Wildlife and Adventure Photography

Send us Fan Mail Many of us grew up in a culture where it's not OK to fail. However, the most valuable lessons we can learn often come from failure. When it comes to creative activities, an apparent failure can lead to a complete change of style and direction. The purpose of this podcast is to encourage you to 'fail' regularly in your photography and to see where these failures take...

Send us Fan Mail I realised a couple of months ago that I was on track to record 100 podcasts! The first thing for me to do is to acknowledge and thank you for the support you have given me. I hope you've found them helpful, or, at least, thought-provoking. I wanted to do something different this time and I've been mulling it over for the last two weeks. In the end, I decided to share my...

Send us Fan Mail The use of space in a photograph has a big impact on the message you are trying to convey to the viewer. Using the Visual Storyteller approach, you can use your composition to convey a feeling or story that you wish to share with them. This might be the context (the environment) where your subject lives, a feeling of size or significance, or to imply that something has happened, o...

Send us Fan Mail India is an amazing place and I have a love/hate relationship with it: I love the country, the people and the culture, but I hate the bureaucracy.   I thought I would share a little a little of my experience there and why I love it. I've also included some tips that should help you if you are planning a visit.   If you can, I recommend that you spend 10 days or so in a wildli...

Send us Fan Mail If you're new to photography (and I'm talking about DSLR and Mirrorless photography primarily), the equipment and settings can be quite daunting. So where to start? In this podcast I'll take you through what I believe to be the most important considerations for your kit; camera body and lenses, and how to quickly get on top of the 'techy' part. What is the...

Send us Fan Mail It's a new year (2024) and with each new year comes new opportunities. If one of those is going on a wildlife photography trip, here are a few things to consider: Planning Which animals do you hope to see? When is the best time to see them? When are they most active? Photography How do you plan to use your photographs? What difference does that make to your camera settings? H...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast was recorded in December 2023 and I find this a valuable time (at the end of the year) to look back on what I've achieved and look forward to the new year. So, how was 2023 for you? Did you make progress, or are you not where you hoped to be? I find that we often tend to focus on what went wrong, rather than what we've achieved. So what have you achieved in...

Send us Fan Mail Older listeners may remember Chris Bonington; famous as a British mountaineer. Joe is his son and I first met him while training for my Kilimanjaro climb. Joe ran a physical gym on Sydney's northern beaches.  He would train and coach people who were planning major exhibitions (including attempts on Mount Everest). As well as the physical training, Joe would step back and coac...

Send us Fan Mail What I mean by mood is how a particular image makes you feel. Good photographers will compose their images to suggest, or to invoke, a certain mood in the viewer with their image. If this is something you would like to do, where to you start? In this podcast I'll make some suggestions about how you can take the viewer towards a certain mood when they view your work. Key thing...

Send us Fan Mail I only spent a brief time in Botswana as I travelled between volunteer projects in South Africa and Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls). However, Botswana proved to be a treat. I visited the Okavango Delta and the Chobe National Park. The best time to visit is the dry season; from June until the end of October, as animals tend to get water from the rivers. Unfortunately I visited the countr...

Send us Fan Mail I believe that good composition is the keystone of good photography. There are many elements to composition, so here are 15 to get you started! Keep it simple Fill the frame Landscape or portrait framing The rule of thirds Framing your subject Colour and saturation Contrast Leading lines Symmetry/balanced Asymmetry/unbalanced Foreground interest Depth and layering Patterns Use of...

Send us Fan Mail Camera equipment has a deserved reputation for being quite expensive, but is it necessary to spend a lot of money to get the equipment most appropriate for your style of photography? Todays smartphones are very capable and can be even more flexible with a few additions. Or, will a basic DSLR or Mirrorless setup give you everything you need without the price tag? A little planning...

Send us Fan Mail Hyenas are probably the most misunderstood African mammal. It's likely that what you think about them (unless you've taken the time to find out more about them) is almost the opposite of the truth. Are they related to dogs? No, and some of their behavior is closer to a cat. Do they just eat dead meat? Sometimes, but one species kills most of its food. How important are t...

Send us Fan Mail Uganda probably isn't at the top of your list of places to go to see African wildlife, unless you hope to see mountain gorillas. Uganda and Rwanda are the best places to see mountain gorillas and I spend a couple of weeks in Uganda in 2022. Uganda boasts a variety of wildlife and offers good value. It's definitely worth considering, but there are a few things you need to...

Send us Fan Mail The ongoing debate between DSLR and Mirrorless cameras and which is best, continues. Buying your first camera is a big investment, so what do you need to think about and which is best for you? I've spoken about this subject before in the context of wildlife photography. This may or may not apply to you and I thought it was time to record something more general. In short, most...

Send us Fan Mail I’ve shared quite a few tips in some of my other podcasts and I began thinking about the what were the things that made the biggest impact on my own photography. On reflection, there are 5: Understanding shutter speed and how to create movement in an image. Understanding Aperture, especially how to control depth of field. Experimenting with different compositions and how they chan...

Send us Fan Mail Sooner or later, most of us will experience something going wrong when we travel. It might be a missed flight that leaves us stranded, or a vital piece of equipment might get damaged - I'm particularly thinking about photographers here. Thinking ahead at the planning stage is vital for any successful trip and there are a few things you can do to minimise the chances of experi...

Send us Fan Mail Rhinos are one of those iconic species that are under a dire threat of extinction. Did you know that there are five species still alive? And that two of them are in Africa and the remaining three are located in Asia? In this podcast I share a little information about these animals and talk about their biggest threat; poaching. Please note that I do talk about the process that some...

Send us Fan Mail A few questions come up fairly regularly, so I thought I would provide some answers to them. These are the questions: What does Manual Mode mean and do I need to know it? How do you achieve sharp focus? Do I have to edit my photos? What gear do I need to get great photos? What's the best lens? What is White Balance and do I need to know it? What's the difference between...

Send us Fan Mail I'm revisiting a few subjects I've covered before, but I find there are always other ways to look at things. Before your shoot, have you thought about the wildlife you will see? Not just your primary subject, but other subjects that you can also shoot. What time(s) of day are the best to get great photographs of your subject and what impact does that have on the camera e...

Send us Fan Mail I use my smartphone when I'm travelling (usually for movies and panoramas) as modern smartphone cameras are very versatile. If you're planning a trip, or just looking at everyday photography, I hope this podcast will give you some ideas (and something new) for getting the most from your camera. I talk briefly about: Smartphone camera settings Composition Different styles...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that some species of giraffe are endangered? Giraffes are an iconic 'keystone' species, but they are another animal that is endangered because of human activity. In this podcast, I run through a few facts about giraffes and where you can find them. It's time for another podcast... Thank you for listening. Please Like and Subscribe, as it really does make a d...

Send us Fan Mail Whether you are shooting to show movement, or to remove it altogether, there are certain techniques you need to master to get consistent results. This podcast takes you through the basic steps to master movement in your photography. It's time for another podcast... Thank you for listening. Please Like and Subscribe, as it really does make a difference. If you enjoy my podcasts and...

Send us Fan Mail So, you've made your decision and booked your next adventure, what are the next steps to take to make sure it's something you'll remember for the rest of your life?    Having a big adventure is often about more than ourselves. To get the most from it, it's great to be able to share it with others. So what are the steps to take to make sure you come back with me...

Send us Fan Mail Karolina grew up in Sweden and took a volunteering assignment in South Africa to work with horses. She quickly fell in love with the South African wildlife and started taking photographs. I've been following her on Instagram for a while, and love her photography. I had a great conversation with her and learnt more about her story and the work she now does in South Africa. Thi...