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.)
Packing List
This is my camera bag. It’s a Roadie II Hybrid, and it’s the only bag I take with me when I travel abroad. My camera gear is too valuable to put in the hold, so I take it on board with me as hand luggage.
How to Shoot an Elephant
First of all, I have to confess that the elephant is not my favourite animal. They don’t look very much like us, so anthropomorphic expressions are almost impossible to capture; they spend a lot of time feeding and very little time doing anything else; and they’re so…grey!
How to Shoot a Cheetah
I’ve taken more pictures of cheetahs than of any other animal, so here are a few things I’ve learned along the way…
How to Shoot a Tiger
If you want to shoot a tiger with a gun, I can’t help you - in fact, nobody can! - but if you want to use a camera, I may have an idea for you…
Webinar: The Essential Guide to Wildlife Photography with Nick Dale
I held a webinar for The Societies of Photographers yesterday, so I thought I’d share the link with everyone. I hope it’s useful.
Camera set-up for Nikon D810 and D850
I recently watched a few videos and read a few articles on Steve Perry’s website, and they inspired me to share my camera settings with you. Thanks, Steve!
Safari Destination Guide
I’ve visited Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe on safari and worked as the Resident Photographer for four months at various camps in Tanzania and Kenya. Here’s a quick overview of the major safari locations in Africa, including a fact file for each country and my personal impressions of the places I’ve visited myself.
What has Lightroom Ever Done for us?
…Apart from cropping images, adding vignettes, changing highlights, shadows, whites, blacks, chromatic aberration, camera profile etc, etc, etc!
Guest post: Seven tips that will turn your hobby into a profession
Can you turn your photography hobby into a profession? The fact is that professional photography is in high demand. It’s an exciting time for hobbyists, but before you take the plunge into the professional world, have a look at a few professional photography tips to help kick start your career.
How to Stand out from the Herd
When you’re taking shots of wildlife, it’s very easy to end up with ‘record shots’ rather than what a friend of mine calls ‘printables’ - in other words, pictures that you’d be happy to print and hang on your wall.
Lightroom workflow
A few years ago, I started doing all my photographic post-processing in Lightroom. It's the program used by most professional photographers and is reasonably user-friendly, I got to grips with Lightroom mostly by watching a very useful series of YouTube videos by Anthony Morganti, but this article is just a description of my basic workflow.
Booking your first safari
When I was young, it was a dream of mine to go on safari in Africa, but I thought it would be such a special trip that I saved it for my honeymoon - which never arrived!
Safari bingo: animals
Tired of always having to ask your safari guide what you're looking at on a game drive? Here's your cut-out-and-keep guide to the most common animals. Shout 'Bingo!' when you've crossed them all off...but not too loudly!
Safari bingo: birds
Confused by all the species of birds you're seeing on safari in Africa? Here's your cut-out-and-keep guide to the most common ones. Shout 'Bingo!' when you've crossed them all off...but not too loudly!
How do I Make Money from Photography?
The obvious question for a lot of amateur photographers is 'How do I make money from photography?' The answer, unfortunately, is that I don't know.
Basics of photography
When you buy (or borrow) your first digital SLR, everything looks different, and it can be a bit worrying. What are all these buttons and dials for? Why is it so heavy? Where do I start? How do I change the shutter speed? All these are very good questions, and this is the place to find the answers!
Rules of composition
As everyone knows, "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach" - but that doesn't stop me trying to do both!
Getting the most out of game drives
The worst part about taking pictures is knowing you've just missed a great shot. Here, I try to help wildlife photographers learn from 'the one that got away'.
Lightroom settings
In the last year, I've started doing all my photographic post-processing in Lightroom. It's the program used by most professional photographers and is reasonably user-friendly, but the problem is choosing all the right settings.
Every picture tells a story: Red Xmas tree star with bokeh lights
I live in an Art Deco mansion block in Putney, and every year the porters put a Christmas tree in the entrance hall.