Wildlife photography

What makes it wildlife photography

Wildlife photography shows wild animals living on their own terms: feeding, resting, moving, caring for young. Zoo and pet photos look similar but belong to a different category, and honest captions say which is which.

The genre grew alongside faster film and better lenses. In the early 1900s George Shiras III used trip wires and flash at night to photograph deer and other animals, an early form of the camera trap, and his work appeared in National Geographic. In Britain the Kearton brothers pioneered hides and patient fieldwork around the same time.

Today the best wildlife images still come less from equipment than from knowing the animal: its habits, its daily timetable and how close it will tolerate you.

Gear and focal lengths

Most wildlife work needs a long lens. Roughly 300–600 mm on full frame is the usual range; small birds often need the far end, while large mammals in open country can work at 200–400 mm. A crop sensor makes any lens frame tighter, which helps here.

A 100–400 mm or 150–600 mm zoom is a flexible first choice. Fixed telephotos are sharper and brighter but heavier and much more expensive.

A beanbag, monopod or tripod with a gimbal head saves your arms during long waits. Neutral clothing, a hide or simply sitting still in a car often get you closer than extra focal length.

Camera traps and remote triggers let you photograph shy or nocturnal animals without being there at all.

Starting settings

These are approximate starting points; adjust to the light and the animal.

Shutter speed: about 1/500 s for a resting mammal, 1/1000–1/2000 s for birds and anything moving, and 1/2500 s or faster for birds in flight. For a still subject with a stabilised lens you can go slower to save ISO.

Aperture: shoot wide open or one stop down, often f/5.6–f/8. This keeps the shutter fast and blurs a busy background.

ISO: use auto ISO with a sensible upper limit. A slightly noisy sharp photo beats a clean blurry one.

Focus: continuous autofocus with animal or bird eye detection if your camera has it, plus burst mode. Put the focus point on the eye.

Light and composition

Early morning and late afternoon give soft, warm light and are also when many animals are most active. Midday light is harsh and creates dark shadows under brows and wings.

Get down to the animal's eye level. Shooting from a standing height looks down on the subject and feels distant; lying or kneeling makes the photo intimate.

Leave space in the direction the animal is looking or moving. A catchlight, a small reflection of light in the eye, brings the face to life.

Look for behaviour, not just portraits: a yawn, a stretch, a parent feeding chicks. Wider shots that show habitat often tell more than a tight head shot.

Common mistakes

Shutter too slow, which blurs a twitching head or a wingbeat.

Focusing on the body or the branch instead of the eye.

Cutting off feet, wingtips or tails at the frame edge.

Bright skies behind birds, which turn the subject into a dark silhouette; add about +1 to +2 stops of exposure compensation (approximate) or check the histogram.

Chasing animals. Moving closer usually ends the moment and stresses the animal; waiting brings better pictures.

Ethics and the law

Keep your distance. If an animal stops feeding, stares at you, freezes or moves away, you are too close. Back off and use a longer lens or crop instead.

Never disturb nests, dens or roosts. Parents may abandon eggs or young, and predators can follow your trail or scent. In many countries photographing protected species at the nest needs a permit.

Don't bait or call animals in with food, live prey or played-back calls. It changes their behaviour, can make them dependent on people and may break local rules.

Follow park and reserve rules: stay on trails, respect closures and minimum distances, and don't fly drones where they are banned. Rules differ by country and site, so check them before you go.

Be honest about captive or controlled subjects in captions and competitions.

An exercise to try

Choose one spot near you, such as a pond, a park bench or a garden feeder, and visit it at the same hour three times in a week.

Sit still for at least 30 minutes each visit before you lift the camera. Note which animals come, where they land and when.

On the last visit, set 1/1000 s, f/5.6 and auto ISO, get low, and aim for one sharp photo with the eye in focus and space in front of the subject. Compare it with your first attempt.