Photographing Small Animals on a Madagascar Tour
Photographing small animals can be tricky. In comparison to big game animals, with small creatures you must get much closer to get a full frame image. Often you have to sit in blinds for hours, sometimes days, with a long lens and wait until the animal is close enough to get a shot. Since I will be leading our Madagascar tour, September 2-18, 2012 (there are still a few spaces left - contact our office for availability), I will discuss a selection of Madagascan subjects.
In Madagascar it is relatively easy to photograph wildlife because many of the animals, like the chameleons, don’t move very fast and are almost tame.. The fun thing about photographing chameleons is that they come in different colors and sizes. For some you need a macro lens because they are the size of your thumb, for others a short zoom lens will do. I like to find some grasshoppers and place them within about 3 feet of the chameleon. The chameleon slowly moves closer and when within striking distance, the tongue shoots out and catches the grasshopper. To capture this, you have to set your camera on continuous shooting and use the fastest shutter speed or flash.
The lemurs are more challenging! They often speed through the trees, jumping from branch to branch. I watch the groups carefully and go in the direction they are moving. I look for two trees that are a little apart so the lemurs will need to jump through the air to get to the other tree. This is great for photography: the first animal jumps and you can watch what happens and get ready for a perfect shot when the rest of the lemurs follow. One by one the lemurs will use more or less the same path and over the next few minutes you can capture the same action.
On the ground, you can get close to the lemurs. Moving very slowly, avoiding sudden movements, I have been able to get almost within reach of them. With a 70-200mm zoom, everyone can get good lemur images.
Birds are always more difficult to photograph. Fortunately, some of the lodges put out food to attract them and get them out into the open. With a lot of patience and a longer lens such as a 400 or 500mm, you will be able to get some good images.
For me, Madagascar is an extraordinary place to visit. You have everything from interesting people and landscapes to fascinating wildlife. Often the smaller animals are overlooked. Most of them are prey and have to hide or come out at night, such as the Glass frogs. I always try to find a Leaf-tailed gecko. This lizard has such a great camouflage that it is fun to photograph. Often viewers of the images can’t even find the gecko!
Good luck with your shoot and remember: When you are photographing wildlife, don’t forget the little guys!
Get more information about our upcoming Madagascar tour! I hope you can join us!
– Wolfgang Kaehler
Look for me on Facebook!
Thanks for the great tips.
One question, sounds like most photography is walking in (unlike other mainland Africa safaris) so do you recommend lugging large lenses? Specifically, something like a 200-400 or best to confine oneself to a teleconverter?
Thanks in advance.
Christa
Hi Christa — Yes there is walking involved, though not rigorous hiking. You would want a longer lens (say 400mm) for birds and lemurs that aren’t close by, and the 100-400mm Canon, Nikon (200-400) or similar is a good choice. I personally use that lens in 95% of my work now, as it’s light and easy to carry. You can even use the Canon 1.4 extender with decent results. And, if you have a Canon 7D or similar, the sensor also provides a 1.6x ‘magnification’, which turns it into a very good telephoto.
Many of the lemurs will often be pretty close, but such a lens will give you maximum flexibility.
Let us know if you have any other questions.
-Randy Green
Hi Christa, I just returned from teaching IWA’s workshop in the Palouse. Sorry for the delayed reply.
I have been to Madagascar many times. A 200-400mm would be great because you get very close to the animals. A monopod might help. I usually bring my tripod and a monopod and depending what we are doing, I take one or the other. I can advise you every day.
Best wishes,
Wolfgang Kaehler
Photographer, Author, Consultant, and Lecturer
http://www.wildlifeadventures.com