Ten Tips For a Newbie -

[Daylon]

Okay, my friend is going on a safari trip in two weeks. He's never shot a camera before, and he's asking me for a crash course in photography. He has no idea about composition, f/stop, shutter speed, nada.

He's went out and bought a Canon 40d, 70-300 IS lens, and an 8GB card.

So if you had to tell him some basics, here's what I came up with:

1) Don't take 50 pictures of the exact same thing.
2) make sure your batteries are charged, or bring an extra one or two if you don't have a battery grip.
3) use the lowest ISO possible
4) remember, it's okay to turn the camera portrait-wise as opposed to always shooting landscape-wise
5) as a general rule, when you zoom out on your tele, your shutter speed should be close (i.e. at 300 mm, you should be shooting 1/250 or faster to minimize camera shake)
6) After three or four pics, chimp a bit and see if they look okay. The worst mistake you can do is shoot 1000 pics and never look at the results, the lcd is there for a reason.
7) pick your shot. If everyone is clicking away, wait for the shot, pick your target, and be different.
8) if you have to explain what the picture is when you show it to someone, chances are you should throw it away. Pics should be self-explanatory..
9) If you've no idea what you're doing, "P" setting is okay... and 90% of the time you'll be okay.
10) if animals are on the move or run, set your camera to shutter priority at 1/250 or faster and you'll get good shots. Just remember to take it off later.


Okay, those are my quick 10 tips... please chime in with other tips. Remember, he's never show manual, has no idea about white balance, and this is his first photo trip.

D.

[Daylon]

Add -

Don't, under any circumstances, get out of the car. Do not try to pet / ride / cuddle with, or otherwise interact with any animal in africa. Period.

[robh1920]

Ha, my sister just got back from a 10 day trip there. I gave her all my equipment and tried to give her a quick lesson. after 30minutes I realized how long it took me to learn and set it on the green box and told her to have fun and not spend all her time behind the camera. She got some great shots.

[Concisus Cognatus]

Daylon is absolutely right with this warning. Anyone who doesn't believe this warning just do a google search for "man eaten by lion". That video is a real attention getter.

Originally Posted by Daylon

Add -

Don't, under any circumstances, get out of the car. Do not try to pet / ride / cuddle with, or otherwise interact with any animal in africa. Period.

[Daylon]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=W_zhUPFFf-8

Just saw that (not for the faint of heart)... not only did the idiot get out of a car to film lions. But the lions were busy FEEDING ON A KILL AT THE TIME when he walked up.. double stupid.

Darwin Award material there...

Originally Posted by nikonhobbyman

Daylon is absolutely right with this warning. Anyone who doesn't believe this warning just do a google search for "man eaten by lion". That video is a real attention getter.

[mjdmike]

Good advice. Here are a few:

• Take a few more CF cards than you think you could possible use. If shooting in RAW, that card will last one day. In JPG, you'll be OK for awhile. Take at least one backup for a crashed card. I took 13 4GB cards, and filled 12.5. One crashed and was unrecoverable.
• Take tons of photos while on safari. Maybe not 50 of the same thing as Daylon stated, BUT, if it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip, you certainly don't want to pass up shots because you didn't bring enough cards. Compared to an $8000 safari, $42 CF cards are dirt cheap. There are things to shoot there with every turn of the cruiser.
• If not familiar with the camera, use 'auto' frequently as not to miss a shot.
• Take a bean bag for support.
• Take a good backpack or bag to protect the camera while in the bush. It WILL get banged around some just in transporting from vehicle to room and back -- a few times a day.
• Take a trash bag or light blanket to cover it up with during the dust storms.
• NEVER remove or change lenses while out in the bush. The dust can be blinding.
• If not practiced on composition, zoom out a little so you don't cut off feet, ears, heads, tails, etc. It's easy to zoom in too close and ruin otherwise good shots.
• Always be ready for the unexpected. Things can be quiet for 30 minutes, then explode and over in 30 seconds.
• If possible, learn to shoot at -1/3 or -2/3 EC. It's very bright there, and will be shooting at all hours of the day. You can easily blow out almost everything.
• Take and use sunscreen!
• Listen to the guides and ask questions. They know their stuff.
• Enjoy an incredible place, like nowhere else.

[Concisus Cognatus]

After the first lion attacked him, some woman jumps out of the car shouting at the lion. Good thing the lions were focused on a fresh catch. Otherwise they could have had her too.

Originally Posted by Daylon

http://youtube.com/watch?v=W_zhUPFFf-8

Just saw that (not for the faint of heart)... not only did the idiot get out of a car to film lions. But the lions were busy FEEDING ON A KILL AT THE TIME when he walked up.. double stupid.

Darwin Award material there...