Capture the Moment!

Since 2013, I’ve published hundreds of blog posts on all aspects of photography. Some are aimed at helping photographers with their technique, settings, and equipment, but others describe my exhibitions, workshops, and adventures in Africa, Antarctica, and beyond.

If you click on any article, you can subscribe for just £4.99 a year, which also gives you access to my monthly newsletter! Feel free to browse chronologically or click on any category heading for specific content, such as Trips or Hints and Tips.

If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, please drop me a line at nick@nickdalephotography.com or on +44 7942 800921.

Mirrorless Autofocus Settings
Hints and tips Nick Dale Hints and tips Nick Dale

Mirrorless Autofocus Settings

I’ve been using a Sony a1 for over a year now, so I feel like the time has come to talk about the autofocus settings. I used to have a series of Nikon DSLRs (the D800, D810 and D850), and I’d never used a mirrorless camera before. However, it was pretty easy to learn, and even now I’m still amazed by the sharpness of the images.

Read More
Nine Ways to Sex African Wildlife
Hints and tips Nick Dale Hints and tips Nick Dale

Nine Ways to Sex African Wildlife

I’m always keen to learn, but one thing I’m not very good at is working out whether safari animals are male or female. I know a few of the rules, but it’s easy to make a mistake—and that can be a bit embarrassing!

Here’s your cut-out-and-keep guide to a few of the major species. It’s not exhaustive, but it should prevent you having to refer to animals as ‘it’ all the time…

Read More
Four Ways to Photograph African Birds in Flight
Hints and tips Nick Dale Hints and tips Nick Dale

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.

Read More
How to Become a Resident Photographer
Hints and tips, Trips Nick Dale Hints and tips, Trips Nick Dale

How to Become a Resident Photographer

A few years ago, I asked Andy Skillen how to win clients as a wildlife photographer. He didn’t tell me, but he did tell me a story of the ‘dream scenario’. He had an enquiry from a group of managers who wanted to buy a retirement present for their departing chairman. They wanted it to be a picture of a row of five hippos in the water, all looking towards the camera.

Read More
Eight Steps to Becoming a Great Wildlife Photographer
Hints and tips Nick Dale Hints and tips Nick Dale

Eight Steps to Becoming a Great Wildlife Photographer

I saw a post the other day on what makes a great wildlife photographer, and I didn’t like it. Not because it was badly written, but because there were an awful lot of generalisations that I’m sure don’t apply half the time. That’s why I decided to write this piece as a ‘how to’ guide instead. That makes a lot more sense to me.

Read More
Social Media for Photographers
Hints and tips Nick Dale Hints and tips Nick Dale

Social Media for Photographers

Are you confused about how to use social media as a photographer? Do you have personal accounts but not business accounts? Do you struggle to understand the difference between all the platforms? Would you like to get started but don’t know how?

Read More
Update Your Firmware!
Hints and tips Nick Dale Hints and tips Nick Dale

Update Your Firmware!

When did you last update your camera’s firmware? What version are you running? What’s the latest version? When did you last check the availability online?

Okay, enough difficult questions! The truth is that most of us don’t really care about the firmware, and we certainly don’t make sure we have the latest version running at all times. But perhaps we should…

Read More
Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words?
Hints and tips Nick Dale Hints and tips Nick Dale

Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words?

It annoys me when signs at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition tell me that photographs should ‘tell a story’. How, exactly?! Even if it were possible to write a story based on one of my pictures, it would probably sound like it was written by a 10-year-old!

Read More
How to Use a Mirrorless Camera
Equipment, Hints and tips Nick Dale Equipment, Hints and tips Nick Dale

How to Use a Mirrorless Camera

Most people buying a mirrorless camera these days will be switching from a DSLR. Using a mirrorless is a little bit different, so here’s my guide to help you make the transition.

There are a few key differences, and I’ve divided them up into which camera to buy, how to customise it, which settings to use, plus sections on shooting mode, the EVF and custom buttons.

Read More
20 Photography Mistakes to Avoid
Hints and tips Nick Dale Hints and tips Nick Dale

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…!

Read More
The blue hour
Hints and tips Nick Dale Hints and tips Nick Dale

The blue hour

The blue hour is less well-known than the golden hour, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its advantages. The phrase simply refers to the hour just before sunrise or just after sunset when the colour of the light is generally ‘cooler’. In this article, I’ll show you a few of the benefits of this time of day and give you some ideas for the kinds of shots to take.

Read More
The golden hour
Hints and tips Nick Dale Hints and tips Nick Dale

The golden hour

The quality of light is crucial in creating a great photograph.

The word photography, after all, means ‘writing with light’, so it’s no surprise that a lot of photographers spend most of their time shooting during the ‘golden hour’ either just after sunrise or just before sunset.

Read More
Head-to-head: Bear Gills v Bear Necessities
Hints and tips Nick Dale Hints and tips Nick Dale

Head-to-head: Bear Gills v Bear Necessities

This is the first of a series of head-to-head photo critiques that compare two similar wildlife shots I’ve taken in the last few years.

The idea is to show you first of all that nobody’s perfect (!) and also to help you identify problems in your own shots that you can then fix - either in camera or during post-processing.

Read More
Low key portraits
Hints and tips Nick Dale Hints and tips Nick Dale

Low key portraits

Wildlife shots are ten a penny these days, so how do you make yours stand out from the herd? Well, one thing you can experiment with is low key portraits. All you need to do is underexpose the shot (either in camera or in Lightroom – see sections below), and you’ll create a whole new atmosphere, something that’s either moody, mysterious or threatening – whatever works best.

Read More
How to improve your photography
Hints and tips Nick Dale Hints and tips Nick Dale

How to improve your photography

When it comes to golf and photography, I’m largely self-taught.

Photography is quite a lonely profession, so I thought I should write down how I’ve learned and improved as a photographer in order to help anyone out there who wants to do the same.

Read More