Pets and Wildlife

Animal Photography

Equipment

•Having a telephoto lens and a tripod can be invaluable.

• Make sure you feel comfortable being able to quickly move between focus modes or points.

•Know the minimum shutter speed that still captures a sharp image with your desired lens. •A good SLR cameras such as Canon 50D and Nikon 300D assist in producing quality photographs.

•Having at least two 4GB Extreme II or faster cards.

•Camouflage clothing and other equipment

•BIG lenses: 300 MM, 400mm or more.

Camera SetupRAW only, Never JPEGCenter weighted meteringManual with 1 stop over exposure. IS enabled on lensAperture priority is sometime also helpful.

CamouflageCamouflage clothing ----hunting gear or an old army uniform. A camouflage hide is helpful if you are shooting large animals.Patience is necessary.Put phone on silent.Bring water and food for yourself.Mammals are much harder to photograph. Watch the wind and try tobe upwind from the subject.

Composition

The “Rule of Thirds” still applies

Subject should be entering the frame and not leaving it.Give the animals spaced to look and move into.Subject may be blended into the landscape or isolated in a closeup shot.Get on the subject level….this may require lying on the ground.

Keep in mind that in phtography, rules are made to be broken.

ZoosZoos are great places to practice. They are accessible and still a challenge.Avoid hot days.Early morning and late afternoon make for a better environment for both you and the subject. The light is better as well.

FencesShooting through fences is better than shooting through glass.If shooting through glass get lens as close to glass as possible to avoid reflections.Use a long lensOpen the aperture for a small depth of field.

Avoid Busy BackgroundsSometimes a great shot can beruined by a busy background. Try to keep background uncluttered.

Shot SpeedIf subject is moving, the faster the shutter speed the sharper the photo.Raising the ISO will allow you to decrease the shutter speed but mayAlso add noise. Use a noise cleanse in PhotoShopFast memory cards will also help get the perfect shot.

Subject

If you know its typical behavior, you can better anticipate good shots. This means spending time sitting still observing them, often for long lengths of time. If you can get multiples of a species, it can make for interesting stories of interaction.

Light

Good photographer's know that the best shots occur during what's called "golden light": early in the morning and during the last hours of sunlight. Overcast days can soften intense light, allowing for nice midday shots, just be sure you and your equipment are prepared for the elements.

Proximity

Either get a landscape in the shot or get an intimate shot. You can use a remote trigger to get your camera closer to your subject,

•Point-of-view: It's best if you can get eye-level, which may require you to get on your belly.See also:•Point-of-view: It's best if you can get eye-level, which may require you to get on your belly.See also:

Shoot at Eye Level

Eye-to-eye contact is as engaging with a pet as with a person.

So get down on your pet's level to create warm and intimate pictures.

Get CloseFill the camera's viewfinder or LCD display with

your subject to create pictures with greater impact. Step in close or use your camera's zoom to emphasize what is important and exclude the rest. Check the manual for your camera's closest focusing distance.

ActionShow the pet in actionAnimals love to run and play, so take pictures

of them on the go to show their joy. Use a high shutter speed or continuous shooting to stop the action. Plan the shot for the action to happen in one spot and focus on that spot.

Sometimes the shot is missed.

Space

Leave lots of space around the subject. This will allow for Creative cropping later.

Point-of-View

It's best if you can get eye-level, which may require you to get on your belly.

Photographing Garden BirdsProvide an environment that is bird friendly…trees and shrubs thatProvide edible berries.Identify where light is coming fromProvide suitable feeder Watch and identify flight patterns.Place prop branches and twig with clean background.Photograph birds on prop branches.

Try to premeter and pre-focus

Be Creative…Try Something Different

Look for interaction between subjectsSearch for a new viewpoint. Capture or blur motionPlay with lightCapture subjects in their element

Be Responsible

Take only pictures….leave only footprints.Be aware of laws regarding wildlifeDo not approach wildlife without knowledge of their habits.