Gorilla Photography in Volcanoes National Park is an exciting experience that allows you to capture some of the most exciting moments during a gorilla trekking safari. Volcanoes National Park is located in the northwestern part of Rwanda, spanning over 160 km² of rainforest. This National Park is one of the three national parks in Africa that inhabit the endangered mountain gorilla – and the only place to visit for gorilla trekking in Rwanda. To be able to do Gorilla Photography in Volcanoes, you need to first locate them in the wild – a process that involves navigating challenging terrain, thick vegetation cover, and slippery ground. For one to be allowed to trek gorillas in Rwanda or any other gorilla trekking locations in Africa, they need to buy a gorilla trekking permit. Despite several debates about ethical implications of gorilla trekking, everyone should trek them at least once in a lifetime.
The whole gorilla photography experience in Africa (Gorilla Photography in Volcanoes National Park) starts with identifying a gorilla group to trek. Volcanoes National Park is home to 10 habituated mountain gorilla groups (gorilla families in Rwanda) that can be trekked each day by a maximum of 8 visitors. The gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda include; Amahoro group, Sabyinyo group, Hirwa group, Kwitonda group, Umubano, Karisimbi (Susa B), Susa A, Agashya, Ugenda, and Bwenge Group. All the 10 gorilla families can be trekked in Rwanda meaning there are about 80 permits available each day.
After the allocation of gorilla groups, visitors follow the lead of professional ranger guides and indulge deep in the forest to search for the mountain gorillas. Gorilla photography is done during the allocated observation time which is 1 hour. At this moment, its time to position yourself and adjust your lens for the best gorilla photographs.
Volcanoes National Park encompasses dense vegetation that grows on mountain slopes that are challenging to navigate. During a gorilla photography safari, expect to have a distraction from the thick vegetation cover, especially during that moment when you are attempting to photograph a family of gorillas. The terrain can also be uneven and will surely give you a challenge when taking photographs or recording videos. As you are trekking in the forest, follow the guidelines of your ranger guide. When taking photographs, stay low for stability – some photographers even sometimes kneel so as to obtain eye-level shots. We also recommend using manual focus since Autofocus usually struggles with the branches.
Since gorilla trekking in Rwanda takes place in jungles that are not easy to navigate, it is important to prepare and choose the best gear and equipment to use. Volcanoes National Park encompasses a tropical rain forest that receives rainfall all through the year. When visiting this Park for a gorilla trekking experience and Gorilla Photography, consider carrying protective gear for your gadgets, especially for the camera – just in case it rains during the trek. We recommend packing a rain-proof bag which will help you protect your cameras from any damages. Also consider carrying multiple memory cards and batteries for the camera.
Telephoto Zoom Lens: After trekking in the forest for some time and finally locating the mountain gorillas, you are not guaranteed that they will stay in one position as you observe them. We recommend using a telephoto zoom lens for taking photos, as mountain gorillas usually keep moving. A camera with a telephoto lens can help you photograph gorillas even when they are at a distance. Camera lenses of 200mm to 300mm are good for close range and those of a 400mm range are much better for long range shooting. We also recommend you to consider the X-factor Lenses. X-factor lenses are popular with professional photographers, and they are known for taking photographs that are out of the ordinary.
If you are looking forward to capturing the facial expression of these primates, consider shooting on burst mode. Capturing the facial expression of a gorilla is a thrill to photographers – the gorilla’s facial expression is known for changing very quickly, and in seconds. We recommend taking several shots at once so that you can choose the best ones among them. Consider setting your camera at the visitors center when you are heading in the forest to search for mountain gorillas. This will give you an opportunity to photograph even the other attractions that you’ll come across during the trek in the forest.
Go with a second camera: If you can carry the second camera, we recommend carrying it just incase the first one fails to work. Consider a different type from the first one so that you can have two different lenses with different final products for comparison.
Camera Weight: We recommend carrying a lightweight camera since the duration of the gorilla trek usually depends on the location of the gorillas or where they last nested the previous night. The gorilla trek can last anywhere between 30 minutes to 6 hours to complete, depending on the location of the gorilla family you would be following.
There is no need to worry, though since you can hire porters who can help you with carrying your backpack and camera at a very affordable cost of about $15.
Despite being an all-year-round safari destination, there are some months of the year that offer the best gorilla photography and trekking conditions. Rwanda receives two seasons, the dry season and the wet season; the dry season is the best season for safaris in Rwanda. The dry season is the high season for safaris in Rwanda.
There are two dry seasons in Rwanda, the longer dry season between June and September and the short dry season between December and February. It is important to know that during these month of the year, the gorilla permits and accommodation sell out quickly and therefore we recommend booking well in advance, at least 6 month prior to your travel dates.
Despite the dry season offering ideal gorilla trekking conditions, trekking gorillas during the wet season is still possible and comes with its own advantages besides the obvious challenges. The wet seasons are considered low season and some accommodation facilities offer discounts during these months. For visitors who wish to have the whole forest to themselves, the wet season sees fewer numbers of visitors in the park making it the best time to visit. Also photography is great during the wet season as the lush greenery creates spectacular backgrounds for gorilla portraits/Gorilla pictures.
