Advice please on photography at Longleat
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Werecow
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I think it can vary what you'd need in the safari park. 400mm on my 100-400 was needed a lot when i was there but the animals have masses of space to move around and could be anywhere.
The monkey (i think) and big cat sections you're told to close your windows when entering and is enforced by the wardens so its a good idea to give all your windows a good clean/polish before going and just before you set off around the enclosures too.
Be prepared to lose parts of the car if you stop in the monkey section!
The monkey section has an option to miss it out, obviously lots of people don't like the risk.
The wallaby wood needs to be done BEFORE you drive right around the safari park. I missed out because i thought it could be done after
I left the drive-through safari section till really late afternoon so the light wasn't quite so harsh. First thing if you arrive early morning would be good too.
The boat trip around the lake was more interesting to me because it had good opportunities to get photos of great crested grebes with babies on their backs rather than the gorrilla and hippos (neither of which showed themselves well on my day). The sea lions alongside it being fed are great though.
If you go in the butterfly house, you'll need to give the lens you want to use in there a good warming up either in the sun if there is any or under your jacket beforehand. Its so humid in there that your lens will fog up completely within a minute or two
The monkey (i think) and big cat sections you're told to close your windows when entering and is enforced by the wardens so its a good idea to give all your windows a good clean/polish before going and just before you set off around the enclosures too.
Be prepared to lose parts of the car if you stop in the monkey section!
The monkey section has an option to miss it out, obviously lots of people don't like the risk.
The wallaby wood needs to be done BEFORE you drive right around the safari park. I missed out because i thought it could be done after
I left the drive-through safari section till really late afternoon so the light wasn't quite so harsh. First thing if you arrive early morning would be good too.
The boat trip around the lake was more interesting to me because it had good opportunities to get photos of great crested grebes with babies on their backs rather than the gorrilla and hippos (neither of which showed themselves well on my day). The sea lions alongside it being fed are great though.
If you go in the butterfly house, you'll need to give the lens you want to use in there a good warming up either in the sun if there is any or under your jacket beforehand. Its so humid in there that your lens will fog up completely within a minute or two
Trev Rich
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We did longleat this year.. great fun!!
I drove there.. then swapped with the mrs so she can drive while I shoot
Tip for the monkey section... Get a Ford Escort... thats what we've got and no-one touched us!! I think they pitied our car so decided not to take anything else off of it.
Other than that? you will be suprised how easy it is to shoot there.
Just dont go gettin out yer car!!! :nono:
Here are a few i took on the day. http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=55247&highlight=longleat
I drove there.. then swapped with the mrs so she can drive while I shoot
Tip for the monkey section... Get a Ford Escort... thats what we've got and no-one touched us!! I think they pitied our car so decided not to take anything else off of it.
Other than that? you will be suprised how easy it is to shoot there.
Just dont go gettin out yer car!!! :nono:
Here are a few i took on the day. http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=55247&highlight=longleat
What he said, during the monkeys, wolves and lions sections you have to have the windows up so shooting through dirty glass is not fun.
Take off you windscreen wipers, aerial and anything else removable before entering the monkey enclosure. They also like to go for the rubber seals round your windows.
I went to the Safari first thing as soon as it opened and it was perfect, not too busy and good light.
Here is a pic the misses took of a tiger there, which I like.
barneyrubble
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When we went this year the monkeys trashed a new Mercedes Jeep type car. Most hilarious.
If you're careful you can get away with opening your window to shoot in the tigers and lions section.
If you're careful you can get away with opening your window to shoot in the tigers and lions section.
animal168
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same as everyone else regarding clean windows.
we went throught the monkeys and got some great shots through the windscreen.
it cost me all my rubber trim from the roof and a wiper blade though
also the wardens are strict.....if you sneek a window down abit you get a right bo*****ing
The rhino's went for us as well, the guy on a bulldozer had to push him away, really scary moment i can tell you.
