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 Personalise Your Photos
Wildlife photographers sometimes talk about how flattered they are when someone tells them, “I knew immediately it was one of your photos.” I’m not sure how true that is (!), but it raises a few questions. Is it important to have a certain ‘look’? What should it be? How can you achieve it? Let’s discuss all those questions—and more!
Pros and Cons of Built-in Teleconverters
Photography is full of trade-offs, and it’s annoying to have to choose between zooms and primes, but what if there were a third option? I’ve recently traded in my Sony ⍺1 and Sony FE 600 mm f/4 G Master lens for a Nikon Z8 and a NIKKOR Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S lens with a built-in 1.4x teleconverter. I get the same image quality and maximum aperture of a normal prime, but with some of the flexibility, portability and convenience of a zoom. So is it worth it? Let’s look at the pros and cons…
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.
The Doubling Rule
Wildlife photography is all about trade-offs, and one of the most frustrating is having to choose between a narrower aperture, a faster shutter speed and a lower ISO. One way to dig yourself out of this particular hole is to use the doubling rule, but what is it, and how does it work?
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…
XbotGo Chameleon Review
I normally don’t review any product that doesn’t have at least a six-word name, so I had to think very carefully before writing about the XbotGo Chameleon AI Sports Cameraman! And just to be clear, it’s not actually a ‘cameraman’ but a camera holder for sports photography. I realise that doesn’t appear to have much to do with wildlife, but I’ve been trying to find a good way of taking stills and video at the same time during game drives, and I thought this might fit the bill. Let’s see…
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!
AirPods and Photographers: A Perfect Pairing for On-the-Go Editing
Every year the art of photography changes. Technology is becoming more powerful and mobile, and at the same time more accessible. So photographers can not only shoot high-quality images. They may also edit them anywhere and anytime. This is where AirPods come in.
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.
