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Serengeti
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Chasing the Northern Lights
The Serengeti: Golden Light
Snapshots on South Island
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Chasing The Northern Lights
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a masterclass on LOW LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
It’s crazy how far phones have come. I think back to my first ever phone at the age of 16 – a Motorola the size of a house brick. I barely used it except to text friends when I was bored at home in the evenings. And now, nearly 20 years later my phone has become my life line, it’s my business, it can set my house alarm and turn my lights on, it counts my steps and my heart rate, it gives me access to a world of information.
One area where phones have started making huge progress recently is low light/night photography. When I bought my iPhone 11 Pro quite a few months back, I was really impressed with its 4 seconds exposures and stabilisation. Then I was approached by Google, who challenged me to use the Pixel 4 for astro-photography. My first thoughts were very skeptical. Taking photos of the stars and night sky can be tricky enough of a professional camera, but a phone? I took them up on their offer and travelled to Norway to try and capture the Aurora. Google decided to send a crew to film my little adventure. Full disclosure here, Google paid me for this. But I would never advocate and put my name behind a product I don’t believe in.
Both of these were taken on the Pixel 4 using the Night Site feature and a tripod
Low light photography
The best smartphone for low light photography
The Google Pixel 4 is a beast. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not perfect, and I personally prefer the interface of an iPhone. The battery isn’t the greatest on the Pixel 4 but it has some great features. Where it really comes into its own is in low light photography.
To really take advantage of it you need a sturdy tripod because it can take up to 4 minute exposures. Yes, you heard that right, 4 MINUTE! I rarely take more than 30 second exposures on my professional SLR! The phone actually takes several photos during the 4 minutes and blends them together to get a balanced exposure. It’s impressive stuff. Using my professional gear I do the same thing, and blend the images in Photoshop. You need a fair bit of knowledge and skill to do this well but in the Pixel 4 it’s all automated. The final images can’t match a good SLR or mirrorless camera, but I was surprised by the quality and the lack of noise in the dark areas.
For me, a phone is never going to replace my professional gear. But...
... for the average person or even a hobbyist I think this phone is a game changer. if you have any questions about it, please don’t hesitate to comment below or to get in touch.
One of the most impressive functions though are the cameras on modern smartphones. Their capabilities are astounding. My latest iPhone 11 Pro has 3 lenses, plus the front camera, all 12 megapixels. Thats 4 different lenses in something that fits in the palm of my hand. Each of them is far better than the best digital camera a hobbyist would own just 10 years ago! But which smartphone has the best camera for low light photography?
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1.8936° S, 34.6857° E
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY in the heart of africa's savanna
The Serengeti; a name that evokes old fashioned adventure and exploration. Men dressed in immaculate khaki uniforms, with trimmed moustaches, rifles over their shoulder in the burning desert heat. Hundreds of thousands of Wildebeest snake through the plains in their great migrations, stalked by prides of Lions. Golden sunlight beams down on endless plains dotted with huge elephants. Leopards sit lazily in trees in the midday sun, their tales swatting away the endless flies. It was (and in many ways still is), a formidable place. Millions of animals live in a park that covers over 60 thousand square kilometres, many of them predators. There’s something magical about the place, especially around golden hour, evoking a primitive, almost primal feeling. The light is so perfect around golden hour, it has an almost tangible quality as it rakes through the grassy plains silhouetting giraffes against distant mountains.
This is something we had to consider before flying out. There are two main seasons in the Serengeti; dry and rainy. Dry season is hot, with barely any rain. It is the most popular season as lack of water causes much of the Wildlife to congregate around limited watering holes, making it easy to spot large amounts of animals. It also means the park is crowded with tourists.
Wildlife photography in the Serengeti is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I’m very grateful to the Four Seasons Safari Lodge for giving us the opportunity to do it.
WHENS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT THE SERENGETI?
The Serengeti is the Wildlife photographers dream. It was my first time properly photographing a Safari and one I will never forget. In the four days Alex Stead and I spent there, we were showered with amazing experiences. We watched Lions with a fresh Zebra kill, we were just metres away from Cheetahs relaxing at sunset, we spent a sunrise floating above the plains in a hot air balloon.
We decided to go out at the beginning of rainy season. Things were greener and the park was a lot quieter which suited us great, as it means you get a more private experience with the wildlife. We had a great guide who really knew the best spots to take us, which helped a lot with capturing the Wildlife shots we did.
"You can sit in the infinity pool and watch whilst dozens of thirsty Elephants drink just metres away from you."
SUNRISE HOT AIR BALLOON RIDES
To say we were blessed on this trip is an understatement. I got to fulfil a lifelong dream and spend sunrise floating over the Serengeti in a Hot Air Balloon. This was definitely an experience I won’t forget, we flew just feet over Lions, Giraffes and Hippos for over an hour After we had a champagne breakfast out in the middle of the plains.
Exploring the wildlife
The main aim was to capture some beautiful Wildlife photography. The Four Seasons took us out on Four Seperate Safari trips, mostly at sunrise. We were very lucky to have been loaned some serious gear from Nikon, including the new Nikkor 400m f/2.8. It was a seriously impressive lens and allowed us to get really up close and personal with the animals. Here are some of the shots I captured.
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44.6414° S, 167.8974° E
Exploring the most photographed tourist traps in new zealand
There’s nowhere quite like New Zealand. Rolling green hills and meadows filled with purple lupins give way to towering mountains surrounded by ominous cloud. Butterflies glide across sparkling turquoise glacial rivers, which flow through stark canyons draped by green foliage. Glow worms sparkle like the milky way on the ceilings of pitch black caves and in the canopy of dark forests. We spent several weeks exploring the most photographic spots in New Zealand. I’d like to share my top photographic spots with you, starting off with the South Island in this blog.
Milford Sound isn’t just one of the most photographic spots in New Zealand, it’s up there with one of the best in the world in my opinion. It’s also the second wettest place on Earth, with over 11 metres of rain fall some years. This makes for some epic conditions. We arrived in thick fog and rain and spent half a day kayaking in the most surreal atmosphere. Colossal waterfalls poured straight out of the cloud and down the limestone cliffs into the frothing ocean. The next day the sun come out and it was like another world entirely. Sun beams splintered over the gigantic monolithic rocks. Dolphins splash in and out of the waters along the fjord, bird song fills the air. Whatever the conditions, you won’t be disappointed you visited.
Marlborough Sounds
6 / 6
Blue Pools
5 / 6
Queenstown
4 / 6
Wanaka
3 / 6
Mount Cook
2 / 6
Milford Sound
1 / 6
Mount Cook is a tricky one to photograph as it often hides behind a layer of cloud that blows in from the ocean. At 3,724 metres high, Mount Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand and you can spot it from all over. One of the best places to photograph it in my opinion is the Hooker Valley trail. From here you can capture the fast flowing Hooker River in the foreground. There’s plenty of other opportunities around the area for example Lake Pukaki is a brilliant milky blue glacial river which is lined with lupins in the spring. Then there’s Lake Tasman, you can kayak around the lake and float amongst huge Icebergs the size of double decker buses.
Wanaka is just perfect. It’s a sleepy little tourist town that sits peacefully on the edge of Lake Wanaka. There’s several great spots around here.
Explore The Wanaka Tree
Queenstown is a small party town with a big personality. There’s a cable car from the centre of town up to Skyline, where you can find a restaurant and entertainment area. This spot also happens to have some incredible views over the town, lake and surrounding ‘Remarkables’ mountain range. Don’t miss this one if you are in town and try and get up there around sunset for the best conditions.
From Queenstown you can drive along the lake towards Glenorchy. The whole is drive is beautifully scenic and you will find yourself stopping regularly to photograph. The edge of the lake at Glenorchy has some lovely spots too, such as the tree scene below. Have a proper explore in this area and you won’t be disappointed.
Most famous is ‘That Wanaka Tree’, which sits stoically out in the middle of Lake Wanaka.
Marlborough Sounds is a collection of ancient sunken river valleys connected to the ocean. Along each sound are numerous hidden bays with sandy beaches, surrounded by steep, green, forested hills. The best way to see this place is on a boat. To fully explore all the bays and we were lucky enough to join some friends on their yacht. If this isn’t an option for you, make sure you take a day crossing to the North Island on the Ferry and get out on deck to take in the view. There are also some great hiking trails where you can walk along the ridges of the hills. We walked a few sections of the famous Queen Charlotte Track and I would highly recommend it.
About Tom
Tom is an award winning freelance photographer, writer and teacher based in London. He began his love for photography in his early 20s and has worked as a freelance photographer for 6 years. His style incorporates epic and dramatic landscapes, showing the scale and beauty of the world.
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Creative Colabs is a campaign setup by Han Springett to help freelancers & small business's succeed through interactive storytelling. The campaign was started through the difficulties during the outbreak of COVID 19. Han is working to collaboarate with inspirational creatives in a time where the world needs to experience positive stories through engaging content.
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