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 use exposure compensation
Whenever I teach people about exposure compensation, I always find myself using the example of a leopard in a tree: “The sky behind is bright, but the leopard is dark, so you have to use a stop or two of exposure compensation.”
The idea is to get the ‘right’ exposure for the subject when the camera is being ‘fooled’ by the bright background, but why does this happen?
Nine ways to make money from wildlife photography
The obvious question for a lot of amateur photographers is ‘How do I make money from wildlife photography?’ The answer is that I’m still trying to work it out! All I can do is tell you what I’ve done myself and give you a few ideas.
Guest post: The work of a photographer
Photography is a field that is gaining more and more popularity every year. It's no wonder that almost anyone can take pictures today - all you need is a mobile phone with good optics.
Post-processing in Lightroom
There are two main steps I go through to edit my images:
1. Rating and adding metadata
2. Preparing for upload to stock agencies
How I Photograph Birds
When people ask me if I take pictures of birds, I say, “Yes, I do – if there aren’t any animals around…!”
I’m only joking (mostly!), but it’s true that there are a lot of ‘birders’ out there, and getting good shots of birds – particularly birds in flight (BIF) – is not that easy.
How to Shoot a Bear
Brooks Falls is a waterfall in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, and every July around a million salmon try to jump it in order to get back to their spawning grounds - and the brown bears are there to meet them!
Microstock upload procedure
I earn around 35% of my photography revenue from stock agencies and microstock sites. I started off submitting all my content at once to around 25 agencies, but I’ve gradually changed my workflow.
Wildlife photography kit recommendations
Camera and lens reviews are 10 a penny online, and most will have a throwaway comment like ‘good for wildlife photography and sport’, but what does that actually mean?
In this article, I’d like to go over the pros and cons of the most common types of camera, lens and other accessories and show you a few practical examples in order to help you make up your mind about which kit to buy.
How to Shoot a Lion
Shadows can either be your enemy or your friend - you just have to know how to use them. If you don’t shoot with the sun directly behind you, then there’s a risk that you’ll get more shadows on the animal and that they’ll be a distraction, making it harder to see its facial features and unnecessarily complicating the image.
Every picture tells a story: Fly Bee
I’m a wildlife photographer, and this is one in an occasional series of posts about my favourite photographs. I’ll tell you how I took them and break down the shot into the idea, the location, the equipment, the settings, the technique and any post-processing.
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.