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.)
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.
Travel Plans
As you may have noticed, there was a little bit of disruption to people’s travel plans in 2020! Here were all the trips I was supposed to go on but were either postponed or cancelled altogether.
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…
Paul Goldstein interview
Paul Goldstein has been a wildlife photographer and expedition guide for over 20 years, leading trips for Exodus to Svalbard, Tadoba, Kicheche and many other locations around the world.
Kicheche Bush Camp
I’ve just come back from 10 days at Kicheche Bush Camp with Paul Goldstein. It was meant to be a week-long Exodus trip, but when that was cancelled due to the new Covid restrictions, I booked privately with Paul, and I’m so glad I did!
2020: A Journal of the Plague Year
The year 2019 was a stand-out year for me when it comes to my photography career: being able to spend four months on safari in Tanzania and Kenya was a spectacular result - and all because I happened to read an online article about a photographer who’d managed to spend a whole year staying at lodges in Africa in exchange for taking pictures. Who knew it was even possible?!
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!
My photographic equipment
When I started out as a professional photographer back in 2013, I didn’t even own a camera! I had to spend thousands of pounds building up my current collection of camera bodies, lenses and accessories.
My top 10 birds
I’ve taken pictures of well over 200 birds around the world, so it’s been very tricky narrowing down the list to just ten. In the end, I had to cheat by broadening the definition of ‘bird’ from species to something like ‘genus’ or ‘family’.
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.
My top 10 animals
The hippo is not one of my favourite animals. I just want to get that out of the way right at the start. They spend most of their time submerged up to their snouts in water, and it’s very difficult to get a decent picture of any of them.
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!
Lens Culture Submission review
I’ve just received a free Submission Review by a LensCulture photographic expert. The images are shown above, and this is the review.
Oxford University Society talk at The Athenaeum
I just wanted to thank everyone who came along to my talk and slideshow last night at The Athenaeum.
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.