Masai Mara advice

[Bob Miller]

Hi Everyone. MY wife and I leave for a 2week trip to the Masai Mara in Kenya thursday. We will be gone Sept 3 -Sept 18. Our goals are to try come home with some good photos esp of cheetahs.
Our main lenses will be a Nikon 200-400 and a Tamron 200-500. Any advice? Anything would be appreciated! Thanks!

[Cal Walters]

Make sure the vehicles have the pop-up roof versus the removable type. You still have lots of vertical angle esp for shooting cheetahs; you give up vertical / overhead shots but gain significant sun protection. You also have to duck down less if you get very near certain animals (silhouette masking). You may consider monopods and bean bags for bracing and stabilizing. You generally don't shoot on the move, but long lenses being what they are you will want the stability. Also, it can be very dusty on the roads out there - as you are in the dry season so big zip lock bags to seal your gear in for those long transits.

[Roger Clark]

I disagree on the pop-up roof versus removable. The pop-up roof has poles that get in your way during action. Imagine you are tracking action and suddenly run into a pole. A bigger factor is a good guide who gets you to the wildlife in the best light, leaving the lodge before sunrise so you are on site at sunrise.
Take teleconverters.

Good luck!

Here are some leopard images:
http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries/gallery.africa_2009

Roger

[Arthur Morris]

I disagree 100% witht the pop-up roof suggestion. Do you have a copy of Todd Gustafson's safari photography book: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=33

<TABLE style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>https://store.birdsasart.com/images/Toddbook_s.jpg (https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=88)
</TD></TR><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD>“A Photographer’s Guide to The Safari Experience” is recommended for anyone headed to Africa to photograph whether for the first time or the 20ieth time.... Todd was born in Tanzania and has done about 40 photographic safaris.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Andy Biggs]

I think the vehicle pop top versus wide open top is kind of a relgious thing. I personally prefer the pop top, because a long day in the sun really does take it out of you, and I rarely find that a pole gets in the way of my photography. It should be said that I am more of a mammal photographer than a bird photographer, so I rarely find the need to shoot up in the sky at birds in flight. If birds in flight is your thing, then I would definitely recommend a removable top.

If you have large mammals, like big cats, near the vehicle, do yourself a favor and try and shoot from as low of a position as possible (shoot at eye level). Yes, it can be uncomfortable, but in the end a good photograph beats any discomfort you had to go through to get the shot.

Pay attention to your background on all of your shots, whether you have trees in the background, vehicles out on the horizon or whatever. The background really does make a difference.

Take a camera bag that doesn't gobble up a ton of space in your vehicle. If you can avoid it, don't put your bag on the floor, as it will just be in the way for you and the other people in your vehicle. Try and keep your gear in the seat next to you. Rolling bags aren't the easiest to deal with in this regard, so I think a backpack is much easier to deal with. I use a Kinesis L521 long lens bag for my big lens, and I hang it from the seat in front of me or in front of the seat right next to me. This allows me to have quick access to my big lens, and I also have a dust cover over it.

Have a great time!!!