After Longleat while we was in Somerset we went the next day to Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park and I rated it better for photgraphy as the animals are better displayed. Just my two penneth
we went throught the monkeys and got some great shots through the windscreen.
it cost me all my rubber trim from the roof and a wiper blade though
also the wardens are strict.....if you sneek a window down abit you get a right bo*****ing
The rhino's went for us as well, the guy on a bulldozer had to push him away, really scary moment i can tell you.
After Longleat while we was in Somerset we went the next day to Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park and I rated it better for photgraphy as the animals are better displayed. Just my two penneth
Trev Rich
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Sorry if I sound out of turn.. but that's the most ridiculous bit of advice I've heard.. There's a pretty good reason for keeping the windows closed
DoubleT
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as above, make sure you windows are spotlessly clean.
i jumped into the back of the car so i can shoot from both sides of the car.
long lenses are needed, i used a 200mm at woburn and found it a little short at times but the lion enclosure there is more open and has more lions than longleat so wasnt too bad.
i never had any luck in the tiger/lion enclosure at longleat.
i never went through the monkey enclosure at longleat as i didnt want any damage on my car.
fast shutter speads are the order of the day though!.
sorry to bore you!. actually these were takenfrom woburn
i jumped into the back of the car so i can shoot from both sides of the car.
long lenses are needed, i used a 200mm at woburn and found it a little short at times but the lion enclosure there is more open and has more lions than longleat so wasnt too bad.
i never had any luck in the tiger/lion enclosure at longleat.
i never went through the monkey enclosure at longleat as i didnt want any damage on my car.
fast shutter speads are the order of the day though!.
sorry to bore you!. actually these were takenfrom woburn
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h4rri
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My advice would be the 100-400 and forget the monkey enclosure if you can. If not then lose everything removeable from the car and stick some strips of paper out of the sunroof to give them something else to play with.
Don't forget your macro for the butterfly house either
Don't forget your macro for the butterfly house either
minimeeze
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Ditto what they all said You can get out of the car for many of the animals as there are places you can pull over, park up and walk around (obviously not in the big cat enclosure!!).
By far the best place I have been to for photographer friendly animal shots is Whipsnade zoo. Well worth a visit if you've never been. Longleat was quite disappointing for me.
You can get out of the car for many of the animals as there are places you can pull over, park up and walk around (obviously not in the big cat enclosure!!).By far the best place I have been to for photographer friendly animal shots is Whipsnade zoo. Well worth a visit if you've never been. Longleat was quite disappointing for me.
Graham_P_Clarke
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The 100 -400 and clean widows are the order of the day there, I would also suggest that a 500 may be useful.
One big tip I have is to remove the head rests from both the front seats as this makes moving round in the car so much easier and the seat backs make a good rest.
I was goning to say if you don't own a 100 400 hire one but that would be wrong
One big tip I have is to remove the head rests from both the front seats as this makes moving round in the car so much easier and the seat backs make a good rest.
I was goning to say if you don't own a 100 400 hire one but that would be wrong
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Another 'dont be bloody silly' from me too. We were at WHF last weekend and were shown just how quick these apparently lethargic and well fed beasts can be. They can move a damn sight quicker then any human can react :nono:
As already said, nice clean windows is a must and some length [400mm and more if you can] and a quick lens is best bet. When we were there last year it was a glorious sunny day which meant the lions and tigers were all in the shade of some large trees which meant plenty of messing around in PS afterwards
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When we run the tours at the various parks we always try and allow togs to open the windows in the Lion enclosures.
Its maybe different for us though as we have a keeper parked behind us, and we know the animals. We also have a rule that the windows go up if the animals get closer than 10 feet. The "window closed" rule is generally for insurance purposes.
