How to get started with wildlife photography

Wildlife is a very specific genre of photography and it can be a bit overwhelming when you are first starting out. But as with anything the best way to get started is just to dive in and see what happens. But here are some tips to help you make that dive smoothly and not belly flop.

Create a plan

Just going out a random time of day to a random place and hoping to find some animals to photography usually doesn’t work. Think about what animal you would like to get photos of. Where are you likely to find them? What time of day are they most active? What type of lighting do you need to get the perfect shot? Etc.

Do your research

To be able to answer the questions in the last tip, you are probably going to have to start by doing some research. Google is a great place to start but it is also worth looking at local books and talking to local experts who probably know a lot about the behaviors and locations of the animals in your area.

To get this photo of a Red Knotted Hornbill I employed a guide who knew the area to help me find them.

Buy the right equipment

Unfortunately, wildlife photography is one of the few genres where you do need to invest in decent equipment to get the results. It is often hard to get close to wildlife and therefore a long telephoto lens comes in very handy. If you are interested in the smaller subjects you may also want to look at getting a macro lens.

Learn how to use your equipment

Many new photographers buy a camera and leave it on auto mode. Yes you can get good pictures in auto mode, but you have very little control over how the image is going to look. By learning what all of those buttons on your camera do and understanding the principles of manual mode you will have a lot more control over the light coming into your camera and therefore a lot more control over how your final image will look. If you want help with learning how to use your equipment make sure you check out my new course, Get To Know Your Camera.

For this photo of a male sunbird I used a 400mm lens.

For this photo of a Huntsman Spider I used a 100mm macro lens

Have fun

Finally you probably want to get into wildlife photography because you love animals and being out in nature, so whatever you do, make sure you take a few minutes to actually appreciate where you are and the experiences you are having. If you are not having fun, what is the point?