Tips on Photographing Wildlife

Burrowing Owls

1.                  Best times of the day

a.       Early morning-sunrise to about 9:00 am

b.      Evening from about 7:00 pm, especially the last hour of daylight.

c.       Other times overcast or drizzly days-not normally in heavy rain.

However, just before and just after a storm are good times. Pay close attention to your light or lack thereof.

2.                  Know habits of your species and study/read all you can.

a. Small animals, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, hummingbirds, etc are all neighborhood species and normally can be attracted with feeders.  NOTE: seed blocks may not be allowed in your neighborhood.

a.       Contact local DNR folks and talk with a biologist specializing in your subject, i.e. elk or hawks

I.                   Obtain specific locations for observation

II.                Obtain land owner permission to set-up on his property

III.             Purchase topographical map(s) of the area and have biologist and/or other knowledgeable parties mark spots of interest.

IV.             Carry a hand held GPS and mark waypoints.

3.                  Watch your seasons, especially breeding and calving times.  This will give you an advantage of getting remarkably closer without spooking the animal.

a.       Plan trips around rut (mating season) fall-September/October

b.      Plan trips during migration for waterfowl-Thanksgiving until after New Year.

I.  Teal, wood ducks in September/October

II. Ducks and geese are usually available all year long to photograph on golf courses.  Have a child or your spouse get them up for flight.  (no harassing)

III. Doves late August to early September

IV.Turkeys in spring-April/May.  Locate turkeys at night with loud noise, clapping, crow call, car horn to locate roost tree.

c.       Purchase calls and learn to use to call subjects within range.

d.      Consider camouflage, including camo material wrapped around camera.

4.                  Consider the animals.  Ethics is a very important part of your responsibility,

especially in National Parks and Wildlife Preserves.

Photographer’s Ethics

1.     First and foremost, view wildlife from a safe distance for both you and them. Respect their spatial needs. If the animal interrupts its behavior (resting, feeding, etc.), then you are too close and must distance yourself.

2.     Never force an action. Be patient! The most beautiful photographs result from natural action.

3.     Never come between a parent and its offspring. I've seen tiny bear cubs distressed, treed then separated from their mother by a throng of tourists eager for a closer look. This is unacceptable behavior.

4.     Never crowd, pursue, prevent escape, make deliberate noises to distract, startle or harass wildlife. This is stressful and wastes valuable energy in needless flight. The impact is cumulative. Consider that you may be the 65th person to yell "hey moose" at that animal that day while it's attempting to tend to its young.

5.     Never feed or leave food (baiting) for wildlife. Habituation due to handouts can result in disease or even death of that animal and injury to you.

6.     Never encroach on nests or dens as certain species will abandon their young.

7.     Never interfere with animals engaged in breeding, nesting, or caring for young.

8.     Learn to recognize wildlife alarm signals and never forget that these animals are NOT tame no matter how docile or cuddly they appear. No one would argue that you should not try to pet a bull yet there have been numerous instances where a tourist attempted to have his/her photo taken next to a bison with disastrous consequences.

9.     Do not damage or remove any plant, life form or natural object. Do pack out trash.

10.  Acquaint yourself with and respect the behaviors and ecosystems of the wildlife you may encounter. By doing so, you will enrich your experience tremendously.

11.  Finally, and most significant, remember that the welfare of the subject and habitat are irrefutably more important than the photograph.

Copyright 2004 Deborah Siminski Tappan. All rights reserved

All hunting magazines need lots of huntable species photography.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Never harass wildlife: abide by the Code of Ethics for nature and wildlife photography and viewing.
2. Always be alert. Know what’s around you and educate yourself on what safety precautions you may need to take.
3. Know your camera. If you have to search and fiddle with the controls, you’ll miss the shot. If your camera has manual features, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the difference it makes using them instead of its automatic ones.
4. Remember that compact digital cameras have a lag time between the depressing of the shutter-release button and the actual release of the shutter. Work around this unique challenge by practicing on moving subjects and anticipating the action. Another approach, if you have burst mode, is to simply hold down the shutter-release button, taking a series of shots. With luck you’ll have captured the action you wanted.
5. When you get to a location, really look at what’s around you. Though you may have stopped for that heron you saw earlier, there may be a magnificently colored centipede at your feet. Yes indeed, centipedes are wildlife too!
6. Wait for natural action. Be very patient and you’ll be rewarded with stunning opportunities.
7. Take advantage of the optical zoom capabilities of your compact digital camera but IGNORE the digital zoom feature which merely enlarges pixels turning them into unsightly "boulders."
8. Don’t use flash. If you’re far from your subject, the flash won’t be of any use. If you’re too close to your subject, you risk startling it and being injured yourself.
9. Don’t feel compelled to have your subject fill your frame. Instead include components of the animal’s habitat thereby adding another layer of interest to the story your photograph will tell.
10. Focus on the animal’s eyes when possible. If they are sharp, then the entire image is more pleasant to view.
11. If possible, select your shutter speed manually rather than using automatic mode. You’ll want to be flexible. A running herd shot with a slower shutter speed made while panning produces breathtaking results. (Yep, you’ll want to use a tripod for this.)
12. Experiment with depth-of-field. An equally powerful statement can be made using a deep depth-of-focus as with a short depth-of-focus. It’s entirely dependent on what elements you’ve framed in your foreground, midground and background.
13. Animals are not unlike high-energy toddlers...neither stay in one place for very long so be prepared. Never chase them but move cautiously, slowly and smoothly. ALWAYS stay the recommended distance from any wildlife (as specified by the National Park Service or other expert).
14. Become familiar with the habits of different species. Enrich your understanding of what they are doing and where you might look for them.
15. Shoot when the sun’s angle isn’t straight overhead and harsh. Morning and early evening light are much more pleasant and reveal more of the subject’s texture.
16. Try to be level with the critter. This may require a bit more athleticism than you expected, particularly if you’re photographing that centipede. Remember, dirt is your pal!
17. Finally, go out on “bad” weather days. Some of the most interesting images are captured during inclement weather.

Happy exploring and have a memorable time!