Getting the picture (part two)

Last month, we introduced you to photographer Dmitri Markine, who we interviewed recently to seek his professional insights on taking great photos in Africa. In addition to his main job as one of Canada’s leading wedding photographers, Dmitri has travelled extensively through East Africa, creating beautiful shots of the region’s people, wildlife and landscapes. We conclude our feature this month with the second half of our interview with Dmitri, and we thank him for taking the time to inspire us.

Do Africa’s unique features present particular opportunities or challenges for a photographer?

Finding the best light is always a challenge for a photographer. Very rarely do I use an external flash source and I always try to use the sun to my advantage. Ideally, sunrise and sunset are the best time for photography and I tend to take more pictures during that period. If the sun is really harsh, I attempt to either take photographs of people in the shade or position myself so that it does not bother me as much. At times it involves a lot of waiting while I frame the scene and wait for a subject to walk into it.

© Dmitri Markine

Is there a particular story you seek to tell through your photography in Africa?

I am always attempting to photograph real lives of people and the wildlife. Africa is an amazing place that you won’t be able to fully discover in a lifetime and I am just happy to explore it and perhaps help others to see how amazing our world is. Many people live their lives in a very basic environment and do not have the luxuries we have, such as computers, cars or even proper food and water, yet they seem so genuinely happy!

Your images have an intriguing otherworldly quality. How important are post-production techniques in achieving that feel?

I consider myself more of an artist than a photographer. I just found that a camera is the best medium to express myself. I consider editing as an important part of photography. Photographers used dark rooms as their “Photoshop” 60-80 years ago and could do some amazing things. Now with the digital, many photographers have found themselves unable to learn complex editing software such as Adobe Photoshop. I was lucky to start learning Photoshop in the 90s and I use it along with Adobe Lightroom to enhance my photographs. I am a firm believer, though, in taking a good photograph and only then to use the editing on it. I don’t think it is possible to make an image great if it wasn’t any good in a first place.

© Dmitri Markine

People commonly think that without expensive, advanced equipment, taking truly extraordinary photos is beyond their reach. Is that so?

Good quality equipment can make it easier for you to capture images, but it will not make you a great photographer. I personally found that since many people can’t really use DSLRs properly, their images don’t come out as well as they would if shooting with a point-and-shoot camera, which already have all the auto settings built-in to take beautiful photographs that don’t need any external editing. I use Canon s100 point-and-shoot camera for photographs of my family while on vacation and road trips with great success.  And with some editing, those photographs can rival images from my professional equipment which costs 20 times more! My first ever Africa trip to Kenya was with an old Canon 10D camera from 2003, along with some really basic cheap lenses. I was able to take images good enough to be featured in magazines, receive dozens of awards and sold to a private galleries and businesses.
  
Dmitri’s photographs are available to buy as framed canvas prints – contact him at info@dmitrimarkine.com or on +1(416)841-3066. Further information about his international wedding photography service can be found at www.dmitrimarkine.com.

Getting the picture (part one)

Dmitri with lionesses

When visiting Africa, taking photos to be proud of is high on most people’s agenda. The colour, variety and drama of its wildlife, landscapes and tribal culture make Africa a feast for the eyes. But while there’s no shortage of inspiring imagery to shoot, the finer creative endeavours of travel photography remains a mystery to most of us.
 
One man who has mastered the art of capturing Africa’s unique beauty on camera is esteemed photographer Dmitri Markine. When he hasn’t been busy working as one of Canada’s most sought-after wedding photographers, Dmitri has traversed the globe, documenting the world before him in exquisite photos – many of which have won awards and appeared on the covers of National Geographic and other prestigious publications. These travels have brought Dmitri to East Africa on numerous occasions, where he has produced beautiful and insightful images of indigenous people, wildlife and landscapes.

