Top wildlife photography tips for beginners

Photographing wildlife is one of the most exhilarating and challenging formats, but there are usually more epic failures than spectacular successes. However, when it all comes together, resulting in a ‘money shot’ or an outstanding capture that everybody heaps praise upon, it’s all worthwhile. To help take your wildlife shots to the next level, we asked travel blogger and professional wildlife photographer Iain Mallory for his top tips for wildlife photography.

Wildlife photography is notoriously unpredictable and success is never guaranteed. To boost your chances of capturing a perfect shot, you need to research suitable ‘hot spots’ for potential subjects, learn about the animals you hope to photograph, and practice some basic tracking skills.

The best animal photography tips

Looking for wildlife photography tips for beginners? Check out these top suggestions for how to photograph wildlife.

1. Use the right equipment

Having the right equipment is obviously a major contributing factor. Unless the animals are captive or habituated to human interaction, the opportunities to get close will be limited.

As such, a good camera, capable of shooting sharp images with a fast shutter speed, is essential. Interchangeable lenses are also preferable as this will enable you to capture good images even from a distance.

Most cameras now have sufficient resolution so that the images can be cropped without losing too much quality. Telephoto lenses can become heavy during an off-road trek, so consider including a monopod. It’s lightweight, supportive, and perfect for reducing camera shake.

2. Make sure your settings are suitable for wildlife

When shooting fast-moving animals, treat it like action photography and use a fast-continuous mode, getting short bursts of action. This will provide a story of the creature’s movements but also help ensure at least one image is sharp.

While capturing wildlife images on a basic point-and-shoot, with respectable power zoom, is possible, it makes the process even more challenging. If you must use one, avoid the electronic zoom function, as this will generally result in lower-quality images.

Once you’re in the field, set your camera up prior to shooting and try to anticipate the kind of situation in which the animal will be discovered. Set the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings appropriately to achieve the depth of field and exposure you are hoping for. This will all be dependent on the following:

• The amount of light available in the environment;
• The kind of wildlife you’re tracking;
• The likelihood of it disappearing rapidly at first sighting.

3. Understand where the action happens

When it comes to spotting wildlife in the field, a good guide is worth their weight in gold as they are almost always able to identify animals before the untrained eye. While searching for your chosen subject, keep looking at your surroundings, as there may be other wonderful species worth capturing. Stay quiet, stay alert, and be ready to start shooting at short notice.

Remember, a less-than-perfect shot is better than no shot at all. Therefore, regardless of settings or distance, grab a shot as soon as the animal is sighted. Post-production editing and cropping could turn it into a fantastic photo.

If there is time, make the necessary adjustments to settings and take another couple of shots. Providing the animal hasn’t moved, move forward as slowly and stealthily as possible to snap a few more.

Keep repeating this, never moving quickly, as this will undoubtedly spook the wildlife – you’ll often be surprised how close you can get employing this method! As you get closer, be prepared to capture the animal’s movement – “wildlife in flight” shots can be some of the
most spectacular.

For those with more time, photographing from a hide can yield spectacular results. It is merely a matter of patience, setting up the camera in anticipation of the animal’s arrival.

Take some test shots, and keep adjusting as the light begins to change. Remember, the best chances of spotting wildlife are often early morning or the twilight hours of evening, and keeping quiet is key to wildlife photography success.

4. Practice patience

With all of this in hand, patience is the final cornerstone. For optimal chances of success, employ the services of a good local guide. They will know the best places to see wildlife and should be aware of the locations of recent sightings. They can place the photographer in the optimal place and time, increasing the chances of a successful wildlife expedition.

5. Ask local guides for tips

A final word of advice for wildlife photographers out there is to listen to the advice of your local guide. Wild animals are unpredictable and, as well as being difficult to find, can be incredibly dangerous.

The risk from a disturbed mother bear and cub or a bull elephant cannot be overemphasized. A good guide will not only offer you fantastic captures; they will ensure you return safely from the trip, ready to receive all the praise your wildlife photography endeavors deserve.

How to photograph animals

Wildlife photography can be time-consuming and frustrating, with many people finding it difficult to capture the perfect shot. However, it can also be one of the most satisfying hobbies, forging a real connection between the wildlife photographer and the subject.

While there are many ways of composing your image, there are some tried-and-tested formats that well and truly work. Here’s a look at some of the top aspects that all wildlife photography beginners need to know:

1. Eye contact shots

Eye contact shots represent a connection between the photographer and the subject as the shutter is pressed. They also offer a real focal point for the viewer. The key to these kinds of shots is timing – you’ve got to be ready and waiting to capture the scene, take as many pictures as you can, and then select the best ones later.

