What kind of Wildlife Photographer Are "YOU"

^^^^^^ Shot at 100mm!!! So you can see how close we got to these animals.

Maureen Souza wrote in post #19013395
^^^^^^ Shot at 100mm!!! So you can see how close we got to these animals.

Yeah...real close. And these two guys kept coming...walked right next to our vehicle...a little tense but it was GREAT!!!!

I'm a bird photographer that also photographs wildlife when the opportunity presents itself and I'm currently grappling with different type of wildlife tours vs solo wildlife photography. When I'm with a small tour group of seven or less I become frustrated with the pace and having to move to the next spot on the itinerary when there are high quality photographic opportunities sitting in front of me waiting to have their image captured. On two different tours I have told the tour operator to go on without me and I would meet them back at the lodge for dinner. This usually causes a bit of concern with the guide but I'm a big boy and can get around pretty well on my own.

I've considered doing a couple of photographic tours but when I look at the photos published by the guide/operator, I'm usually not overly impressed by their images and if I'm going to pay a photo guide I want them to at least be better than me.

Most of the time these days I travel solo or with a friend and we hire a local guide for specific target wildlife. It can actually be a lot less expensive than going with a Euro/Gringo tour company and allows me to exercise more control over the pace. A year ago I had a private guide in eastern Brazil and it took me a couple of days to impress upon him that I didn't want to be at some lodge shooting hummingbirds sitting on plastic feeders, I wanted to photograph rare endemic birds very close up in a natural setting.

I might also add that I do most of my tours in Central and South America. I have a trip planned to Ecuador and am going with a couple of friends that are good photographers and have expertise in herpetology and the other friend is one of the best birding guides in Mexico. We'll hire local guides in certain areas to help us find target species but most of the time we are are on our own.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get my needs met and am wondering if other nature photographers are having the Goldilocks Syndrome, where they are trying to get things just right. You guys all seem like very experienced photographers and I was wondering how you organize your travels into the wilderness and how you get your needs met? Sorry I was so long winded.

Gorgeous shots! I live that colorful Heron!

This gives you an idea of how close they come.....

I am an old lady so I am happy to book trips with a guide & not have to worry about hunting down my subjects. I am also not picky... I love all things in nature & am happy to photograph whatever comes our way. Nice photos... is that a jaguar?

Yes they do get extremely close. Our vehicles were not as well protected as these. We travelled in completely open topped land cruisers. There was nothing at all to prevent an inquisitive animal joining us in the seats. We were told that as long as we stayed sitting and didn’t hang anything outside the vehicle, then we would be seen as separate from the big metal east we were sitting in. Standing would likely provoke one of two actions: running towards us, or running away. Neither of these were what we wanted to happen.

While reasonably happy to wander off by myself in search of landscapes and wildlife, my wife is not quite so keen on the hiking and she isn’t a photographer. The guided trip like we had in South Africa suited both of us. Although you can self drive in Kruger National Park, there would probably be less chance of seeing the wildlife than with a trained guide. Going on foot without the right leaders could be extremely dangerous. It is good fun with a guide though, even if it does get the heart beating a bit faster.

When we have been in Florida we have done our own thing. It is flat (good for my wife) and it is pretty impossible not to come across lots of large and colourful birds -most much, much closer than we would see in the UK. We would usually do our own thing in Europe, but do take boat trips to get to areas that are difficult to access and to see whales. We can normally see dolphins from the land in Aberdeenshire.

We have never gone on specialist photographic tours, as only one of us is (or tries to be) a photographer. I do like the idea of having local specialist guides. We were lucky in South Africa to have a vehicle to ourselves for 5 consecutive drives, as we were there in the winter. The season didn’t seem to put off the animals.

Was talking to some friends a couple of years ago. One thing led to another and somebody ask if we were going on a vacation. Said I was going to Africa. Guy said “really? Why don’t you just go to the zoo?”

The vehicles are completely different in South Africa (completely open) as opposed to East Africa. Not sure why but seems that is the norm.

Zoos and safari parks where you can drive your car into a lion enclosure do not come anywhere close to seeing, hearing, smelling and experiencing the real thing in the wild. If I get my way, we will definitely be going back to Africa.

Honey Monster wrote in post #19013756
Zoos and safari parks where you can drive your car into a lion enclosure do not come anywhere close to seeing, hearing, smelling and experiencing the real thing in the wild. If I get my way, we will definitely be going back to Africa.

.
I totally agree.

Those parks and whatever technically don't even have wildlife. . If it is captive, then it isn't wild. . The opposite of wild is not tame ..... the opposite of wild is captive. . If it lives in a captive situation, and is not free to roam wherever it wants, unimpeded by fences, then it isn't wildlife, period.


.

Yes,it's a female Jaguar. I spent about an hour and a half photographing her while she was hunting. I was guided by a young woman who was excellent operating the boat we were observing from. I'm in my 60s now and my vagabond traveling is slowing down.

@Jake got me thinking about my trip in 2013...so I found a couple of images. Both these images in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

WOW...different gear...different results and to my eye not as good as the stuff I did in 2018.

You are correct. It is an impala and not a kudu.