Wildlife photography is a profession which demands a passion for nature and art. Wildlife photographers make a career of traveling to remote areas and taking pictures of wild animals and natural scenery, personally my wildlife photos are of domestic animals but it counts.

Also this photography is important because it helps document all the animals that exist in the world and if for a reason one animal get extinct, the years will pass and thanks to the photos we are going to know how it look so this photography is an historical document too.

IMG_7318 2.JPG

(Photo by Axel Santiago, License CC)

Here are some tips to improve your wildlife photography:

1- Know your camera – The really great moments in wildlife photography last between 5 and 20 seconds so is not much and you have to know your camera well so you can shoot in the right moment and not lose the best shot.

You should know things like:

What the minimum shutter speed so you can obtain a sharp image with your camera

How high you can push your camera’s ISO setting without getting noise

What is the minimum and max of your aperture

2- Know your subject – Much of wildlife photography is based on capturing fleeting moments of natural history, you have to know the poses and behavior of the animal you are taking a picture so you can anticipate what he is going to do next and take the shot. To know them theres only one way and is spend time with them or watch videos o the internet. Don’t just hang around for a few minutes and look out the next subject if the one you are observing or photographing isn’t doing what you expect because maybe if you leave you lose a great picture.

IMG_6742 2.JPG

(Photo by Axel Santiago, License CC)

3- The rule of thirds –  “Is applied by aligning a subject with the guide lines and their intersection points, placing the horizon on the top or bottom line, or allowing linear features in the image to flow from section to section”.

Is recommend it because is more pleasing to the eye and looks more natural than one where the subject is placed right in the middle of the frame also it give life and a flow to the picture.

Related image

(Photo by Codrops, License CC)

4- Shoot wider and shoot closer

IMG_7007.JPGIMG_4522.JPG

(Photos by Axel Santiago, License CC)

5- Patience – Nature is unpredictable. Anything can happen at any time and most of the time happen rarely, they rarely coincide with the exact time that you are in that specific spot waiting to take the shot (Yeah I know is frustrating). You have to be patient.

Image result for wildlife photography

(Photo by Max Rinaldi, License CC)

Recommend it Gear:

Binocular

Head Lamp

Telephoto Lens – Canon 200-400 f/4 L IS 1.4ext –  Canon 100-400

Tripod

Rain Cover

IMG_3686.JPGIMG_3904.jpg 2.JPG

(Photos by Axel Santiago, License CC)