On an aside, there was a woman last week drove into the Lion enclosure at one of the parks, stopped her car, put her handbrake on, opened her door, walked round the other side of the vehice, opened the rear passanger door and took the coat of her wee boy who was complaining about being too warm!!!! She was about 100yrds from the nearest lion but
Its maybe different for us though as we have a keeper parked behind us, and we know the animals. We also have a rule that the windows go up if the animals get closer than 10 feet. The "window closed" rule is generally for insurance purposes.
On an aside, there was a woman last week drove into the Lion enclosure at one of the parks, stopped her car, put her handbrake on, opened her door, walked round the other side of the vehice, opened the rear passanger door and took the coat of her wee boy who was complaining about being too warm!!!! She was about 100yrds from the nearest lion but
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Clean windows is a very good tip from many people above. The other thing to think of is to look at a rubber lens hood to help cut glare by pushing up against the glass. Also, dark clothing is recommended to limit impact of reflections.
I know a bloke who you hire you a good lens...
Although I am very happy sat next to wild lions in a Land Rover with no door and close enough to stroke them I wouldn't open windows in a safari park without permission. I get very annoyed with photographers who think they can ignore health and safety rules. Whilst it may well be an insurance issue, not opening windows is part of the conditions of entry of the event and should be respected.
I know a bloke who you hire you a good lens...
Although I am very happy sat next to wild lions in a Land Rover with no door and close enough to stroke them I wouldn't open windows in a safari park without permission. I get very annoyed with photographers who think they can ignore health and safety rules. Whilst it may well be an insurance issue, not opening windows is part of the conditions of entry of the event and should be respected.
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I maybe didnt come accross correctly there. We work in tandem with the parks, have underwent training, know the animals extremely well and infact studied them for years. We also have permission from the parks to open the windows on the tours, we have a keeper present at all times (who sits in a jeep behind us and isnt afraid to move his jeep to block any approaching animals, he also has a loaded gun (maybe to shoot the daft people who hang out sunroofs etc))
I recommend that you follow all park rules, listen to the keeprs/wardens and if they say shut your windows then do so. Its for your own safety.
Most of all enjoy your day!!
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Sorry Aaron, not a comment at you. I know you work in conjunction with staff and I've been on similar events myself. It's people taking it on themselves to ignore rules put in place for whatever reason (insurance or safety) that give photographers a bad name that I have an issue with...
mattyh
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I went through the monkey enclosure in my Navara... the little sods jumped on the bonnet, right over the roof and sat in the back I've got a poor shot of one sitting on the side of the car while I drove round
I'd go through the monkeys, as you probably will get some good shots! It's a good day out, although I did come away disappointed with a lot of my shots, not sure whether that was down to the car windows or my technique though :shrug:
I've got a poor shot of one sitting on the side of the car while I drove round I'd go through the monkeys, as you probably will get some good shots! It's a good day out, although I did come away disappointed with a lot of my shots, not sure whether that was down to the car windows or my technique though :shrug:
BellyBoy
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I'll be going in about 3 weeks so all this information is very helpful 
There was a Longleat program which had a warden saying there was a couple who stopped their car in the lion enclosure, got out and set up a picnic!!!!
The wardens went over to see what the hell they were doing
On an aside, there was a woman last week drove into the Lion enclosure at one of the parks, stopped her car, put her handbrake on, opened her door, walked round the other side of the vehice, opened the rear passanger door and took the coat of her wee boy who was complaining about being too warm!!!! She was about 100yrds from the nearest lion but
There was a Longleat program which had a warden saying there was a couple who stopped their car in the lion enclosure, got out and set up a picnic!!!!
The wardens went over to see what the hell they were doing
Nixtoo
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I'm planning to go too, so I'll have to remember to pack: 1)window cleaner, 2) rubber hoods, 3) long lens.....Anything I've forgotten??
If anyone collects tesco clubcard points you can redeem them against entry (have to do it through the website) It means that the £20 entry only cost £5 in vouchers!
If anyone collects tesco clubcard points you can redeem them against entry (have to do it through the website) It means that the £20 entry only cost £5 in vouchers!