2. Keep the landscape perspective

Another aspect of wildlife photography is the natural environment that the subjects wander among. It becomes very tempting to zoom in close to the animal for them to fill the frame, but don’t forget to capture the surroundings to give the image further context. This can be a great way to take your shots to the next level.

Natural habitat is a subject of its own – essential for the animal to survive and exist. Images that capture a wider view will document not only the wildlife but also their often-stunning homeland.

3. Tips for portrait shots

In contrast to the above, portraits focus solely on the animal without any distractions. Where possible, portrait shots look best when shot at the subject’s level.

This isn’t always easy and care should be taken, no matter what the animal. Its well-being should always be the prime concern, so if capturing images means disturbing them or putting them under stress, then it’s best to leave it and respect their boundaries. Research and a little prior knowledge of the subject become really important in these scenarios.

This grey seal pup is only a couple of hours old and capturing this shot involved quite a long period of time lying in the wet sand and altering focus. Although it would have been tempting to have moved closer to the pup after its mother had moved away for a rest, it’s always important to remember not to distress the animal. If human scent attaches to a seal pup, their mothers will often abandon them – a death sentence at this early stage. Keep your distance and bring a long-focus lens.

4. Clear backgrounds

It’s not always possible, but a clean, bold-colored background can really isolate the subject. When it comes to this type of image, composition is key. Take as many shots as you can from varying angles so you can take your pick during the editing stages.

5. Action

Probably the hardest aspect of wildlife photography involves capturing action; a movement can last a split second and is all too often missed.

When viewing your wildlife subject, keep looking through the camera viewfinder, refocusing constantly, and keeping your finger on the shutter button. At the same time, you should be aware of your surroundings – something may be about to happen from outside of the frame.

This scene of cheetahs hunting was only captured due to a fixed gaze through the viewfinder and a finger constantly being on the shutter. It lasted for only a second or so, but the resulting images are full of drama, an insight into a rarely photographed wildlife scenario.

Read more: Where to see wildlife responsibly

FAQs about getting into wildlife photography

Here are some quick answers to popular questions about wildlife photography.

What are the best settings for wildlife photography?

The optimal settings for wildlife photography include:

• A faster shutter speed (± 1/500 to 1/1000 seconds) – to freeze movement
• A wider aperture (around f/4 to f/8) – to focus on the subject while blurring the background
• A low ISO – to reduce noise

How can I be a good wildlife photographer?

If you’re looking to improve as a wildlife photographer, you can start by understanding the behaviors of the wild animals you want to capture a shot of. This can be as simple as visiting a local park and checking out apps like Merlin Bird ID or iNaturalist to familiarize yourself with the endemic species around you.

Additionally, it’s definitely worth investing in quality camera equipment, whether that’s a super telephoto lens or a sturdy tripod. Wildlife photography for beginners involves a lot of patience, practice, and developing your skills over time, but it can also be great to network with other wildlife photographers, whether online or by talking with local professionals.

What distance lens works best for photographing animals?

With regard to photographing birds and other wildlife, the best distance lens is a telephoto lens with a focal length of at least 300 – 400mm. This distance lens works well for wildlife photography without disturbing them in their natural habitat.

How can I take sharper wildlife and nature photography?

To take sharper wildlife photos, you should do the following:

• Use a tripod: A tripod provides solid support and can help you take sharper images.
• Utilize image stabilization: As wildlife photography can be quite heart-racing, it’s hard to keep your hands steady. This is where image stabilization can come in handy to manage vibration.
• Avoid using a UV protection filter: These can often take away the sharpness of images.

How to set up a camera for a beginner wildlife photographer?

To set up a camera for beginner wildlife photography, consider these tips:

• Do not use auto mode: Capturing images with this setting can result in weird photos with a bad depth of field and take away your control of how a photo looks.
• Consider the shutter speed: Longer lenses need more shutter speed; adapt it according to how fast the wildlife is moving.
• Keep ISO low with entry-level cameras: Adapt the ISO as necessary, but a range of between ISO 100 and 800 should work.

Read more: The best destinations for wildlife photography trips

Make it happen

Animals are fantastic to photograph and, very often, produce the most rewarding images. These untamed, moving subjects offer many challenges for a photographer, but if you are privileged enough to enter their environment, wildlife photography can be greatly satisfying. Armed with a few basic tips, along with prior research and planning, you can increase your chances of returning home with some ‘once in a lifetime’ shots.

There are so many fantastic destinations for a wildlife photography beginner, from safari spots like Kenya and Botswana to snow-dusted scenes in Antarctica and Greenland. Get in touch with our local experts in your preferred destination to find out more…