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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

What type of camera and lens suits wildlife photography?

The quality of your wildlife photography will frequently be pegged on the type of camera lens you use. Your lens should ideally be versatile thus enabling you to use it in conditions of low light. It should also have minimum sensitivity to camera shake. Of course it will be to your advantage if your choice is cheap and effective.

Wildlife photography calls for lenses that can produce sharp images courtesy of low dispersion values. Low lens aberration also means that your work will display superior color rendition and sharper focus – the hallmarks of astute wildlife photography.

Modern wildlife photography has been enhanced through the use of lenses that offer slow shutter speeds and yet able to procure sharp images. These lenses also have increased zoom capacities which greatly facilitate the non-disruption of animal subject postures. Their weights are also more bearable such that shooting can be done continuously with less arm aches.

Handy tips for astute wildlife photography

1.Quality wildlife photography will always be achieved when a perfect knowledge of the camera and equipment used has been mastered. The skill of handling long lenses is also a prerequisite for wildlife photography excellence.

2.It is all about being spontaneous. You should be aware of your equipment such that you can alter and implement various settings without looking. It’s the only way to optimally anticipate that glorious shot opportunity.

3.Wildlife photography presents multiple perils and hazards that can actualize without notice – make sure you use telephoto lenses in your work.

4.Wildlife photography requires an innate knowledge of your subject(s). You should always make prior research into a given animal’s behavioral traits including mating and migration so as to clearly anticipate the best photography time/season.

5.The quality of your pictures is much dependent on the natural lighting. Make sure that you shoot when the sun is angled (EARLY MORNING OR LATE AFTERNOON) to avoid excessive shadowing and glaring on the photos.

6.Shoot the most you can. You never know which photo will work out best. In any case, wildlife photography is not an everyday undertaking.

Any wildlife photographer must know this

As a wildlife photographer you must approach your subjects with the respect and precaution that they deserve. You must abstain from interfering with their breeding and feeding activities especially when there are young ones involved. By extension, you ought to keep a good distance away from where young ones are being nestled. Wildlife photographers should be well informed beforehand about their subjects’ habitats and behaviors. They should as such be sensitive to these animals’ natural signals, something that might save their lives should things go awry in the wild.

All wildlife photographers must be clear about the possible weather changes that might materialize once they are in the outdoors. This calls for a prior and thorough research on weather reports and patterns especially in the early mornings and late afternoons which are the ideal shooting times. Finally, a wildlife photographer must always make his/her subject the focus of the photo – the background should also be featured in an artistic way so as to complete the picture nicely.