Wildlife
photography can be a great way to secure yourself a series of images of
animals that you are proud of. However, it can be extremely challenging
to capture good wildlife images because photographers often make errors
resulting in missed opportunities.
When you have been waiting for a while and are suddenly faced with
photographing a wildlife encounter of a rare species, it is easy to get
carried away with the excitement. You may forget the essentials and make
mistakes, consequently missing out on the perfect shot.
To help you improve your chances of capturing a great wildlife image, avoid making these common mistakes:
1. Not doing your research
Knowing a bit about your subject, such as where and when you can see
them, is an essential part of capturing a memorable wildlife shot.
Turning up to a place and hoping for the best will likely result in
disappointment. Your best bet is to do your homework and be as prepared
as you can.
Generally, animals move quickly, and if you aren’t careful when
taking your pictures, they can often result in motion blur. Sometimes
adding intentional motion to your wildlife pictures can be effective and
is a great way to add dynamism to your images through techniques such
as panning.
However, if you want to achieve sharper and more static images, which I
would recommend for the majority of wildlife photographs, you need to
take care that your shutter speed is not too slow.
One way to ensure a faster shutter speed is to increase the ISO.
Many photographers make the mistake of keeping the ISO low when
photographing wildlife. This is usually to maintain maximum image
quality. However, with a higher ISO, sharper shots will be achievable as
the shutter speed increases.
One of the biggest mistakes photographers tend to make when
photographing wildlife is not being prepared. If you are not ready for
the shot before it happens, you will miss it. Being unprepared could be
something as simple as your battery going flat when you are taking
photos or running out of space on your memory card.
Having
prepared my camera the night before by charging my batteries and making
sure my memory card had sufficient room to accommodate several images, I
was able to take this shot of a deer as it appeared between the trees.
Have you ever returned home from photographing wildlife images only
to discover that your images are not sharp? This is one of the biggest
pitfalls of recording good wildlife photos. It is likely that it may
have been a case of not focusing on the subject properly. Therefore, be
sure to aim and focus the camera on the part of the image you want sharp.
Wild animals are easily spooked when approached by humans which means
getting close to them is usually a challenging undertaking. As a
result, you may find that your wildlife shots tend to have more of the
surroundings in your shot, with your subject looking insignificant and
lost in the background. Sometimes shooting an environment portrait of an
animal can work well, but most of the time you will want to fill the
frame with your animal shots. So if you aim to try and capture more of
your subject, zoom in a bit closer.
Taking pictures of fast moving animals can often result in poor compositional
shots. For example, a fleeting moment of a bird in flight or landing
happens so fast that just getting a shot usually occurs to the sacrifice
of the composition. Pictures can be spoilt by flapping wings, clipped
parts of the body (such as the wings or tail), and not giving your
subject enough space.
Common mistakes that you are likely to make when photographing
wildlife include not being prepared or doing your research, motion blur,
using too low an ISO, out-of-focus pictures, poor composition and
including too small a main subject in the frame.
Now that you are aware of what not to do when photographing wildlife,
turn these mistakes around to enhance your chances of capturing an
image you can be proud of.
Now it’s your turn to venture out with your camera to photograph wildlife and share your images with us in the comments below.
If there is one area that seems to flummox more aspiring wildlife
photographers it is the subject of making sharp images. You’d think that
with today’s modern cameras and equipment that there’d be no problem
going home with sharp images after each wildlife encounter. Un
fortunately, that isn’t the case and I’m going to provide you with some
tips and tricks to make sure you’ve got the best possible chance of
making sharp images.
Mountain
Bluebird with prey: Canon EOS Digital Rebel, Canon 100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS
lens @400mm, 1/800th of a second at F8, ISO 400 – Hand held
Lenses
One of the truisms in wildlife photography is that it is virtually
impossible to have too much lens. This means it is extremely rare that
the wildlife critter you are trying to photograph is too big in your
viewfinder and in fact the opposite is much more common. Not everyone
can afford one of the prime super-telephoto lenses that the major
manufacturers produce. These lenses in the range of 300mm to 800mm can
set you back anywhere between $5,000 and $11,000 respectively. Unless
you’re a pro or a serious amateur with a healthy bank balance, these
lenses aren’t feasible for the average user.
So, what’s a person to do? My recommendation is to purchase the
largest telephoto lens you can afford. And when you’re looking at
telephoto lenses, you want the biggest number of millimetres that you
can afford. Common lens lengths include 200mm, 300mm and 400mm.
If you end up purchasing a zoom lens, look for one that has the
shortest range possible. Why? Because in general, the more extreme the
range the lens covers, the lower the quality at all those ranges.
Therefore, I’d choose a lens that gives a range of 70-300mm over a lens
that gives a 35-3500mm range every time. You also want to purchase the
fastest lens you can afford. All lenses have a maximum aperture they can
photograph at.
A lens rated at F2.8 is two stops faster than a lens rated at F5.6
and allows four times as much light to reach the camera’s sensor.
Because wildlife is often photographed under challenging lighting
conditions, a faster lens allows for faster shutter speeds which equals
sharper images.
Long-tailed
Weasel pauses outside of ground squirrel burrow: Canon EOS Digital
Rebel, Canon 500mm F4L IS, 1.4x Extender II @ 700mm, 1/500th of a second
at F7.1, ISO 200 – Hand held
Teleconverters/Extenders
I also recommend purchasing a teleconverter (or extender).
Teleconverters are rated by the number of times they magnify your lenses
range. So, if you’re using a 1.4x teleconverter on a 300mm lens, you’ve
now got yourself a 420mm lens. Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of
some light and so if your 300mm lens was rated at F2.8, a 1.4x
teleconverter will cost you one stop of light and it will effectively
become a 420mm F4.0 lens. Stay away from the two-times (2.0x)
teleconverters unless you happen to own one of those multi-thousand
dollar prime super-telephoto lenses we were discussing earlier.
