A
mountain gorilla trek in the African jungles is a “life
changing” experience not to be missed out in life. Ever thought about gorilla trekking? Magical encounters
with the largest Apes is the most sought after experience that is worth adding
in your bucket list of unforgettable adventures while planning the next safari
holiday to Africa. There are fewer than 900 individuals that are still thriving
on the planet. To spark imaginations with these amazing Apes in the wild is the
most exceptional experience that you can not find anywhere else in the world except
only in Uganda, Rwanda or Democratic Republic of Congo. You have only 4 options
in the entire world to achieve that long time dream. In Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable
Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are the only 2 destinations where
these magnificent wild creatures live where there are 400 and 80 mountain
gorillas respectively. In Rwanda, it is only in Volcanoes National Park while
in DRC you can visit the Virunga National Park.
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| MOUNTAIN GORILLA |
An hour
with a mountain gorilla is unforgettable experience that you shouldn’t miss out
in your life. At this time with these creatures, it calls for full
preparedness. A lot more is need for you to carry but most importantly, never
forget your camera!! With only 1 hour to be spent with the gorillas, ideally it
is the only unforgettable moment in life when you freely exploit the reality
about these endangered primates while in their natural habitat. It is also a
moment you must take photographs. No need to be an expert photo taker during
this adventure, what matters is that you are well prepared!
Like any adventure, there
are basics that you have to follow while in the jungles in order for you to
come up with spectacular pictures.
Firstly,
you may need a porter to help you to carry your camera gear and trust me you
will have ultimate time to concentrate on the trek and photo taking. This can
be astonishing and scaring experience but you only need to be prepared to
interface a 500 pound gorilla that may decide to stand upright or just stare at
you straight to your eyes or merely lie on the ground as an infant walks over
it. It is such remarkable experience but getting there is kinder challenging.
Gorilla
trekking is best done in Uganda and Rwanda due to the prevailing peace and
security unlike DR Congo which is still recovering from insecurity issues.
There are also other positive and negative aspects to consider while planning
your safari holiday in any of the 3 destinations to view the mountain gorillas.
The trek to gorilla habitat is ideally hectic. Normally, visitors begin at the
base camp and hike through magnificent forests. The treks can go from 45
minutes up to 12 hours and beyond through a breathtaking altitude, stinging
nestles and muddy slopes. But the safari is absolutely worth it while in a face
to face encounter with wild Giant Apes. Rwanda is exceptionally accessible.
There are flight connections from Tanzania, skilled tour guides and gorillas
that are fully habituated to humans and photographing is also simplified.
What to carry for gorilla trekking.
The
list is endless but most importantly, you need light weight hiking shoes, long
sleeved shirts/T-shirts and trousers and waterproof jackets/poncho as well as
gardening gloves for nestles and other insects. A good camera especially 2 SLR
cameras with a substitute of at least 2 lenses/batteries, the ideal lenses can
be the f2.8 that allow a maximum light and perfect in bad weather. A 24 to 70mm
and a 70 to 200m is also an ideal combination. If you still have space, better
to also consider a 300mm and angle though it is steep trek and you will need a
porter. A 50mm 1.4 lens is good for low light shooting and what is important is
to mind about a standard lens. Never forget to bring a camera bag with its
plastic cover to protect it from rain.
Film settings
File format
Photographing
in RAW format is better. A jpeg is a bit small in size because it usually
discards a lot of information and after, you won’t be in position to retrieve
the same information especially for those who are not all that exposed. Using
this format may need you to set the camera to its largest file size and set the
white balance based on the status of the light.
ISO and shutter speed
Usually,
the jungles can turn dark and given the dark color of these species, if you go
with Nikon D3x/D800, you can shoot at ISO 3200. The best is for you to ensure
that you maintain the range of ISO 800 to 2000 so as to have ultimate quality
of image. High ISO offers a quick shutter speed though it can affect the
quality and cause noise. Maintain ISO as low as you can without blurring
images. A rule of thumb is that do not shoot below 1/200th of a
second with a 200mm lens. If you plan to use an 80mm lens then you can shoot at
slower speeds of about 1/80th. At a moment when the Apes are
roaming, you can also increase your shutter to 1/1000th of second or
beyond. Other provisions include Nikon D750.
Metering and priority settings
The
best default setting is to use centre weighted metering, aperture priority and
an aperture of 5f.6. In case of much darkness in the viewfinder, then you
require to under expose by up to 2 stops of lights; 2 using your AE +/-
button/you overexpose the image. You can also have manual shooting that is if
you are in concurrent lighting conditions. Your camera likes shooting subjects
where the differences in exposure are not too extreme and it is for this reason
that cloudy/shady atmosphere are common for shooting dark subjects like
mountain gorillas.
Focus
A one (Single)
point focus is normally perfect, you may not need the camera focusing on the
tree instead of the gorillas and normally you need to lock the focus on the
eyes. In case you get a family of gorillas that you need to maintain as much in
focus as possible then focus 1/3 into the image. You may need to alter focus to
multi point if you have many moving subjects but suggest single points that
will offer you more control. You will perhaps shoot on single shot but may need
to alter focus settings to continuous focus and rapid fire if they are on the
move and playful.
Shooting tips
While
with the mountain gorillas, there is a 7 meter rule between you and the Apes.
These species share about 98% of their DNA with humans and this means that they
are very susceptible to human infectious diseases. It is important for you to
understand this rule and other etiquettes for gorilla trekking before hitting
the jungles to search their family. You are also required to turn off the
flashlights in the camera in case it has. As you spend your time with these
creatures, don’t shoot away wildly. You need to plan your shots, close ups,
angles and framing. Ensure that you catch memorable moments especially when the
guide is explaining to you about their body gestures and general behavior.
In
conclusion, for amazing gorilla photographs, you need a good camera to help you
take the best pictures of these incredible primates in the jungles of Bwindi
Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda or Volcanoes
National Park in Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a memorable
experience in the wild for you to take pictures of these humble creatures.
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