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 contain affiliate links from which I can earn a small commission.)
How to Build a Photo Portfolio
If you want to impress people as a photographer, show them fewer photos! If people see one or two stunning images, they’ll probably say, “Wow!”, but if there are too many, it’s more likely to be “Meh…” The key to building a successful portfolio is showing only your very best work—ie ‘fake it ‘til you make it!’
Mastering Wildlife Photography From Your Campervan
If you're a passionate wildlife photographer, life on the open road isn't just a way to travel—it's a vital part of how you immerse yourself in the natural world and capture it through your lens. There’s nothing quite like waking up at dawn to birdsong, watching mist rise over a remote forest, or positioning yourself at the edge of a loch just as wildlife begins to stir.
Editing Wildlife Photos: Beginner Tips
Learn how to edit wildlife photos with tips on noise reduction, colour correction and composition to make your images sharp and natural-looking.
A Beginner’s Guide to Wildlife Photography
Wildlife photography starts with a passion. This shot of a bear is probably my favourite—but it was a long time coming! The summer after I left university, I went to visit a friend of mine in London. He wasn’t home, but I met his mother. To pass the time, I asked if she’d been anywhere nice on holiday. “Well, I’ve actually just come back from watching bears catching salmon in Alaska!”
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 Focus
In the olden days, you had no choice. Cameras didn’t have autofocus (AF) systems, so you had to focus manually. Fortunately, those days are long gone, and modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras give you tons of options for different conditions and types of shots. In fact, there are so many settings that it can feel a bit overwhelming!
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!
Denys the Menace
Finch Hattons is a luxury safari camp in Tsavo West National Park, Kenya. It’s named after Denys Finch-Hatton MC, a nobleman, soldier, pilot and Edwardian big game hunter who was educated at Eton and Oxford. Denys wasn’t really a ‘menace’—unless you happened to be one of the animals he shot! In fact, he became one of the early pioneers of photographic safaris when he hosted the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) in 1928 and 1930.
Rhino Heaven
Everyone talks about how hard it is to find leopards, but what about rhinos?! I’ve been on over 500 game drives in nine different African countries, and I’ve hardly ever seen them. And that’s the main reason why I decided to visit Kicheche Laikipia—or Rhino Heaven!
Beautiful Darkness
In Laikipia, black leopards matter. That’s why I spent a week at Laikipia Wilderness. I wanted to see Giza, a female with a melanistic variant in her genes that means her coat is almost pure black, with only slight traces of the rosettes that would usually be visible on her flanks. Her name means ‘Beautiful Darkness’, but she only comes out at night, and there was no guarantee of being able to see her, let alone photograph her. Was I going to get lucky? Let’s find out…
Photographing Alaska’s coastal wildlife: A cruise through the lens
If you’re a serious nature photographer looking for some unique coastal wildlife photo opportunities, consider going on a dedicated Alaska photo cruise. Unlike other cruises that cater for casual travellers, a special photo-centred workshop will provide a much better chance to capture the shots you’ve always dreamed of.
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!
Keyboard Shortcuts for Photographers
There’s a lot of admin involved in being a photographer, but a good way to cut down your workload is by using keyboard shortcuts. Let’s have a look at all the options—both on your computer and your smartphone.
Photographic Trips
I’ve been a professional wildlife photographer since 2013, so I often lose track of all my photographic trips! For my own reference and for yours, here’s a list of everywhere I’ve been with my favourite photos from each place.
Kings and Rollers
I’ve just spent a week as the resident photographer for Imvelo Safaris at Bomani Tented Lodge near Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. I didn’t have any dramatic encounters and mostly saw lions and birds—which was a little disappointing as I’d heard that Hwange was a good place to see the Big Five. However, it was still very enjoyable—especially as I got free accommodation as part of the deal!