TAKING TO THE SKY

Hi First name / everyone I am currently boarding the plane to head home after an incredibly productive month hosting photographic trips in Botswana! While I still have about 15,000 images to go through, I have a few to share in this months newsletter. I thought this month I would give some rather niche photography tips… How to photograph the Okavango Delta from a helicopter. I know, I know, this may well be my most bougie newsletter to date! That being said, even if you aren't lucky enough to fly over the delta, I hope the images will be worth the read. Here is newsletter #62!

 

- William

Lets get straight into it! In my opinion there are four key elements I look for when photographing the delta from a helicopter. Patterns, Reflections, Colour, and maybe most importantly the Environment. Starting with;

 

One of the things I love most about flying over the delta, is the perspective you get of this unique ecosystem. From the channels that carve through the earth, to the termite mounds that jut out of the floodplains. There are so many lines, shapes, and patterns that break up this vast land. One example of this is; Elephants and hippos crossing the waterways create the most seemingly out of place paths joining termite mound to termite mound, these lines act as perfect photographic leading lines. These patterns can not only help guide your attention to the subject in your frame, but also create visual interest in an image.

 

Look out for reflections in the floodplains. I don't mean reflections of the wildlife, but rather the reflections of the clouds, blue tones from the sky, and even the glare of the sun bouncing off the water soaked land. These reflections can make some of the most etherial looking images when combined with either a wildlife subject, or simply the vast land.

 

Depending on the time of the year, the colours can be one of the most visually striking things about the delta. The deep orange, tannin rich waterways, that look like the “blood vessels” of the delta. The lush green and brown papyrus, that fans across large channels. The blue skies reflected in the floodplains. Even the beach white sand creates some striking and visually contrasting imagery.

 

The true joy of taking to the air, is that you get an unobstructed panorama view of this visually dynamic land. From tropical looking desert islands with their out of place palm trees, to the way that wildlife is responsible for choosing the waters path by carving out new tracks and channels. There is nowhere like the Okavango Delta, so make sure you photograph it in that way. Even if your focus is the wildlife, make sure that the images convey this breathtaking environment. So zoom out!

Here are my top 6 photographic tips to make the most out of your time in the air (which always goes quicker than you think!)

 

1 - As the helicopter is nearly always moving, as well as some of your subjects, I make sure I have a fast shutter speed. If it is a low light condition, you can get away with about 1/1000th of a second shutter speed, but I prefer to shoot at 1/2000th of a second, if light allows. This makes sure that any movements of your subject, but more importantly, any movements from the helicopter, doesn't leave you with blurry images.

 

2 - As we're shooting directly down, an aperture from the widest to around f/8 works perfectly. As the subject is a decent distance away and the scene flat, you shouldn't need more than f/8. I only drop down lower than f/5 if light is poor.

3 - Because your light conditions are always changing, I choose to have my ISO on auto, letting it adjust accordingly, to deal with the ever-changing lighting on each subject. I use my exposure compensation to dial in the right exposure depending on the style of shot I'm hoping to get. Into the sun I often underexpose to capture silhouettes against the water. 

 

4 - It is very important to make sure you have a large memory card in your camera and a fully charged battery. It is not only difficult to change these mid-flight, you can risk losing them due to the wind. I find that I always take more pictures than I expect!

5 - When doing a scenic flight over the Delta, we are able to remove the doors of the helicopter, making for a perfect platform to capture wildlife and scenery. When shooting with the doors off, the wind can be very strong, especially if you're leaning out. I suggest removing your lens hood. Not only does this help reduce the drag, making it easier to capture images, it also helps with vibrations that could interfere with the stabilisation system of your camera and potentially affect image quality.

 

6 - When shooting from a helicopter over the Okavango Delta, I personally believe having a range between 24mm and 300 mm covers all bases. Most wildlife images will be taken from 100mm to 300mm. That being said the landscape is truly breathtaking, and sometimes you do need a wider-angle lens to capture the scenery. My personal go-to setup is a 70mm to 200mm lens on my main camera for shooting wildlife, and a 24mm to 70mm lens attached to my second camera for landscape shots. If you don't want to take two cameras up (which can be cumbersome), you can always take a phone or action camera. Just remember that there is limited space in the helicopter.

As photographers, we always get caught up in wanting to capture as much as possible. But just remember to also enjoy the moment and take it all in. The Okavango Delta has to be experienced from the air. From the elevated vantage point, you are able to see how this intricate and unique ecosystem works, and really take in the remote nature of your visit.

If you would like to see a visual representation of how to photograph from a helicopter, below I created a short video for Pangolin on exactly this topic. 

Thank you as always for reading and I cannot wait to hear what you think of this months newsletter! The next newsletter is coming soon, so make sure you have signed up and feel free to forward it to your friends!

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