baby rhinos

Tricks of photographic nature and wildlife

If you have an interest in wildlife or nature photography, there is a good chance that you have seen at one time or another an image breathtaking. Maybe it was a photograph of a landscape captured during the golden hour or the chance of getting by chance on a natural beauty you have never noticed before. You’ve maybe even ever asked, “But how did they do that? ”

 

Well, in most cases, these amazing pictures have emerged with a healthy dose of physical suffering, patience, and lots of luck. Here are some tips to help you put the odds on your side in wildlife photography to capture the unique moment.

Be as educated as possible before you make a picture. Observer, prepare, analyze, do your homework is one of the most important parts of animal photography. It does you no good if you leave concrete like that the adventure in an environment that you do not know. Both for your safety and for the chance to take great photos in large numbers during the day. Although you can never be fully prepared for all the challenges you will face (which is part of the adventure), you can learn about internet, local residents, foresters for you to do safely passion that led you to make your exit.

Between 10am and 16h, when the sun shines, the photos are less interesting. They are confined to portraits of animals at rest. Dusk and dawn are the times when the animal leaves its shelter. You’re out of the picture of the animal we like, you go into drama, action. Pictures tell a story.

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The precipitation is not in the agenda, I would even say, patience and perseverance are essential. You should also understand knowing the limits of your kit, so you can have realistic expectations and avoid any disappointed.The telephoto lenses and long lenses are lenses that give the best results. Note however, the more they are bright, most prices go up! The stabilized lenses also provide comfort and help improve the difficult shooting conditions. A very stable foot also allows you to take photos remotely by avoiding camera shake. Side housing, all non-full frame SLR induce cropping. For example, a 300mm telephoto lens becomes a 450mm on a Nikon camera (Nikon x1.5, x1.3, Canon, x2 at Olympus).

The cases that can take decent pictures at high sensitivity (up to ISO 6400) are used to make the most of the available light.

Before leaving, again, know where you go, what you intend to shoot. It will prevent you from getting weighed down. Indeed, prepare her bag is sometimes a headache. It is easy to overload the bag for fear of missing equipment. The research you have done before leaving, will help you greatly in your equipment to make because you will know what types of animals you’ll encounter and what relief, what scenes you’re likely to encounter. Decide what is most and least important to you. Making choices, commit to respect them, and then let the rest go. It will be easier to make choices when the time and everything will be much less stressful.

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If you plan to photograph wildlife, such as birds and animals that can be frightening, your best zoom will be your best friend so you can keep a distance between you and your subject. Shooting landscapes or scenes where discretion is not an issue, you might consider taking a wide angle lens to better capture your scene. Ultimately, there is no secret formula and no true all-in-one lens to cover all situations. Be informed before you leave so you can make the best use of the objective you have.

You can prepare your equipment perfectly to make but if you do not have what you need to carry your essential equipment in comfort, you will not be advanced. Find a camera bag that can carry the equipment you need easily, and also fit to your body. Many bags are offered on the market prices and quality can vary greatly. Keep in mind, you might consider a bag that is waterproof or semi-waterproof, it would be a minimum.

lazy tiger

Shoes: A good pair of hiking shoes or boots is one of the most important parts for any wildlife photographer. Dirt, mud, water, insects, rocks, and bugs – you need a pair of shoes or boots that can handle all of these. Your shoes should fit properly and adapted to walk long distances. If your feet become a calvère, it will not be long before you start thinking about shortening your trip.

It’s always a good idea to have a checklist in mind before starting any photograph. Before you leave you should ask yourself the following questions:

Are there any special permits or authorizations required? Some parks and wildlife reserves require special permits for access to certain areas, especially those that are considered protected environments.

Where will I park my car? This is very important. Believe me, if you park your vehicle in an unauthorized area, you’ll be stuck with a large fine or worse, your vehicle has been towed.

innocent racoon

Are there time constraints, opening hours? Most natural areas and parks operating hours, like a business. Ask yourself, can be despite ac, you may still have access to the park. Also remember that wild animals are generally more active in the early morning or late evening.

What are the expected weather conditions? This is essential, vital depending on location and season déplacement.Sachez what to expect as far as the weather is concerned. Check the forecast start of the day and keep an eye on it all day if possible. Never assume anything or leave to chance. You would be in many cases threatening.

What are the hours of sunrise and sunset? Again, make sure the places you want to photograph. You must be aware of the time of sunrise and sunset so you leave enough time to reach your site, configure your equipment before it is too late to leave.

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Are there animals, landmarks or observation structures to photograph? looking for what is usually photographed in the area you plan to visit. Find a park ranger or staff member and ask about less known points that are less frequented by tourists. Knowing what’s popular will save you time and help you avoid taking pictures time and again photographed. Look for ways to be creative in order to define a single job!

Now you have prepared your exit, take your equipment with you, you’ve studied your location and you have a good idea of ​​what to expect. Here are some basic tips that can help you achieve your goals.

If possible, set your camera to capture images in RAW format of the camera. RAW image files are essentially unprocessed, one might say crude directly from the image sensor of your camera. They contain a huge amount of pixel information compared to JPEG and also takes a lot more memory card space. However, this additional information allows more latitude for post-processing adjustments.

bold eagle

The ISO number of films and photographic image sensors their sensitivity to light. More ISO will be high and your photo will be grain, image noise. In most (but not all) situations, it is generally recommended to use the lowest ISO possible. does not mean that you should not mount the ISO but always keeping in mind that we want to render picture. A fast shutter speed is often necessary to capture rapid movements of wildlife.

Autofocus (AF) may be your best friend or your worst enemy. Autofocus is a great tool! Animals and birds, especially the wild variety, are almost constantly in motion. They shift positions and move closer or farther away selfishly, with little regard for the photo you are trying so carefully to dial. This is so, the AF-continuous mode and Servo AF handy. Called with different names depending on the brand of your camera, they both have the same goal which is to keep a subject in net movement at all times. Place your selected focus area over your subject and half-press the shutter button to initiate autofocus. Emphasis will follow as long as you follow your subject while holding down the shutter button. Read the manual for your camera (you did that already, right?) For detailed information about the capabilities of auto focus specific to your model, and how each mode can be selected.

wild goat

“I really did not think I might need my tripod” are words that usually begin a sad story. Most wildlife and Nature photography, a tripod is always a good idea. It is best to bring one and not use it than not to have made and to need. Find the lightest tripod possible and most compact is strong enough to support your camera.

Photographing wildlife can be difficult, but it can also give rewards enormous artistic side, personal and even spiritual. So go out and have fun doing what you do, but do not forget to put the camera in stby from time to time to enjoy the world around you.

wildcheetah