Travel Photography, Travel Tips

11 Wildlife Photography Tips

When we travel, wildlife photography is one of my very favorite things. It also applies to animals I spot in fields, like horses and cows. Lucky for me, my husband has a bionic eye and can spot wildlife from quite a distance. Over time, I have found a few things that help me to capture photos of loads of different animals. Hopefully these wildlife photography tips will help you as well.

Tips for Photographing Wildlife Black Bear

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Wildlife Photography Tips

ONE

Don’t Get Too Close

Seriously, keep your distance. This man was walking up to this deer, a buck I might add, and while he didn’t get hurt, he easily could have. That deer could have been gorging the man is no time at all. Also, out of this frame, there is another buck on the right, behind the tree. This applies to all wildlife, but especially things that can hurt you. I read an article today from Yellowstone National Park that says to stay at least 25 yards away. Just do it.

Whatever you do, don’t touch the wildlife. Babies are often hidden away from their mothers for hours to keep them safe. Sometimes they wander off some. Don’t touch them. You might think you’re helping them, but you might be killing them. Don’t touch them please.

Wildlife Photography Tips

TWO

It Doesn’t Have to Be Exotic

Just because it’s a horse or cow, don’t miss the opportunity to photography them. They might not be exactly wild, but they are still beautiful. I actually won a ribbon at the fair for a photo I took of a calf. You might fall in love with this kind of photography too.

Tips for Photographing Wildlife Shetland Pony

Three

Get a Good Zoom Lens

It doesn’t have to be one to take photos five miles away, and I would actually tell you that unless you are a really great professional photographer, don’t waste your money. My lens is a 70-300 mm lens and it is plenty close enough. In fact, almost all of these photos were taken with it.

Tips for Photographing Wildlife Spider Monkey

FOUR

Have Patience

We spotted this beautiful grizzly about 1000 yards away. We waited and watched for about 30 minutes before he was close enough for some decent photos. We saw him in Alaska in late August on the Dalton Highway. He was trying to fatten up for the winter.

Tips for Photographing Wildlife Grizzly Bear

FIVE

Look Everywhere

This beauty was down a cliff from us and out of our direct eye sight for sure in Cozumel. I was so excited to see him sitting there trying to attract the ladies. He’s so gorgeous, he might have attracted more than one mate.

Tips for Photographing Wildlife Lizard

SIX

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

This is a big deal, especially if you’re photographing something dangerous. Make sure you’re looking around pretty often because what you see in your lens is not the real distance and most animals are fast! Also, they may have friends close by thinking you would make a tasty meal.

Tips for Photographing Wildlife Musk Ox

SEVEN

Photograph from Different Angles

One of the awesome things about digital photography is that you aren’t wasting film taking a lot of pictures. If you find an animal that stands still long enough, like this Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep was kind enough to do for me, try to get different angles, not just from one spot. This is one of my very favorite pictures I’ve taken.

Tips for Photographing Wildlife Ram

Eight

Photograph at Different Times of the Day

Sometimes you have to visit a place more than one time to get just the right shot. I took this photo at sunrise on a clear day. If you ask me, the lighting is perfect.  Isn’t this white tail a handsome fella?

Tips for Photographing Wildlife White Tail Deer

Nine

Try Something New

When we lived in Martinique and I saw how much life there was in the water, I got an underwater camera a took loads of photos and videos. The camera wasn’t expensive either. It is similar to this one on Amazon. Have some fun with it!

Tips for Photographing Wildlife Sea Turtle

TEN

Look Up

Sometimes you will find the perfect shot above you, like this Stone Sheep we spotted on the cliff during our Alaska Highway Road Trip. It was just chilling and checking us out. Such an awesome find.

Tips for Photographing Wildlife Stone Sheep

ELEVEN

Have Fun

Try not to take yourself and what you’re seeing too seriously. Have a lot of fun with it. Remember, you’re most likely shooting a digital camera, so if some of your photos don’t turn out, it’s no big deal. That grizzly above, I took 172 photos of it.

These are my 11 wildlife photography tips. I am not a professional photographer, but I certainly love to take pictures. Do you enjoy taking photos? If so, what is your favorite subject?

Tips for Photographing Wildlife Star Fish

11 Wildlife Photography Tips

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