Five Tips to Taking Great Wildlife Photos
Taking photos of moving subjects can be quite tricky, especially when your subject is a wild animal and will flee if in contact with humans. This makes the process of taking a photo all together more challenging. However, in many scenarios, simple actions can save you a lot of hassle while doing a photoshoot in the wild. Here is a list of my personal top 5 tips that can help you take better wildlife photos.
1. Start Early.
Most diurnal animals will typically rise early in the morning to feed and hydrate themselves. Daylight is also at its finest, either at sunrise or sunset. When you combine these two, logically thinking, the best time to be in the wild is at dawn. Not only is the weather a little less harsh, but you also have more time to work than in the evening. I like to think that the hours I give up by sleeping in I gain by enjoying the fresh air and observing unusual wildlife behavior. Don’t forget the coffee.
2. Study your Subject.
They say that little actions sometimes go a long way. This is exceptionally true with studying your wildlife subject. Whether it is a local bird or an exotic marsupial that can only be seen at night, research will help you locate your subject easier and also help you understand its behavior, consequently leading to better photos.
3. Be Patient and Persistent.
I cannot describe how many hours I’ve spent inside hides and how many attempts I’ve made to photograph certain species. Many of these will fail. Sometimes this is due to the weather, or animal behavior, or even equipment malfunction. However, to be successful, persistence and patience are key, perhaps this is the greatest secret of the job.
4. Choose your Lenses Wisely.
Not all wild subjects will require the focal length of a 600mm lens. Nevertheless, do not pack all of your equipment for every photoshoot. This helps you carry your equipment more comfortably, but it also helps by making transportation, packing, and accessing your bag more efficiently.
5. Innovate and Look for New Ways to Improve.
Once you master a photographing a subject or a species, sometimes it can be hard moving on or finding the motivation to do so. However, innovating and trying new things within your photography niche can be quite rewarding. Don’t follow the rules and patterns. Instead, explore your instincts.
Out of all these tips, the most important perhaps is remember to have fun. Photography can have completely different outcomes depending on the artist’s mood. I guarantee that no matter what niche of photography you belong to, if you are having fun, you will be producing good content
