John's Favorite Locations

July, 2003

East Africa

Click images to enlarge

For those interested in working with wildlife in its natural environment, no other location on earth can match the breadth and depth of what you will find in Kenya and Tanzania, especially those areas that comprise or adjoin the Serengeti. No other place offers such ease of access and comfort in wildlife photography. In many ways East Africa is like a gigantic zoo, only it is the humans who are in confined areas while the animals roam free. The object, then, is to put yourself where the animals are and the vast national parks are the best place to do this. Some of the biggest and best of these are Amboseli, Masai Mara, and Tsavo in Kenya and Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. There are other parks (public and private), but most any organized safari will take in two or more of the ones listed. While there is no guarantee that you will see every one of what you go there to find (remember the animals are free to go anywhere) you will likely see most. Travel, and 90% of your work, will be done from a safari vehicle. There are some walking tours available, but wildlife tends to scatter from humans on foot while they ignore the vehicles as long as the occupants are quiet. You may even get treated to a cheetah choosing your (or a neighboring) vehicle as high vantage point from which to scout for likely prey.

Most wildlife safaris depart from Nairobi, Kenya for the Kenyan areas or any of several departure points in Tanzania. Most flights go through Europe, though there is an option through South Africa, which can lead to some interesting and unusual side trips.

There are no bad times to go, though the most popular times are during the migrations between the Serengeti and Masai Mara. At these times millions of gnus, zebras, and antelope species travel long distances following the availability of ungrazed grass. The major predators lie in wait, oicking off stragglers and the weak or injured. Prime migration times vary by country, spring and early summe for Tanzania and mid summer for Kenya. The whole show reverses direction in the fall, but by then the rains are starting.

Very good images can be produced at 300mm focal lengths. Don’t forget the wide angle lens for capturing the sweep and expanse of the savannah. Tripods are impossible to use from the vehicles and unless you know you will be spending a lot of time on foot, leave the tripod home. However, you will need some way to stabilize longer lenses when shooting through the roof hatches, and one or two bean bags work perfectly for this. Don’t forget filters; split neutral density filters are a must for landscape work and it should go without saying that a polarizer is important as well.

I prefer E100sw for wildlife of all sorts. Bring plenty of film. You WILL shoot more than you planned on and don’t count on finding film there, especially if you shoot reversal. What little film is to be had in the gift shops will be frightfully expensive and may be out of date.

It pays to do plenty of research before you go. Choose a safari that specializes in wildlife, these may give the photographer more latitude in pausing to set up shots. Many zoos sponsor such trips as do various wildlife organizations. If you are in a group of mixed interest, try to get in with a van load of other serious photographers and work cooperatively to get the shots. Another option is to join a photo oriented safari led by one of the major professionals; those led by Boyd Norton or Joe McDonald are especially recommended.

The central highlands are high, averaging around 6,000 feet elevation. As a result, temperatures are temperate year around with daytime highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s. Since the area straddles the equator, expect 12 hours of sunlight every day of the year. There is no rain during the dry seasons.

If you like wildlife, East Africa should be top on your list of places to visit.