Baboon Pictures
Taking baboon pictures is fascinating
because the subjects are so familiar. I can watch and photograph a baboon
troop's antics on safari for hours because of the things they get up to.
Chacma Baboon Contemplating in the
Kruger National Park
A lovers squabble here, a play fight there,
a mom feeding her children, dad trying to look like he is in charge while
havoc reigns all around him. Monkeys are so much like humans and why not?
They are our closest animal relatives after all so it's not surprising
that they act a lot like us. Or is that we act a lot like them?
So how to photograph baboons successfully on
safari?
For me, it's all in the eyes. Their
eyes are very expressive and if you can't see them clearly the baboon
pictures lose
a lot of their impact. It's not easy because they take a direct stare as a
challenge and so they don't look
directly at you for long.
And apart from that all you need is time.
They will give you lots of opportunity with their quirky behaviour so you
just need to wait for it and be quick on the trigger when something
worthwhile happens...
Where are the
best places to get baboon pictures?
Chacma baboons are commonplace in most of
the reserves in Southern Africa so you shouldn't have a problem finding
them when you go on safari there.
To get photos of other species in their own
habitat to add to your African baboon gallery you will
have to go to specific areas. For the olive baboon, northern Tanzania is
your best bet and the yellow can be found in Zimbabwe south to Mashonaland.
The mandrill is native to western Africa and
the gelada lives in the central Ethiopian highlands. The hamadryas baboon
can be found in northern Africa. |
