A Marketing Blog (and other stuff)

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Update: I'm back!  You can check out my safari photos and see how they turned out.
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I'm going on a safari in Kenya in a while, and I spent a bunch of time today searching for and buying the right photography setup for the trip.  I took a photography class in high school and even developed my own stuff back then (remember film?) but since then I have been a point and shoot kind of guy.  I do have a small digital photo printer at home.  So, I contacted a couple people and read a lot online to get back into the game a bit. Based on advice from websites and friends that I emailed, here are my conclusions for how to get decent safari photos without spending tons of money on pro-level equipment.

1. Get a decent camera with telephoto lens, at least to 300mm, preferably with some for of vibration reduction or image stabilization.  You'll need it to get good pictures of the wildlife.  I bought a Nikon D60 with a 70-300mm lens, the best deals seem to be the packages available at www.Costco.com.
2. Bring backup storage so you can backup from your memory cards to something else so you don't lose your photos while on safari.  Apple makes an adapter for your iPod if you want a cheaper solution that really drains your battery, or there are dedicated devices.  I bought the Apple adapter for $35.
3. Make sure your safari organizer will provide photographers beanbags for you to use to rest/stabilize your camera on the vehicle.  Otherwise you should bring one.
4. In addition to camera and good zoom lens, bring an extra battery, and maybe a car adapter with your charger.  Charge everything whenever possible.  Power availability is sometimes limited while on safari.  I bought an aftermarket battery and car charger for $50.
5. Get circular polarizer filters for all your lenses.  Even a little online research will indicate

Here are two articles that talk about everything to do with safari photography in a lot more detail:

• Digital Safari Equipment Tips - Luminous Landscape
• Photography in Tanzania  - Fredo Durand

Thanks to Ilya Mirman for answering all of my questions via email all day, you can check out his Ilya's amateur photography on SmugMug.