Gear Checklist - Kenya Photography Workshop
Below you will find a list of recommended camera gear and clothing for your photography trip to Kenya. If you're unsure about a specific item, contact me for more info.
NOTICE: There are affiliate links on this page and I may get a small kickback from certain links. Rest assured, that I would never recommend gear or items that I would not use myself.
NEED TO RENT CAMERA GEAR?
LensRentals has just about any type of camera, lens and miscellaneous camera gear that you could possibly imagine. They have reasonable rates and will ship the gear directly to you.
LENSES
• Super Telephoto Lens: We'll use telephoto lenses every day of the workshop to photograph wildlife. I recommend a minimum reach of 400mm. You can choose to bring a zoom, big prime or both. The faster the lens the better. ZOOM LENSES: CANON 100-500MM | NIKON 100-400MM | SONY 100-400MM. If you'd like to bring a big prime lens, I recommend bringing a 600mm.
• Telephoto Lens: An f2.8 70-200mm lens is a great lens to have on the trip because it is fast and still has a decent reach. It's a great lens to use at sunrise and sunset.
• Mid Range Lens: A mid range lens can be useful for sunrise shots. CANON 24-70mm | NIKON 24-70mm | SONY 24 - 70mm
• 1.4 X Extender: A 1.4 x teleconverter can be a great way to extend the reach of your telephoto lenses. Make sure that your lens is compatible with the extender before renting or purchasing.
OTHER CAMERA GEAR
• CAMERA BACKPACK: I use an f-stop Tilopa camera bag. I like it because it has a removable insert that all of the camera gear goes in. Mindshift also makes a variety of nice camera back packs.
• SPARE MEMORY CARDS: Don't forget to bring spare memory cards. I prefer a minimum of 256GB per card but I like 512GB cards the best. You can take a lot of photos on Safari. I recommend bringing at least 2TB of memory cards with you.
Canon & Nikon CF Express Type B
• BATERY CHARGER & SPARE BATTERIES: Bring a minimum of two batteries but three or more is ideal. AVOID USING THIRD PARTY BATTERIES IF POSSIBLE.
• POLARIZER FILER: Helps reduce glare. (Optional)
• UV FILTER: Useful for protecting the front of the lens when not using a PL filter.
• Camera Rain Cover: October is the end of the dry season. It probably will not rain but its not a bad idea to be prepared. Bring a rain cover with you if you'd like to shoot in the rain.
• CAMERA STRAP: A detachable camera strap will be very useful during the trip. I really like the Peak Design Straps if you only plan on using a single camera. If you plan on use two cameras, consider bringing a Black Rapid strap with PGYTECH quick releases or a Cotton Carrier harness. (make sure that you have footplates for your long lenses) You'll mainly use these straps when walking two and from the vehicle at the lodge.
LENS WIPES: We'll be around misty waterfalls and sea spray. It's a good idea to have a couple of large lens cloths to wipe the front of your lens while shooting.
CLOTHING
• LIGHT TO MEDIUM WEIGHT JACKET: Mornings can be a little chilly in the Mara. Be sure to bring a packable jacket with you. Rab Men's packable jacket | Rab Women's packable jacket
• RAIN JACKET: It is important to be fully waterproof during the workshop. The North Face makes affordable options for men and women. (You may consider getting a slightly larger rain jacket that will fit over your other jacket.)
HIKING PANTS: Hiking pants will help keep you cool while preventing sunburns.Women's Hiking Pants | Mens Hiking Pants
MISCALANIOUS ITEMS
• HEADLAMP: We will not be doing hikes in the dark on this trip but it's still a good idea to bring a high quality headlamp and spare batteries. I really like the Petzel Aktik Core because it comes with a USB rechargeable battery pack.
• LAPTOP: It's important to look at your images during the trip to see how they are coming out. I highly recommend bringing a laptop with Lightroom Classic & Photoshop installed. • PHONE CORDS
• LIP BALM
• SUNSCREEN: Thrive makes a very protective sunscreen with one of the safest ingredients list. They also make a specialized face sunscreen.
• COOLING NECK GATOR: Amboseli is typically quite warm. A cooling neck gator can help keep you cool while we are out shooting.
• SUN HOODIE: A sun hoodie can be a great way to avoid sunburns while on safari. Women's Sun Hoodie | Mens Sun Hoodie
• SUN GLASSES
• WATER BOTTLE
• UNIVERSAL POWER ADAPTER: Don't forget to bring a universal power adapter with you. I usually travel with two just in case one fails.
• RETRACTABLE POWER STRIP: Keeping all your gear charged can be a challenge when traveling. Bringing a retractable power strip can help alleviate that problem.
• MOSQUITO WIPES: Mosquitos are generally not bad But you can bring wipes if you are sensitive or would like to be cautious.
• HYDROCORTISONE CREAM 1%: Hydrocortisone cream can be useful in the event of a bug bite.
• ANTI BACTERIAL WIPES: Don't forget anti bacterial wipes. There will be days where we spend all day on safari without coming back to the lodge and you'll most likely want to wash your hands at some point.
• FLIP FLOPS: Flip flops are great for safari because shoes are not allowed on the mattresses that we will have in the jeeps.