"If you can find your quarry before sunrise, you are going to be rewarded," according to Paul Goldstein, a photographer who specialises in Safaris.

To get good images you have to sweat, Goldstein told the 2006 Destinations travel show in London.

That means researching in advance to find the right place and getting up early, he said. It also means getting your lens and the light right, and getting low - do not stand in the vehicle looking down.

Most people take landscape pictures, so portrait photos can look more striking, said Goldstein.

Tell a story in the picture, he added. Concentrate on composition and colours. Critically, ensure that photos are sharp.

Cut out any excess foreground. Make sure people look real - not like models. And when taking pictures of wildlife, assume they will be on a calendar and that someone will have to look at each one for an entire month.

Photographers should also be adept at dealing with different weather conditions, and must be patient, said Lou Siroy, picture editor for the travel desk at The Times newspaper.