Improve Your Processing Skills While On a Photographic Safari

A photographic safari for many of our guests is a trip of a lifetime that could have been on their bucket list for a very long time. Embarking on photographically guided safari is not only about taking you to the right place at the right time . . . It is also supposed to help you improve your wildlife photography skills in the field and your processing technique to take back a selection of fantastic images.

At South Cape Images we love to maximize our time out in the bush chasing photo opportunities but always keeping in mind that and the end of the day it is also about improving our clients technique in terms of managing their workflow and processing. This is why I always suggest using the relaxed hours of the day to review a selection of images from the best moments of the day to discuss them and work on them thoroughly to add that special touch that will turn them into visual treasures.

See below a perfect example of a random image captured on safari before and after it has been worked on in the digital darkroom.

Image Techs : 300mm - 1/800sec @ f4.0 - ISO 800

RAW file : No Processing

JPEG file : Processed using a combination of Lightroom and Photoshop

A huge improvement was achieved in just a few basic and simple steps that only required 15 minutes. White balance was adjusted to add overall warmth and selective tonal and exposure adjustments applied to the main subject that unfortunately was in the shaded area and was not getting direct sunlight.

During the photo sessions in the field we offer guidance by pointing out opportunities, assisting with the best composition and suggesting camera settings ( aperture, shutter speed, focus point and ISO ). It is very important to get these concepts right in order to have a good RAW file to work on later in process.