If you’re looking for instant impact with your wildlife images, then animal silhouettes are hard to beat. Strong silhouette shots are all about distinctive shapes and vibrant, saturated colours. Subtlety can work, but it’s harder to pull off. Likewise, opportunistic silhouette images do come along occasionally, but the vast majority of our successful shots are the result of planning and previsualisation.
An african safari is more than just a trip-it’s an adventure that stirs the soul and leaves memories etched forever. When we think of safaris, we often picture vast open savannahs, majestic wild animals, and rugged four-wheel drive vehicles.
But what exactly is a safari? The word “safari” is derived from the Swahili word “safar,” which means journey or travel. Originally used by hunters, a safari now refers to a guided trip or expedition to observe and appreciate wildlife in their natural habitats. Safaris can take many forms, from walking safaris to hot air balloon safaris, and can be tailored to suit a variety of interests and budgets.
Planning and Previsualisation
When we’re on an evening cruise on the Chobe river, for example, we’ll start looking for likely subjects an hour before sunset, and mentally bookmark promising subjects such as elephants grazing on a low-lying island, to return to when the sun gets close to the horizon. Chobe’s sunsets are legendary, and our silhouette sessions are often one of the highlights of the safari for guests, producing some of their most memorable images.
Keeping it Simple
As with so much wildlife photography, the key is to keep it simple.
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Tips for Capturing Stunning Silhouettes
For your subject to stand proud of the horizon, it helps to shoot from a low viewpoint. Pick distinctively shaped animals - big cats, elephant, giraffe - which will be clearly identifiable, even as two dimensional ‘cut outs’. Large animals work best, but we’ve managed good shots even with small birds, such as starlings, specially if they are in good numbers.
- Low Viewpoint: One of our favourite spots on Zimanga for silhouettes is the dam wall, where we can position our vehicle below a good subject and achieve a clean background of sky.
- Distinctive Shapes: Pick distinctively shaped animals - big cats, elephant, giraffe - which will be clearly identifiable, even as two dimensional ‘cut outs’.
- Framing: Try to frame the subject against the sky so that you don’t clip it’s legs. A low viewpoint helps.
- Background: Avoid distracting background foliage, or long grass, that disrupts the outline. Move your position if necessary.
- Close-Ups: If you can’t get the legs, but can get close to your subject, try zooming in for a close-up - for example a giraffe’s head and neck.
Long focal lengths tend to work best, as the foreshortening helps with the 2-D effect, and the narrow angle of view allows you to choose the most dramatic section of the sunset sky as your background. You can shoot silhouettes at any time of day - a dramatic summer sky with towering cumulo-nimbus storm clouds could work well, for example. But for surefire success, look for dramatic sunrise and sunset skies, with rich red and gold colours, perhaps set off by partial cloud cover. In Africa sunsets are generally best in the winter dry season, when there’s dust in the air.
Bright, backlit water can also work as a background: you’ll need to be slightly looking down on your subject to frame it against the water. Expose for the bright background, so your subject is underexposed and turns nicely black. Bear in mind that light intensity changes rapidly when the sun is close to the horizon, so keep an eye on your exposure. With a long lens, meter off the sky adjacent to the sun - and take care of your eyes by making sure you don’t point your lens directly at the sun.
Don’t be afraid to dial in some negative exposure compensation, to further enrich the colours.
Pay attention to the detail, and for moving subjects shoot a burst at high frame rate. The final ten minutes before sunset, and the first ten minutes after sunrise, are often the most spectacular. But the half hour before sunrise and after sunset can also produce some gorgeous colours. So don’t pack up the moment the sun sets, just push up your ISO and keep shooting.
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Shooting into the light generally means you will have plenty of speed. To ensure you get a crisp outline, it’s worth dialling some extra depth of field (i.e. shoot at f/8 rather than f/4), and a fairly fast shutter speed, say 1/500 sec or faster. This will give you a little wriggle room if your focus is slightly off, or your subject is moving. Don’t be afraid to raise your ISO to achieve these settings - noise reduction is very easy on these sort of images. We regularly shoot at ISO 1600 or higher for sunset silhouettes.
