In Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, where the vast plains meet the sky, it first seems unlikely that there could be as many animals as I’ve heard about. After all, it’s so flat, wouldn’t I be able to see them?
As I bumped along the dirt road, a warm breeze on my face, I could think only of the endless sky and endless grasses and wonder, where are they?
But soon enough, as I discovered a small tree, or a rock outcropping, or a watering hole, I realized they are everywhere!
I was so looking forward to seeing firstly the elephants, and secondly all of the more unusual creatures not ordinarily seen in zoos, like the buffalo, hyena, and wildebeest, I was surprised to discover that one of my favourite animals to photograph was the zebra!
I love the graphic design of the zebra’s fur! In post-processing, I converted the image above to black and white using Topaz B&W Effects.
I thought you might get tired of seeing african animal posts right after my trip, so I saved some of the photos to share with you at a later date – which is now!
The zebras are so affectionate! For the image above, I used Topaz B&W Effects to create the sepia look in post-processing.
After I made some “regular” images of the zebras, I decided to try blurring some of the action to convey the motion of the animals as they ran away from the watering hole every time they were spooked by something.
The zebras provided endless photo opportunities, whether it was photographing the herd, a few individuals, or even using a slow shutter speed to blur the action. They also didn’t mind the vehicle too much. I guess they are used to it, but they let us get quite a bit closer than most of the other animals would allow.
In case you missed the earlier posts, you might be interested in these:
Wildlife Photography in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania – Part 1
Wildlife Photography in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania – Part 2
I had to smile as I read your comments about the Serengeti. I’ve been working on a travelogue about my trip last year to Tanzania, and my notes about “they are everywhere” were nearly identical to yours. Thank you for sharing your expertise and experiences with us as you’ve traveled to so many interesting places. I’ve learned a lot from you.
Thanks DJ, great to hear! Seeing wild animals in that kind of density is a real privilege.
Hi Anne,
Definitely not tired of your animal shots. The Zebra’s are beautiful and graphic. Thanks for sharing
Thanks Vaughn, I appreciate that!
You showed a number of photos (fantastic photo’s) with high settings (Canon 7D, 70mm, ISO 1250, f/7.1, 1/3200 second) as an example. Could you be so kind as to explain them. Especially the high ISO used.
Enjoy seeing you work.
Thank You
David
Hi David, sorry to take so long to reply. I use a very high ISO when photographing wildlife to allow the fast shutter speeds. If I used a lower iSO, with the aperture I need for depth of field, the shutter speed would have to be slower. Whenever I am shooting wildlife that are moving, I use a shutter speed at least 1/1000th of a second and sometimes faster if the animals are moving faster. I hope this helps!
Nice pictures!