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 category heading above any post for specific content, such as Equipment, Trips or Hints and Tips.
If you’d like to write a guest post, please drop me a line at nick@nickdalephotography.com or on +44 7942 800921.
(Please note that some posts may contain affiliate links from which I can earn a small commission.)
How to Make Trade-offs in Photography
Wildlife photography is all about trade-offs. It’s almost impossible to maximise convenience, flexibility and image quality while minimising noise and motion blur—and there’s never enough light, so trying to shoot at f/16, 1/4000 of a second and 100 ISO is crazy! Here’s a list of the main trade-offs and the best ways to handle them.
How to Take Environmental Portraits
Environmental portraits seem to be quite fashionable these days, but what exactly are they, and how do you create them? Let’s have a look at both of these questions in more detail.
Are you Taking too Many Photos?
When I’m on a Paul Goldstein trip, he often accuses me of taking ‘too many photos’—but how many is too many?! It’s true that you shouldn’t ‘spray and pray’, and very few people want to spend hours and hours looking through thousands of photos, but there are arguments on both sides. Let’s take a closer look…
How to Take Pictures on Night Drives
The word photography means 'drawing with light' and comes from the Greek words ‘photo’, meaning light, and ‘graph’, meaning to draw. You normally have plenty of light if you’re taking pictures during the day, but what about at night? It’s usually dark, so what can you do? Well, don’t despair. The good news is that with the right equipment, settings and techniques, you can still come away with some decent photos!
How to Look After your Photo Gear
It’s ironic that the hobbies that require the most expensive equipment are often those that require the fewest precautions. If you go skiing, you might leave a very expensive pair of skis outside a restaurant while you have lunch. If you play golf, you might leave a very expensive set of clubs outside the pro shop while you have a drink. And if you’re a photographer, you might leave a very expensive camera in a tent for a week! Crazy, right?
Learn by Limiting Yourself!
Gerry van der Walt recently mentioned a couple of interesting concepts. The first is ‘the Rut of Competence’. The second is that you can improve your creativity by limiting your options. These ideas are obviously related, but can you actually learn by limiting yourself…?
Camera set-up for Nikon Z8 and Z9
If you read my Mix and Match article, you’ll know that I recently traded in one of my ⍺1 camera bodies for a new Nikon Z8 to benefit from Pre-Release Capture. Here’s a list of all my current settings.
Canon EOS R1 Review
When I first became a professional photographer, a friend told me I should either buy Canon or Nikon. I didn’t want to own anything made by a photocopier manufacturer, so I chose Nikon!
I now have a Nikon Z8 and a Sony ⍺1, but what about the Canon EOS R1? It’s been three years since the release of the R3, and the R1 is now supposed to be Canon’s flagship mirrorless camera. Am I tempted?
Sony v Nikon Field Test
Some photographers have the luxury of owning complete ranges of cameras and lenses from two (or more) different brands. Sadly, that’s not the case for me, so it was harder to compare Sony and Nikon equipment in the field.
How to use Pre-release Capture
OM System has had Pro Capture Mode for years, the Canon R1 now has Pre-burst Capture and the Nikon Z8 and Z9 have Pre-release Capture. However, Sony didn’t have any equivalent (until the ⍺1 II), and that used to be very frustrating. My two ⍺1s were probably the best on the market for wildlife photography, but they couldn’t ‘turn back time’. So what did I do? I exchanged one of them for a Nikon Z8!
Mix and Match
When I turned professional in 2013, I went through a succession of Nikon DSLRs: first the D800, then the D810 and finally the D850. They were good cameras, but I wanted something more. When the Sony ⍺1 came along, offering eye detection and 30 fps shooting, I took the mirrorless plunge—but now I’ve gone crawling back to Nikon! Why…?
My Camera History
The Sunday Times used to ask celebrities what cars they’d owned and what their dream car would be. In my case, it would’ve been the same answer: an E-Type Jaguar! When it comes to cameras, the list would be a bit longer.
Get to Know Your Camera Gear!
I often meet guests on safari who have just bought a new camera but haven’t had a chance to work out how to use it properly. They couldn’t be bothered to read the manual, they didn’t have time to take any pictures or they were supposed to go on a course, but they were too busy…
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…!
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 ⍺1 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.