Gorilla photography is hard in a way that surprises most visitors: the animals are black, the forest is dark, the light changes from shade to sunbeam in a second, flash is banned and you have one hour. This guide is written on 14 November 2026. It pulls together the advice of seven photography and safari sources, shows where they disagree, and turns it into a plan: what lens to bring, which settings to start with, how to expose for black fur, what the park rules allow and how to get usable pictures with a phone. People search for it as gorilla photography, gorilla trekking photography tips, best camera for gorilla trekking, best lens for gorilla photography, gorilla photography settings, how to photograph gorillas and can you use a camera when gorilla trekking.
Quick answer
Bring a 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens if you have one, or a 100-400 mm zoom if you want reach, use a fast shutter (at least 1/250 second), set your ISO high (start at 1,600), underexpose by one to two stops for black fur and shoot in RAW with continuous autofocus. Flash is banned, tripods are usually not practical, and you have one hour, so decide your settings on the walk, not in front of the gorillas.
If you only have a phone, you can still take good pictures. Use the main lens, tap to expose on the animal, avoid digital zoom and keep your phone in the shade so the screen is readable. For the rules you must follow with any camera, read our gorilla trekking rules and regulations, and for the hour itself see one hour with the gorillas.
Gorilla photography at a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Flash | Banned |
| Tripod | Usually impractical or not allowed; a monopod can help |
| Drone | Not allowed for ordinary visitors |
| Time | One hour with the gorillas |
| Distance | Seven metres in most sources, but gorillas often come closer |
| Best lens | 70-200 mm f/2.8, plus a wider lens for close encounters |
| Starting ISO | 800 to 1,600, higher in dark forest |
| Shutter speed | At least 1/250 second; faster for moving juveniles |
| Exposure compensation | Minus one to minus two stops for black fur |
| File format | RAW if you can |
| Autofocus | Continuous, single point |
| Phone | Good for wide shots and video; weak in low light |
Chapter 01: What are the rules for cameras?
Flash is banned in Uganda and Rwanda, and every source we read agrees. It startles the animals and can end your visit. Tripods are a grey area: one operator says they are usually not allowed and a monopod helps, another says tripods are impractical and a monopod is fine "if permitted", and a third says to hold a long lens by hand. We tell guests to leave the tripod at the lodge and carry a monopod only if the briefing allows it.
Drones are not allowed for ordinary visitors. Commercial filming, with a camera crew or for paid content, needs a separate permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or the Rwanda Development Board, as two of the sources note. If that is you, read filming and content-creator safaris and photography safaris in East Africa. Keep your camera on a strap, never put equipment on the ground near the animals and keep your voice low. The one-hour clock and the seven-metre rule apply as in our rules guide.
Chapter 02: What is the light like, and why is it hard?
Gorilla forests are dark. In Bwindi, a dense canopy filters most of the light, mist rolls through in the mornings and the animals sit in deep shade, so the camera has to work with a few stops less light than you expect. Rwanda's bamboo and higher slopes at Volcanoes National Park are a little brighter, according to two of our sources, but the contrast between shade and sunbeam is the same. Light also shifts fast: a gorilla in a shaft of sun can burn out its highlights while the one beside it is lost in black.
Sources disagree on the season. One says dry-season skies give better light, another, citing a working photographer, says to avoid the dry season for photography. We read this as a reminder that no month is perfect. The dry months give easier walking and our best time to see gorillas in Uganda and best time to visit Rwanda explain the trade-offs. Rain protection matters in every month.
Chapter 03: Which lens should you bring?
A 70-200 mm f/2.8 is the lens most of our sources name. It lets in enough light, it reaches far enough from seven metres, and it can be hand-held for an hour. A 24-70 mm f/2.8 on a second body, or a lens you can swap, covers the moments when a juvenile walks up to you and a long lens is too tight. If you have only one body, carry one zoom and avoid changing lenses during the hour, which loses time and lets in rain.
A 100-400 mm gives more reach, and two sources call it a lens they wished they had packed. Others call it overkill, because the animals are close and the forest is dense. On a crop-sensor body a 70-200 behaves like a 280-320 mm lens, which is enough. Prime lenses are awkward because distances change. A compact camera with a good zoom, such as a one-inch-sensor model, is a good option if you do not want to carry heavy gear.
Chapter 04: What settings should you start with?
Treat these as a starting point and adjust as the light changes.
- Mode: aperture priority is the common choice. Some photographers prefer manual with auto ISO.
- Aperture: f/2.8 to f/4. One source says f/3.2 to f/4 is sharper than wide open on many lenses.
- Shutter speed: at least 1/250 second. Use 1/500 or faster for juveniles that play or move quickly.
