By Dan Feildman
To get good shots of animals and birds, you will have to learn to be quick in setting up and framing your shots. Waiting until you get out in the wilderness to learn these tricks is not a good idea. What I found to be very helpful was practicing on my cats and on birds in my yard or local parks. You learn to anticipate their behavior and react fast to get the good shots. Here are some tips on how to get the best shots of animals and birds in the wild.
Practice taking shots of moving targets. Learning how to pan moving targets will allow you to take dramatic photographs with a sense of speed.
Keep your camera handy and set up for unexpected encounters. Make sure you have fully charged camera batteries and plenty of film or memory.
Knowledge is key when setting out to photograph wildlife. Wherever it is you decide to go to take pictures, make sure you research that particular area in advance of arrival so you know what to expect in terms of what kind of animals and birds you will see there. Knowing an animal's habitat can go a long way to figuring out where to find them and what type of behavior you might encounter.
Once you have reached your destination, make sure to walk and move quietly as you search for animals and birds to photograph. By learning to be immobile, you will ensure that your presence doesn't startle or threaten the wildlife around you.
Learn to be observant of everything around you using all your senses. With a little practice, you will gain the ability to be aware of small movements, unusual colors or sounds, even smells that can tip you off to the presence of an animal or bird even when they are well camouflaged. I cannot believe how many times I've watched people walk right by wildlife without noticing them. Hiking with an awareness of your surroundings enhances your experience immeasurably.
The use of telephoto lenses is a must when shooting wildlife. A telephoto lense is the best thing to have to bring you in as close as possible to the intended target without scaring it away. By the same token, a tripod is not always a necessity. If you're lucky enough to have an abundance of light and have practised enough in advance, you will be able to take pictures at a fast shutter speed thereby eliminating shaking of the camera. You can also invest in a camera equipped with a telephoto lense that has vibration reduced technology, but keep in mind these are considerably more expensive to buy.
Make sure when photographing animals and/or birds, you place the sharpest focus on their eyes.
Shoot small animals from a lower angle.
The best times of the day for both viewing and photographing wildlife are early mornings or just before dark; it is at this time where the light is the most dramatic and animals are most active.
Do your best to keep the sun at your back so as to ensure the light will fall directly on the subject.
If you follow all of the above tips for photographing wildlife, you are certain to enhance the experience that much more. If you take all of these tips one step further and practice as much as possible before heading out, you will have every opportunity of not only enjoying yourself, but also ending up with fantastic wildlife pictures.
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