If you’re struggling to focus, which can happen when shooting an essentially all-black subject in strong backlighting, try to focus on the edge of the animal. Failing that, switch to manual focus. Take plenty of shots, but don’t get carried away and forget composition. This was a sunrise sky in search of a subject. Fortunately, we knew where this secretarybird regularly roosted, and had mentally bookmarked it as a sunrise or sunset silhouette opportunity, so we drove to it quickly when we saw the potential of the sky.
Safari Etiquette and Safety
One of the biggest no-no’s on safari is infamously known as not breaking the silhouette. This means you should not stand up inside the vehicle when you are at an animal sighting, as it can catch the attention of the animals, especially predators. It is important to note that inside the vehicle you will feel completely safe, but any sudden movements can easily disturb the surrounding wildlife. The animals are familiar with safari vehicles, but to break the silhouette and stand up would be to change the image they are familiar with.
While it is exciting to see animals up close, it is important to keep a low profile while viewing them. Sometimes you will arrive at a sighting and be further away from the animals than others. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles! But it is important to know that you should never call out to animals, whistle, or bang on the vehicle to get their attention. This is a safety concern as you can’t guarantee how the wild animals will react. When you are on safari it is important to note that you are here as an observer.
Staying too long at a sighting is considered bad etiquette, as there will often be other vehicles nearby waiting to see the same animals as you. This is mostly true for the big cats, wild dogs, and big 5 animals. Most people who travel to Africa are eager to see as many animals as possible, so it is respectable to share the opportunities around. At a sighting, there will be a limit of how many vehicles can be with the animals at one time.
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Unless you have booked a private safari vehicle with your travel agent, you will likely be sharing your vehicle with fellow safari-goers. Vehicles are small and the experience feels very intimate, but it is important to remember that not everyone has the same interests and sometimes you will be less interested in a sighting.
While your safari guides will do everything and anything they can to make your trip an enjoyable one, sometimes the ball will be in your court. It is important to prepare yourself every time you are going out for a game drive. That can involve taking a water bottle to stay hydrated, wearing the appropriate clothes for the weather, and making sure to use the amenities before you jump on board the vehicle.
Different Types of Safaris
Safaris can take many forms, each offering a unique way to experience the African wilderness:
- Game Drive: Travelling through a wildlife reserve in a specially adapted vehicle, led by experienced guides.
- Walking Safari: Intimately exploring the natural world on foot, learning about the ecosystem from knowledgeable guides.
- Hot Air Balloon Safari: Offering a bird’s-eye view of the landscape and wildlife below, providing a different perspective.
- Photography Safari: Capturing the beauty of the natural world through lenses, guided by expert wildlife guides and professional photographers.
- Boat Safari: Exploring diverse ecosystems and wildlife of rivers, lakes, and waterways from a boat.
5 WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FOR SAFARI
The Magic of the Safari Aesthetic
There’s something magical about capturing the beauty of the wild, and the african safari aesthetic delivers some of the most stunning visuals you’ll ever see. From golden sunsets over acacia trees to close-up shots of majestic wildlife, every moment feels like a painting come alive.
Nothing defines the african safari aesthetic quite like the golden light of sunrise spilling over the endless Serengeti plains. The silhouettes of giraffes grazing against the backdrop of the glowing horizon create a picture that feels almost cinematic. Watching a herd of elephants gathering at a shimmering watering hole is one of the most iconic safari moments. Their reflections glistening in the water capture the raw beauty and tranquility of the wild in one breathtaking frame.
Millions of wildebeest charging across rivers during the Great Migration create one of the most dramatic scenes in nature. Dust rises, hooves thunder, and the sheer scale leaves you speechless as predators lurk nearby. Few sights are as mesmerizing as lions sprawled under acacia trees, exuding both power and calm. Their golden coats blend seamlessly with the sunlit savanna, offering photographers a regal and intimate scene.