You’ll often hear that teleconverters degrade the quality of the
image and this is true, but there is a trick for overcoming this
problem. The solution? Stopping down up to a full stop. If you’re not
familiar with the terminology, stopping down means using a smaller
aperture setting (smaller aperture == larger f-stop number).
While it is a general practice to photograph wildlife wide open (at
the lenses largest opening or smallest f-stop) to separate the subject
from the background, I recommend practicing with your lens/teleconverter
combination to see how much you need to stop down to make sharper
images. Depending on the lens I’m using, I find I need to stop down
between 1/3 of a stop up to a full stop.
Support
What else can you do to get sharper images? Use some sort of support.
I’ve met a few photographers who have no problem making sharp images
hand-holding over 6.5kg (14 pounds) but the majority of people will make
sharper images using support. Buy the highest quality tripod you can
afford. Make sure the tripod is rated to support at least the amount of
weight you’re going to put on it. High quality tripods can be pretty
pricey but another alternative to consider that will also give your
camera/lens combinations great support is a monopod.
These handy devices also provide excellent support for even the
heaviest equipment and they are a lot easier to pack and move about. If
you want to save some money, (and who doesn’t), consider purchasing
aluminum tripods and monopods over carbon fibre. They aren’t quite as
light and they get cold as heck in the winter, but they are strong and a
whole lot more affordable.
So,
now that you’ve got yourself the best wildlife photography equipment
your pocket book will allow, stay tuned for my next column (next week)
where I’ll give you the tips and tricks you’ll need to make the sharpest
photographs possible. Update: read Part 2 of this series here.
Until then, get out there and practice, practice, practice!.
Photograph ducks at the local pond or go to a dog park and capture some
of the action there. Regardless of whether you are in a remote location
or on your own back deck, the more familiar you are with your equipment,
the better chance you’ll have of making an award winning shot.
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Making Sharper Wildlife Photographs – [Part 2 of 2]
House
Finch perched on a spruce tree branch: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 500mm
F4L IS lens, 1.4x Extender II and 2.0x Extender II @1400mm, 1/400th of a
second at F10, ISO 800, Gitzo 3541 Tripod with Jobu Design BWG-Pro
gimbal head
My first piece of advice is to learn how to use your tripod along
with whichever type of tripod head you have. My recommendation for
wildlife photography is to use some sort of Gimbal head like the
excellent models sold by Canadian company Jobu Design.
These
heads allow you to balance the lens/camera over top of the tripod while
providing finger tip control. If you’re using a monopod, I’d mount the
lens either directly to the monopod or use a quick release plate. At the
risk of sounding like a children’s piano tacher, and not meaning to
pester, but you do need to practice with this gear to become proficient.
Photographic opportunities in the wild are often fleeting and you’ll
need to rehearse so that when the time comes you’re making great images
and not fumbling with knobs and latches.
Shutter Speeds
Another aspect of making sharp images is using a fast enough shutter
speed. As a rule-of-thumb when photographing off of a tripod or monopod,
you’ll want your shutter speed to come close to matching 1/2 of your
focal length. This rule means that if I’m photographing at a focal
length of 400mm, I’ll want to make sure that I’ve got a shutter speed of
at least 1/200th of a second to make a sharp image of a stationary
critter. If there’s a lot of action going on and you want to freeze the
motion, shutter speeds of 1/500th of a second or quicker may be
required. I’m also not afraid to use my camera’s higher ISO settings to
get a higher shutter speed if required.
There is little doubt that today’s lenses with their built-in
gyroscopes to help stabilize the image go a long way in letting
photographers get away with slower shutter speeds than the one over the
focal length rule of thumb would allow for.
Many of today’s stabilized lenses claim that they can save three or
even four stops of shutter speed and still return sharp results. My
experience has been that these lenses (IS for Canon users, VR for Nikon
shooters, OS or some variation thereof for the rest) do make a
tremendous difference and are especially useful in low light shooting
conditions. Look at many of my pictures and you’ll see I’m a big
beneficiary of this new technology.
Muskrat
pauses while eating: Canon 1Ds Mark II, Canon 500mm F4L IS lens, 1.4x
Extender II and 2.0x Extender II @1400mm, 1/500th of a second at F10,
ISO 640, Saddle-shaped bean bag from vehicle window
The Eyes Have It…
Another trick for making sharper images comes down to the connection
between the camera and your body. While it might seem to make sense to
just lightly rest your eye against the camera’s viewfinder, I suggest
you do the opposite. When I’m photographing using telephoto lenses, I
physically push my eye as firmly as possible against the viewfinder (or
in my case glasses which leaves them very greasy at the end of a photo
session).
This technique allows the mass of my body to help dampen vibrations
the camera might be experiencing. Next, I hold the camera with my right
hand positioned to press the shutter release and make adjustments to the
camera’s settings. My left hand gets draped over top of the lens.
Again, we’re trying to use our body’s weight to help dampen vibrations
and steady the rig as much as possible.
Now that I’ve got my camera equipment mounted on a suitably
weight-rated tripod or monopod, I’ve chosen a suitable shutter speed AND
I’ve positioned my body against and on the camera to ensure steadiness,
all I’ve got to do is shoot away and I’m good, right?
Squeeze the Shutter Release
Not quite. The next trick is to learn how to press the shutter
release. If you were a casual observer watching just my finger on the
shutter release, I’d wager you’d never be able to accurately guess when
I’d made a photograph. And that’s because I’ve practiced my technique to
the point where, much like the way a sniper squeezes the trigger on a
rifle, I can release the shutter on my camera with the same controlled
almost indiscernible action.
While I’m photographing, my shutter finger never loses contact with
the shutter button and I’m not so much pressing it as I am squeezing it.
