Wildlife, Travel Pix's: Pro Tips, Secrets??!!

From the London/UK Daily Mail Friday, they have this headline: "Europe's best-selling wildlife photographer: take travel pictures like a pro" with these highlights: "According to world-renowned wildlife photographer David Yarrow, it is possible to capture envy-inducing travel shots worthy of a frame and a spot on your wall."

He views that "investing in a decent camera is essential, including an entry-level DSLR with an interchangeable lens." He also acknowledges that it is possible to capture impressive photos with a standard digital camera or even a phone.

Here are just a few of his key "fundamental rules of the game":

1. Look sharp: "When shooting living subjects, focus the camera directly onto the centre of the eye, exhale, then keep as still as possible to take the shot. Most of his up-close portraits of wild animals are taken with a sophisticated remote control set-up. Wherever possible, closer is better. And get down on the ground. Your image will be a lot more interesting if you shoot upwards and face-on rather than downwards from above."

2. Timing is everything: "I rarely shoot in the middle of the day. The best time in terms of atmosphere and light is either two hours after sunrise or two hours before dusk. Getting up earlier in the morning means you avoid the crowds."

3. Location matters: "I try to find places that are too extreme, impractical or dangerous for others. Do put some research in ahead of your next trip and try to find backstreets or less well-known spots to photograph. No one needs to see another image of the Eiffel Tower."

4. Shooting landmarks: "Just because everyone else is taking the same dull snap of a famous landmark, doesn't mean you have to. Take snaps from a different perspective, crouching down low or climbing up on a wall, will give you a different shot. With landmarks, always swarming with tourists, point your camera upwards and you'll cut them out."

5. Patience is a virtue: "Wildlife photography requires lots of sitting around. There is no way around this. Very often you just have to wait. To shoot great white sharks, I waited for 35 hours straight with my camera focussed on the water to get just one image."

There are many more details, ideas, suggestions, secrets, photo examples, etc., contained in this full newspaper story.

From our first trip to Africa earlier this year (detailed below in the live/blog), I am sure that I did not followed all or even half of his rules/steps. On vacation, as most know, you cannot always have the time/flexibility to always get up as early, stay out as late, spend as much time as desired/required, etc. I have a group of "top picks" that totals about 150 pictures from this four-week adventure. Then I narrowed the selections down to a top 15. Not easy to decide on these most favorite images. Among these top twelve, here are six of my favorites. Six more to follow. Not sure that I am that good at following the highly suggested "rule of thirds" for avoiding subjects being too centered.

What makes me like these visuals best? I most love pictures that reflect some "personality" for these animals and birds. Their eyes can make a big difference. As the saying goes, the eyes are the key or window that allows you to unlock the "heart and soul" for these creatures. Plus, different angles, touches where sun, wind, setting, etc., makes things more interesting and involving. Your reactions, likes, tips, reactions, sharing of your best pictures, etc.?

Full Daily Mail photography story at:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3814230/Snap-happy-holiday-Europe-s-best-selling-wildlife-photographer-cheat-way-perfect-travel-shots.html

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from my latest live/blog at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 20,608 views for this reporting and visual sharing that includes Cape Town, all along the South Africa coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

"BEST OF THE BEST" TERRY'S AFRICA PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS:

For Cape Town where we enjoyed five and a half days prior to our cruise, here is one picture where I needed a little "help" to be "soaring like an eagle"! My secret? It's riding in a helicopter to travel around Cape Town, the nearby mountains, being south of the town, going along the beaches, over the Winelands, etc. Like the view? Table Mountain is clearly so dominate in the way it towers over Cape Town and the nearby areas, including the dramatic clouds rolling over the peaks. Recognize the Cape Town Stadium? Our pilot said it has a nickname down here and they call it the "Giant Toilet Bowl"!! Does kind of have that look!! This visual fills the suggestion for getting a higher, different angle, right?:

When the park is called an “elephant park”, what would you expect there? Yes, elephants!! Here is one sample elephant visual to share from Addo Elephant Park near Port Elizabeth (or PE) along the South Africa Coast. Don’t you just love these baby elephants that are so super cute?:

While at Addo Elephant Park near Port Elizabeth, we saw several ostriches, including the adult male and female, both with very different colorations/coats. But, I also managed to get several shots of just of their three “babies”. This one view is a top favorite as the three heads are aligned in a special and very interesting angle. Agree that this one picture is a “super keeper”?:

Here is a sampling from Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Game Reserve near Richards Bay, South Africa, during our two-day, overnight adventure at this location. First shows a dramatic and wind-blown example of a male Kudu right after sunrise. Second shows two types of monkeys lovingly check each other for mites. The third picture shows what it is like being surrounded by a herd of Cape Buffalo. Is this being close enough to get that "stare"? At this park location, we found out what was so “personal” for being with a large White Rhino and to see this male ring both spraying (peeing) over and over, plus pooping right near us. I will spare showing those details here. This park has been a world leader in saving the White Rhino.:

As promised (or threatened), here is that second group of the pictures that I liked best from our Africa "adventure" earlier this year. Lots of wonderful memories!! Getting close and showing the eyes of the animals and birds are both very important!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 43,156 views for these postings.

"BEST OF THE BEST" PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS, Part Two:

From South Africa's iSimangaliso Wetland Park near Richards Bay during our two-day, overnight adventure, we saw lots of hippos!! It was late in the afternoon, providing perfect light, as we sailed on a waterway near St. Lucia. Here is one example below for these fast and deadly hippos. They kill the most of all creatures in Africa. More to worry about hippos than lions, etc. This park is home to about 1,200 Nile Crocodiles and almost 800 Hippopotami per Wikipedia, plus lots of birds, etc. This visual was taken late in the afternoon when the lighting made a "magic" difference as the sunset was approaching.:

Here is one example of the dramatic "Wonder of the World" called Victoria Falls. We observed this natural wonder from the Zambia side. Loved the rainbows, noise of the falls, etc.:

Now to Botswana and this amazing region of the famed Okavango Delta that is described by some as "Africa's Last Eden"!! First are a couple of leopards enjoying their time in these open plains of the Delta. It's a mother and her older son. Second are a couple of baboons being "personal" with each other. Third is a red-billed hornbill that is a very different bird than what we would see in the midwestern USA. Fourth shows the eyes and face of this older male lion very "up close and personal"!: