SaharaSafaris.org

Safaris photography is an enjoyable experience that enables you to explore the place you visit and express your observation to the world. It may range but is not limited to the following categories of photography; Nature, Landscape, Portrait, Journalism, Sports, however, like any other activity it has its challenges that may turn this lovely experience into a nightmare if the photography equipment are not well handled.

Challenges

1. Desert Safaris: Dust is always the big problem and there here comes the struggle to keep the inside of the camera clean, specially if you aim shooting different types of photography and may need to change the lens you use to be able to cover your objectives.
2. Desert Night Photography
3. Water sports and fishing
4. Hiking and Mountaineering
5. Rain
6. Humid weather
7. Heat
8. Cold / Snow

Tools / Accessories

1. A cloth bag that you can use to change the lens inside it to avoid dust. Specification:
   § It should be big enough to fit the camera, the other lens and your hand inside it and close tight on them while changing the lens.
   § It is similar to the cloth bag that you get when you buy leather shoes and bags, you can ask a sewer to make it for you or sew it yourself.
2. UV filter is important for lens protection and to keep it safe from scratches.
3. Polarizer filter is a must have filter for Nature and landscape photographers. (Benefits?)
4. Camera ARMOR, (Benefits?), please check: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_1_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-ke...
5. For perfect sealing, maybe you should think of underwater housing, please check:
   http://www.amazon.com/Ikelite-Underwater-Housing-E-TTL-2-Digital/dp/B000...
   http://www.amazon.com/Ewa-Marine-Underwater-Housing-EOS-400D-EOS-450D/dp...

How to Plan for Your Safaris Photography:

Before the trip

Make sure you have the following:

• The widest range of focal length, that helps you cover all possible types of photography.
• A camera bag that is closed with zippers and not only buckles.
• A cloth bag that you can use to change the lens inside it to avoid dust.
• UV / Polarized filters and make sure they fit on all your lenses.

During the trip

Make sure you do the following:

• Make sure that the camera bag is closed with zippers.
• Clean-up the dust on the camera body from outside before changing the lens.
• Don’t change the lens outside if it’s windy.
• If you have to change the lens, use the cloth bag to do it and make sure the camera body is facing downward to avoid dust falling onto the sensor.
• ALWAYS cover the lens with the plastic cover comes with it.
• Get sure that the plastic cover is attached to the camera body.
• Procedure for changing battery, memory card???
• Handling other equipment related to photography (i.e. laptop, other storing device)???

After returning home

Make sure you do the following:

• Clean the dust on the camera body from outside, to avoid it falling inside the camera when you change the lens for next usage.

Special Missions

Photographing a Meteor Shower

Meteor showers photography needs to: (1) know where to aim the camera with a wide angle lens to capture all in high resolution, and (2) to avoid stars becoming too strong a noise by leaving a curve of their trail.

• One method is to try not to exceed the time of opening shutter than 30 seconds (near Polaris) to leave the stars as almost dots and reduce their appearance. This however, may be still too much time for the constellations at Ecliptic (Zodiac constellations) who moves faster in the night sky of Egypt.
• the results will be also sensitive to ISO number. If you don't are for the noise (or it has minimal impact in your experience) then you may need to increase it so that the meteor line may stand clearer than with lower ISO

All astro-photography takes extended times to photography so use of a tripod is mandatory.