Remember to squeeze and never stab the shutter button. When
photographing wildlife at the longer telephoto lengths, you need to keep
all of your actions as smooth as possible and the way you press the
shutter is a huge factor in making sharp images.
To summarize these techniques, get your camera gear supported in the
best way possible, choose an appropriate shutter speed, brace your body
against the equipment so that you almost become part of it and finally
squeeze the shutter button with the most subtle of movements. Remember
to utilize the three P’s of wildlife photograph (Practice, Practice,
Practice) and you have my guarantee that you’ll be well on your way to
producing sharper images.
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5 Most Common Mistakes in Wildlife Photography and How to Avoid Them
Animals, especially wild ones, make such beautiful subjects that we
cannot resist turning our cameras on them to capture images of these
majestic creatures in their natural state.
Unlike a landscape, creatures are constantly in motion, and unlike
most people, they can be pretty uncooperative when it comes to getting
their picture taken. This can make for a lot of botched pictures. Here
are a few tips on how to avoid some of the common pitfalls of wildlife
photography.
1. A Tiny Subject
It’s tough to approach a wild animal – they are easily spooked.
Because of this, many wildlife photos have more wilderness than
wildlife, with the animal becoming a tiny speck in its environment. This
can be effective in some situations, but for the most part you want the
animal to be large enough in the frame to see the detail in its eyes.
This is where a good telephoto lens can really help you out. Using a
long focal length (over 200mm) will allow you to keep your distance
while still filling the frame.
2. Blurry Image
Blur comes in many forms. Your entire image could be blurry due to camera shake; a problem which is magnified by the longer focal lengths needed for wildlife photography.
In landscape photography, using a tripod is a good technique to
prevent camera shake, but a tripod is not as practical when
photographing wildlife. Wildlife photography requires a more active
shooting style – you’ll be moving around constantly – so unless you are
using a lens that is too big to hold comfortably, forget the tripod.
Also, because the animals are always in motion, you’ll need a fast
shutter speed anyway. That leads me to the first method to combat camera
shake blur: using a very fast shutter speed.
In
landscape photography, you normally use a shutter speed that is at
least 1/focal length of your lens. But usually that isn’t going to be
fast enough when photographing wildlife because the animals are always
in motion (even when they appear to be standing still). To avoid
disappointment, you’ll need to use a much faster shutter speed to freeze
both your own motion and the motion of the animal.
Here is my rule of thumb when photographing wildlife: if the animal
appears to be still, use a shutter speed of 1/500th of a second. If the
animal is moving, you’ll have to adjust the shutter speed based on how
fast they are moving. I suggest a minimum of 1/1,000th of a second, or
faster if the animal is moving faster.
Using a lens with image stabilization will also help prevent camera
shake blur. A lens with a wide maximum aperture, say f/2.8 or even f/4,
will let more light in, allowing you to use a faster shutter speed.
Likewise, a camera with low noise at high ISO will let you turn up the sensitivity. All of these options will enable you to make faster exposures with better results.
Another type of blur is focus blur. This results from your camera
being unable to focus, probably because your subject is moving and the
AF motor gets confused. Some cameras and lenses have superior auto focus
systems to others, but regardless of what you have, you can get the
most out of it by setting it to continuous focus mode, usually called
AF-C (Nikon) or AI Servo (Canon). This setting will track the subject’s
movement in the frame and focus on it more quickly and accurately.
3. The Missed Moment
We’ve all been there. You see the perfect shot, frame it,
and hit the shutter. But by the time the camera focuses and the exposure
is made, the animal has moved and all you end up with is the second after the perfect shot.
There are two ways to avoid this heartbreak:
Anticipation
This is a skill that can only come with practice and a keen eye. If you can learn to see when the perfect moment is about
to happen, rather than when it is happenning, you can hit the shutter
right before the peak moment and cause the camera to snap at just the
right time.
Continuous Shooting
When animals are in motion, you’ll get the best chance at a good
result by using continuous shooting mode (also called “drive mode” or
“burst mode”). With this, you can take several images per second and
choose the most successful.
Higher-end DSLRs and mirrorless cameras will have a much faster
maximum shooting speed, but no matter which camera you have, there are a
few things that will help get the highest continuous shooting rate.
One
is a fast memory card – both SD (standard digital) and CF (compact
flash) cards have a certain speed that they operate at, and a faster
card will make sure that your camera doesn’t get bogged down trying to
save the images.
The other is a fully-charged battery – as the juice drains, the
camera can become sluggish, so it’s a good idea to keep an extra battery
or two in your camera bag. For ultimate performance, you can buy a
battery grip that fits on your camera. This holds two batteries at the
same time for maximum speed.
4. Where Is Everyone???
Sometimes wild animals can be hard to find, and they’re not always
where you want them to be. Before you can photograph them, you have to
learn a few things about how to find them.
Know your animals
What types of animals live around you? Before you go out shooting,
find out who they are, what they eat, when they sleep, and where they
like to relax in between. If you’re photographing birds, research which
ones are to be found in your area at which times of year. It’s also
important to know how animals might react if, and when, they feel
threatened – will they fight, or flee?
Know the season
Some animals will be much more active at different times of year –
particularly during autumn, as they rummage up enough food for winter,
and in the spring when some animals come out of hibernation.
Camp out
I don’t mean overnight (unless you’re into that), but it’s often a
very effective practice to find a popular area – probably somewhere with
a source of water, food, shade or shelter – where animals like to
congregate. Set your camera up on a tripod nearby, and disguise yourself
among some trees or brush (some photographers go so far as to buy ,or
build, a blind to hide their presence).
Be patient
Animals work on their own schedule, so don’t try to fit a shooting
session in between other appointments. Great photos take time, and you
must allow nature to unfold at its own pace. Many animals are easily
frightened, so being quiet, still, and inconspicuous will help put them
at ease.
