African Photography Safari Ebook Review

The Photographer's Guide to Etosha National Park

by Kathryn Haylett and Mario & Jenny Fazekas

An African photography safari may seem like a world of possibilities away but if you are a nature photographer of any kind, and if you love photographing animals or birds, then a wildlife safari must surely be on your wish list at least, and to go to Africa on safari one day and photograph the animals in a natural habitat would be a hugely rewarding experience - if you get the shots right! This ebook shows you exactly how to do it.

A great book to guide you to finding and capturing the best possible shots, "The Photographer's Guide to Etosha National Park" is co-authored by photographer and safari park guide Kathryn Haylett, and photographers Mario & Jenny Fazekas.

Etosha National Park is a well-known safari park in the north of Namibia and is considered one of Africa's most accesible venues in terms of game viewing.

Good preparation is obviously paramount for maximizing your chances of returning home with some great 'trophies' such as the head of a wild lion or a leaping gazelle captured for all time so that your friends can be awed by your prowess as a hunter.

So if you are planning an African photography safari trip, this could be just what you are looking for. With this ebook you can be sure of finding just the right places and just the right times to take some wonderful pictures.

The book is divided into four main sections each of which relates to the four main areas of the park. Within each section, the authors cover the different waterholes as well as the camps. Having real experience of these areas, built up over a long period of time, means that only those areas that give consistently good results have been reviewed - so you know you are not wasting your time and that the chance of getting good shots is as high as possible.

Each section comes with a nice color map of the whole area plus a plan of the camp and, of course, lots of fabulous photos. There are diagrams showing you exactly where shots were taken, advice on where to park and wait for animals to come and drink, information on what animals to expect, and the time of day that they will appear.

Lions, leopards, giraffes, warthogs, eland, wildebeest, kudu, gemsbok, guinea fowl, black rhinos, impala, eagles, storks, vultures... everything you could want on an African photography safari! Oh and elephants too - I nearly forgot them! With an impressive cast such as this, no wonder the authors are so passionate about their subject.

Above: Adolescent Male Lion (Photo by Mario Fazekas)

At the end of each of the four sections the authors give specific advice on areas of photographic expertise such as understanding animal behaviour, working with the light, scanning waterholes, how to get great rainbow shots, and how to photograph animals at night which looks at photographic equipment, how to use flash correctly, and how to avoid 'eye-shine'.

The best thing about this ebook is the feel of been-there, done-that which the authors convey through great shots and accompanying text explaining how they took the pictures in detail. I also like the fact that they have included shots on what not to do - they are not afraid of showing the 'mishaps' because that is how we all learn.

The final section is a series of tours of varying length (short, medium and long) in the Dolomite area which need to be planned in advance if you would like to go it alone without a guide. There is also advice on which season to go in to get the most photographic opportunities which can change significantly according to whether it is summer or winter, wet or dry.

Right: Pair of Black-Shouldered Kites
(Photo by Jennifer Fazekas)

There are a lot of things to plan for if you are considering an african photography safari. This ebook is not only a great starting point to begin planning but also a great guide to keep in your bag when you are out on the plains. Most importantly, it is full of inspiration and technical advice to help you get your own great shots.

It's obvious that the authors have put a lot of love and careful attention into this project and by the time you have read it you will be confident in your abilities to get great shots even with a point-and-shoot although an SLR and a few long lenses will obviously help you get closer to the animals.

I highly recommend the book to anyone visiting Etosha National Park to photograph the animals or anyone considering an African photography safari in the future. Please note that the images on this page are taken from the book and copyright remains with the authors of said book.

READ MORE about the book by following the link.

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