INSIDE THE IMAGE

COMMON WILDEBEEST, ZIMANGA GAME RESERVE, SOUTH AFRICA

It’s a rare privilege to peek through a window into the nocturnal world of Africa’s big game – most safari photography is vehicle based and finishes after dusk. The Umgodi overnight hide in Zimanga is exceptional in more ways than one: it offers superb views of a small waterhole, and has been designed by photographer Bence Máté, so every detail has been considered to ensure perfect wide-angle, low-level images.

FIRING INTO ACTION

The dry season often delivers exciting photo opportunities, but you still need camera skills. The hide is equipped with floodlights, which are easier to work with than flash, but getting your exposure spot-on takes care and trial and error. You also need patience: a 16-hour session might involve three or four photo opportunities, but with long, quiet spells between. When the action happens, the hardest part is controlling the adrenaline rush and keeping steady hands. Easier said than done when you’re staring up at a huge bull elephant so close that it barely fits your wide-angle frame.

It’s not always the biggest game that produces the most exciting shots. This image of wildebeest is one of our favourites, partly because of the symmetry, and partly because the blur of the secondary subjects, which suggests something of the comings and goings of a popular waterhole.

GO MANUAL

Relying on the camera’s meter invariably produces poor exposures in this lighting. Instead, go fully manual. Set a starting point of, say, 1/40 sec at f4 with an ISO of 2000, take a shot, review it, and adjust the exposure accordingly. It’s best to underexpose and correct in post-processing to avoid the highlights burning out. The ‘correct’ exposure changes constantly, depending on the size, tone and position of the subjects, so keep reviewing it.

GO SLOW

To blur the animals in the background we slowed the shutter speed to 1/15 sec, trusting the main subject to be stock-still during the exposure.

BE ROCK SOLID

At such slow shutter speeds, camera stability is key. A good tripod and head are all but essential (handholding is just about possible with an image-stabilised lens). Framing your composition is a little slower when using a tripod, and it helps to use a zoom lens rather than a fixed-length prime. Most animals drink for only a minute or two, so have your camera set up in advance.

MIRROR IMAGE

Nocturnal photography isn’t just a technical exercise. Careful composition is as important as in daylight. Here, the symmetry – both vertical and horizontal – makes the image. This hide set-up produces lovely reflections, too, so it’s vital not to waste them.

STAY SILENT

Animals are nervous when drinking. If your camera has a silent shooting mode, it’s worth using. Otherwise, don’t shoot noisy bursts, but take one shot at a time. And avoid shooting too early, in case you spook the subject before it’s got into a good pose.