5. Animal Attack!
We don’t call it “wildlife” for nothing – the biggest mistake you can
make is accidentally getting mauled. Animals are not adjusted to polite
society, and can be pretty rough customers if you catch them at the
wrong time, or in the wrong way. They spend most of their waking lives
foraging for food, and a spat over a meal can turn ugly, fast. Never get
in the way of lunch, unless you want to take its place.
Don’t approach a wild animal directly, and if they see you, avoid
looking them in the eye. This is usually a sign of aggression. If you
need to get closer, keep low and move in a broad zig-zag pattern to
avoid frightening the animal.
Be aware of when mating season (or “rutting season”) is for the type
of animal you’ll be photographing. Male mammals are full of testosterone
at this time of year, and can be aggressive, violent, and very
dangerous. Avoid photographing at these times. Similarly, find out when
animals are likely to be giving birth and raising their young. We all
know how risky it can be to get in between a mama bear and her cubs.
Whenever you’re dealing with wildlife, always remember that any
creature can be dangerous when provoked, and it’s very important to
treat animals and their habitat with the utmost care and respect.
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Guide to Attracting Critters to Your Garden for Backyard Wildlife Photography
Wildlife photography brings with it some natural challenges. One of the
greatest being that it is often difficult to have regular access to wild
animals to photograph. Many of us are guilty of looking further afield
for our subjects, but our own back gardens are prime locations for
attracting, and photographing wildlife.
Live in the city suburbs? Doesn’t matter. Your area is likely to be
bustling with bird life that you aren’t aware of yet. This guide will
run you through a few of the best ways you can attract birds and animals
to your garden for easier wildlife photography.
Provide Supplementary Food
Animals are suckers for food. They’re often hungry and looking for
their next meal. The best way to get them to come to your garden is to
provide nutritious, supplementary food. There are a variety of different
methods you can use to feed wild animals.
Bird feeders are available in many different sizes and shapes. A
normal tube system with various feeding holes is available from your
local pet shop or garden centre. They’re inexpensive, and can be filled
with many different varieties of seed. You can buy wild bird food from
the same place, and get anything from mixed seeds to solely sunflower
hearts. I use the latter, and to great effect.
For
attracting mammals, you can get a variety of ground feeders. Squirrels,
for example, love peanuts, hazelnuts and other nutty foods.
Don’t Forget the Ethics
By providing supplementary food to animals, you must not overfeed
them. Fill the feeders maybe 2-3 times per week, so that they do not
become dependent on you as a food source.
Make sure what you are feeding them is suitable. Ask a garden centre
for advice if you need help. If using peanuts, they must be completely
natural (not roasted) and unsalted!
If you decide to stop providing food, you must do so gradually.
Slowly reduce the amount you are feeding over a month or so, allowing
the animals to adjust naturally. Otherwise, you could end up
unintentionally starving some individuals.
Getting Close for Photography
Many garden birds will allow you to sit quietly near the feeders, as
they will eventually get used to you. However, if you want more freedom
to move without scaring them away, get yourself a small tent hide (blind). These are available on Amazon at relatively cheap prices. A shooting blind will do the job perfectly.
Making an Area Photogenic
So by now you have the wildlife, but you still need to capture those
stunning shots. A bird on a feeder isn’t the most attractive of images,
but there are some neat tricks to avoid this.
Place some gnarled twigs and sticks around the feeders. If you need
to, strap them to a pole so they are held horizontally. Birds will use
these as queueing platforms for the feeders, waiting their turn to feed.
You can utilize this moment to capture some lovely portraits of the birds on these photogenic branches. If you’re lucky, you may even get two birds fighting for pride of place.
You should also be wary of your backgrounds.
If you are photographing with a messy backdrop, it will likely come out
in the image and be distracting. If there’s no choice of positioning
next to something plainer, then consider hanging a dark green sheet at a
distance behind your subjects. This will create a pleasing bokeh for your photographs.
Be Patient
The key to wildlife photography is patience. Changes won’t just
happen overnight. Provide food and wait, and eventually you’ll see
results. It shouldn’t take too long, but birds don’t have a radar which
tells them as soon as food is available – they have to find it first!
That’s just about it. Fine-tune your feeding stations overtime,
adding or subtracting elements depending on what works and what doesn’t
work. Good luck!
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The 4 Ps – Tips for Improving Your Wildlife Photography
Taking photographs of wildlife can be one of the most exhilarating
photographic experiences you can try. Spotting an animal in the wild can
be thrilling, and being able to record that moment can be highly
rewarding. However, wild animals can be a particularly challenging
subject matter, so wildlife photography can often prove frustrating.
To help you get the most out of this compelling type of images, here are some tips to improve your wildlife photography.
#1 PREPARATION
No matter what type of wildlife you have chosen to photograph you
will need to spend time getting to know its behaviour, routine and
movements. Read up about your subject in advance, or search online for
video or audio files, that can help you learn more about spotting your
chosen subject. If possible, talk to experts in the field who know
where, and when, to spot wildlife. If you are heading to a nature
reserve or national park to take photographs, staff and volunteers are
normally very willing to let you know of recent sightings, or give you
some handy local advice.
Because you may only get a limited time in which to take wildlife photographs, getting to know your camera settings
is extremely important. Familiarize yourself with how your camera and
lens work before you get to the location so that you don’t miss an
important shot by having the incorrect settings.
Before setting out, make sure you have packed all of the required
gear, and you have spare memory cards and charged batteries. For
wildlife photography, a telephoto lens
is probably going to be essential, but do not overlook packing a wider
angle lens to capture your animals as part of the landscape. Some of the
best wildlife photographs show an animal in its environment and are not
necessarily frame-filling portrait shots. If you are using a telephoto
lens, a tripod or monopod can also form a useful part of your kit to
minimize camera shake. A monopod offers greater flexibility of movement
than a tripod when you are tracking wildlife on the move, but can still
provide adequate stability for your camera to get sharp images.
