Out before the light
Drives leave camp in the dark, so the vehicle is already in place when the sun clears the horizon. The low light is warm and soft, the shadows are long, and animals that were active at night are often still moving. By mid-morning the light is flat and hard, and most of the day’s best frames are already on the card.
Into the sun, and away from it
With the sun low behind an animal, expose for the bright sky and let the shape go dark: a silhouette. Turn the other way and the same light falls across fur and grass from the side, which brings out texture. Before you lift the camera, ask your mentor which side the driver will hold.
The flat hours
Around midday we drive back to camp for the edit and a rest. Hard light can still work for close details, but most days we use those hours to review what the morning gave us and to plan the evening drive.