With photography an important part of the safari experience for many of our guests, we talked to Dmitri this month to get his expert views on taking great shots – and to find out what inspires his own photography in Africa. With Dmitri’s kind permission we’ve also reproduced some of his own stunning shots. Here’s the first part of our interview (with the second half coming in next month’s newsletter):
 
Which regions of Africa have you explored as a photographer and which places have you been most inspired by?

Over the years, I’ve had a chance to visit Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, South Africa and Zambia. I really liked Kenya for the wildlife and Ethiopia for a unique opportunity to see some of the most unique tribes. Every country has something special though and I am always trying to find something interesting and unique to photograph.

'Ethiopian Coffee' © Dmitri Markine

As a top wedding photographer, is it people’s lives that inspire you the most artistically?
 
I really love photographing people. We all have different customs and traditions, eat food that others find taboo. I find it all fascinating and welcome a chance to get to find out more about the lives of those people. It is very similar with my wedding business. I photograph a lot of cultural weddings and I love how they are all so different and interesting.
 
Do you have any tips for amateur photographers out on safari in Africa?
 
I always use two cameras as I don’t like to switch lenses, especially in African countries, which tend to be very dusty. Currently I use Canon gear. One camera (5D Mark III) has a wide angle lens (Canon 24L f1.4) and the other camera has either Sigma 50-500 or Canon 70-200L 2.8 attached to it. For safaris, a lens with 200mm or more is definitely recommended, especially for close-ups and birds. I think it is essential for all photographers to know the gear and use different settings to your advantage. Patience is a must for any wildlife photography as sometimes it can take a long time to find something interesting and then it may take even longer to take that perfect shot.

'Walk with Lions' © Dmitri Markine

Dmitri’s photographs are available to buy as framed canvas prints – contact him at info@dmitrimarkine.com or on +1(416)841-3066. Further information about his international wedding photography service can be found at www.dmitrimarkine.com.

7 top tips for taking photos on safari

1) You don’t need the latest and greatest camera to take brilliant pictures. Nor do you need to huge amounts of equipment. While a quality digital SLR camera and lenses can help you get professional-looking shots, a decent compact camera is a perfectly suitable for a less experienced photographer. Often the best moments out on safari are captured by keen-eyed amateur on a modest camera who have pointed and shot the action at just the right moment.

2) If you do have an SLR camera, the most important extra lens to bring is a long lens. This will allow you to zoom in on distant wildlife with clarity. Carrying a tripod is likely to be an unnecessary burden – carefully resting your lens on a solid surface such as the side of a safari vehicle is usually adequate to prevent excessive wobble.

Karen lines up a holiday snap.

3) Remember to take enough spare batteries or recharging facilities and extra digital storage, or film if you’re using this medium. Don’t underestimate how many photos you might want to take. The low price of compact flash cards makes it well worth investing in the extra capacity should you need it.

4) Prepare for the conditions of the African bush. The dusty air can present problems for your equipment, especially in the drier seasons, so it can pay to take a soft cloth wrap with which to cover everything, and a small paintbrush or specialist blower to clean off dust particles when changing lenses out on safari. Heavy rain can be another issue so waterproof camera carrying bags are a sensible precaution.

Professional photographer and Africa House guide Bob Demchuk
 shows his work to Pokot tribesmen.

5) Get familiar with your camera’s functions before you get to Africa, especially if it’s new or you’re out of practice. Out on safari, you’ll want to concentrate on the action and sights around you rather than struggling to figure out what all the buttons on your SLR do.

6) If there’s one technical aspect of photography worth mastering for wildlife photography, it’s controlling the depth of field through your aperture setting. A larger aperture (lower f-number) keeps the subject in sharp focus while blurring the background, ideal for wildlife shots. For landscape photos it’s usually better to keep everything in focus by using a smaller aperture (higher f-number). The right choice here can transform an ordinary shot into a professional-looking image.

7) Experiment and use your imagination when taking shots. As well as taking the more predictable, conventional photos, use unusual angles and think about overall composition, not just the main subject in view. Try juxtaposing foreground and background objects in novel ways. You'll come home with photo album which is unique and personal to you.