Expert Gorilla Photography Tips, 5 Best Cameras and Pictures:

Mastering essential Gorilla Photography tips and selecting the best camera for gorilla trekking are crucial steps we recommend to our clients. Gorilla photography offers primate enthusiasts a lifetime opportunity to capture the best pictures of the massive mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

Gorilla Photography

Photographing mountain gorillas is a perfect way visitors can enhance their gorilla trekking experiences.

While normal gorilla treks involve observing closely how a family of mountain gorillas behave, gorilla photography is evidence-based. Imagine bumping into a massive silverback gorilla and its members, then right there you have your camera set for action.

You capture these massive apes immersed in their natural habitat, leaving a lasting memory in you. You get home with that wonderful picture that will always remind you of the remarkable gorilla photography journey you took deep in the African rainforest.

Tips for Gorilla Photography in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo:

Stay low to the ground.

How you position yourself matters a lot if you are to capture great pictures of gorillas during your gorilla photography tour in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo.

Where possible you can sit down/kneel as you take pictures of your favorite primates.

Use a wide aperture for impactful photos.

On a journey such as gorilla photography, returning home with something unusual should be a way to go. This can be achieved when you make the best use of your wide aperture setting on the camera.

Using this technique may make the background and foreground elements become blurred for instance the leaves, vines, and colorful smudges, but helps you take gorilla portraits.

Learn to focus the eyes of the gorillas.

Your focus should be the eyes because they are the windows to the soul. Sharp and well-focused eyes can create a strong impact on the viewer.

While on a search for gorillas, ensure that you look for them with sunlight illuminating their faces at an angle of 45 degrees.

Simplify the background to prevent you from any distractions.

You can capture the best shots provided that you focus on the subject. It is a good thing to show the environment around gorillas, but try to position yourself well to avoid any distractions.

3 Day Gorilla Habituation Bwindi

No flashlight.

When taking pictures, the flashlight isn’t allowed. Gorillas are shy and can easily walk away or interrupt the flashlight as a threat to them.

This is why your park ranger guide can even remind you to turn off the flashlight before you begin the photography moment.

Be patient, observant, and quick.

Photography generally requires you to be patient and observant. There is more to be captured besides the overall picture of a gorilla and you should not miss out.

Observe the gorilla guidelines.

Observing the gorilla trekking rules should be a must-do by all those involved in a photography excursion.

Most importantly, observe the distance of 8-10 meters from a family of gorillas in their natural habitat.

Post-processing and editing.

Now that you have everything captured, the next task should be post-processing and editing. Ensure that you have editing software such as Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop to make adjustments but avoid over editing as much as you can.

Over-editing can make the authenticity of the photo disappear. Let the naturalness be kept.

Photographing Mountain Gorillas

Considerations for Wildlife Photography

  • Autofocus Speed and Accuracy: Essential for capturing fast-moving subjects.
  • Burst Rate: High frames per second (fps) to increase the chances of getting the perfect shot.
  • Durability: Weather-sealed and rugged bodies to withstand harsh conditions.
  • Lens Options: Availability of high-quality telephoto lenses.

Best Cameras for Gorilla and Wildlife Photography;

1. Canon EOS 90D

  • Sensor: 32.5MP APS-C CMOS
  • Autofocus: Dual Pixel CMOS AF with 45 cross-type points
  • Burst Rate: 10 fps
  • Video: 4K UHD
  • Price: Approximately $1,200 (body only).

2. Nikon D7500

  • Sensor: 20.9MP APS-C CMOS
  • Autofocus: 51-point Multi-CAM 3500FX II AF
  • Burst Rate: 8 fps
  • Video: 4K UHD
  • Price: Approximately $1,000 (body only).

3. Sony Alpha A6400

  • Sensor: 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS
  • Autofocus: 425 phase-detection & 425 contrast-detection points
  • Burst Rate: 11 fps
  • Video: 4K UHD
  • Price: Approximately $900 (body only).

4. Fujifilm X-T30 II

  • Sensor: 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 4
  • Autofocus: 425-point hybrid AF
  • Burst Rate: 8 fps (mechanical), 30 fps (electronic)
  • Video: 4K DCI/UHD
  • Price: Approximately $900 (body only).

5. Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

  • Sensor: 20.4MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS
  • Autofocus: 121-point contrast-detection AF
  • Burst Rate: 10 fps (mechanical), 30 fps (electronic)
  • Video: 4K UHD
  • Price: Approximately $1,200 (body only)

What Photography Gear to Use?

The must-have photography gear includes a good camera, a good camera lens (70-200mm or 24-70mm or better), a waterproof camera bag, and others.

photography gear

How Long is Photography Experience?

During the normal gorilla trekking tours, you are guaranteed an hour for an up close and personal encounter with a family of mountain gorillas.

On guided gorilla habituation, visitors enjoy up to 4 hours face to face with a family of semi–habituated gorilla groups in the wild.

Where to Go for Mountain Gorilla Photography?

There are strictly 4 places where visitors can begin their mountain gorilla photography expedition. These include two National Parks in Uganda; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

The other two parks include Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The four protected areas offer refuge to the world’s remaining 1063 endangered mountain gorillas. They unveil nature enthusiasts a lifetime chance to interact with these massive apes and also take their pictures in their natural habitat.

Where to Go for Eastern Lowland Gorilla Photography Tour?

The best place to visit for Eastern lowland gorilla trekking and photography is Kahuzi-Biega National Park. This natural rainforest park lies close to Bukavu town, Eastern Congo, and the easiest way to get there is by connecting from Kigali city crossing the Rusizi border, about 7-hour drive.

Best Time for Photographing Gorillas;

The best time of the year to travel for gorilla photography/filming in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo is around the dry months. This is from June, July, August, September, December, January to February.

Gorilla Trekking FAQs

But the challenge with the dry season is that during photography, you will be tasked to balance the light against a bright green background and dark objects.

The wet season on the other hand brings out the best of photography experience. The wet/rainy season allows you to capture great pictures of gorillas due to low light. It is easier to balance the camera to capture the background and the family of mountain gorillas themselves.

Questions about Photographing Gorillas;

How do you photograph gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda?

To photograph gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda:

  1. Join a Gorilla Trekking Tour: Book a permit and tour through Afrik-Trek Holidays Ltd.
  2. Prepare Your Gear: Bring a good camera with a telephoto lens, extra batteries, memory cards, and possibly a monopod for stability.
  3. Respect the Rules: Maintain a distance of at least 7 meters, avoid flash photography and follow ranger’s instructions.
  4. Capture Natural Behavior: Focus on the eyes and expressions and be patient to capture natural interactions and movements.
  • Aperture: Use a wide aperture (f/2.8 – f/5.6) for a shallow depth of field and better low-light performance.
  • Shutter Speed: Set a fast shutter speed (1/250 sec or faster) to freeze motion, especially in low light.
  • ISO: Adjust the ISO to 800-1600 to accommodate low light conditions without too much noise.
  • Focus Mode: Use continuous autofocus (AI Servo/AF-C) to keep the moving gorillas in focus.
  • White Balance: Set to auto or cloudy to handle the forest lighting conditions.

The best lens for mountain gorilla photography is a 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom lens. 

The cost to see gorillas in Uganda primarily involves the gorilla trekking permit, which is approximately $800 USD per person. Additional costs include accommodation, transportation, and guiding fees, which can vary widely depending on the tour package.