Wildlife Photography
Wildlife Photography
Wildlife photography is an exciting and educational endeavor. Wildlife photography is basically going into an animal's home territory and capturing the images on film.
When photographing wildlife the most important piece of equipment is the lens. A zoom lens for wild animal photography is best as most of the animals are far away from the photographer and some of the animals the photographers would want to keep away from. The zoom lens of choice would be at least 50 to 500 mm. that would allow for a far range. These distance shots are best taken with a film camera. Digital cameras lose effectiveness at such long ranges unless they are the very upscale models with interchangeable lenses. It is probably wise to use a lens hood or a filter to block out unnecessary light from the photos.
Film is an important consideration for wildlife photography. In bright sunlight a 100 or 200 ISO is fine, but for action shots or waning sunlight a 400 is recommended. 400 is also a good film to use when using a longer lens.
Flashes can be useful in the harsh sunlight of mid day shooting. If the subject is backlit then using a fill flash can help reduce shadows that muddy the front of the image. Flashes help compensate for the shadows created by the sun when it's at its peak.
Tripods are always helpful for long exposure shots and night photography. When shooting film of animals long exposure shots can come out blurry as the movement of the animal is captured while she shutter is open for a longer period of time.
A good shot in wildlife photography needs to be set up. Observing the subject through the lens and noting its behavior before attempting to capture it on film is advised. One of the best skills a wildlife photographer can have is the ability to sit, wait and watch.