- ISO: start at 800 to 1,600 and let it rise to 3,200 or higher. Modern cameras handle high ISO well, and a sharp noisy picture is better than a clean blurred one.
- Exposure compensation: minus one to minus two stops. A camera exposes black fur as mid-grey, so the picture comes out too bright and loses the detail in the highlights of the face and the leaves around it.
- File format: RAW, because it gives you latitude to recover shadows.
- Focus: continuous autofocus with a single point, on the eye if your camera has eye detection. Back-button focus helps.
- Metering: spot or centre-weighted.
- Burst mode: use bursts of five to ten frames for movement.
- Silent shutter and stabilisation: turn on a silent mode if your camera has one, and switch on image stabilisation.
Sources differ on ISO ranges (from 800 up to 6,400) and on how far to underexpose, so test your camera before you go.
Chapter 05: How should you expose for black fur?
Gorillas are the hardest common subject for a camera's light meter. Fur absorbs light, so the meter tries to brighten it. Dial in minus one to minus two stops of exposure compensation and check your histogram and highlights, since a slight underexposure protects the bright leaves and the sky behind the animal. If the face is in shadow and the background is bright, expose for the face and accept that the background will burn out. A gorilla's eyes and the texture of the fur are what make the picture, so make sure those are sharp and visible.
White balance on auto works, and cloudy is a good starting point for JPEGs. If you shoot RAW you can fix it later.
Chapter 06: What if the gorillas come closer than seven metres?
They will, sooner or later. A research paper that watched treks in Bwindi in 2014 found that visitors were at or inside seven metres on most treks, and several of our sources say juveniles walk up to people and silverbacks pass through the group. When that happens, do not step toward them and do not step backward suddenly. Switch to the wider lens if you have a second body, or zoom out, and stay still. Most sources say to hold your position quietly, and one says to step back if animals approach. Follow your ranger. Crouch rather than tower over the animals, and avoid staring. A young gorilla touching you is not a photo opportunity: let the ranger handle it.
Chapter 07: How do you protect your gear from rain and mud?
Gorilla forests are wet for most of the year. Use a rain cover or a waterproof bag for your camera, carry a microfibre cloth and put your kit in a dry bag in your daypack. A raincoat for you also helps. Bring at least one spare battery and plenty of memory cards, and charge everything the night before, since some lodges have limited power. A power bank and a portable drive are useful if you shoot RAW. The packing advice in our what to wear for gorilla trekking guide and the East Africa safari packing list covers the rest.
Chapter 08: Can you take good photos with a phone?
Yes. A modern phone handles wide shots of the family and the surrounding forest well, and it records good video. The limits are low light and zoom: phones struggle in the dark forest and digital zoom degrades the image. Use the main camera, tap to focus and expose on the gorilla, lower the exposure slightly and avoid flash, which is banned in any case. A small clip-on lens or a second camera helps if you can carry it. A phone also makes a good backup if your main camera fails in the rain.
Chapter 09: What about video and GoPros?
Short video clips on a phone or camera are fine for personal use. Commercial filming needs a permit, as we explain in Chapter 01. None of our sources covers action cameras, so we ask guests to check with the ranger at the briefing before they use one. Keep the same rules in mind as for any camera: no flash, no equipment on the ground and no chasing a shot.
Chapter 10: How do you get a good picture without ruining the visit?
The best gorilla photographs are patient ones. Spend the first ten minutes watching rather than shooting, find where the light is best and wait for the animal to move into it. Keep the camera ready but do not chase. Put the camera down for a few minutes of the hour: guests who do are usually the ones who remember it best. If your group is large, take turns near the front and let others in. A porter or guide can hold your bag so that your hands are free. Our first-time gorilla trekking guide covers the rest of the day.
Chapter 11: Uganda or Rwanda for photography?
Both give you close encounters. Bwindi has more families and a darker forest, and it suits photographers who want to try several groups. Rwanda has easier logistics, shorter treks in many cases and slightly brighter bamboo and open slopes, which can help with light. Our Uganda versus Rwanda comparison and the gorilla permit cost guide explain the other differences. For dedicated photographers, a longer stay with two treks is worth the extra cost, since one dull hour is possible.
Chapter 12: Where do the sources disagree?
We read seven sources. They agree on the basics: no flash, a fast lens, high ISO and RAW. They disagree on whether tripods are allowed, on how far to underexpose, on the best ISO range, on whether a 100-400 mm lens is essential and on the season. We have given a range for each and marked the figures as starting points. One source gives a distance of about 1.5 to 9 metres rather than seven, which conflicts with the rest. We tell guests to follow the park's numbers and their ranger.
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