Capture the Moment!

Here are all my posts on photography, covering techniques, trips, research, exhibitions, talks and workshops. Watch out for my latest article every Saturday.

I’ve also written dozens of articles for Expert Photography and Camera Reviews.

If you’d like to contribute a guest post on any aspect of photography, please email me at nick@nickdalephotography.com. My standard fee is £50 plus £10 for each dofollow link.

Note: Some blog posts contain affiliate links to Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

What Accessories Do You Need For Wildlife Photography?

Wildlife photography can be an expensive hobby—and it gets even worse if you end up buying lots of accessories, including memory cards, spare batteries, filters, battery grips, flashguns, drones, tripods and camera bags. And what about a computer? Editing images and video on the go demands a top-of-the-range laptop that might set you back thousands…!

How to Organise your Photos

Have you ever been desperately trying to find a photo that you took? Have you had to scroll endlessly through your Photos feed on your smartphone? Have you ever had to give up because it was just too hard to find? I’m sure the answer for most photographers is “Yes”, “Yes” and “Yes”! Keeping track of your photos is hard for everyone, but here are a few tips that might help.

Addicted to AUTO...?

Are you addicted to AUTO? Do you leave your camera in AUTO mode without ever trying aperture or shutter priority, let alone manual? If so, let me be your sponsor! I can help you improve your photography by encouraging you to use different cameras, lenses, settings and rules of composition—and you won’t even need to go cold turkey!

Zooms vs Primes for Wildlife Photography

Wildlife photography is all about trade-offs, so there are never any easy answers. When it comes to the choice between zoom and prime lenses, my own experience tells me that primes work best at long focal lengths and zooms at wider angles. However, it’s a matter of personal taste, and new features like built-in teleconverters mean the picture is always changing…

Dress for Success!

Wherever you go in the world to take pictures, it’s important to wear the right clothing. I’ve worked as a photographer in 26 countries on all seven continents, so I thought I’d give you the lowdown on what I usually wear in different places and in different conditions.

Accessorise!

If you want to buy a camera or lens for wildlife photography, there are probably millions of online articles to give you all the advice you need, but what about accessories? Tripods, filters and cleaning kits might not be as sexy, but when you need them, you really need them!

Sony ⍺1 Field Test

I’ve been using my pair of Sony ⍺1 cameras for a couple of years now, and I thought it would be worth doing a proper field test. I’ve just come back from a couple of weeks in the Serengeti photographing the Mara river crossing, so how did they perform?

What do all the Letters and Numbers Mean on Lenses?

Like cars, lenses tend to have a lot of letters and numbers printed on them, but what do they all mean? If you’re feeling discombobulated, here’s a quick guide to the markings on Canon, Nikon and Sony lenses.

Mirrorless Head-to-head: Canon R3 v Nikon Z9 v Sony ⍺1

Now that mirrorless cameras are wiping the floor with DSLRs—at least at the professional end!—let’s take a look at the three main contenders for the best mirrorless wildlife camera on the market: the Canon R3 (unless you prefer the R5’s higher resolution!), Nikon Z9 and Sony a1.

What Lenses do you Need for Wildlife Photography?

Size isn’t everything, as they say, but there’s nothing like the power, reach and feel of a long lens. It gets you where the action is and lets you take close-ups of skittish and possibly dangerous wild animals. You still need other types of lenses, of course, but they’re far less glamorous!

What Camera do you Need for Wildlife Photography?

“Hello, my name’s Nick, and I’m a cameraholic.”

There’s something very addictive about buying a new camera. You get obsessed with the idea of owning something that has the latest features, and you simply have to have it…!

Update Your Metadata!

I’ve decided to use my first blog post of 2023 to be a nag! Apologies in advance, but I just thought it was worth reminding you to keep your metadata up-to-date. Not everyone is going to be as OCD as I am, but that’s as good a reason as any for this article…

Which Tripod Head Should I Buy?

I used to have a Benro GH5C gimbal head, but I swapped it for a Gitzo GHFG1. If you want to find out why, read on…

What's the Best Canon Mirrorless Camera?

When it comes to the best mirrorless cameras on the market, the Sony a1 and the Nikon Z9 are neck-and-neck. A little way behind—but not too far!—are the Canon EOS R3, R5 and R5C. So which one’s the best?

Mirrorless Shootout!

One of the great frustrations of owning a camera is that the different mounts aren’t compatible. You can’t simply buy the best camera body and the best lenses because they might not fit together!

Sony a1 vs Nikon D850

If you’re a photographer thinking about switching to mirrorless, I just thought it might be useful to read about someone else’s experience doing the same thing. I used to have an extensive collection of Nikon camera bodies, lenses and accessories, including a D850. However, I switched to the Sony mirrorless system last year, and I now have two Sony a1 cameras.

How to Use a Mirrorless Camera

Most people buying a mirrorless camera these days will be switching from a DSLR. Using a mirrorless is a little bit different, so here’s my guide to help you make the transition.

There are a few key differences, and I’ve divided them up into which camera to buy, how to customise it, which settings to use, plus sections on shooting mode, the EVF and custom buttons.

Sony ⍺1 Mirrorless Camera Set-up

I’ve just come back from a week in Arviat, Canada, for the polar bear migration. I had a very good trip—apart from all the waiting around and BA losing my rucksack! - and I was particularly pleased with my new camera, the Sony ⍺1. Here's a complete set-up guide.

Nikon D880 or Nikon Z9?

I bet against England winning Euro 2020, and I won enough money to buy a new camera - but which one?

Up until recently, I just assumed it would be the latest DSLR in Nikon’s range, which is likely to be named the D880, but now I’m not so sure.

Lens head-to-head: Canon v Nikon v Sony

This article considers mid-range zooms, lenses that I’d consider to be your ‘workhorse’.

For wildlife photography, I’d recommend getting a long lens that is at least 400mm, and these three are roughly equivalent, depending on whether you have a Canon, Nikon or Sony camera body.