Being out in nature with wild animals can be an exhilarating sensation, and knowing these simple wildlife photography tips will make sure that you get much better results.Twelve essential tips for getting a breathtaking wildlife photograph are here:
1.) You need to put in the time. There is a pretty high chance that you won't be able to get a great picture even if it's a day when you're lucky enough to see lots of wildlife.
2.) Use a wider angle lens to get a picture of the animal in the natural environment instead of just the picture of the animal's head. Often people come home from a day out and all they have are lots of headshot photos.
3.) It isn't the best idea to always place your animal in the centre of the picture. Hold your point of focus and place the animal into a point of thirds in your frame facing into the frame or across the frame. It helps to tell a story to add more interest to people who see the final shot.
4.) To approach a shoot, have your camera ready and when you arrive at the scene, turn the engine off to stop the photo going soft from the vibrations. Sometimes the animal will run away when the engine stops.
5.) What does the background look like? The background will have a big impact on the overall picture. You need to compose it as well as possible
6.) If you're using a central sensor on the animal, the majority of people focus on the animal's nose, and the depth of field will be so shallow that the animal's eyes won't be in focus. Instead, put your focus point on the eye of the animal, then recompose and position the animal in the frame where you want it to be, then shoot the picture.
7.) Check all corners of your frame to make sure there is nothing unwanted in the shot.
8.) If you're planning to do a close up portrait of the animal, it's best to use a shallow depth of field and focus right on the eye.
9.) If you're taking photos of an animal in a landscape, use a point of thirds.
10.) Use the best lens that you can. A good fast lens is of paramount importance. It is worth spending your money on a better lens before a better camera.
11.) If you're using a longer lens, support it as much as you can by using a tripod. If you don't have a tripod to hand, use a bean bag if you're in a vehicle. You can buy conveniently small sized bean bags that are made especially for photography that you can find in camera shops and online.
12.) Try working with something like a Manfrotto 35 clamp because open game drive vehicles all have bars that you can attach it onto. You can use a ball head or Gimble head on top of the clamp and this will enable you to support your long lens very effectively on a game drive vehicle. By using a ball head you will be able to pan from the back or side of a vehicle so if there are animals running or chasing other animals you can pan with them as they run and this enables you to get brilliant photos.
So now that you've been armed with this information, So now that you know all of this stuff, get out there and start capturing some great shots of wildlife!
1.) You need to put in the time. There is a pretty high chance that you won't be able to get a great picture even if it's a day when you're lucky enough to see lots of wildlife.
2.) Use a wider angle lens to get a picture of the animal in the natural environment instead of just the picture of the animal's head. Often people come home from a day out and all they have are lots of headshot photos.
3.) It isn't the best idea to always place your animal in the centre of the picture. Hold your point of focus and place the animal into a point of thirds in your frame facing into the frame or across the frame. It helps to tell a story to add more interest to people who see the final shot.
4.) To approach a shoot, have your camera ready and when you arrive at the scene, turn the engine off to stop the photo going soft from the vibrations. Sometimes the animal will run away when the engine stops.
5.) What does the background look like? The background will have a big impact on the overall picture. You need to compose it as well as possible
6.) If you're using a central sensor on the animal, the majority of people focus on the animal's nose, and the depth of field will be so shallow that the animal's eyes won't be in focus. Instead, put your focus point on the eye of the animal, then recompose and position the animal in the frame where you want it to be, then shoot the picture.
7.) Check all corners of your frame to make sure there is nothing unwanted in the shot.
8.) If you're planning to do a close up portrait of the animal, it's best to use a shallow depth of field and focus right on the eye.
9.) If you're taking photos of an animal in a landscape, use a point of thirds.
10.) Use the best lens that you can. A good fast lens is of paramount importance. It is worth spending your money on a better lens before a better camera.
11.) If you're using a longer lens, support it as much as you can by using a tripod. If you don't have a tripod to hand, use a bean bag if you're in a vehicle. You can buy conveniently small sized bean bags that are made especially for photography that you can find in camera shops and online.
12.) Try working with something like a Manfrotto 35 clamp because open game drive vehicles all have bars that you can attach it onto. You can use a ball head or Gimble head on top of the clamp and this will enable you to support your long lens very effectively on a game drive vehicle. By using a ball head you will be able to pan from the back or side of a vehicle so if there are animals running or chasing other animals you can pan with them as they run and this enables you to get brilliant photos.
So now that you've been armed with this information, So now that you know all of this stuff, get out there and start capturing some great shots of wildlife!
About the Author:
If I had known these wildlife photography tips when I ventured out to South Africa, my pictures would have been much more impressive than they are. For tons more enjoyable posts that help you to improve your photography skills, check them out here on our website.