Galapagos Photography Tips

This blog isn’t for you if you plan to use a phone as your primary camera on an upcoming trip to the Galapagos. And if you are going there on a high-end ‘photo-only’ tour, then good for you but this article isn’t what you are looking for either. But if you are an enthusiastic photographer planning on taking a regular cruise to the Galapagos, then you’ve come to the right place.

I recently went on one of those cruises, and like you I checked the internet for photo tips and advice. Now that I’m back, I realize that some of the info was incomplete or just plain wrong. Below are the things I wish I had known before my trip:

Zodiacs

The use of inflatable “Zodiac” boats is an integral part of any Galapagos Trip. Since there are few docks in the islands, you will use zodiacs nearly every you get off your ship…sometimes 2 or 3 times a day. In fact, on some tours you never even get out of the zodiac, you use it to tour around wildlife encrusted shorelines. I didn’t expect this up front and found zodiacs to be a unique aspect of photographing here that was accompanied by some learnings:

Seating Position

Try to sit in the front of the zodiac. If you are on the side, most of your range of vision (and photography) will be blocked. The back of the boat should be your second choice.

Seating is not prearranged, so figure out how your ship loads the zodiacs. On my ship, for example, the last ones in line ended up at the front of the zodiac . Guess where I was in line every time?

Wet Bags

Some of your landings on the various islands will be ‘wet landings’ where you slide over the side of the boat into water that is knee deep (or shallower). That is why many internet sources recommend bringing a wet bag to store your photo gear.

So I went out and bought a wet bag. And stopped using it after the first day. Frankly, unless you are clumsy or mobility hindered, I can’t image how anyone could fall into the water when getting out of a zodiac. Plus, there are often great photo ops while you are in the zodiac that you will miss if your camera is stored in a wet bag. Sure, I would hate to get my gear wet but I’d rather take that (small) chance than miss shots on a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Know your physical abilities and risk tolerance but for me a regular camera backpack was fine.

Befriend your Guides

All tours in the Galapagos must be led by a Park Certified Naturalist Guide. Your boat will probably have 2-5 of them. I’d suggest that you make an effort to talk to them when you first get aboard and let them know that you are a photographer.

These folks repeat the same tours week after week…they KNOW where great photographs can be taken. If you get on their better side, they will ensure that you get shots you would have otherwise missed. A big part of their income is from tips, so they really want you to have a great time. Help them help you.

Hiking Tips

A Galapagos Cruise involves stopping at a series of the local islands. At most of them, they will offer a hike/walk where you take a zodiac to the island and your guide then leads the group on a tour.

You aren’t allowed to stray far off of the path but I found it productive to often lag a bit behind the main group. This allowed me to get shots without a ton of folks crowding around. I could also spend more time at interesting spots than the guide did. Ideally, stay within earshot so you can still hear the guide’s monolog (which can be really interesting).

I’d suggest you tell the guide at the start of the tour that you will be a straggler so he/she won’t just think you are an inconsiderate touron.

Camera

Full Frame vs ASPC

An ASPC camera is perfect for the Galapagos. Let’s face it, you are there to shoot the wildlife and a crop sensor camera gives your lenses extra reach. If you have a full frame and an ASPC camera, bring them both. When you are on tours you can keep the full frame stored in your cabin as a spare but then use it on the ship for sunrise/sunset shots.

Waterproof/Action Camera

Bring a small waterproof camera (GoPro/Olympus TG-6, etc). You will have the chance to go snorkelling and photographing the playful Sea Lions will be a highlight of your trip.

If you haven’t shot a lot of video, make a special effort to give it a try here…especially if you get around some curious Sea Lion Pups. Check out this short video,

In addition to the Sea Lions, there are plenty of other underwater subjects as well.

Many cruises offer kayak excursions that you might want to consider. If so, having that small waterproof camera will come in handy.

Lenses

Telephoto Zoom

Why bring a telephoto? You’ve read that the animals have no fear and they will walk right up to you, so why a long lens?

Well, it turns out that when on tour you are restricted to specific pathways, so you can’t just go walk over to that blue-footed booby 300′ feet away that you want a shot of.

If you bring only one lens, bring something like a 100-400 zoom. This will allow you to get shots of those critters that get close and still reach out and capture those at a distance.

I have a some serious Nikon f/2.8 long lenses. They are incredible…but their size and weight make them impractical for use in a zodiac (much less hiking). For the Galapagos, I found my Nikon Z 100-400 f4.5-5.6 was perfect. It was light and small enough not to be awkward and since nearly all of the photography was in good sunlight, I didn’t need a faster lens.

Leave your primes at home. You really will need the flexibility of a zoom.

Teleconverter

If you have a quality teleconverter, I’d recommend bringing it along. Yes, you lose a stop of exposure but if the lighting is good (and it usually is) I’ll bet you find the extra length worth the tradeoff.

Wide Angle?

I’m a landscape photographer by trade and I use wide-angle lenses for most of my work. But in the Galapagos, my 100-400 produced over 95% of my best images.

A lot of “Galapagos Photo Guides” tell you to put a second body with a wide angle in your backpack. So I did. But as it turned out, on the rare occasion I needed a wide-angle shot, I found it a lot easier to just shoot a series of overlapping shots with my 100-400mm and later merge them as a panorama in photoshop. For me the extra weight and bulk in my backpack wasn’t worth it…although it did come in handy when shooting from the ship before and after zodiac tours.

Shooting Tips

Standard Stuff

Most of the standard tips for shooting wildlife apply in the Galapagos:

• Shoot in Shutter Priority.
• Capture action with a fast shutter speed.
• Shoot in bursts to capture ‘micro-expressions.’

One Exception:

Telling you to get down low so you can shoot wildlife at eye level is also pretty standard advice but in the Galapagos, it takes in a whole new meaning. Since the critters here will allow you to get far closer than you are used to, you might not even think of trying to get down on your belly to photograph a baby seal 6 feet away.

Another Exception:

The wildlife’s nonchalance around humans can present some unique photo ops. Be on the lookout for the kind of shots you won’t find anywhere else on earth:

Practice shooting Birds

Birds will probably comprise most of the wildlife you photograph on this trip. If you don’t have much expertise photographing flying birds, save yourself some frustration by practicing ahead of time. Read up on techniques and the recommended camera settings for birds in flight too (focus settings/shutter speed/etc.) Here is an article that gives a solid overview.

Leave it at Home

• A tripod isn’t helpful for shooting wildlife in good light (especially when in a zodiac or hiking), which is what you are doing nearly all of the time.
• Lots of folks will tell you MUST have your polarizer. I brought mine. Didn’t touch it. It would have helped reduce water reflections IF I had a shot that needed that…but I never did. Hey, polarizers are small and light so it doesn’t hurt to have one in your bag, just don’t keep it on your lens and rob you of a stop of exposure.
• I don’t know why you would bring a flash but their use is forbidden in the Galapagos around wildlife anyway.
• Drones are not allowed in the Galapagos either.

Final Thoughts

That recaps the things I learned the hard way…now you won’t have to! For more general information and photos taken during my Galapagos trip, check out this blog.

There is a reason that the Galapagos is on the bucket list for so many photographers. Even if you don’t usually shoot a lot of wildlife, this target-rich environment of exotic and fearless critters make it a photographer’s playground.

Cheers!

Jeff

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