Capture the Moment!

Here are all my posts on photography, covering techniques, trips, research, exhibitions, talks and workshops. Watch out for my latest article every Saturday.

I’ve also written dozens of articles for Expert Photography and Camera Reviews.

If you’d like to contribute a guest post on any aspect of photography, please email me at nick@nickdalephotography.com. My standard fee is £50 plus £10 for each dofollow link.

Note: Some blog posts contain affiliate links to Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

2023: From Grendel to Pumas

This is my last post of 2023, so I thought I'd write a quick review of the year.

How to Photograph Birds Fishing from a Perch

We’ve all seen dramatic images of a kingfisher or bird of prey grabbing a fish while flying across a river or lake, but how do you get those shots? Bird in flight photography is hard enough without having to worry about the fish, too!

What Lenses do you Need for Wildlife Photography?

Size isn’t everything, as they say, but there’s nothing like the power, reach and feel of a long lens. It gets you where the action is and lets you take close-ups of skittish and possibly dangerous wild animals. You still need other types of lenses, of course, but they’re far less glamorous!

What Camera do you Need for Wildlife Photography?

“Hello, my name’s Nick, and I’m a cameraholic.”

There’s something very addictive about buying a new camera. You get obsessed with the idea of owning something that has the latest features, and you simply have to have it…!

2022: I had a Lodge in Africa...

This is my last blog post of 2022, so I thought I'd give you a quick recap of what I got up to during the last 12 months.

Four Ways to Photograph African Birds in Flight

Most people prefer wildlife action shots to portraits, and I’m no different. I also spend a lot of time on safari, so I end up taking quite a few pictures of African birds in flight. Even the most beautiful bird looks better on the wing than on a stick, so it’s worth the wait! Here are a few tips to help you get the best possible results—depending on the size of the bird.

How to Photograph Birds Fishing from the Hover

Normally, I like to post a ‘successful’ picture to illustrate these hints and tips posts, but I can’t today because I failed miserably! I was trying to photograph a common tern diving for fish, but I just couldn’t get a good shot of the moment when it hit the water.

Wildlife Photography Workshop

I held my latest wildlife photography workshop at the London Wetland Centre this morning in association with Handmade Workshops.

We had five people, and it was very enjoyable—I hope for them as well as me!

20 Photography Mistakes to Avoid

There are lots of articles and books about how to take pictures, but there aren’t so many about how NOT to take pictures. This is a list of the silly mistakes we all make—and should all try to avoid. I’ve illustrated them with some of my own worst photos, so you can take heart from the fact that even I can be a bit of a muppet sometimes…!

Ol Jogi

Ol Jogi is in rhino country, and I had a rhino sighting on every single game drive until the final day of my visit. There are around 120 mainly black rhinos there, and it was great to see them. I hadn’t had so many sightings since I went to Etosha and saw 17 in one weekend!

The Slow Pan

I took this shot on an Exodus trip to Kicheche Bush Camp in 2018 with Paul Goldstein.

Paul’s a great fan of the slow pan to heighten the sense of energy in action shots, and I’m now his disciple!

The exposure triangle

Let’s go back to basics! What is the Exposure Triangle? Why do you need to know about it? How can it help you?

In this article, I’ll answer all those questions - and more!

Photography earnings

I’ve been working as a professional photographer since 2013, and I just thought I’d provide you with some insight into how I make money.

Nine ways to make money from wildlife photography

The obvious question for a lot of amateur photographers is ‘How do I make money from wildlife photography?’ The answer is that I’m still trying to work it out! All I can do is tell you what I’ve done myself and give you a few ideas.

How I Photograph Birds

When people ask me if I take pictures of birds, I say, “Yes, I do – if there aren’t any animals around…!”

I’m only joking (mostly!), but it’s true that there are a lot of ‘birders’ out there, and getting good shots of birds – particularly birds in flight (BIF) – is not that easy.

How to Shoot a Bear

Brooks Falls is a waterfall in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, and every July around a million salmon try to jump it in order to get back to their spawning grounds - and the brown bears are there to meet them!

How to Shoot a Lion

Shadows can either be your enemy or your friend - you just have to know how to use them. If you don’t shoot with the sun directly behind you, then there’s a risk that you’ll get more shadows on the animal and that they’ll be a distraction, making it harder to see its facial features and unnecessarily complicating the image.

How to Shoot an Elephant

First of all, I have to confess that the elephant is not my favourite animal. They don’t look very much like us, so anthropomorphic expressions are almost impossible to capture; they spend a lot of time feeding and very little time doing anything else; and they’re so…grey!

How to Shoot a Cheetah

I’ve taken more pictures of cheetahs than of any other animal, so here are a few things I’ve learned along the way…

Webinar: The Essential Guide to Wildlife Photography with Nick Dale

I held a webinar for The Societies of Photographers yesterday, so I thought I’d share the link with everyone. I hope it’s useful.