Page 15 - 5 Critical Things

- Location Location Location - It Matters
There are so many countries in Africa with excellent areas for wildlife photography that it can be hard to know where to start looking. Each country has different strengths and each park or conservation area has its own particular features that make it a desirable location for photography. It’s the main reason so many of us go back year after year, one lifetime is not long enough to explore all that the extraodinary continent has to offer.
• Choose one country per visit. You lose so much time navigating border crossings and transiting from one park to another, it just isn’t worth it when you have any kind of time constraint. Sometimes it helps to decide what your wildlife focus will be as that can determine the park and consequently the country that you will visit. Countries like South Africa,Tanzania or Kenya have many differing options for guided safaris catering to the serious photographer, but some of the other countries can take more work to nd a suitable trip and the options aren’t as many. If you want to see the wildebeest migration you will be visiting either Kenya (Masai Mara) or Tanzania (Serengeti). Mountain gorillas really require a trip to Uganda or Rwanda as the DRC is a problematic destination at this time.
• Private conservancies nearly always deliver a superior experience.
• It’s possible to purchase lm passes that allow off roading in some government run parks and reserves but the costs are high. It’s another option to make sure that you get the most out of your trip providing the reserve itself justi es the costs. If you have a particular focus on one species for your safari, it can make the chances of getting the shots you want much higher.
• Time of year will also have a major effect on the destination you choose. Not every park gives an all year round great experience whilst some will have something of value to offer all year around, they are at their best seasonally. Others will be quite poor at certain times of year and it can be quite a disappointment to visit in the low season. There are some parks that are avoided outside the high season but that offer exceptional viewing and without the high season crowds. If you are considering a guided tour, it’s a good idea to look at the departure times and do some research.
• Location also requires some understanding of the accommodation options that are available as they vary quite considerably. The best experiences will usually be had in small tented camps, but these do come at a cost. They are usually more exible, more intimate, mostly unfenced so you have the wildlife all around you and most often they are in prime areas. Great photography is all about feeling and experiencing so that you can see more clearly and that is helped 100% by immersing yourself in the wilderness. Tented camps don’t mean less in the way of comfort, ne dining or amenities and in fact, usually offer better in all these things than most large lodges. That being said, if budget is an issue, stay in a lodge and spend your money on guides and vehicles.