READYING to leave Moscow, where James Hill is based, for a recent trip to Kenya that included a three-day safari in the Masai Mara, Hill was determined to take the right equipment.

Hill had learned his lesson 25 years earlier, when he had last was on a safari as a student.

Back then, he was armed with a basic camera and a couple of lenses. The result was lots of images with plenty of big game — all of which looked very far away.

Those photos are now in a box somewhere…

Hill has learned his lesson that photographing  a safari takes more than just creative composition. It takes a combination of logistics, equipment, luck, and more.

Hill who has been part of our Summit faculty was featured in a full-page story in the New York Times where he gave hints on how to make a three-day trip to Kenya produce memorable pictures.

2012 Copyright James Hill for The New York Times