Wildlife Photography Tips

Having enjoyed many safaris over the years with our clients I have found that a number of them will purchase a new camera prior to the trip. While I am no professional I have made all the mistakes one can make and I believe that becoming an expert at anything is about becoming decreasingly wrong. This article is to help decrease the chances of you making some of the mistakes I have made. Here we go…

• Match the length of your lens to the type of shooting you’d like to do. My biggest lens is 100-400mm and if you can off road and drive closer to the animals you’ll seldom need more than that.

• Check and adjust your camera settings before departing on each morning and evening game drive. The last thing you want is a leopard right outside the gate and your camera is still on a long exposure setting from shooting the stars last night.

• Regarding those camera settings - let the camera determine ISO up to 3200 and and always keep the shutter speed faster than the length of your lens ex. 1/400 SS for a 400mm lens. A little extra noise is easy to eliminate in post processing, but an out of focus shot cannot be saved.

• Always have a lens cloth handy and carefully wipe your lens clean at the start of each game drive.

• Stability is vital with a longer lens. A sandbag to rest your lens in while shooting will make a positive difference. This is key! Stability and the ensuing in-focus shots will make all the difference in the number of keeper shots you’ll come away with.

• This might sound very basic, but have the camera available and ready at all times. Wild animals don’t wait for you, so be prepared and ready to shoot.

• Always have a spare battery in your pocket. It’s never fun when you’re in a great sighting and the battery dies and you’ve got to dig through your bag for a battery while the action is going down.

• Never leave the tripod at home. It comes in handy for coffee breaks and sundowners stops, plus it’s also handy if you’d like to shoot a landscape shot or two.

• Carry a small towel to place over your camera to protect it from dust while driving. It might not seem like it will effect you much, but the build up after a few days is incredible.

• Be sure to bring a small portable hard drive to download your shots after each day of game drives. That way there is less risk of you losing your shots via a corrupted SD card.

• Two bodies are better than one. Keep a wider angle lens on a second body to capture a broader perspective. Show the animals in their environment on occasion instead of only collecting those close ups or portrait style shots.

• Don’t forget there will be some incredible opportunities for landscape, tree, bird and macro photography too. Look beyond just the animals.

Thanks so much for reading along. I hope these nuggets can help you get started in an expert fashion and have you capturing those fabulous safari memories in the best light possible.

If you have any queries or questions please reach out and I’d be happy to offer any advice I can.

Going on an African Safari?

Having travelled to South Africa with groups for over 15 years now, we have seen the ins and outs of what to take along on safari with you for a truly memorable and enjoyable experience. Most of our safari experience has been on guided, luxury trips to either Madikwe Game Reserve or the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, however many of these ideas will cover both the 5-star luxury lodge or a self-drive camping trip in any national park.

Game Drives:

The sun can get really hot! The Makanyane Safari Lodge and most other luxury camps will make sure the game drives are in the early morning or late afternoon when the sun, and heat, are not at their peak. There can be situations where the morning drive is extended due to an incredible sighting and that’s where you can get caught. Always take good sunblock, a big hat, sunglasses and have plenty of extra batteries and SD cards for your camera. Good binoculars can be a plus too. For clothing, shorts and dresses are fine and there is no need to buy special khaki “safari” clothing so that you blend in with the bush! The animals see you anyway.

At the Lodge:

Most luxury lodges will have a main lodge where most of the dining takes place and then the rooms are spread out from there. The rooms will almost always be air-conditioned and amazing. Perfect for that mid-day nap or to lie and read a good book. Stay away from WiFi and television as there is so much to soak up when in camp. From the sounds, to that elephant meandering down for a drink at the river - don’t trade this important part of your experience for mundane stuff you can do everyday.

Cuisine:

Prepare to be really surprised. I know that many of our guests expressed that they didn’t expect much from the food on safari, but every single one of them have been blown away by the quality of the food and preparation. Typically we all eat way too much as the food is not only exemplary, but there are so many nutritional opportunities each day that it’s hard to say no - especially when you’re having such a great time. You might be presented with the option to have venison or something a little ‘safer’ like steak. We have always opted to walk on the wild side when it comes to menu options and have never been disappointed. You can have chicken anyday!

• Go in with an open mind and soak up every little tiny experience from the birds, to the new sounds, to the night skies where you’ll see more stars than you’ve ever imagined.

• You will get much closer to the animals than you expect so be ready. It can be a little nerve-wracking at first, but those are the takes you’ll never forget.

• Take tons of photographs, but not so many that you lose the privilege of being there in the moment.

• Make friends with your guide, the chef, the lodge workers - they are all amazing people who love what you love. Stay in touch.

A safari has the ability to be the experience of a lifetime. Go there prepared and then come home as a different person. This is a trip you’ll never regret…or forget.

Hotels in Lisbon, Portugal

Andrew and I recently returned from an absolutely amazing trip to Lisbon Portugal. We spent a couple days in the city on our own and then welcomed our golf guests from the US for a fun three days of activities.

For the first two nights, Andrew and I stayed at the Alma Lusa Hotel. This boutique style hotel is located in one of the most beautiful squares of Lisbon - Praça do Município. The location, charm, style and grace of this hotel made it the perfect respite for us while visiting this magnificent city. Our room was spacious with contemporary fixtures and equipped with a Luxury Heavenly Bed.

