Of all the many fascinating wildlife photographic subjects out there, few species will get your heart racing like that of the larger than life, Mountain Gorillas of Africa. These magnificent creatures are and absolute must photograph species. No words can describe the feeling when sitting within a few feet of these Silver back Mountain Gorillas, with a head the size of a man’s torso, hands the size of dinner plates and the strength of more than 10 football players. Their intimidating size and yet a stare that carries an indescribable gentleness has dubbed them the name “Gentle Giants”.
Gorillas in Africa are not the easiest subject to photograph but most certainly one of the most rewarding when you get it right. Try your best to avoid subjects that are positioned in bright sunlight as the sun on their fur blows out completely and it is almost impossible to correctly expose this dark animals and its bright green surrounds in the same frame. Should you have no option but to shoot in bright sunlight, try for close-up images instead, avoiding as much of the green blown out vegetation.
Weather conditions play a vital role when gorilla photo tours in Rwanda. Soft overcast conditions are the best. Do not be deterred by rainy conditions as these do expose a very different side of Gorilla behaviour. Make sure you are well prepared though with a default camera setting that allows you an adequate shutter speed in these darkened conditions as well as protection for your gear.
The Mountain Gorillas share so many of our human like features and behaviours and it are these, which you can try and capture when photographing Gorillas in Africa. They are incredibly easy to relate to and you are able to tie some form of human emotion to most of their expressions and behaviours.
Here are a few of these Gorilla features and behaviours you look out for. Gorillas often look up and this is the time when they expose their eyes most and these are the brief moments to look out for. Take note of your aperture value when shooting at a close distance though, as the distance between the nose and eyes will increase considerably when they look up.
The hands and feet resemble those of our own. Look out for opportunities where the gorillas expose their hands and feet. They carry fingerprints just like our own. The best opportunity to photograph their hands and feet happen when they lie on their backs and will often move their limbs around trying to get comfortable or when grooming themselves.
The baby care moments often speak for themselves, showing the gentle and loving care we ourselves show our children and really connect well with our own emotions and parental instincts. The younger the infant, the less chance you have of seeing the little ones in the open. Mothers will often hide their new-born from their human spectators and more so when it is a first time mother.
Ensure you have extra memory cards and camera batteries. Shooting off 500 to 1000 images in your allocated 1-hour with the Gorillas is not uncommon! From here it will only be a few steps to the Gorilla family, an experience guaranteed to leave you speechless.