Check weather reports for the day you are going to shoot wildlife,
but do not necessarily be put off by bad weather. Animals do remain
active during rainy or stormy days, and it is possible to get some
dramatic shots in such conditions. You can buy special covers to protect your camera and lens in wet weather but, often, a durable plastic bag fixed in place with elastic bands can work just as effectively.
As with all genres of photography, lighting is key, and the best light for wildlife photography tends to be around sunrise and sunset.
Animals also tend to be more active at these times of day, often
searching for food. Therefore, make sure you get up early to be ready to
take photographs in the golden light as the sun rises. Shooting into
the sunset can transform a mundane subject into something special, so
look for opportunities to capture dramatic wildlife silhouettes as the sun goes down (see image below).
#2 PRACTICE
As with all types of photography, composition can make the difference
between a good image, and a great image. When composing wildlife
photographs, remember basic compositional guidelines such as the highly
effective Rule of Thirds. If your subject is looking to the left or
right, leave an appropriate amount of space in the frame into which they
can look. The same guideline applies if a moving animal is being
captured – always leave room in the frame for them to move into.
Getting down to eye-level (or lower)
with an animal can produce dramatic images. Taking a shot of an animal
from a standing height looking down on it will usually lack any Wow
Factor as this is the angle from which we are most used to seeing
wildlife. Laying down on the ground so that you are at eye-level with,
or looking up at, the animal will make your chosen subject seem large
and powerful, and can add an element of drama to your final image.
A fundamental rule of wildlife photography is that the subject’s eyes
must always be in perfect focus. However, the autofocus system on your
camera can easily be tricked into locking onto another part of the
animal. A helpful way around this is to set the camera to One Shot mode
(AF-S for Nikon users), select the centre focus point in the
viewfinder, lock the focus on the eyes by pressing the shutter release
button halfway down and then, without releasing, recompose your shot. In
addition to being perfectly focused on the eyes, the most compelling
wildlife images have a catch-light in the eye. A flash, or speedlight,
in your kit can be extremely useful for adding light to dark eyes when
taking close-up animal portraits.
Getting the right focus becomes even harder when shooting an animal
in motion. For moving wildlife, select a continuous autofocus mode such
as AI Servo (AF-C) and select a single focus point in the viewfinder.
Track the action by keeping the single focus point on the subject to
ensure that remains in focus at all times, rather than the background or
foreground.
Shooting in Aperture Priority mode
can be extremely useful for wildlife photography. By using the widest
aperture available (such as f/2.8) you will be able to use the fast
shutter speeds necessary to produce sharp images. The narrow depth of field from using a wide aperture will also help to blur the background and, therefore, will isolate your subject and really make it stand out in the final image.
Do not be afraid to increase your ISO settings
a little in order to keep the shutter speed fast, particularly if
shooting in environments where lighting can be difficult, such as in a
thick forest. A little bit of noise in your image is more acceptable
(and easier to correct if you so wish) than an out-of-focus, or blurry
image.
#3 PERSEVERANCE
While there is no denying that a certain amount of luck definitely
comes in handy, the real key to taking better wildlife photographs is
patience. Not necessarily the patience required for your chosen subject
to appear, but the patience to capture the perfect shot that you have
envisioned.
When you do find an animal out in the wild, watch it for as long as
possible and not just from behind the viewfinder. Spend time with it and
learn its ways. While observing the animal, try to capture some form of
behaviour that is unique to that species. Documenting such behaviour
can produce compelling wildlife shots. Most importantly, enjoy the
experience of wildlife watching as much as taking photographs.
One quick tip is to keep all noise (as in be quiet, not camera noise)
to a minimum when you are shooting in the wild. Dress appropriately,
tread carefully, and possibly most importantly, switch your phone to
silent mode. There is nothing worse than framing a shot and having your
subject scared off by a ringing phone.
There may very well be some periods of waiting and watching. Try not
to get too focused on one particular subject, take a look around while
waiting for your subject to return. You never know, there may very well
be something more interesting waiting just around the corner.
If you want to put in more practice with your wildlife photography
but don’t have much time to spare, a public park can be a great place to
visit on a lunch hour or after work. Parks attract a range of wildlife
such as geese, swans or deer and often you can get a little bit nearer
to the action. A duck pond can produce many opportunities for action
shots and is a great place to practice your skills at close range.
#4 PASSION
To take your wildlife shots from good to great, you need to be
passionate about the natural world you are photographing. Take the time
to appreciate nature and wildlife in all of its forms, wherever you find
it. You do not have to go to an exotic location to do great wildlife
photography. For example, macro photography
offers a range of wildlife opportunities including spiders, beetles and
flies. As someone who was once highly arachnophobic, I can now
appreciate the beauty of spiders and, since photographing them, I do
find them more fascinating than scary.
You could even make a few simple changes to your own garden to encourage more wildlife to come to you.
Making your garden wildlife friendly can be relatively inexpensive and
highly beneficial to local wildlife. Adding a pond or wildflower patch
is both good for the environment, and may provide you with photographic
opportunities.
Most importantly, take great care when photographing wildlife. Do not
put yourself, or the wildlife, at risk and do not disturb their natural
habitats in the process of getting your shot. Respect all wildlife, get
to know your subject well and you will be rewarded with some great
images to share with others, to inspire them to care as much about the
natural world as you do.
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5 Tips for Getting Started with Wildlife Photography for Beginners
There is just something about the natural world that seems to touch
us humans to the very core of our being, especially when it involves
wildlife of any form. When we hear the words “wildlife photography”,
wide open planes of the African Savannah with herds of zebras,
wildebeests and antelope come to mind.
