Last month we asked DPS readers about the types of photography that they do. We chose 9 categories based upon a previous survey (we could have added a lot more but had to draw the line somewhere) and gave readers the opportunity to choose multiple categories for each type of photography that they do.

There have been 23,345 people respond so far and here are the results. The white number is the number of responses for each category and the %’s are the total percentage of people who’ve chosen the category.

For many, going to Africa is a once in a lifetime occurrence—a chance to see wild animals in their natural habitat, to experience new cultures and unique environments—and your opportunity to capture it in all its grandeur—so you want to make absolutely certain that you are well prepared to make the most of it.

I recently returned from a safari to the Kruger National Park, South Africa, one of the world’s largest and most spectacular wildlife reserves. I grew up in South Africa and have spent at least one holiday there a year for the majority of my thirty-nine years. Although I know what to expect from such a trip, it still takes a lot of planning to make sure I have the right equipment. Even with my knowledge, all my planning and extensive reading, there were mistakes made and valuable lessons learned on my most recent trip back there in July this year.

Here a few of those mistakes (and solutions) that will hopefully help you take magnificent photographs of one of the most spectacular corners of the earth:

THE RIGHT LENS FOR REACH

If money and my ability to carry these lenses around the world was unlimited, I’d probably have a collection of big professional glass—like the Nikon 200-400mm and Nikon 500mm f4—but alas, I have to make compromises. On this last trip, I ended up renting a few lenses which gave me the chance to try out different lenses without having to spend a ton of money. I cannot recommend the renting option highly enough, since I really only need really big lenses about two to three weeks each year, as I suspect, most of us do.

The first decision is on how much reach you need. I was tempted to rent the Nikon 200-400mm lens, but its size and rental cost put me off. I ended up renting a Nikon 300mm f4with a 1.7x TC. On my DX body that gave me the equivalent of a 750mm lens. I didn’t need longer than that and camera shake would be a real issue if I had used anything bigger. Some people recommend the 70-300mm, but performance at 300mm is reportedly weak, hence my opting for the prime lens.

The world of wedding photography is becoming more and more competitive as time goes on. New techniques are discovered. New shots are developed. The envelope continues to be pushed. As a result, it’s easy to rely on the creativity of others rather than finding your own originality.

The most notable wedding photographers are the ones who are most innovative in their portrait creations. So the question is, how do you become a trend setter with your wedding imagery? Start with these ideas and you’ll be on your way to becoming an edgy and creative wedding photographer that impresses.

1. Think with movement: Just because your wedding subjects are dressed in formal wear doesn’t mean your portraits need to be all formal also. Try to capitalize on every day motions and movements to add interest to your shots.

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Dogs Dogs Dogs. Earlier today a friend asked me for some ideas on how to photograph her Dog. I did point her to our How to Photograph Pets tutorial but also thought it might be useful to pull together a few Dog Photographs to give her a little extra inspiration. Here’s some of what I came across.

Image by Brian Hathcock

PS: I have a feeling that the cats are going to want a right of reply on this post.

Image by joshuahoffmanphoto

Flickr changed my life. True story.

I am a relatively new Flickr convert and a full fledged Flickr evangelist and my number one message to the masses: Flickr isn’t a dumping ground for ‘pics’. It isn’t a graveyard where millions of images are laid to rest never to be seen again. It is a community where photographers share their latest conquests and view beautiful works by other artists. Of course, there are probably millions of users who merely dump and run but I think Flickr has done something rather clever to prevent too many non-users: they charge a minor yearly fee for accounts who want to upload more than a certain number of images. This might turn off a huge percentage of users who just want a free method of generating a url for their photos to put on Ebay but I think it just weeds out those who don’t intend on doing much with their subscription in the first place.

So how can I make the statement that Flickr changed my life? First I’ll lay a foundation for where I’m coming from. I firmly believe that the number one way any visual artist can become better at what they do is to view other works of art. It opens you to the possibilities, techniques, ideas and concepts you may have never entertained before. Allow me to demonstrate. Before I became engrossed in Flickr, I’d never before seen: