JT Spunk | Photography

Nature Photography: Five Tips for Great Wildlife Photos

Wildlife photography can be one of the most challenging and rewarding fields of nature photography. With digital cameras creating such widespread interest in all types of photography, new photographers all over the world are taking an interest in wildlife photography.

Most of the photography guides these days focus on the technical aspects of the camera: but really good photography relies more on composition, lighting, and sensitivity to your subject. This means you can improve your photography by thinking creatively, not technically.

Here are five of my top tips for taking better wildlife photographs.

Wildlife Photography Tip #1. Get to the subject’s eye level. Wildlife photos are most effective if they create an intimate connection between the subject and the viewer. The best way to do this is to take your photo at the subject’s eye level. This way, your wildlife photo can create the illusion of sharing a moment inside the world of the subject, rather than from the outside looking in.

If, for example, your subject is low to the ground (like a lizard, frog, or even a pet), crouch or lie flat, getting as low as possible so you can take your photo at the subject’s eye level.

Wildlife Photography Tip #2.It’s All In The Eyes. The personal connection mentioned in tip #1 is really about eye contact, so it is important to get the eyes right. If the eyes in your wildlife photo are sharp and clear, the photo will probably work. If they are out of focus, lost in shadow, or if the subject blinks or turns its eyes away, the connection will be lost, and the photo will almost certainly fail.

You don’t even need your whole subject to be in focus. Your animal could be mostly hidden by leaves, in shadow and out of focus. The picture could still work…as long as the eyes are open and captured sharply in the picture.

Wildlife Photography Tip #3. If The Background Doesn’t Help, Get Rid Of It. Many wildlife photos are spoiled because the background is cluttered, distracting, ugly, or just plain inappropriate. For example, seagulls on a beach can be quite beautiful, but seagulls at the local rubbish tip is a different matter. Also, wildlife photos look far less natural if you can tell they were taken in a zoo. Apply this principle: “Anything that does not make my photo better, makes it worse.”

This does not mean you can’t take a good wildlife photo at the zoo, at the tip, or anywhere else for that matter. You just need to manage it. If your background is spoiling your shot, zoom right in on the subject to eliminate as much of the background as possible. By zooming in, you will also reduce the depth of field to a minimum, so any background that does appear in your photo will be out of focus and less distracting.

Wildlife Photography Tip #4. If Your Background Is Working For You, Use It Well. A wildlife photograph that captures the subject in a beautiful natural setting can be even more effective than a simple close-up. My photos of a kangaroo on the beach, for example, show the subject in an unexpected context, making a more interesting image than a close-up portrait style photo.

If you take your wildlife subject as part of a wider landscape, you need to consider all the techniques of composition that apply to landscape photography. Remember the rule of thirds (which may or may not help) and be careful to position your animal so that the subject and the background work together to make a more effective composition. In particular, try to position your wildlife subject so that it looks toward the centre of the picture, not towards the edge of the frame.

Wildlife Photography Tip #5. Capture your subject in the best possible light. Even the most perfectly composed wildlife photo can fail because of bad lighting. Losing your subject in the shadows, glare reflecting off shiny feathers, and shadows across the face of the subject are all simple mistakes that can ruin a photo.

There is no single rule for lighting in a wildlife photograph, but here are some suggestions. I often find the best results when the sky is lightly overcast with thin cloud. This produces light that is bright, but soft and even compared to full sunlight. Your subject will be well illuminated, but you avoid harsh contrast and heavy shadows that rob the image of important detail.

If the weather is sunny, try to take your photos early and late in the day when the sun is low. At these times the light is soft and warmly coloured. It is also easier to catch the full face of your subject in sunlight, rather than half-obscured by shadow.

So there you have my five tips for wildlife photography. I could cheat and add tip #6: take lots of photos. Animals move, blink, flap their wings, and generally find ways to frustrate the wildlife photographer. Don’t forget, with digital photography it costs you nothing to keep snapping. So practice, persevere, and try out these tips…you could be taking better photos in no time.

About the Author

Andrew Goodall’s collection can be found at http://www.naturesimage.com.au and at his gallery Nature’s Image Photography. Andrew’s ebooks have helped thousands of beginners learn the art and skills of nature photography. Find them at http://www.naturesimage.com.au/page/25/default.asp

Visions of Italy $22.79 Take a stunning aerial tour of Italy, from Lake Como and the Alps to the island of Sicily, with these programs filled with sites of natural beauty and man-made wonders. Visit Florence, Venice, Pisa, Rome and more in “Visions of Italy: Northern Style,” “Visions of Italy: Southern Style” and “Visions of Sicily.” Includes footage not shown on broadcast TV. 4 hrs. total on two discs. Widescreen (Enhan…

Fisher Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera for Girls $69.99 Fisher-Price Kid Tough Digital Camera Toys – This cute, pink camera with flower decals and a two-eye view finder is actually an ultra-durable, digital camera that your daughter will love. With a 1.6″ color LCD preview screen, she can view, sort, delete, or store up to 60 pictures at a time. When she’s found her favorite pictures, help her connect the included USB cord into the computer. The camera…

Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera – Blue $69.99 .caption { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; } ul.indent { list-style: inside disc; text-indent: -15px; } Let your children show you the world through their eyes with the Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera. This innovative toy is a real digital camera designed to be sturdy enough and simple enough for kids as young…

Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Reflector Telescope $359.99 The Orion XT series (available in 4.5″, 6″, 8″, and 10″) includes some of my favorite entry-level telescopes, and I recommend this one, the 8″, most of all. It’s well-made, has very good optics, is relatively cheap, isn’t too big or too small, and has a nice look. It features an 8″ mirror that gathers enough light to do serious work. The mount is a simple alt-az (“altitude-azimuth,” a fancy term…

Contour+ Plus Camera $494.99 Professional storytelling demands the right tools and the right technology. Designed as Contours first hands-free camera for the true filmer, the Contour delivers both for this advanced segment with expanded capabilities and supplemental features. Packed with the highest level of progression of any hands-free to hit the market, the Plus is made to capture not only the action but also the full stor…

The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos $17.70 Design is the single most important factor in creating a successful photograph. The ability to see the potential for a strong picture and then organize the graphic elements into an effective, compelling composition has always been one of the key skills in making photographs. Digital photography has brought a new, exciting aspect to design – first because the instant feedback from a digital camera…

The Photographer’s Eye $11.98 The Photographer’s Eye by John Szarkowski is a twentieth-century classic–an indispensable introduction to the visual language of photography. Based on a landmark exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art in 1964, and originally published in 1966, the book has long been out of print. It is now available again to a new generation of photographers and lovers of photography in this duotone printing that…

The Photographer’s Mind: Creative Thinking for Better Digital Photos $18.59 The source of any photograph is not the camera or even the scene viewed through the viewfinder–it is the mind of the photographer: this is where an image is created before it is committed to a memory card or film. In The Photographer’s Mind, the follow-up to the international bestseller, The Photographer’s Eye, photographer and author Michael Freeman unravels the mystery behind the creation of a …

Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 $64.99 Organize edit create andshareProductInformationAdobe Photoshop Elements 10 lets you celebrate your unforgettablemoments with high-quality consumer photo-editing software. Powerful editing options make great photos a snap – and youcan quickly share in unique ways in print on the web and on mobiledevices.  Get even more editing power and greater ease of useto make all of your photos look a…

Pantone huey Pro MEU113 $89.00 Designed for calibrating and profiling all types of monitors LCD and CRT. Each individual package includes a huey measurement device (emission only colorimeter) with ambient measurement capabilities, and software for monitor calibration. huey corrects the color on your monitor so photos and designs print more accurately, game graphics are more intense and movies are more true to life. Easy to use…

Eyes to See $16.81 No Synopsis Available

With Eyes to See $5.75 This book is in Used condition

Photography by Marien, Mary Warner Edition REV, 2 $20.99 For one or two semester courses in the History of Photography.   A chronological history of photography ranging from the medium’s beginnings to the present, with emphasis on the major inventions and image makers and the social and cultural settings in which photography flourished.   The book was written to introduce students to photography. It does not require that students possess any technical know-how and can be taught without referring to techniques in photography. Incorporating the latest research and international uses of photography, the text surveys the history of photography in such a way that students can gauge the medium's long-term multifold developments and see the historical and intellectual contexts in which photographers lived and worked. It also provides a unique focus on contemporary photo-based work and electronic media.

The Cat’s Eyes Pets iPad 2 Cover by CafePress $55.5 The Cat’s Eyes – Closeup Cat Photography makes excellent gifts for cat lovers. Let those eyes mesmerize you and others. Pets iPad 2 Cover The iPad 2 Cover by Brenthaven is our top-of-the line iPad 2 folio. With a PU Leather exterior and faux-suede liner, the iPad 2 Cover feels luxurious and protective in a slim and sleek design.Custom fits iPad 2. PU leather exterior and Faux

Eyes by Ballard, Carol; Miller, Adam Edition , 2 $16.49 This book explores how the eyes see and how they help us function. It explains the structure of the eyes, describes the different illnesses and injuries that can affect our eyes – from conjunctivitis to blindness – and outlines ways we can keep our eyes healthy.

Extraordinary Everyday Photography (Paperback) $34.92 Get inspired to discover the beautiful images around youPhotographers are born travelers. They`ll go any distance to capture the right light, beautiful landscapes, wildlife, and people. But exotic locales aren`t necessary for interesting photographs. Wonderful images are hiding almost everywhere; you just need to know how to find them. Extraordinary Everyday Photography will help you search beyond the surface to find the unexpected wherever you are, be it a downtown street, a local park, or your own front lawn. Authors Brenda Tharp and Jed Manwaring encourage amateur photographers to slow down, open their eyes, and respond to what they see to create compelling images that aren`t overworked. Through accessible discussions and exercises, readers learn to use composition, available light, color, and point of view to create stunning photographs in any environment. Inspiring photo examples from the authors, taken with DSLRs, compact digital cameras, and even iPhones, show that it is the photographer`s eye and creative vision–not the gear–that make a great image.

See This Sound: Audiovisuology 2: Essays $42.46 This second volume in the “See this Sound” series offers in-depth studies of the historical development and theoretical foundations of the overlap between visual and aural culture. The essays are gathered into two sections. The first section opens with Simon Shaw-Miller’s history of the field, from 1800 to the present; Christian Holler discusses “artistic approaches to image/sound relationships in pop culture”; and Sandra Naumann looks at “the musicalization of the visual arts in the twentieth century.” The second section, “Sound & Image,” includes Hans Beller on film scoring; Diedrich Diederichsen on visual traditions in pop music; Katja Kwastek on music devices and art machines; Birgit Schneider on “Hearing Eyes and Seeing Ears”; and Chris Salter on the neuroscience and aesthetics of immersion, absorption and dissolution in audiovisual art. An epilogue by Michel Chion explores the cognitive conditions of audio experience.