One of the hardest things to capture is a fast animal running in the distance, but that is what you often have to work with while out on safari.
To alleviate the blurry and missed pictures, here are a few tips:
First off, your camera… if you think you are going to capture a great shot on a handheld or your iPhone on safari, you can pretty much forget about it.
It’s best to use a modern DSLR with an interchangeable lens, preferably one that has extends to a 300mm-400mm range. A lens with image stabilization such as the Nikon VR line will also come in handy.
A small tripod or bean bag will also go a long ways, while you may be able to capture something up close, once you focus in on something 30 yards away, any movement is liable to blur your shot.
Shutter speed will also need to be increased when focusing on something far away or moving fast.
And to capture a best shot, it’s good to already have your camera out, and camera already setup and just be ready to capture whatever comes in range. By the time you take your camera out and remove the lens cap, the animal could be long gone.
Of course, these are only basic tips, for more in depth information on taking great safari shots, see our article: Safari Photography Tips For Beginners
