Enjoy your evening safaris in South Luangwa and get the best out of your pictures
in the dark By: Peter Geraerdts Photos: Peter Geraerdts, Track and Trail River Camp
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odges in Zambia are quite unique in that they offer evening safaris/night drives. This is a game viewing activity that takes place after dark, with a spotter who handles a powerful spot light. It’s important to avoid shining this light on animals that are usually active during the day (diurnal animals), and instead, identify the nocturnal animals. During evening safaris we observe animals such as lion, leopard, hyena, genet, civet, mongoose, and owl as they go about their lives under the cover of darkness. Picture (left): ISO 51000 – Aperture: F6.3 – shutter speed 1/200 sec
Photographing these nocturnal animals when it’s dark can be a challenge. The biggest issue people are faced with is the poor performance of cameras in low light/ dark conditions. Many automatic camera modes struggle to capture sharp images, as the shutter speed will reduce when there is little light available. These long exposures increase the risk of getting blurry pictures.
Picture (Above): ISO: 32000 – Aperture F 4 – Shutter speed 1/500 sec - Increase your ISO until you have the right shutter speed, but with the aim to keep the digital image noise to a minimum. The higher the ISO, the more obvious the digital image noise (grain) becomes. - Provide adequate camera support, which is essential during long exposures. It could be a monopod, tripod or beanbag, as long as the camera remains still. - Incorporate just a bit of ambient light either from the sun or moon, or the help of the spotlight.
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TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA
