Photography during gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is what leaves trekkers filled with lots of lasting memories. Imagine paying a visit to Uganda, Rwanda or DRC for gorilla trekking and you return with no pictures to show your family members or friends. To have the best of your mountain gorilla trekking adventure, make sure you have a good camera with no flashlight ready for photo shooting in the wild. Capturing pictures of mountain gorillas in the wild is of no doubt a life-changing experience.
Mountain gorillas live only in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The two protected areas are set in Southwestern Uganda and hosts over half of all 1063 mountain gorillas which still thrive today in the world. In Rwanda, treks to view mountain gorillas takes place in Volcanoes National Park and in the DRC, visit the Virunga National Park.
Best tips for mountain gorilla photography
Set your camera before setting off for actual trek to view mountain gorillas. Your camera should be set in TV model and adjusted to the best shutter speed for lighting conditions that you will be taking photos of mountain gorillas. Amazingly, the camera settings can easily be adjusted depending on the available light. This may also help prevent blurring photos thus a great chance for you to take the best photos.
To take excellent photos of mountain gorillas, make sure you are using a standard point and shoot camera. However, make sure that your camera is fully charged.
Position yourself well
Once you bump into a gorilla family, make sure that you position yourself appropriately, hold the camera in one position as you observe the best position of mountain gorillas for clear photo shots. While on a trek to see mountain gorillas, bear in mind that all the 8 trekkers will be struggling to take clear pictures. Therefore, find the best position to stand so as to have excellent pictures.
Look around in the neighborhood
While everyone focuses on the first seen gorillas, try to look around in the nearby spot for other gorillas joining the group members. Each gorilla family is composed of 30 members and they include infants, females, males.
Exercise patience
Whereas visitors are given only one hour to take pictures and learn in depth about the behavior of mountain gorillas, try to be patient. The position you will be or the mountain gorillas are may not bring a clear picture and that is why you need to be patient a little. There is a saying patience pains but pays therefore don’t be on a hurry as a better reward may bypass you.
Have protective gear and make the best use of telephoto lens
When planning for gorilla trekking safari, please don’t leave out protective gear for your camera. This is to help safe it from bad weather especially when it rains. You will need plastic shower caps and rain jackets to help protect you in case of down pour. Note, Volcanoes National Park, Mgahinga National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Virunga National Park are largely tropical rainforest protected areas. Given the nature of these creatures’ habitat, you have to be prepared with rain gear for safety of your gargets.
In summary, photography is one remarkable thing that makes up part of your gorilla trekking experience in Volcanoes National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Virunga National Park or even when you embark on Eastern Lowland gorilla trekking adventure in Kahuzi Biega National Park in the DR Congo.