We also had the pleasure of dining in the Defino Restaurant for breakfast each morning and also stopped in for a late night drink one of the evenings. Bruno the manager took time out of his busy evening to give us an overview on the history of port and let us taste some fantastic samples.

Once our guests from the States arrived, our group of sixteen people checked into the Olissippo Lapa Palace Hotel. This 19th century 5-star hotel featured lush gardens and was set on a hilltop overlooking the Tagus River. The large rooms at The Lapa Palace included a sitting area and our room included a balcony with a view of the beautiful pool area.

Breakfast was served each morning in The Restaurant Hotel Lapa where we sat at outdoor tables in the terrace garden — the perfect location for a wonderful cup of Portuguese coffee.

Following our stay in the Algarve area, we returned to Lisbon for a one night stay at The Myriad by Sana Hotel. This was the perfect location for us with it’s proximity to the airport are lively restaurant area. This contemporary hotel was located right on the Tagus River and all of our rooms featured a corner room with panoramic views. The decor was ultra-modern with a 1970’s flair and featured many upgraded amenities. It was nice to be able to walk to dinner for our last night in Lisbon.

We truly feel we hit the jackpot with all three of these hotels and we are certainly looking forward to returning soon.

Rome - Golf, Food and Photos

Having just returned from an incredible excursion in Italy, the sights, sounds and tastes of Rome still linger. I love Rome. The people are typically grumpy and somewhat rude, there is way too much trash just lying around, the place is overrun with tourists and graffiti seems to be the norm, but I just cannot help but love Rome.

Let’s start with the bad news - golf. SYNCExcursions operates luxury golf trips to a variety of destinations all over the globe and our clients typically love golf, food and wine. As a result our trips always include a little (or a lot) of each. If you travel to Italy for golf I would avoid playing in Rome. Yes, I know the Ryder Cup is coming in 2022, but the course you will play has nothing to do with what the tour stars will experience at Marco Simone. We also played at Olgiata which is a good golf course and in decent condition, but nothing special. Keep the clubs in the travel cover until you hit the north or Sicily!

Whilst Roman golf might be a fail, the food and sights more than make up for things. The restaurants we visited were all home runs (except for one abysmal showing)…

Don’t Miss Restaurants:

1. Da Cesare al Casaletto

   This might just be my new favorite restaurant! Energetic service, a wine list to die for and the food you’ve been dreaming about. All the Roman classics with wine pricing that encourages you to order another bottle.

2. Armando al Pantheon

   This place just feels special. Attentive service, another solid wine list (although quite a few selections were unavailable) and exceptional traditional Roman fare.

3. Antico Arco

   This ristorante has an upscale feel to it and rightfully so. We went twice in a six day period and thoroughly enjoyed each visit. We were warmly greeted by the wait staff for our second visit - always a good sign. Make sure you try their Carbonara and the Eggplant starter. Excellent wine list and service!

4. Emma

   We opened up our Rome dining with lunch at Emma and were not disappointed. Fabulous suppli for starters followed by the pizza of your dreams. All washed down with a superb, and reasonably priced bottle of 2016 Monsanto Chianti Classico. Highly recommended.

5. Salumeria Roscioli

   The only way to book is online and I found the process efficient and simple - a rarity for Roman reservations. We had a group of six in the wine cellar and the food, service and wines were outstanding.

We did have one horrible dining experience - at Il Bacaro. The place seemed lovely, but after two hours we had not received our meals and opted to leave.

On a side note - if you are interested in taking a cooking class in Rome (and you should) I’d strongly recommend Andrea Consoli and his Cooking Classes in Rome. Our group of twelve spent five fun filled hours with Andrea as he demonstrated how to prepare, cook and enjoy a number of Roman classics.

If you happen to be into photography like I am then Rome is perhaps the greatest city on the planet for you and your camera. What other city has this number of historically significant structures to photograph and enjoy? I would strongly encourage you to plan on getting out of bed before the sun on two of your mornings to venture out before the crowds. Anytime you get an early start you’ll end up having Rome’s most popular sights all to yourself. On one morning head to the Colosseum with your tripod and shoot a ‘tourist free’ pano. On the way back be sure to stop on Aventine Hill at the Orange Tree Garden for a stunning high view of Rome and the Knights of Malta Keyhole with your 200mm lens to shoot the following shots…

On your second early rise head for Trevi Fountains, the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps. Don’t worry, they’re all within a few hundred yards of each other. You’ll be amazed to notice that at this early hour these hot spots are ‘tourist free’ zones and you’ll have the place to yourself.

There are so many incredible locations to photograph in Rome that I cannot list them all, but I felt the following spots to be very special:

• Trevi Fountains (day and early AM)

• Pantheon (early AM and inside)

• Spanish Steps (early AM)

• Colosseum (early AM)

• St. Peter’s Cupola (evening)

• Vatican Museum (anytime)

• Knights of Malta Keyhole (early AM)

• Orange Tree Garden (early AM)

• Roman Forum (early as possible)

In September 2019 SYNCExcursions will be traveling to Portugal for more of what we experienced in Italy. Great food, wine and I’m certain better golf than in Rome. For more details please contact Terri at terri(at)syncexcursions.com.

Thanks for reading!