africa

Sigma 500mm Review

Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN Sport Review: The Perfect Telephoto?

When I heard about the latest Sigma lens, the 500mm f/5.6 DG DN Sport, I wanted to revisit the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary. The new lens sounded ideal because it is unobtrusive, lightweight enough to handhold easily, and has the reach to capture these elusive Wolfdogs in their natural surroundings.

Photographer Captures Leopard Eating Crocodile in Tree

Years of traveling the plains of the Mara have etched countless wildlife encounters into my memory. From the heart-stopping chase of a cheetah to the tender moments in prides of lions.

On Safari: A Hands-On With the New OM System OM-1 Mark II

With the announcement of the OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II and the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 150-600 F5.0-6.3 IS Lens, wildlife photography has never been more accessible. Professional wildlife photographer Andy Rouse recently used both on a wildlife safari in the Masai Mara, and he shares exclusively with PetaPixel his favorite images and initial impressions of the kit's wildlife performance.

One Lens Plus Two Teleconverters Equals One Amazing Safari

Quick question: what’s the best lens for photographing wildlife at different distances? A telephoto zoom, of course, because then you can zoom for the focal length and framing you want. But if that’s true, then why did I take a fixed telephoto with me on the safari I just led to Africa? Because, paired with two teleconverters and one camera feature, it actually gave me MORE focal lengths to work with. Let me explain…

Ami Vitale: From Photographer to Conservationist

Ami Vitale started as a photo editor for the Associated Press in 1993. She then quit her job to be a photographer/foreign correspondent in the Czech Republic in 1997. Today, she is a well-known conservationist championing the cause of endangered wildlife and the environment with her own photography and that of others.

How to Shoot Africa’s Big Five Safari Animals (with a Camera)

Not many other adventure holidays are as alluring as an African safari that comes with the promise of seeing Africa's Big Five animals up close and in the wild. The thrill of coming into contact with wild animals is hard to beat. The following article will provide essential considerations for your next Big Five safari adventure to the African continent.

Photographing the Diverse Wildlife of Kenya’s Masai Mara

I hear the soft familiar thud of footsteps, followed by the slosh of hot water filling a canvas water bucket. “Jambo!”, Swahili for “Hello,” comes the disembodied voice in the dark. “Jambo,” I replied. Every morning in the Masai Mara begins at 5:30 am with this friendly wake-up call. Wiping the sleep from my eyes, my desire to stay beneath the cozy warmth of my wool blanket surrenders to my excitement for the coming day. I unzip the flap of my tent and breathe in the cool, crisp air.

Photographer Captures the Plight of Flood Survivors in South Sudan

Peter Caton has photographed the devastating flooding in South Sudan in North Africa over three trips spanning more than a year. There, families are found walking through crocodile-infested waters to find plants such as wild water lilies to eat as their crops have been destroyed by three years of floods.

A photo contest-winning image showing a boy sleeping in an abandoned building on a beach

On the Depiction of Africans in Photo Contests

As a child during the 1980s, I grew up with a weekly diet of Time magazine and the evening news. The famine in Ethiopia during the decade generated an endless stream of news filled with images of Black bodies, so much so that my entire conception of the continent was built off the tragedy of a single nation. To me, Africa was a desert wasteland of starving people – a thought conceived through photos.

The Difficulties One Woman Faced to Become a Photojournalist in Somalia

Breaking through the barriers of cultural and gender norms in Somalia, Fardosa Hussein shares what it took for her to be able to practice what she is passionate about -- photography, videography, and journalism -- in a place where such a career is viewed with hostility and is, at times, dangerous for women.

South African Photographer Captures Political Crisis at Home

A local South African commercial photographer has found himself in the epicenter of the country's most recent political unrest that has disrupted communities and left people starving, and has shifted his focus to photojournalism to make sure it does not go unseen.

The Black Leopard: One Man’s Quest to Capture the Ultimate Wildlife Photo

Behind every once-in-a-lifetime photograph is a story. Sometimes these are stories of luck—of being in the right place, at the right time, with the right lens attached to your camera—but more often than not triumph is preceded by years of trial and error. An outlandish "bucket shot" achieved by the sheer force of the photographer’s will and persistence. The Black Leopard by wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas falls into the second category.

The Art of Safari: Tips for Shooting African Wildlife

Safari, conjures up beautiful imagery, The wilds of Africa. Endless grasslands which are teeming with wildlife, antelope, zebras, giraffe, buffalo, rhino and herds of elephant all share this beautiful world. But they are being watched and observed by fierce African predators, lions, cheetah, leopards, wild dogs and hyenas lie in wait to ambush these creatures, this game of life and death plays out every day and every night.

Shooting Street Photos in Ethiopia

My first time in a Sub-Saharan African country was in Ethiopia, and to be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect. Well, yes I know, I was expecting to get ‘in the zone’ at all times and take hundreds of great pictures like I expect from all my photography trips. Not too much to ask, is it?

Shooting the Last Photos of the Rare ‘Queen of the Elephants’

F_MU1 was an incredible elephant. For more than 60 years, she lived a peaceful life in a quiet corner of Tsavo in Kenya. When I first saw her I was awestruck, for she had the most amazing tusks I had ever seen. If I hadn’t looked upon her with my own eyes, I might not have believed that such an elephant could exist in our world. If there were a Queen of Elephants, it would surely have been her.

Portraits of a Couple Who Spent Their Wedding Money Loving Africa

"If you have someone that you think is the one," the comedian Bill Murray once said, "don’t just sort of think in your ordinary mind, 'Okay, let's make a date. Let's plan this and make a party and get married.' Take that person and travel around the world."

You Can Donate Your Old Camera Gear to Help At-Risk Children

Sony is partnering with the Photo Start foundation to encourage people to donate used (and new) working cameras, lenses, and accessories to help at-risk children around the world. The project uses photography to teach and improve self-reliance, self-esteem, and self-confidence.