PT Photography School Tip of the Week: 3 Can’t-Miss Wildlife Photography Tips
- How to quickly change AF points;
- The slowest shutter speed at which you can still get a sharp image;
- The extra margin for error that your camera’s image stabilization system provides to you;
- How far you can push the ISO without getting too much noise.
- Before taking the time to venture into the wild to take photos, get to know your camera inside and out. Practicing with your gear will mean you can spend more time watching and photographing wildlife and less time trying to figure out how to use your camera.
- Don’t be fooled into thinking that you absolutely must have a telephoto lens to take photos of wildlife. They’re nice, to be sure, but other lenses offer a lot as well. Try going wide-angle to capture an image of an animal in its surroundings.
- Try to find groups of animals to photograph. When mates, food, and other essentials are at stake, the action is much more dramatic!
Wildlife photography is a venture that more and more people are undertaking. Why? The combination of improved gear at lower prices, with the rising popularity of photography in general, have combined to make wildlife photography a much more accessible pursuit for novices, enthusiasts, and pros alike.
This week’s PT Photography School Tip of the Week is for those of you that are ready to dive into wildlife photography on a more serious basis. There are some seminal rules of which wildlife photographers must be aware: know your subject, be patient, and take advantage of Golden Hour among them. But we’ve put together three additional wildlife photography tips that will help you take the better wildlife photos that you desire.
Get to Know Your Gear
When we say “get to know your gear,” we don’t mean read through the owner’s manual once. We mean really get to know it. Reading the manual is a must, but so too is going out and taking a lot of practice pictures so that you’re highly familiar with every dial, knob, and setting your camera has to offer. Doing so will be good preparation for taking photos of wildlife.
Here are a few things you should definitely know about your camera:
The kicker is that since wildlife photography is all about timing, and many wildlife events happen in a split second, you need to be able to make these and other adjustments very quickly. In fact, you should practice making adjustments to your exposure settings and focus without moving your camera from your eye. That will take some time, but it will be worth it once you’re in the field.
Don’t Get Stuck on Focal Length
Many photographers have the mistaken notion in their head’s that in order to take the best wildlife photos, you have to get the biggest telephoto lens money can buy. Sure, large lenses come in handy and can help you create some truly stunning images. But the idea that you have to use a telephoto lens for wildlife photography is completely off.
Instead, try getting closer to your subject (while bearing safety in mind) and using a wide-angle lens. Going wide gives you the opportunity to frame whatever animal you’re photographing in the larger environment. Doing so gives more context to the scene and can make it look much more natural – rather than isolating the animal in a tightly framed image, you can show viewers how the animal interacts with its surroundings.
Look for Groups
Many excellent photos of solitary animals have been taken over the years, but the real action is when there are groups of animals gathered together. When mates, food, water, shelter, or other essentials are in play, wildlife can do some pretty spectacular things. If you find a location that has any of these amenities available to wildlife, stick around for awhile and see what happens! You might very well be able to create an image of animal interactions that are dramatic and engaging.
Conclusion
Wildlife photography is a highly rewarding endeavor. Not only do you get the opportunity to photograph beautiful animals, but you also get to enjoy the great outdoors spending time with family, friends, and other photography enthusiasts. As long as you know your gear, shy away from feeling the pressure to purchase the largest lens you can afford, and look for pairs or groups of animals, you will be well on your way to having a productive and enjoyable wildlife photography experience.