But that is just one part of the natural world pie! Don’t get me
wrong, visiting Africa and going on safari are really high on my bucket
list of places to visit and things to photograph, but I get equally
excited when I am hiking in a national park that is frequented by bears,
bison, eagles and pronghorn deer. There are several brilliant wildlife
photographers out there, and every image they produce has a jaw-dropping
reaction from most of their fans and followers. If you spend some time
and really study their work, you will notice a consistent method to
their approach. There are some simple basic guidelines that budding
wildlife photographers can follow to creating their own Kodak moments!
Here are a few things to keep in mind for a safe, productive, and exciting wildlife photography trip.
1 – Research and planning
I
spent three hours of the afternoon exploring the wonderful forest lodge
at Jim Corbett National
Park in India because the park roads closed in
the afternoon hours to allow animals to move
about freely in the jungle
without the noise created by countless jeep safaris – something that is
not mentioned in most guide books.
Traveling itself is one of those tasks that needs an incredible
amount of planning and research. So it is no surprise that when you are
planning a wildlife photography expedition, you need to add a lot more
to the mix. Scope out the best places to photograph animals, the best
time of day, travel times to and from, as well as any permits and
paperwork needed, well ahead to time to avoid any disappointments once
you get to the location.
Once
we were back in the park on our safari, I was able to see this juvenile
elephant walk across
the path on his way to the deep jungle.
2 – Selecting the right gear
This is a very important part of any photographic expedition and
quite possibly an article in itself. Choosing the right gear for your
wildlife excursions is key. A lot of factors will determine what lens
and cameras you need to carry with you.
Are you primary going to be traveling in a car? If so, you could
bring more than one camera, and a long telephoto lens. Are you going
hiking/camping, and will you be constantly on the move while looking for
animals? If so, then maybe you’ll need to limit yourself to one camera,
and a medium telephoto lens to reduce your load. Is there a possibility
for you to get up-close and personal with the animals? Then, carry a
smaller focal length like an 85mm or 50mm lens.
Are you planning on photographing landscapes too? You may need a wide
angle lens if so. Will you have access to your computer frequently? If
not, you may need a portable external hard drive to backup your images.
How many batteries do you need?
As you can tell, having a plan for where, and what you are looking to
photograph, is really critical in determining what gear you pack.
Driving around in Yellowstone National Park one December morning
found me face to face with this coyote (above) – who was simply enjoying
his morning run. I was too surprised to remember the appropriate lens
choice, camera setting, etc. I just took the snap, and while it may not
be technically perfect, it is one of my favorite images. Just look at
the trot in his paws.
On the other hand, a photographic expedition into Yellowstone National Park a few days later gave me a chance to use a 400mm super telephoto lens to capture this moose feeding along the hillside.
3 – Safety
When doing wildlife photography, it is very important to keep safely
in mind. It doesn’t matter if you are going on safari, or hiking alone
in national parks. Wild animals by nature are unpredictable, and it
would behoove us to remember that we are in their space, and we need to
be respectful of that.
Rules and guidelines in wilderness areas are there for a reason –
your safety and security. Make sure you follow them so that you, or
others around you, don’t get hurt or injured. Whenever possible, travel
in a group, or at least with one other person. There is security in
numbers, and that can work to your advantage.
Seek help from experts who have made the journey before you and
listen to their advice. Hiking a nesting area or denning area is never a
good idea, for a reason! Take care of your gear. Especially if you are
away in remote locations, you don’t want to be careless and risk your
gear malfunctioning just when you need it. Dust and dirt are difficult to clean when you are out in the field.
On a 10 mile alpine hike in Glacier National Park in Montana, USA,
the only gear I could comfortably carry was my 24-70mm lens and I was
able to snap this picture. Not the closeup I really wanted, but this
conveys a message unlike any closeup shot I could have gotten. Bonus
points for spotting what everyone was looking at!
4 – Practice and patience
Wildlife photography, like most other genres, needs a lot of
practice, and an even greater amount of patience. People spend hours and
hours to get the perfect shot – often in less than perfect conditions
like the cold, rain, and even overnight in a bind waiting for the
sunrise shot. So depending on what you are looking to photograph, be
prepared to be patient and wait it out.
Practicing is a little harder to accomplish unless you happen to live
close to a national park or wildlife frequented area. A good
alternative may be to spend time at the local zoo and try to capture
photographs of animals there. A lower cost alternative to testing out
your gear as well as playing around with settings. You could also try this – Guide to Attracting Critters to Your Garden for Backyard Wildlife Photography
A
pond close to my house is a watering hole for many birds during the
spring and summer months.
I am always out there practicing trying to get
a clear shot of these cranes feeding. Perhaps one of
these days, lady
luck will be on my side!
5 – Enjoy the experience beyond the camera LCD
I don’t know about you, but I absolutely hate experiencing my
vacation through the back of my camera. My life is quite busy and hectic
with kids, family, and a full time business. Vacations are always a
welcome, and much needed break to get away from it all, and time to do
the things we all enjoy.
Yes, I absolutely want to capture moments through my camera, but I
also want to be physically, and emotionally present with my family. I am
just as happy seeing that exotic bird or that elusive wild animal with
my own eyes, as I am getting a shot of it – I don’t need to prove it to
the world!
While we were hiking in Glacier National Park in Montana, we saw a
wolverine – yes, we truly did! About 10 minutes after this photo was
taken, the path turned really narrow with a steep incline, so I did the
most sensible thing I could do, and put the camera away. A few minutes
after that, we saw a brown patch of fur run along the path! A ranger
later confirmed that a wolverine was frequenting the area we had just
hiked. Yes, I have no photographs to prove it, but I have the most
wonderful memory of seeing one of the rarest (to see) animals in the
wild! Wolverines are a shy species, so don’t expect to see one out in
the wild. They live in dens made out of snow tunnels, rocks and boulders
and can be found in remote forests and tundra.
What are some of the most interesting wild animals you have photographed? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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How to Choose the Best Lens for Wildlife Photography
Before you select a lens for wildlife photography,
first ask yourself – what are you passionate about photographing? Do
you love exploring the forest and chasing big cats on a wildlife safari?
