Aren’t lessons always learned the hard way? Well this is sure true for me, especially when it comes to travel. So, I want to shed some light on those lessons to help you not repeat my history. These are the 5 biggest mistakes I made when travelling to Africa. Preparation is key – but researching what that prep is can be priceless!
1. I was pretty good with a camera before I travelled to Africa. I was a wedding photographer, so I figured I knew enough. How hard could it be? Boy, was I wrong. It is literally a different animal. And its not just the subject. The vehicle plays a critical role as well. You can read my blog post about shooting from the safari truck HERE!
If I had it to do again, I would take a Wildlife Photography course! Its the one I skipped at SAIT (technical college) and until this past year, I have never found one being offered online that was more than written script or a the same few tutorials that everyone else is filming. But there is one now and I bought it. If you want to ensure you have your wildlife photography basis covered, I recommend it. It was filmed in Africa by 3 different photographers, so there is variety in method and perspective. You will love it and I guarantee you will learn something, since after hundreds of game drives, I still did.
2. Take more photos of the experience. I focused so much on the big moments that the little ones passed me by. There is virtually no evidence of my existence in Africa other than a few photos here and there. Document your experience. Take selfies. Capture videos of the big things and the little moments.
3. If you think you might want to actually do something with your photography one day, participate in social media. I actually lived in the African wild and went on hundreds of game drives without even having Instagram. I can only imagine the following I would have generated all those years ago with the live footage I could have been posting. I used Facebook for quick updates for my family but I was never concerned with quality of what I was showing. After my experience ended and I would return for holidays, I continued to keep my experiences and photos to myself and thus had zero following. You know how hard it is to suddenly exist to these major platforms that you avoided for years?
4. Pack less but take better stuff! I don’t know if you can relate, but it seems like every time I travel, I take clothes I never wear normally. And, no, not because the weather is so different. Its strange. I know now I am better off taking a few things I love that are versatile and save space for souvenirs or take a smaller suitcase. I hate digging through the same ‘holiday’ clothes that I didn’t wear at home, only to not wear them there.
5. Take a better camera and/or lens. I have learned that if you are spending thousands of dollars on a trip to take amazing photos, spend money on a lens that will actually deliver them. There is nothing worse than seeing the most epic sighting of your life only to realize the photos are thumbs down. Rent, borrow or buy! Ensure you have things like sandbags or monopods. The amount of shaky handholding videos I destroyed are depressing. Be better than I was!!!
So, now that I have learned all these lessons and seen the errors in my ways, I am dedicated to helping as many people as I can revamp their portfolios with successfully captured images on some of the most epic safari adventures I could imagine! If you, or anyone you know, is looking to experience some of the best sightings Africa has to offer, I encourage you to set up a zoom call with me and discuss if Rock n Roars Photography has anything on the roster that suits you.