It's great to hear from readers of my blog at any time, but particularly when they're having trouble with their cameras or need some advice. This gives a chance to explore their problem and everyone can learn from it, including me. Steve recently wrote to [...]

Photographers are always seeking ways to add impact to their photos. A well-known trick is to photograph your subject from an interesting angle. Given that we tend to see animals from a slightly elevated position, it is the unusual angles of from "low down" and [...]

We are all looking for sharp photos and the pursuit of this goal dominates many discussions on online blogs as well as in the back of safari vehicles! There are two factors that heavily influence the “sharpness” of an image: shutter-speed and focus. Since we [...]

People travel from across the world to enjoy Africa’s finest wildlife reserves. These wild areas are as diverse as they are numerous, supporting an extraordinary wealth of life from mega-mammals to colourful birds and incredible insects. But perhaps nothing inspires more excitement than the joy [...]

I was in the bush recently, and I enjoyed a wonderful sighting of wild dogs playing after a hunt. The action required high-speed drive setting to be enabled, and I was very glad that I have that setting selected as a standard. (A while ago, [...]

Most modern cameras have auto-focus systems that perform extraordinarily well. As a photographer, we need to instruct the camera which point in the frame should be in focus (by moving the focus point selector in the viewfinder) but then the camera will do the rest. [...]

Generating images of animals in their environment can be done in two ways; by using a wide-angle lens from very close to your subject or by using a telephoto lens (zoomed to between 100mm and 500mm) and keeping a large distance from your subject. In [...]

So you've booked your photo-safari - many congratulations! You are in for an outstanding photographic experience alongside a wonderful wildlife safari. But.....it's probably as much as a year away?! How should you best prepare in the intervening time so that you are ready to make [...]

Prime lenses offer fast apertures, rugged design and the finest optics available; as a result, they've become the "go-to" lenses for professional photographers all over the world. However, there are drawbacks such as weight, and of course the fact that you can't adjust your composition [...]

The season of Carmine bee-eater colonies will soon be upon us. There are already hundreds of bright red birds chirruping and hawking for insects along the Luangwa River, a sure sign that the identification of suitable nesting sites has started! Carmine bee-eaters need steep river [...]