It took me a while to grasp the how F-Stops and Apertures on DLSR cameras worked and when the best time to use the different options were. In truth the explanation of F-Stops is relatively simple and understanding it will help you to make quick and easy decisions as to what settings to use when photography wildlife out in the field.
I did a brief write up, however on further research I found this video which explains the notion of F-Stops and Apertures in far simpler terms. Take a look and then see below for a quick write up of what settings I typically use for landscape and wildlife photography out in the field.
For portraits of big cats and birds – f2.8 (f4.5/f5.6 depending on how good your lens is)
For giraffes and rhinos – f8.0
For elephants and tree portraits – f11
For landscapes – f16
For wide angle landscapes – f18
Rich Laburn is filmmaker, photographer and writer who is based at Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa. Spending his time capturing scenes of the wild and communicating the beauty of the African bushveld, he runs the Londolozi Blog as a way to entertain and engage people wishing to visit these wild lands.
