Elephant Photos

Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe is an excellent place to take photos of Elephants. Whilst you may not think that it is necessary to use a telephoto lens on such a large animal, by zooming right in and cropping some of the elephant out of the frame, it can sometimes make for a much more interesting photograph.

African Fish-Eagle Photos

The African Fish-Eagle is an iconic Kariba bird, it's call is unmistakable and because it often sits in the dead and leafless trees above the water, the contrast between the bird and the sky can make for excellent photographs. Getting close to these wonderful birds can be difficult and that is where the TCON-17 telephoto lens really came in handy.

African Sunrise Photos

On Safari I usually wake up at or before sunrise and if it is going to be a good one, I can't resist taking thousands of photos as the light changes! On this particular morning, I was taking the usual wide angle sunrise photos when I noticed an Impala Ram on the horizon, he was miles away and so I quickly added the Olympus TCON-17 1.7x Tele Conversion lens to the camera and got the shot. Without the power of this zoom I would never had got this photo.

Bird Photography

When photographing small, timid animals like birds, a telephoto lense is vital. Without a really good zoom, it would be impossible to get close enough to many birds to get a good photograph.

(Western) Redfooted Falcon
This little guy managed to stay still long enough for me to get a photo of him. This photo has been cropped, but without the Telephoto Lens, I would never have been able to get close enought to get the photo.

Cattle Egret
This Cattle Egret is common on the shores of Kariba, I like the way the birds colours contrast nicely with the blue of the water and the green of the reeds.

Saddle-Billed Stork
One of the most impressive waterbirds in Africa, the striking red and yellow bill make this bird unmistakable. Photo taken with the Panasonic DMC-FZ18 Digital Camera with the Olympus TCON-17 1.7x Tele Conversion lens (TCON-17)

 

Because of image theft, I have had to add the Safari Holiday Guide logo to the photos and reduce their size. If you would like to use any of my photos please contact me. I usually let people use my full size photographs if you credit the site (www.safari-guide.co.uk) by providing a link back to me where the photo has been used, just contact me first for link instructions and the original photo. If you don't want to link back to the Safari Holiday Guide and would like the safari guide logo removed from the photo contact me regarding pricing.

Kariba Houseboat Safaris

All the photos in this gallery were taken using the Panasonic DMC-FZ18 Digital Camera with the Olympus TCON-17 1.7x Tele Conversion lens (TCON-17) and on a recent Houseboat safari on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. Whilst Zimbabwe is currently experiencing huge problems, it still has some of the best wildlife and safari options available anywhere in Africa and we can only hope that things get better soon. For more information, check out my pages on:

• Kariba Houseboat Safaris in Zimbabwe
• Trip Report: Day 1 - Harare to Kariba to Antelope Island

 

Camera Shake

A sandbag or the new compact tripods can be invaluable in making sure that your camera is as steady as possible, this is especially important if you are using a large telephoto lens or Zoom. The sandbags are great, because you can travel with them empty and then only fill them once you have arrived at the safari lodge. There are also many compact tripods on the market at the moment, my personal favorite and one that I often use is this Joby Gorillapod that is flexible, allowing you to grip your camera onto many different objects and surfaces. I have even used it to attach my camera to the wing mirror of my safari vehicle before for an interesting effect.

 

Further Reading

• Safari Holiday Tips for Photographers
• Best Cameras for Safari: Super-Zooms
• Best Cameras For Safaris

 

My African Wildlife Photograph Galleries

• Photographs of The Gambia
• Elephant Photos
• Kariba: Safari, Bird & Wildlife Photographs