Wildlife Photography: Tips For Better Composition

Wildlife photography offers particular challenges in composition, especially for beginners. You not only have to create a compelling composition (which is tough enough in itself), you also face a subject which may or may not want to cooperate.

I can't help you much with an uncooperative subject. Rest assured that with practice and experience, you will find that you become much quicker at composing and exposing a photo so that you get the shot before the critical moment passes. There are a couple of simple tips that can make things a little easier.

First, practice your photography in places where the animals are used to having people around and are less likely to become jittery at your presence. This does not have to be a zoo or other enclosure. Most national parks have campgrounds and picnic grounds where the wildlife is used to being around people, and may even come closer looking for food. You have a much better chance of a shot if you can get close without frightening the subject away.

Second, try to organise your exposure before you set up the shot. If the light is fairly constant, it is possible to point your camera in the right general direction and work out the best aperture and shutter speed settings for the photo. Then when you approach the subject, you can concentrate on composition without having to waste time working out your exposure.

These simple tips may help to take some of the frustration out of wildlife photography, but what about the composition itself? Many people simply don't know where to start. If that sounds like you, don't be discouraged. Like I said at the beginning, composition can be tough; even for a photographer with years of experience.

Let's start by breaking it down into two categories; close-up and non close-up photos.

In a close-up photo, the subject fills most of the frame. A lot of people get in a tangle over whether to position their subject in the middle or to one side of the composition. In my experience it is quite acceptable to have the subject right in the centre, as long as you allow some head-room so it doesn't appear too cramped within the confines of the composition. A central position is especially suitable when the subject is looking straight at the camera, but often works just as well if the subject is facing a little to one side or the other.

The more space you have around the subject, the more you should consider putting it to one side or the other. In this you should be guided by the way the animal is facing. If it is looking to one side, position it a little towards the other side so it is looking toward the centre of the frame. So, if your wildlife subject is looking right, position it a little to the left. Not too far; you don't want half of your photo to feature nothing but empty space.

Photography Classes to Take for Wildlife photography

Wildlife photography is probably one of the hardest fields in photography. There are not a lot of schools and colleges that would teach this field. In fact, the best way to get educated on wildlife photography is to go out to the field and actually do it. There are some photography classes that you can take to help you master this field. In a way, if you want o become a wildlife photographer, you have to spend a lot to time in school first and practice before you can get your hands dirty. This article will talk about the photography classes that you can take to help you develop you skills as a wildlife photographer.

One of the most important classes you need to take is basic photography. You need to get a very solid background on photography before moving on to fields that are more specific. Think of it as knowing the rules first before breaking them. Basic photography classes cover everything from how to use your camera and gadgets to the important principles of photography. you can ask your teacher about the specific lenses that you can use, which is more likely the lenses that can zoom out at a very far reach. It also goes over the different fields and styles and even the history of photography. If you feel that you already know the basic, you can take classes on outdoor, night, landscape and nature photography since these touch situations and settings that most likely will happen with wildlife photography.

The next class that you need to take are classes that teach you about the natural behavior of animals. Most wildlife photographers are biologist, wildlife researchers and zoologist who are researching on wildlife habitats. They take pictures for documentation purposes. You will be dealing will wild animals so you have to know how to act around them. You can also start practicing your skills as a wildlife photographer by going to the zoo and taking pictures there. As much as possible, you should not bother or disturb the animals when taking pictures of them. or you can go to the park and take snapshots of animals there.

Getting a job as a wildlife photographer might be a bit of a challenge. what you can do is ask your teachers and instructors if they know institutions that are looking for wildlife photographer or try to apply in organizations like the National Geographic Society.

Challenges Associated With Wildlife Photography

There are those in the photography business that would say a wedding photography captures pictures of wildlife every weekend. If you are not a wedding photographer you probably didn't get that little joke. True nature and wildlife photography is one that has a true sense of adrenaline and adventure all in one. Capturing a family at the beach can be a little boring if you've taken the same shots hundreds of times. If your passion is photography and you have a true love of being outdoors and capturing nature. Wildlife photography is probably the area you want to et into. How often do you get to see a Tiger or Lion chasing their prey in it's natural setting. You can go to your local zoo to capture photos of wildlife, but it's not the same as being in the animal's natural habitat.

A wildlife photographer is one who lives for the thrill of action and loves being in nature. You have to enjoy the rush of seeing animals attack each other as well as them giving birth to their young. There are several key elements that you need to keep in mind when shaping the image you are looking to capture. You have to have the right equipment as well as proper training before you go into the wild. You have to remember you are in their territory and that not taking proper safety precautions could be fatal. If you follow these techniques you will be rewarded with great wildlife shots.

Patience would have to be top of the list of what you must have to be a wildlife photographer. There are times that you will spend hours waiting to capture an elusive subject. You may not even get a chance to see the animal you are looking for. There are also dangers in waiting in an area where you could become the prey. That's not a risk most photographers are willing to chance. It is however important that you bring enough supplies to support long waiting periods. Drinking water and enough food for a few days are a must. Especially, if the animals you are trying to take pictures of are extremely rare.

Most photographers won't have any knowledge of the area that will be exploring. So, a guide or tracker will need to go along with you. Tracking an animal like a lion or tiger can cover 150 square miles. You will need to be able to recognize paw prints and animal droppings of the animal you are tracking. This isn't going to be something you will be able to accomplish without an experienced guide. I've tried to go out on my own attempting to track tigers and was unable to get close to one after being out for several weeks. Camouflage is always an important aspect to help you blend into your surroundings. You don't want to wear bright colored cloths will not blend in well with your surroundings.

When you do finally get a glimpse of your subject you need to make sure you don't let them see you. Making eye contact with some animals can be seen as taking an aggressive stance. This is definitely the case with large animals such as lions and tigers. These animals will take an aggressive stance towards you until you leave the area. That is why it's so important to blend in and try and build a comfort level with your subjects. You also have to make sure you don't interrupt a mother and her babies. Interrupting can be anything from disturbing their feeding or getting to close to them. Timing is important also that you don't disturb the animals at feeding time.

Your equipment is probably the last area of concern when going out into the wild. Most digital SLR cameras will work. It needs to be durable and make sure you have a backup camera with you. A telephoto lens will have you keep your distance. Most point and shoot cameras won't be able to capture the distance needed to safely capture your subject. Quality is also an issue when it comes to inexpensive cameras. You will need a very large telephoto lens. You can get by with a macro lens if you don't have the money to buy a nice telephoto lens. A macro lens allows for magnification and very up close focusing. Since most wildlife will be out in the open at dusk. You will run into lighting issues. You can't use a flash as it will scare your subject away. There are many different options to choose from that can range to a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. It really depends on your budget.

Wildlife photography is not for everyone. If you enjoy the outdoors and traveling to exotic locations then wildlife photography is for you.