There are many accomplished wildlife photographers but that does not mean the field does not require more. Being an accomplished wildlife photographer requires patience, hard work and skill of course.
If you are getting started with wildlife photography and want to hone your skills accordingly, then here are vital tips to help you get started.
1. Lighting is key.
Get out early and stay out till late to capitalise on the golden rays of the sun. Shoot with the light behind you or in front of you but not with overhead light.
2. Perfect Shots Are a Result of Broken Rules
Rules are obviously meant to be broken. Forget all the photography rules you have learnt before and shoot freely with no rule barriers and limitations. You will be amazed at what you will shoot.
3. Patient Is Key too
With wildlife photography, patience plays a key role. Things just don’t unfold as you see on television. To get that perfect shot, you need to wait long hours for the perfect moment to present itself. You don’t force things with wildlife photography, for example, you can wait for over 8 hours to capture a kill or an animal with its cubs or calf.
4. Ensure You Have The Best Guide
If you get a guide who understands animal behaviour and he/she understands photography too, then you are one lucky photographer because they will play a huge role in helping you with your shoot.
5. Don’t Just Shoot, Look For Detail
With wildlife photography, everyone is used to full images of animals and they don’t like seeing them anymore. To catch your viewer’s attention by looking for detail to shoot like the tail of a leopard, an elephant tusk, a lion’s mane or even a feather of a bird. A particular aspect of an animal can get more attention than a full image of the animal.
6. Keep The Camera Steady
Ensure that you have supporting equipment like a tripod or a stabilizer to help keep the camera steady as you shoot for good photos.
7. Keep The Background Simple
Try as much as possible to keep the background of your photos simple and non-distracting because a photo with a distracting or cluttered background can cause the subject to get lost in the frame. Less is more.
8. Shoot Extraordinary Images
Many wildlife photographers who I have sampled their work shoot boring ordinary images like cubs biting their mother’s tail, cubs hugging and so on and so forth. Put your creativity into a test and shoot extraordinary images that stand out when compared side to side with other wildlife photographers.
9. Think, Then Shoot
An image is a story told but not through word of mouth. So before you tell a story, think about what you want to portray. Don’t just click away without a second thought and giving us sorry images in the name of creativity, think.