Going on Safari - beginners' guide

ACCESSORIES
There isn't much room when travelling in the safari jeeps to be carrying lots of gear. SLR owners who're shooting using a 300mm or more could consider taking a monopod to support the camera but in most cases it's better to use the roof bars of the vehicle you travel in as a sturdy support when it's stationary. Wait until no one is moving in the vehicle before you take a photo.
Use a polarising filter to reduce glare and increase saturation.
Use a lens hood to prevent flare that, in turn, reduces contrast. If you don't have a hood shade the lens with your hand, but watch you don't get it in the viewfinder.
Carry spare batteries and take plenty of film. ISO100 or 200 is perfect for most of the trip, but switch over to ISO400 to take advantage in low light or when a longer lens is being used.
A pair of compact binoculars is a handy item to have with you to look at animals that are too far away to photograph.
Take a pocket torch if you intend going on a night drive so you can see the controls on your camera.

PHOTO TIPS
If you've planned several safari treks don't go mad shooting all your film on the first day. You may have better sightings later.
Many scenes can confuse your camera's automatic metering. If the scene is bright and light toned the camera may compensate and make the picture too dark, resulting in the animal in the middle becoming a silhouette. This will happen when shooting a bird on a branch with the bright sky as a background. To avoid this, point the camera at something of similar tone to the main subject and either lock the exposure, manually change to the indicated reading or use exposure compensation.
In bright mid day the harsh sunlight will create deep shadows that can be reduced using flash as a fill-in source. As a guide set the flash to half power when the subject is backlit or has deep shadows. Set it to quarter power when the sun is out but shadows aren't as harsh.
Try to include something in the foreground to add a sense of depth when shooting landscapes. A rock, tree stump or person will add scale and interest.
Use the focus lock when using an autofocus camera to shoot a subject that's off centre. Point the camera at the main subject, press the shutter release halfway down and hold, recompose and press fully down to take the picture.
Many cameras have an automatic flash. If you try to take a picture of a sunset or night scene the flash will probably fire. Most can be switched off for more natural results.
Don't be afraid to ask your guide to stop the vehicle if you spot something interesting.

DIGITAL TECHNIQUES
If you can't get all the subject in the frame, either because the lens isn't wide enough or there isn't enough room to step back, you could try taking several pictures from the same viewpoint, but with a different part of the image in each shot. Then scan the pictures into the computer and stitch them together to make a Joiner. Try doing this by shooting a landscape in several sections and joining them to make a super-wide panorama.
Plan digital montages. Shoot several subjects that would look good together and blend them together using soft edged cutouts in your image-editing program. If you have a program that allows layers place each element on a different layer and change opacity to create a successful blend.

WARNING
Although cameras are light tight and film can be loaded in daylight it's best to load in the shade to avoid any chance of fogging the film. If you can't find a shaded area, shield the camera from the sun using your body.
When it's dusty avoid changing lenses on your SLR as the dust can easily get inside the camera and cause damage. This applies to film too. If you need to change film take a small blower brush and clean the film chamber when you reload to avoid dust scratching the film.
Keep your exposed films in your hand luggage on the return trip home - airport x-ray machines are film safe - cargo ones generally aren't!
Keep an eye on your camera and avoid having too much on show to tempt potential thieves. If you have a camera holdall don't leave it unattended. Tread on the strap if you place it on the floor when taking shots to avoid it being snatched. Keep your camera strap around your neck or wrap it around your wrist.