At Kavinga Safari Camp in Mana Pools, we’re fortunate to have two stunning underground hides – both easily accessible from your room and the main dining and lounge area. Our hides offer fantastic up close and personal game viewing experiences. They also provide photographers the opportunity to potentially get that perfect wildlife shot.
The different hides can provide very different experiences at different times of the day. From guinea fowl flocking in at first light and baboons grooming each other in the midday sun, to elephants bathing in the golden hour and lion and leopards drinking after dark, there’s always the potential to see something.
But how do you make the most of your experience from a photographic perspective?
Here are some of our top tips for hide photography. We hope they come in handy on your next photo safari.
A LITTLE PREPARATION GOES A LONG WAY
Be familiar with your gear
Whether you’re using a top-of-the-range mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses, a point and click camera, or your cell/mobile phone, make sure you know how your equipment works before you go to the hide. Think about what settings you’ll want to use for different subjects (e.g. birds in flight versus a herd of elephants) and different times of day (e.g. the golden hour vs after dark).
And make sure you have the necessary types of support for your camera – bean bags work well for hide photography. With many great moments in the wild only lasting a few seconds, there is nothing worse than missing a shot because you’re trying to find the right setting or lens.
Observe
Immerse yourself in the experience. Watch what the different animals and birds do at different times. Notice their behaviour. Get to know the regular visitors. Look out for clues to suggest what might be approaching. Is it the dust from a huge herd of buffalo, the rumble of an elephant, or the alarm call signalling a predator approaching?
Being aware of your surroundings will help you prepare for your next photo. If you’re only visiting Kavinga Safari Camp for a short time, please ask our guides for suggestions about what to look out for.
Plan your shots
It can be helpful to have an idea of what image you’d like to capture before you go to the hide. This will allow you to prepare, including choosing the time of your visit, identifying a good background, and framing your shot. Take some test pictures to make sure you’ve got your camera settings right.
Photographing from a hide changes perspective, giving the advantage of being at eye level with the animals as they drink. It can also increase the distance between animal and background – so think about your depth of field to take advantage of this. What’s more, don’t forget to think about how you’ll change your settings as the light changes or the animals move around.
PATIENCE, PRACTICE AND PERSEVERANCE
Be ready for the long wait
You can have some amazing hide photography experiences. That said, there will also be long periods where little will be happening. But don’t give up. Rather use the opportunity to observe the smaller things, like the butterflies, bees and ants. And remember nature never fails to surprise us, so be prepared for anything at any time!
Keep noise and movement to a minimum
Remember sound travels much further than you can see. So be careful of moving around too much or making too much noise, potentially scaring off the animals. Make sure you have everything you need before you visit a hide. We also recommend taking drinks and snacks with you, but please keep rustling to a minimum.
If you don’t succeed, try and try again
Sure, you might be lucky enough to be in the right place, at the right time, with everything set up right to get that iconic shot first time. But, more often than not, getting the perfect photograph is going to take some practice. So try different compositions, angles, and camera settings to learn what works for you. Most importantly, just get out there and have a go.
ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE!
If you’re privileged enough to be able to spend some time in a photographic hide, don’t forget to make the most of simply being that close and connected to nature. There is something unbelievably special about sitting quietly in the hide as the animals and birds come to drink.
It’s not often we get to completely stop and just take in what is happening around us. So take time to immerse yourself in the experience – from the dragonflies hovering in the reeds to the slurpy sounds of elephants drinking. And fingers crossed you come away with that special image you were hoping to get.
