Gorillas
Eben Safari Tours Team2 min read
Gorilla Trekking Photography: 12 Tips for Better Photos
Low light, dense leaves and an hour that flies by. Here's how to come home with photos worthy of the moment.
Eben Safari Tours Team2 min read
Quick answerFor gorilla photography use a fast lens (f/2.8 or wider) or a zoom of about 24–200 mm, shutter speeds of at least 1/250 s, auto-ISO up to 6400, and continuous autofocus on the eyes. Flash is forbidden. Take a few minutes during your hour to put the camera down and simply watch.
- Bring a versatile zoom. Gorillas can be 7 metres away or right beside you. A 24–105 mm or 70–200 mm covers most situations.
- Fast glass matters. Forest light is dim; f/2.8 or wider helps enormously.
- Shutter speed first. At least 1/250 s for moving gorillas, faster for youngsters at play.
- Let ISO climb. Modern sensors handle 3200–6400 well. A sharp, grainy photo beats a blurry clean one.
- Expose for the face. Gorillas are black; dark fur fools meters. Dial in −0.7 to −1 EV or spot-meter the face.
- Focus on the eyes. Use eye or animal detection autofocus if your camera has it.
- Shoot through leaves. Foreground foliage adds depth and a sense of place.
- Look for behaviour. Grooming, nursing, a silverback's chest-beat, an infant somersaulting.
- Use burst mode for action, but don't fill your card in the first ten minutes.
- Smartphones are fine. Use the 2x or 3x lens and portrait mode for faces.
- No flash, ever. It's forbidden and distressing to the gorillas.
- Put the camera down. The moment you'll remember most won't be on your card.
#photography#gorilla trekking#camera settings
Written by the Eben Safari Tours team
We are a Kigali-based tour operator, guiding travellers through Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania since 2015. Our guides trek with the gorillas, drive Akagera and climb the volcanoes every week, and we update these guides whenever rules or prices change.
