Wildlife Photography

 

TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING NATURE AND WILDLIFE

If you have an interest in wildlife or nature photography, there is a good chance that you have seen one day or another a breathtaking picture. Perhaps it was a photograph of a landscape captured during the golden hour or the chance to fall by chance on a natural beauty that you had never noticed before. You may have even wondered, "But how did they do that? " 

Well, in the majority of cases, these incredible photos were born through a good dose of physical suffering, patience, and a lot of luck.

Here are some tips to help you put the chance of your side in wildlife photography in order to capture unique moments.

Do your homework before you leave

Be as educated as possible before you take a picture. Observe, prepare, analyze, do your homework is one of the most important animal photography parts. It does not bring anything concrete if you leave like this to adventure in an environment that you do not know. As much for your safety as to have the chance to take beautiful pictures in large numbers during the day. Although you can never be totally prepared for all the challenges you will face (which is part of the adventure), you can find out from the internet, local people, rangers that you can safely Passion that led you to make your exit.

Between 10am and 4pm, when the sun is shining, the photos are less interesting. They are confined to portraits of animals at rest. Twilight and dawn are the moments when the animal leaves its shelter. You are no longer in the portrait of the animal you love, you enter into drama, action. Your pictures tell a story.

What materials to bring

Precipitation is not on the agenda, I will say, patience and perseverance are essential. You also need to understand the limitations of your kit, so you can have realistic expectations and avoid disappointment. Telephoto lenses and long focal lenses are the optics that give the best results. Note however, the more bright they are, the higher the prices go! Stabilized lenses also provide comfort and help to improve difficult shooting conditions. A stable foot also allows to take pictures at a distance avoiding the blur of shake. On the housing side, all non-full frame reflexes induce cropping. For example, a 300 mm telephoto lens converts to a 450 mm Nikon camera (x1.5 at Nikon, x1.3 at Canon, x2 at Olympus). 

Enclosures that take good pictures at high sensitivities (up to 6400 ISO) make the most of available light.

Before leaving, once again, know where you are going, what you plan to photograph. This will save you from overloading yourself. Indeed, preparing your bag is sometimes a headache. It is easy to overload your bag for fear of lack of equipment. The research you have done before leaving will greatly help you in your equipment to bring as you will know what types of animals you will encounter and what reliefs, what scenes you are going to be likely to encounter. Decide what is most and least important to you. Make choices, commit yourself to respect them, and then let it stay on. It will be easier to make choices when the time comes and everything will be much less stressful.

If you plan to photograph wildlife, such as birds and animals that can be scary, your best zoom will be your best friend so that you can keep a distance between you and your subject. Photograph landscapes or scenes where discretion is not a problem, you might want to consider taking a wide angle lens to better capture your scene. In the end, there is no secret formula and no real all-in-one objective to cover all situations. Be informed before you leave so that you can make the best use of the goal you have.

A good bag is worth its weight in gold

You will be able to prepare your equipment to make the most of it, but if you do not have what you need to transport your essential equipment comfortably, you will not be any more advanced. Find a photo bag that can carry the material you need easily, and also that it is suitable for your body. Many bag are offered in the market in prices and quality which can vary greatly. Keep in mind, you might consider a bag that is semi-waterproof or water resistant, that would be a minimum.

Feel free to leave your experience on your backpacks in the comments at the bottom of the article.

Why you bought it, the strengths and weaknesses etc ...

Elements of comfort

Shoes: A good pair of hiking shoes or boots is one of the most important pieces for any wildlife photographer. Dirt, mud, water, insects, rocks, and bugs - you need a pair of shoes or boots that can handle all of these. Your shoes should be well-fitting and suitable for walking long distances. If your feet become a calavera, it will not be long before you start thinking about shortening your trip.

 

Prepare a checklist. 

It is always a good idea to have a checklist in mind before starting any photographs. Before you leave, you should ask yourself the following questions:

    Are there special permits or permits required? Some wildlife parks and reserves require special permits for access to certain areas, especially those that are considered protected environments.

    Where will I park my vehicle? This is very important. Believe me, if you park your vehicle in an unauthorized area, you will be stuck with a significant fine or worse, your vehicle will have been towed.

    Are there time constraints, opening hours? Most natural areas and parks have hours of operation just like a business. Inquire, maybe despite that, you could still have access to the park. Remember also that wildlife is usually more active early in the morning or late at night.

    What are the predicted meteorological conditions? This is vital, vital according to the location and the season of the trip. Know what to expect as much as the weather is concerned. Check the forecast on the day of departure and keep an eye on it all day if possible. NEVER assume anything or let chance decide. You would in many cases be in danger.

    What are the hours of sunrise and sunset? Again, make sure of the places you want to photograph. You need to be aware of the sunrise and dusk timetable so you have enough time to reach your location, set up your equipment before it is too late to leave.

    Are there any animals, landmarks or observation structures to photograph? Look for what is usually photographed in the area you plan to visit. Find a park warden or a staff member and ask about lesser known issues that are less frequented by tourists. Knowing what is popular will save you time and will help you avoid shooting over and over again photographed. Look for ways to be creative to define a unique job!

Now you have prepared your exit, taken your equipment with you, you have studied your site and you have a good idea of ​​what awaits you. Here are some basic tips that can help you achieve your goals.

In RAW

If possible, set your camera to capture RAW images from the camera. RAW image files are essentially unprocessed, one might say raw, directly from the image sensor of your camera. They contain an enormous amount of pixel information compared to JPEG and also takes up much more space for memory card. However, this additional information allows more latitude for post-processing adjustments.

Use the lowest practical ISO 

The ISO number of films and sensors of photographic images concerns their sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO will be, the more your picture will have grain, image noise. In most (but not all) situations it is generally suggested to use the lowest possible ISO standard. This does not mean that you should not mount ISO but always keeping in mind that We want to get as picture rendering. A fast shutter speed is often needed to capture the rapid movements of wildlife.

Use Continuous AF (AI Servo) mode when shooting wildlife

 Autofocus (AF) can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Autofocus is a great tool! Animals and birds, especially the wild variety, are almost constantly in motion. They move positions and move closer or farther selfishly, with little regard for the picture you are trying so carefully to compose. This is so, the AF-Continuous and AF Servo modes will be useful. Called with different names depending on the brand of your camera, they both have the same goal which is to keep a subject in motion net at all times. Place your selected focus area on your subject and press the shutter button halfway to engage the autofocus. The focus will be followed as long as you follow your subject while keeping the trigger pressed. Read the manual of your camera (you have done this already, do not?) For detailed information about autofocus capabilities specific to your model, and how each mode can be selected.

 

Do not forget the tripod

 "I really did not think I might need my tripod" are words that usually start a sad story. Most wildlife and photography nature, a tripod is always a good idea. It is better to bring one and not to use it than to have not brought it and to need it. Find the lightest and most compact tripod that is strong enough to support your camera.

Photographing wildlife can be difficult, but it can also give huge artistic, personal, and even spiritual rewards. So get out and have fun doing what you do but do not forget to put the camera in stby from time to time to enjoy the world around you.