FEATURE DESTINATION: New photography package launched at South Africa Reserve
By: Sevenseas Media
Tags: Africa, Travel Destination, Feature Destination, Wildlife

Explore the African bush in a truly unique way on a photographic safari at Ulusaba Private Game Reserve. Aimed at both amateur and experienced photographers, these new safaris will be led by Ulusaba’s professional rangers and trackers who are trained to help guests spot Africa’s incredible wildlife, as well as sharing their own extensive photographic expertise. Guides will assist snap-happy travellers for optimal camera settings and most importantly will ensure impeccable timing for sightings whilst they do their very best to interpret animal behaviour and position the vehicle to capture those picture-perfect moments.

One of the stars of Ulusaba’s #sofasafari over the past 30 weeks, Tlangisa takes the time to relax on a boulder on the banks of the Sand River. ©Bradley Sheldon

Ulusaba’s Conservation Manager, Trevor Savage, has rounded up his tips for superior safari shots:

Your guides will be experts in animal behaviour, so spend the first day of your trip listening to their tips and observing the animals. Soon, you’ll start to recognise the tell-tale signs of a yawn or roar and be ready to snap the local wildlife in all their natural glory. The endless plains are perfect for capturing photographs of sunrises and sunsets. If you’re using your phone the best way to truly illustrate the extraordinary colours and shapes in the sky is to frame your photograph to show one third ground and two thirds sky. When using a camera the settings I recommend at these times of day are a low ISO and a F stop of F8. Think about the animals you’re photographing; the bigger animals like elephants can be challenging because you need to decide between capturing detail using a very tight crop or a wide angle so that you can capture natural behaviour like drinking at a waterhole. Make the most of your game drives during the soft morning and evening light as at this time of day, the light falls directly on your subject and backgrounds are softer. Beginners can create amazing quality photographs at this time of day as the neutral background makes the animals appear even more vibrant and alert in their natural habitat. During the daytime, the sun creates shadows and bright backgrounds which can lead to images being over exposed. If you’re looking to capture the night sky then I recommend visiting in the winter months; the clear skies offer unrivalled opportunities for some of the most stunning photography. I recommend using a wide angle lens on a tripod; set your focus to infinity and leave your shutter open for approximately 25–30 seconds. Be prepared though as this really requires patience!

Ulusaba’s photographic safaris will be available until 21st December 2021, excluding the festive period and subject to availability. Guests can arrive on a Friday or Saturday for a minimum two-night stay or arrive on a Thursday for a three-night stay over long weekends and key holiday periods.

Rates are from ZAR 28,400 per room, per night based on two people sharing an Elephant room at Safari Lodge and include accommodation, all meals and drinks (including South African branded beverages) and twice daily game drives with flexibility on timings so as to maximise all photograph opportunities.

In addition to this, guests will also be invited to a photographic workshop each morning where they will be able to review images and techniques learned during the previous day. The course will cover: the camera set up for wildlife photography, settings for different situations, reviewing images and giving suggestions in terms of settings, image composition, and more.

For bookings please call 0800 716 919 (toll free) or +44 (0) 208 600 0430 alternatively visit www.virginlimitededition.com for more details.

For South Africa please call 0800 056 343 (toll free) or +37 (0) 11 325 4405 alternatively email enquiries@virginlimitededition.co.za