Perhaps you love photographing birds flying around? Maybe you love to
explore reptiles and amphibians?
After you have figured out what you are passionate about, think about
how many of those subjects are available and whether you can access
that location. For example, if I am passionate about exploring forests
full of tigers, leopards, and elephants, I have to see if those subjects
– and the location – are accessible to me at least once a month.
Alternatively, if I am passionate about colorful birds, I have to check if I can access those locations at least once a month.
If you can access the location and subject of your choice, you are
lucky. It will make your lens selection an easy decision. Since you will
be using that lens every month, it makes complete sense to own the
glass.
Homecoming : Baya Weaver Bird in Flight
On the other hand, if you love birds and African Big five. If you
live away from Africa, then it is better to buy a lens that is perfect
for birds – which you are more likely to shoot every weekend. Whereas,
you may only visit Africa once every three years. Hence, think about it
before you purchase a lens.
The most crucial factor is the budget. How much cash you can allocate
to the lens. Keep aside some money for the camera body, accessories,
and most importantly for travel, as wildlife photography involves a
considerable amount of travel. While travel is sometimes hectic and a
bit expensive, it is an awesome experience!
Key factors to consider while selecting the lens for wildlife photography
To summarise, below are the key factors to consider while selecting the lens for wildlife photography:
Personal liking
Subject availability
Location accessibility
Budget
Technical factors to consider when choosing the best lens for wildlife photography
Let’s start with the technical factors you should consider while choosing the best lens for wildlife photography.
Focal length range
Maximum aperture
Focusing speed
Controls and ergonomics
Compatibility with Teleconverters
Weather sealing
Low light performance
The King – Power, Dominance, Calmness and Royal presence
1. Focal length range
The range of focal lengths
is essential to photographing wildlife images. You need longer focal
lengths to photograph birds and mammals. For photographing birds, you
need a focal length of at least 400 mm. And it can go up to 600 or even
800 mm.
If you are photographing mammals, the required focal length is from
200mm up to 600 mm. The longer the focal length, the better reach you
will have.
However, there are exceptions in some of the cases.
When you want to show wildlife in its habitat or if you can approach
the wildlife at a close distance, you can use shorter focal lengths,
such as 12mm or 14mm.
But in most of the wildlife cases, there will be a distance between
you and the wildlife you photograph. Hence longer focal lengths are
useful.
2. Maximum aperture
Lens aperture determines how much light passes through the lens to the camera’s sensor. Larger apertures help to capture maximum light.
Large aperture lenses focus faster than smaller aperture lenses too.
In wildlife photography, the action is fast, so to capture fast
action, you need a quicker focusing lens. Hence, it’s preferable to use a
lens with a large aperture in Wildlife photography.
The maximum aperture can be f/2.8 and f/4. The lenses with a fast aperture (smaller number) can focus fast.
Image quality, depth of field, and sharpness are superb for lenses with a faster aperture.
Select the lens with an aperture value of f/2.8 or f/4. The smallest
aperture you can go up to is f/5.6. Try not to choose lenses slower than
f/5.6.
Focusing speed is critical for wildlife and bird photography.
The best lens should focus fast and accurately and should be able to focus precisely – even in the low light as well.
Focusing speed is mainly dependent on the maximum aperture and lens construction.
While looking at the lens construction, we will not be able to figure
out the focusing speed. But, based on the maximum aperture number, we
can get an idea of lens focusing speed.
A lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or f/4 focuses fast and accurate.
In general, a fixed focal length lens performs better than a zoom
lens because of less moving glass elements. (There are exceptions. Some
of the zoom lenses focus fast; we will discuss it later in this article)
4. Controls and ergonomics
Controls and ergonomics determine how you can handle and use the lens.
Lens zooming and manual focus rings should be smooth and accurate.
The lens should zoom with optimized ring rotation, so you don’t have to rotate the zoom ring by 360 degrees.
Autofocus and manual override (A/M or M/A) is a great feature. It
means you can autofocus the lens. Further, to fine-tune the focus, you
can manually focus it.
Vibration reduction/image stabilization helps to compensate for any
camera movement. This feature helps to capture a sharp image at low
shutter speed.
The weight of the lens is a significant factor in choosing the lens
too. Less weight is always preferred because you can carry the lens
while hiking or traveling. Similarly, smaller size lenses are right for
traveling and packing.
Most of the wildlife and bird photography lenses are a bit heavy and
bigger. Of course, there are exceptions. Some of the lenses are equally
great in terms of image quality at a much lower weight and size. But the
price of those lenses is higher. We will evaluate those lenses as well
in the next sections.
As you will be using the lens for many years, compatibility with a teleconverter is essential.
The lens should be compatible (in terms of Autofocus performance such as accuracy and speed) with the teleconverter.
Teleconverters help to expand the range of the lens. For example, a
70-200mm f/2.8 lens with a 2X converter will be 140-400mm f/5.6. It
doubles the focal range of the lens and reduces the maximum aperture of
the lens from f/2.8 to f/5.6.
For any lens brand, generally, there are 1.4X, 1.7X, and 2X
teleconverters. If the lens is compatible with all 3 teleconverters,
it’s excellent! But at least it should be compatible with either one of
the teleconverters.
If your lens is compatible with teleconverters, you will be able to extend the focal length of the lens.
6. Weather sealing
The right lens for wildlife photography should be able to take beatings from outdoor weather.
The lens should withstand against rain drizzle, temperature extremes (both hot and cold temperatures), and dust.
Weather sealing should be good enough to stop raindrops and dust from entering into the lens.
The weather sealing of the lens depends on lens construction,
protruding lens elements, type of seals at zoom/focus ring, and at the
camera mount.
