South African wilds. Something I’m looking forward to doing very much.

Today, my son Will and I took a visit to the gallery in order for me to sign my prints that will be exhibited as part of an Africa Week exhibition starting this weekend. It’s a nice pre-cursor for my own exhibition next year and it will be exciting to see and feel the spirit of Africa in the air of this Yorkshire market town during the course of next week. He should have been at school but said he was feeling “unwell” today so missed classes to spend some time seeing what his dad actually does for a living!! You know it is really nice getting to share the final results of my work with my family. They get to spend time with me in the field often enough, but aside from social media, often don’t get to see my exhibited work as it’s mostly outside of the UK. Today was as much treat for me as it was for him!!

Let’s hope the images do well next week and that the people of North Yorkshire and beyond get a taste for Africa, and a taste for my work. I’m so looking forward to my “full on” exhibition here next year. If you are looking for something really different to experience next week during your time in the Yorkshire Dales why not head over to The Galleries and take a look at what’s on show by a number of artists who share one common passion … a love affair with Africa

For more information on Joe Cornish and the Joe Cornish galleries go to http://www.joecornishgallery.co.uk for more details.