After reading Geoff Fox’s post on How to Shoot Dogs with Your Camera I’ve been itching to try his tips out for myself. On a recent vacation to Toronto, Canada I photographed the area’s diverse wildlife and am very happy with the results. I found that when you’re taking photos of wildlife, as opposed to pets, though, you need patience, steady breathing, perseverance, and a good camera. More tips, after the jump.
Canadian Geese are usually seen in large flocks eating together or in small groups. They’re not often seen swimming along as a pair… goose love, perhaps?
Take your camera’s settings off Auto: Switch to Portrait, Wildlife, Sports, Shutter Priority, or (my favorite) Manual. If you’re using a DSLR like my Olympus E-510, you should use Manual mode at a fast shutter speed with continuous shooting and possibly and ISO of 400.
Be very quiet Whether you’re using a DSLR, a superzoom, or a point-and-shoot, you should turn your camera’s sounds off. The little digital beeps and whirrs that your camera makes can frighten animals. I learned this the hard way while trying to photograph timid cardinals with my Canon S5 IS.
Turn your flash off: You don’t want to frighten the creature or disorient it from acting totally natural by aiming bright, startling light its way. Besides, the flash tends to wash out the colors of your shot. Unless it’s a nighttime shot (use fill-flash in this case), try not to use a flash.
Use image stabilization: You’re going to need it. If the ducks are swimming too fast and the seagulls are fighting, you’re instinctively going to move to follow the action. OIS comes into huge play here. Set continuous OIS if you’re a far-to-medium distance away and single-shot if you’re close up and are going for the macro shot.
This shot of a bird sand-bathing was taken with a fast shutter speed–ISO 200–and zoomed in. Birds like this will fly away if you get too close, so I used a zoom lens, framed the picture the way I wanted it, and then started shooting. I got this moment thanks to timing and to reading the bird’s body language.
Look For the funny, unusual, exciting, and intimate moments: The squirrel posing like a ninja, the sparrow feeding its chicks. As you get more experienced, your eyes and mind will know what to look for.
How often do you see a squirrel climbing onto someone’s leg to get food?
Frame your shot well: If you’re shooting a mother duck swimming along with her hatchlings at a high resolution (about 8 to 10 megapixels), then you can afford to shoot a bit wider (depending on your distance) and include some of the water on either end of the shot. If you’re shooting a Red Admiral butterfly on a flower, your distance once again determines your framing. How the wind is affecting the flower the butterfly sits on, how close you get, and your movement speed all determine what your shot will look like. Run too fast and too close, and you may frighten the poor thing as it tries to feed. Move at a slow steady pace, control your breathing, stay low, and keep looking through your viewfinder or LCD.
Shoot first, ask questions later: That way, you won’t miss the moment. Afterward you can go back and look at your shots. A good indicator: If someone who wasn’t with you at the moment isn’t mesmerized by the shot, it probably isn’t usable.
For DSLR users–long-distance macro: Use a telephoto zoom lens and set your camera to Macro mode, fiddle with the lens until your subject becomes totally clear or until you frame your picture just right, and snap your photo. This works well in situations where you can’t get very close to the animal. You’ll be impressed with the results.
Original post by Chris Gampat
