Photographing animals is one of the most exciting forms of photography that photographers engage in. The challenge and excitement of photographing animals is a thrill for many photographers. It can also be one of the most challenging forms of photography. As they say in the film world, children and animals are two of the most challenging subjects to deal with. Still day after day, photographers instinctively chase the beautiful animals that we share this planet with to make beautiful photos.

The first problem that photographers face when photographing animals is that in their natural surroundings, animals tend to run from us. Unless they are tame or contained in a zoo, finding animals involves a decent amount of tracking and observing. Certain conditions, like being in a zoo, or on an African safari might make animals more accessible, but for the most part they are more apt to run from us than to pose. This is responsible for much consternation among animal photographers. But being a wild life photographer doesn’t mean you need to travel thousands of miles. It might simply be a matter of searching in your own backyard

We are intrinsically attracted to animals. We often visit them in a zoo, and when we encounter them in the wild, we are captivated. As a photographer, this is worth noting. In order to photograph wild life, it helps to think like the animals. If you want to photograph butterflies, ask yourself, where is the best place to find these flying creatures? If you rarely see them in your own surroundings, you’ll have to seek them out. Most of us live within distance of some kind of garden or a nature preserve that makes it much easier to find these critters.

Personally, I would spend lots of time at the local botanical garden in my city. Lucky, for me, my local garden had a butterfly garden. This was by no means a guarantee that I would get successful photos, but it certainly improved my odds. Of course you need to adjust your gear to your subject. Unless you can get right next to your animal subject, you’ll need a lens with a decent magnification enough that your subject will appear large and meaningful within your photographic image. Next you need to be in the right place at the right time. More than anything, animals require patience. You are on their time, not the other way around and you respect this and plan for it. Photographing animals can be challenging but is also very rewarding!

• Photographing Animals in Captivity (0)
• Wild Animal Photography (0)
• Pet Photography (0)