With that said, while photographing outdoors, take care. It is always better to clean the lens after each photography trip. Cleaning of lens contacts, lens mounts, front elements, zoom/focusing rings, and protruding parts is good enough.
A graceful walk of a Tusker
7. Low light performance
Low light
focusing performance is dependent on the lens and camera as well. Both
camera and lens play an essential role in low light focusing.
Most of the wildlife action happens during early dawn and late dusk. During this edge of day, light conditions are poor.
Good lenses should be fast and accurate enough to focus in low light.
A lens’s low light performance depends on the maximum aperture and
moving glass elements. Larger apertures of f/2.8 or f/4 and less moving
glass elements mean the lens focuses fast. (Assuming your camera is
having excellent low light autofocus performance.)
Now you are aware of what technical factors to look for, let’s learn
what types of lenses are available for Wildlife photography.
A prime lens has a fixed focal length.
Prime lenses are best for birds and wildlife at a distance.
Because of fewer moving glass elements and maximum aperture, autofocus performance is excellent.
Image quality, sharpness, low light capability, and focus response is
excellent for a prime lens. Prime lenses are compatible with
teleconverters too.
One caveat is, if the wildlife approaches closer to you, you cannot
zoom out and take the picture. Instead, you are stuck with a fixed focal
length. In this case, you may want to take a portrait/close up image.
Compositional flexibility is limited when using prime lenses.
Prime lenses are higher in price and can be a bit heavier as compared to zoom lenses.
However, buying the best prime lens is the most significant
investment you can make in your photography. These lenses last more than
a decade and keep making beautiful images.
Out of your budget, try to spend the maximum amount of money on buying the best prime lens.
A telephoto zoom lens is a variable focal length lens. You can change the focal length of the lens by rotating the zoom ring on the lens.
Telephoto zoom lenses are best for birds and wildlife at long and short distances.
As compared to prime lenses (fixed focal length), Zoom lenses have
more moving glass elements. This affects the focus performance.
However, there are exceptions.
Some of the Telephoto zoom lenses are as fast as prime lenses. We will see which of those lenses are in this article. Telephoto zoom lenses
are compatible with teleconverters. However, teleconverter
compatibility is limited. Telephoto zoom lenses are fully compatible
with some of the teleconverters, while only partially compatible with
other teleconverters.
When choosing a telephoto zoom lens, check the teleconverter compatibility as well.
The main advantage of a zoom lens over a prime lens is variable focal
length. Variable focal length helps in photographing farther as well as
closer objects. Zoom lenses give freedom in image composition as well.
The size and weight of zoom lenses are relatively manageable as
compared to that of prime lenses. Most of the zoom lenses are
hand-holdable and travel-friendly.
While selecting the telephoto zoom lens, look out for aperture
numbers such as f/2.8 and f/4 (for particular lens you can go up to
f/5.6). Try to get the largest possible aperture for the telephoto zoom
lens. This helps in autofocus performance, low light capability, Image
sharpness, and smooth bokeh.
Micro-lenses are a prime lens (fixed focal length).
If insects, snakes, butterflies, or small creatures are your interest, then micro lenses are for you.
The most popular lenses among the photographers are 105mm f/2.8,
180mm f/2.8 and 90mm f/2.8. Among all 105mm f/2.8 lenses are the right
balance of image quality, range, size, weight, and price.
Here are recommended micro-lenses from popular brands:
There are additional micro-lenses from third party brands such as Sigma and Tamron.
Sunbird in Flight
4. Micro 4/3rd Format lens
Micro 4/3rd format lenses are a bit different. The cameras with the Micro 4/3rd system have a smaller sensor size.
For example, a full-frame 100mm lens will become 150mm (1.5 X) on the
crop sensor (small camera sensor body). Whereas on the micro 4/3rd
system cameras, a 100mm lens will become 200mm (2 X).
Micro 4/3rd systems have their benefits such as size, compactness,
weather sealing, and convenience. With a small sensor, as compared to a
full-frame sensor, there is a compromise in terms of image quality and
dynamic range. Lenses for the Micro 4/3rd system are built well. The
quality of the glass, weather sealing, and ergonomics are excellent too.
In wildlife photography,
weather conditions will be hostile. You have to hike along with your
gear. Size and weather resistance of the equipment matters.
Hence specifically for wildlife, photography Micro 4/3rds is an excellent and unique option to consider.
Some of the best micro 4/3rds lenses for wildlife photography are:
Process for selecting the best lens for wildlife photography
As you are now aware of what type of lenses are available for
wildlife photography, let’s look into the process of lens selection.
These steps will help you to select the best lens for wildlife photography.
Identify your photography requirement
Find out what your area of interest is and identify what you want to photograph. You may want to photograph birds or big animals or small creatures. The key is to find out your objects of interest.
Evaluate the lens
Once you have found out what do you love photographing the most,
select the lens accordingly. For example, if you love photographing
birds, then select a telephoto (prime lens). If you like photographing butterflies, insects, and snakes, then select a micro-lens.
Rent the lens
Before you buy the lens, rent it.
Also, try renting similar options in the lens. For example, if you are
looking for a telephoto (prime) lens for birds, then rent and use the
lenses such as 600mm f/4, 500mm f/4, and 400mm f/2.8 and see which lens
you find comfortable while using.
If you want to photograph wild animals, try using lenses such as 70-200 f/2.8, 300mm f/4, and 200-500 f/5.6. By using the lens, you will be able to evaluate it better.
Buy the lens
Once you have evaluated and tried the lens, it is time to buy the
lens. Generally, there is no discount for good lenses. Also, it is
better to buy the new lens as you are going to use the lens for a long
time (likely, more than a decade). Once you buy the lens, make sure all
the functions work correctly.
Make sure you have a lens warranty in place, and you are good to go!
Now it’s your turn
What is your favorite object? Which lens have you selected?
If you have any questions regarding lens selection for wildlife photography, please let us know in the comments below.
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