The Okavango Delta’s winding waterways create mirror-like surfaces that reflect sky, trees, and wildlife in magical ways. Hippos, birds, and elephants wandering through these waters add life to the natural canvas. Tall and graceful, giraffes silhouetted against a fiery African sunset create a scene that feels dreamlike. Their elongated necks and slow movements add elegance to the vast backdrop of glowing skies.
Spotting rhinos is both rare and exhilarating, making it one of the most treasured safari sights. Their tough armor-like skin and steady movements contrast beautifully with the softness of the savanna grasslands. In Amboseli, elephants strolling with snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro rising behind them create a surreal view. The contrast of towering wildlife and Africa’s tallest peak in one frame is simply breathtaking.
Cheetahs poised on termite mounds or sprinting through the grasslands showcase the speed and elegance of predators. Their sleek form and piercing eyes add an intense yet beautiful element to safari photography. Thousands of flamingos painting Lake Nakuru pink is a dazzling visual spectacle. The sheer volume of vibrant birds spreading their wings across sparkling waters feels otherworldly.
A leopard lounging on tree branches creates a mysterious and captivating scene. With its patterned coat blending into dappled light, the moment feels like a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. Known as the “Smoke That Thunders,” Victoria Falls sends plumes of mist rising high above the Zambezi River. Rainbows often appear in the spray, creating a scene so magical it feels surreal.
Zebras grazing together create a striking black-and-white pattern across the plains. Their natural symmetry and playful interactions bring energy and rhythm to safari photography. When night falls, the savanna transforms into a sky full of glittering stars. Luxury camps often offer open views where the Milky Way stretches endlessly overhead. As hundreds of buffalo move across dry plains, their hooves kick up swirling clouds of dust. The dramatic haze paired with their raw strength creates an atmospheric shot full of movement.
Imagine a chilled drink in hand, sitting by a campfire as the sky turns shades of orange and purple. With lanterns glowing and wildlife sounds echoing in the distance, it’s the perfect end to the day.
National Parks vs. Private Game Reserves
We visited two national parks (Kruger National Park in South Africa and Chobe National Park in Botswana) and one private game reserve (Karongwe in South Africa). The national parks were chock-full of animals, but also had a lot more people and vehicles. They felt a bit more “packaged.” Had I just visited the national parks, I would have given my experience ten stars and not known the difference. But the time I spend at the private game reserve, Karongwe, was absolutely the highlight of my trip. The park felt more intimate and relaxed, the animals more chilled out, and the trackers were spot-on. Every game drive was better than the next. We would always stop in the morning for a coffee break and in the evening for a sundowner, all while eating to-die-for cuisine back in our beautiful lodge three times a day.
Planning Your Safari Adventure
Planning a safari can be more challenging than other types of trips because of the incredible number of decisions that have to be made. Choosing which region of Africa (east or southern), which countries to visit, and what season of the year to go is just the beginning. There’s also an incredible number of safari lodges to choose from, and options are extremely limited in a mid-range budget. It’s mostly lavish luxury lodges and budget camping safaris.
I found it difficult to plan an African safari, and I worked as a travel agent for years. This was my 40th birthday celebration trip and I wanted it to be just right. I researched for several months and also consulted a travel agent, but didn’t like the generic (and expensive) package she presented. I finally settled on a National Geographic Journeys tour that had middle-of-the-road pricing with a good mix of culture, wildlife, and sightseeing. I added a couple of extra days in the beginning in Cape Town and at the end in Victoria Falls.
The Magic of Africa
When I was a travel agent, I had customers that fell in love with Africa and would go there again and again and again. And I get it now. African safaris have a magic unlike anywhere else I’ve experienced, and I’ve traveled to 50 countries. Next time, I will either work with a travel agent who is a bonafide African safari specialist or book another small group tour. I was impressed by the quality of service and lodging that Nat Geo offered - although I’m also intrigued by the camping adventures where you pop your tent in the middle of a park with animals. No fences. Just wild nature, you, and the magic of Africa!
