Five Wildlife Photography Tips for Beginners

Great wildlife photos rarely happen by accident. Most of them come down to a few habits you build in the field. Here are five that have made the biggest difference for me.

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A tripod is a real challenge to haul around, and at times it slows you down. But a rock-steady shooting platform, especially in low light, pays for itself many times over. My favorite tripods are made by Gitzo, and B&H Photo in New York is probably the best place to buy one online.

Much of wildlife photography is waiting for the scene or the animal to look its best. That can mean holding position for five minutes or longer, which is tough with a long telephoto lens in your hands. On a tripod, when the moment finally comes, all you have to do is press the shutter.

Here's a trick: I hang my fanny pack from the tripod. The extra weight holds the legs down and makes it even sturdier, and it gives me a break from carrying heavy gear strapped to my body.

When you buy, make sure the tripod reaches your standing eye level with the camera and lens mounted on top. Don't buy one that leaves you hunched over.

Yes, I've taken some excellent wildlife shots in the middle of the day. But most of the time, the first few hours after sunrise and the last hours before sunset give you the best light. Animals are more active and alert, and everything simply looks better than under flat midday sun.

Be ready to silhouette your subjects against the sunrise or sunset, and use that low light to catch a glint in their eye. Get there earlier than you think you need to, and stay later than you planned. Those edges of the day are harder to photograph, but that's when truly amazing things happen. You have to take those chances.

The vegetation around an animal can be interesting, but often it's best to eliminate as much of it as you can so the viewer sees your subject clearly. Watch for distractions like a tree limb cutting across the animal or a poorly placed bush blocking the view.

With naturally elusive animals like mountain lions, a perfectly clear shot may not be possible, even in controlled situations where you can photograph them safely. Be smart about what looks natural. A mountain lion peering through the brush often tells a truer story than a full, unobstructed shot of one lounging on a rock, which you'd probably never see in real life.

Your camera's meter reads the light reflecting off your subject, and it's programmed to assume everything is a medium tone. So when you're shooting white polar bears on ice or snow, or a black bear in a dark green forest, your camera gets fooled.

An incident light meter works differently. It measures the light falling on your subject rather than the light bouncing off it. Because it isn't fooled by dark or bright fur, feathers or backgrounds, it gives you an accurate exposure. Just take your reading in the same light your subject is standing in.

That way, when you photograph something like the mountain goats on Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans), their white coats come out perfectly white instead of a muddy gray from your camera underexposing them.

Honestly, I should have made this number one. It's that important.

Do whatever you can to get a copy of this book by John Shaw. It's out of print, but you'll find copies at the library or for sale online. It's the bible of nature and wildlife photography, written by one of the greatest photographers of all time.

I've had the distinct pleasure of photographing with John several times. He's one of the most easygoing and knowledgeable photographers I've ever met, and clearly one of the best, because he understands his equipment, the light, his subjects and everything else that makes his photographs so powerful.

You'll marvel at the photographs inside and at his clear explanations of the techniques behind them, from flowers and insects to larger mammals and birds. He covers just about everything, and every image will inspire you to learn this craft to the best of your ability.

John has written other excellent books, but nothing beats this original. The last time I checked, I found a hardcover listed on Amazon for $10.94, one of the best deals you'll ever find. Go find it!