What Is A Photo Safari?
What Is The Difference Between A Safari And A Photo Safari?
As a wildlife photographer who holds a passion for going on safari, a normal game viewing safari is not enough. Normal safaris are typically designed for large groups to view African wildlife in a limited timeframe. Most average safaris spend a maximum of 3 days in the African wilderness and focus on finding wildlife on a viewing basis.
A photographic or photo safari on the other hand, delivers much more than just an average African Safari. Photographic safaris offer smaller groups than the average safari where the group is focused on one specific subject that is highlighted prior to the close sighting of the animal. A photographic safari truck will spend more time around a subject when on a photo safari rather than quick viewing when on an average game drive. A normal safari will provide average viewing of a specific animal such as a leopard in the tree where as a photo safari will get each photographer a better view for that ideal shot, helping them gain those ideal and professional photographs.
A photo safari does however provide you with a unique service, a professional wildlife photographer will be at your side when out on safari. Their expertise will help a photography guest get into position and guide you to photograph the remarkable wildlife. Although a wildlife photographer is in your vehicle on a photo safari, they will also accompany you at camp. What makes Untamed Photo Safaris different, is that our wildlife photographers help in post processing back at the lodges and commence with educational photographic critiques. Our wildlife photographers and the local guides on photo safaris will provide a briefing before every drive based on the previous drives before during the photo safari.
Private Safari Vehicles
An African photographic safari will always provide a private vehicle when out in the wilderness in search for wildlife, where as a normal safari car will hold guests from different parties. A photo safari vehicle will usually contain structures on either side of the car that will help each guest to stabilize their cameras when photographing a subject of interest. A normal safari truck will not provide the equipment. As a photo safari allows you to be in the private car in your photo group, this allows you to take time to get your ideal photograph. Each photo vehicle will come with a local driver and a professional wildlife photographer. Their job together will be to help each guest get the best images possible by positioning the car in the best spot for the shot along with helping each guest with photographic techniques and support to capture that ideal photograph. A photographic guide when out on safari is there to help you return with photographs of a professional level.
Accommodation used for our guests here with Untamed Photo Safaris
Tented Camps Tanzania
Bush Camps Botswana
Tented Camps Kenya
Small Group Benefits
We at Untamed Photo Safaris are a bit different. We only hold a group size of 6 guests. These group sizes are smaller than other photo safari companies and are more beneficial for our guests as they get more time from the professional photographer who’s keen eyes are searching for the correct shot. Smaller groups will give you more space in vehicles and will guarantee you with a window seat. Even if the subject is on the other side of the car, the group is small enough for each guest to get the perfect photograph. We feel this makes our clients more comfortable as they are given more space and freedom to swivel their telephoto lenses and capture their shot they desire.
Who Should Join A Photo Safari?
As a photo safari may sound intimidating for some people, it really isn’t. A photographic safari brings a variety of beginner and intermediate wildlife photography enthusiasts from around the world. If you are a beginner or wanting to learn wildlife photography and you attend one of our photo safaris, you will feel comfortable, as you will be guided by a professional that is there to help throughout the safari. Intermediate or wildlife photography enthusiasts who enjoy wildlife photography as a hobby, work well with beginners during our photo safaris around Africa. Clients who attend a photo safari, join for the group experience of being with other enthusiasts and to benefit from the professional wildlife photographer in charge of the group photo safari.
What Equipment To Bring
When going on a photographic safari, you do not need the best equipment to capture magnificent images. On an African photographic safari, a telephoto above 400mm can do fine along with an DSLR or Mirrorless camera body. If you are a beginner, you can buy or rent good lenses that are affordable and create good quality images with the help from a wildlife photography guide while on safari.
So there you go, we at Untamed Photo Safaris are here to help you gain those professional images that you desire and to get you to another level in wildlife photography. Join us in one of our locations in Africa and experience being a wildlife photographer in one of the best places in the world to photograph wildlife. Untamed Photo Safaris is here for you.