Capture the Moment!
Since 2013, I’ve published hundreds of blog posts on all aspects of photography. Some are aimed at helping photographers with their technique, settings, and equipment, but others describe my exhibitions, workshops, and adventures in Africa, Antarctica and beyond.
Feel free to browse chronologically or click on the heading above any post for specific categories, such as Equipment, Trips or Hints and Tips.
If you’d like to write a guest post, I charge £50 + £10 per dofollow link. Please drop me a line on +44 7942 800921 or at nick@nickdalephotography.com.
(Please note that some posts contain affiliate links from which I can earn a small commission.)
My Favourite Places: Muchenje
Botswana has more elephants than anywhere else in the world, and Chobe National Park has more elephants than anywhere in Botswana, so if you like elephants, there’s only one place to go! I’ve been four times now, and my last three trips have been to Muchenje Safari Lodge, which is one of my favourite places for wildlife photography.
My Favourite Places: Kicheche
Anywhere you see five cheetah kills in a week is going to be a great place for wildlife photography! And that’s what happened to me when I first visited Kicheche Bush Camp in 2018 with Paul Goldstein. Paul is one of the owners of Kicheche Camps in Kenya. There are three camps in the Masai Mara and one in the shadow of Mount Kenya.
The Birds
When people ask me if I photograph birds, I say, “Yes, of course—if there aren’t any animals around…!” Having said that, I almost always see more birds than animals on my trips, and they’re almost always more active and more colourful. In fact, they account for 27 of my Top 100 photos.
Where in the World
Since I became a photographer, I’ve been on 35 trips to every continent. It’s taken a long time and cost a lot of money, so if you want to see a particular species, you might appreciate a little help!
Favourite Photos: The Big Five
I have a problem. My problem is that I rarely like wildlife photographs by anyone else. The first time I went round the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum, I only liked 12 out of 150 photos!
How Best to Change Your Depth of Field
Which would give you a shallower depth of field: a 400mm lens at f/2.8 or a 600mm lens at f/4? It’s actually the 600mm lens at f/4. Surprised? Well, let’s hope you didn’t go out and buy the 400mm rather than the 600mm lens for better bokeh!
African Wild Dog Facts
I never used to like African wild dogs. For some reason, the different patches of colour on their coats made me think of rabbits with myxomatosis! However, seeing a pack of them corner a blue wildebeest in South Africa changed my mind. The chase was very exciting, and it took place in the most gorgeous red light at sunrise!
2022: I had a Lodge in Africa...
This is my last blog post of 2022, so I thought I'd give you a quick recap of what I got up to during the last 12 months.
2021: The Great Escapes
Given the Covid pandemic, the year 2021 might’ve been a disaster. As it was, I managed to escape London to go on three photographic trips: to Kicheche Bush Camp, Arviat and Antarctica. They were all very enjoyable for different reasons, and it was also nice to get away from Africa for a change!
African Buffalo Facts
The African buffalo is so dangerous that it’s been called ‘Black Death’, and it’s responsible for killing around 200 people a year in Africa. The fact that it’s so dangerous is one of the reasons why trophy hunters added it to the list of the Big Five, alongside the lion, leopard, elephant and rhino.
Rhino Facts
The rhino is a very annoying animal: it’s so rare that you’re very unlikely to see it, and that means you almost always end up disappointed!
Top Sellers
Just a quick post today as I have to cycle to Wimbledon to watch the tennis!
Here are my top 20 images as measured by the number of downloads on stock photography sites since 2013.
Jaguar Facts
The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas and the third-largest in the world after the tiger and lion.
The best place to see it is in the Pantanal region of Brazil, and I had 16 sightings when I went there in September 2016.
Polar Bear Facts
The first polar bear I ever saw had a large number 59 painted on its rump - and that was in Spitsbergen…!
Elephant Facts
In 2019, I was on a game drive in Tanzania when my driver saw an elephant tusk by the side of the road. He stopped the vehicle, picked it up and put it on the back seat so that he could hand it in to the authorities.
Out of curiosity, I looked up how much that 17 kg tusk would’ve been worth on the black market: at $1,800 a kilo, it would’ve cost $30,000!
Anthony Morganti Photo Critique
Just a quick post today. Anthony Morganti has very kindly done a critique of my top 10 photos on YouTube if you’d like to take a look…
Tiger Facts
Tigers are the biggest cats in the world, and they kill more people globally than any other mammal. The Champawat Tiger, a tigress found in Nepal and then India, was responsible for an estimated 430 human deaths, the highest ever total for a single animal!
Gorilla Facts
The gorilla has recently been named among the ‘New Big Five’ along with the lion, tiger, elephant and polar bear. It’s certainly an intriguing creature, and its similarity to humans lends itself to anthropomorphism in photography.
Leopard Facts
If you ask people on safari what their favourite animal is, they’ll almost always choose the leopard.
It’s certainly beautiful - particularly when lying in a picturesque tree somewhere - and it’s rare enough to be exciting when you see one.