Travel Articles

Looking at life through a camera lens enables, encourages, and even obliges one to see things steadily and to see them whole. Our Kenya photo safari will take you to the heart of the region’s best photographic locations; from the majestic snow-capped mountains, to wide open spaces of spectacular views. From a myriad of wildlife living freely as nature intended, to exotic white-sandy beaches. From modern cities to small villages, where colourful and friendly people live by age-old customs.

Wildlife photography in Kenya dates back to the Colonial Era where wildlife ran side by side with open ranching, but these areas today are proclaimed National Parks/Game Reserves. Many photo opportunities arise while you are in a vehicle and the best scenes result from patience. The most important accessory in wildlife photography is the `Bean Bag’ useful as a “tripod” made of canvas with a zip opening. The bag is filled with some type of grain or legume (dry peas or beans) in order to give heavy lenses a stable base when operating from the side of a vehicle, whether a minibus or Land Cruiser.

When it comes to getting good pictures of people, the primary problem photographers have is being in a tourist frame of mind. As long as you consider yourself an outsider, you’ll be treated as one, and there will be a distance that will be discernible in your photos. To remedy this, Tambuga Safaris guides help you establish a rapport with your subjects, show interest and communicate with them. This enables you get a photo that reflects who they are, how they feel, and what their life is like in their own environment.

Our objective is to guide you on how to get a “good picture” one that gives your subject a more accurate sense of place. Pay attention to what’s around you to give information about where you are. When people are engaged in an activity, photos become more interesting. A photo of someone you don’t know doesn’t mean much unless there’s something about them that explains who they are, or what they do. The idea is to make the daily lives of the people of Kenya and East Africa a prominent part of the picture and retain the meaning.

Some advice that is useful to an ardent photographer: Choose your equipment and film carefully to meet any challenge. Take sufficient film and batteries for your cameras. The camera must be easy to handle under all circumstances and have protective covering against dust.

With only four participants in each vehicle, a thoughtful leader experienced in both film and digital mediums, and outstanding local guides who fully understand the needs of photographers, your Kenya photo safari will be a productive and unforgettable photographic adventure!

This safari is only for the serious traveler, either about wildlife and nature photography, or about in-depth, intense, and patient animal viewing. The two, for a photographer, are the same, for patience, time, and luck are required in order to obtain great wildlife images. This is not a safari for tourists. This is a safari for photographers and for those who really want to do a safari right.