I love photography, the immediacy of it. I like the craft, the idea of saying ‘I’m a photographer.'
An exquisite photo collection showcasing awe-inducing moments from around the world, including the aurora borealis, cities made of neon lights, a great wildebeest migration, a contortionist on display—and more.
Wildlife photography is a genre of photography that records the life of animals in their natural settings, like in a forest or underwater. So, wildlife photography often constitutes the images of animals in movement or action such as eating, fighting, or in flight.
Researching wild life:
Long before you are face to face with your subject, you should have done your homework and learned as much as possible about your subject. Not only will this knowledge give you an edge when it comes to anticipating behavior, but you’ll learn some fascinating information. For example, a grizzly bear cub is born in the dead of winter weighing mere ounces and nurses for several months while its mother hibernates before they both emerge from the den in the spring.
The cubs are born with a light-colored necklace (natal ring), which gradually disappears over the course of a summer. If you are interested enough to photograph a subject, you ought to be interested in learning as much as you can about it. Knowledge of your subjects makes the time in the field much more enjoyable and helps to pass the slow times knowing that action can happen at a moment’s notice.
Field Ethics:
As a wildlife photographer and observer you have a responsibility to enjoy your wildlife encounters safely and ethically. If you cause a subject to move away, you are too close.
If your actions cause wildlife to flee, it could very well be the difference between life and death for your subject because the struggle to survive is great at certain times of the year.
Keep in mind that you are not the only one your subject has encountered. Perhaps one small error on your part is no big deal in the overall scheme of things. But cumulative negative encounters by one person after another add up to learned
behavior, and a once-tolerant subject may flee at the mere sight of the next photographer who comes along. Or, even worse, it may act defensively and attack.
Environmental Portraits :
Environmental portraits include your subject in its surroundings, adding a storytelling element to your photographs. Images that show habitat provide additional information about the life of your subject and its habitat to those who view them. Additionally, they add a sense of scale between the subject and its world.
You may find that your preferred style of photography leans towards including more of the environment, or you might be constrained to capture the overall scene due to the lack of extreme focal length (400–600mm). The same elements that go into making a great landscape image also make great environmental portraits—from lens selection to composition to depth of field.
While photographing a Harbor seal in Alaska, I used a mid-range aperture to increase the depth of field, showing more detail in the background yet still keeping it slightly out of focus so that it complements the seal rather than competing with it for your attention.
Note
Although professional photographers work to capture all of the different aspects of wildlife, including portraits, most beginning wildlife photographers tend to start with environmental portraits due to lack of proper equipment (long lenses), lack of photographic skill, and lack of skills in tracking their subject.
Full-body Portraits
Whereas environmental portraits provide a sense of place, a full-body portrait doesn’t include as much of the surroundings, drawing your total attention to the subject.
A tight composition allows you to notice greater details of your subject, such as the shape and size of the flippers on this Harbor seal or the sausage shape of its body and the unique, identifying pattern that adorns it, making it unique from any other seal.
I tend to use a fairly shallow depth of field when making full body portraits to minimize any background distractions.
Frame-filling Portraits
Moving in even tighter, cropping out most of the body, and focusing on your subject’s face brings you closer to feeling that eye-to-eye, soul-to-soul connection with your subject. You can make out the texture of the Harbor seal’s fur, the length of its whiskers, the way its mouth turns up at the corners giving it an endearing expression, and the deep, liquid black of its eyes.
Being able to move in tighter and see such up-close details brings you closer to your subject (literally and figuratively). There’s something about a bold, frame-filling, in-your-face image that can’t help but draw you
Capture Behavior :
I like to photograph portraits as much as the next person, but to really get a sense of your subject, try to capture behavior shots that tell more about its personality and life.
Behavior encompasses basically everything your subject does, from eating to sleeping, courting, mating, raising its young, and so on. The more you know your subject and its behavior, the greater the chances of success at capturing a decisive moment.
I had mere seconds when a Horned Puffin landed on a rock ledge briefly with its beak filled with fish for its young before disappearing into a crevice in the rock where it nests. Behavior is passed down from one generation to another. I spent an enjoyable afternoon with an American Oystercatcher and its chick one day in Florida photographing the parent teaching its young how to catch oysters.
The parent would catch one, remove the shell, and then drop it back in the surf near its baby. The baby would then grab the oyster as if it had found it. Everything the adult oystercatcher did, the youngster would imitate. The experience provided hours of entertainment and great photographs. At one point the mom flapped her wings to rid herself of extra moisture; I aimed and fired, capturing the moment. And just as she finished, I turned to see the chick doing the same thing.
Gesture:
A simple gesture brings your subject to life, making your portraits more dynamic. Gesture can convey curiosity, as in this image of a juvenile Roseate Spoonbill with its head tilted, leg raised, and poised to take that next step as it pauses to look at me photographing it.
Being prepared and on the alert while observing wildlife increases the odds of your capturing a fleeting moment. Gesture is attitude; it can exhibit playful and loving behavior or show aggression.
There can be no question what certain gestures mean. Or, can there? The Mexican ground squirrel in isn’t really sticking its tongue out at me; it came to the water to drink and uses its tongue to lap up the water.
Knowing animal behavior, I didn’t quit shooting when it lifted its head from the pond. Most mammals will give you some tongue action when they’re drinking water, and you are more likely to capture bathing birds at the same water source.
Local and National Wildlife Organizations :
Check your local area for organizations that are dedicated to wildlife, such as the Audubon Society, which is a great resource for learning with all the classes and field trips they offer. Not only will you learn more about wildlife, you will also discover where to find wildlife in your area that you can revisit on your own time with your camera in hand. Chances are that you will even make friends with people who share the same interest and find photography companions to join you on wildlife adventures.
NANPA (National Association of Nature Photographers of America) is a great organization for learning about wildlife and wildlife photography, and for meeting other like-minded wildlife photographers. The association also promotes good field ethics to protect wildlife while you enjoy the opportunity to photograph it (see the section “Field Ethics” for more on NANPA).
Wildlife conservation is another area where you can learn about wildlife and give back to the wildlife that gives you such photographing pleasure. Some conservation groups include National Wildlife Federation, World Wildlife Fund, and Defenders of Wildlife. An Internet search will help you find, an organization in your location and area of interest.
Conclusion :
In conclusion, wildlife photography is an art form that can inspire, inform, and engage people in conservation efforts. It can also help to raise awareness about the plight of endangered species and the need for their protection. Wildlife photography can also be a way to connect with nature and appreciate the beauty of the natural world.
Wildlife photographers play an important role in conservation by documenting the natural world and raising awareness about the importance of protecting it.
Their work can help to educate people about the threats facing wildlife and inspire them to take action to protect it. Wildlife photography can also be a powerful tool for advocacy, as it can help to change people's attitudes towards wildlife and inspire them to support conservation efforts.
Wildlife photography is a challenging but rewarding art form. It requires patience, skill, and a deep understanding of wildlife. But for those who are willing to put in the effort, wildlife photography can be a way to capture the beauty of the natural world and share it with others.