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5 quick tips for the amateur wildlife photographer

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Just 14 more days and I’ll be boarding a plane on my way to Queensland, Australia! Oh my gosh!
It’s still so hard to believe! I’m so excited I can hardly sleep! Just take a look at the amazing itinerary and you’ll understand why! 🙂

Day five of the trip is a choice between the following adventures and I’m still having trouble making up my mind which I’d love more:


-learning ancient art techniques and hunting and gathering skills from local Indigenous tribes
-kayaking along pristine coastline and zipping through the trees in the Daintree rainforest
-coming face to face with Australia’s cute (and not-so-cute) native animals
-taking to the skies, saddling up a wild steed, and finishing off with a trip down the river rapids.


Don’t they all sound amazing? What one would you choose?

I can only imagine what exciting things I’ll see and experience in Australia, but I know one thing I’m really looking forward to is seeing some of the native animals! When we were living on the island of Sint Eustatius in the Dutch Caribbean just 6 months, as a photographer, the experience was filled with so many amazing photo opportunities!

One of the things I enjoyed photographing the most were the local animals. My kids were fascinated by the wildlife we were able to see and I loved photographing some of the living creatures we came into contact with.

Photographing wildlife is a far cry from the photography work I’m used to. I’ve had to learn a few things along the way, but it’s been so much fun and today I wanted to share five things I’ve found helpful when it comes to photographing wildlife.

1. Always remember safety first. Animals in nature are wild and unpredictable. Keep your distance, never sacrifice safety to get the shot. Your photography equipment and the noises it makes can startle some animals so be keenly aware of their space and always respect their habitat.

2. When photographing animals in their natural environment you want equipment that will make you less conspicuous. A zoom lens is helpful and while a huge telephoto lens would be great, unless you’re planning to get serious about nature photography, it’s not entirely necessary. The two zoom lenses I own are a Canon 28-135mm and a Canon 24-70mm and for the limited wildlife photography I’ve done they work great. There are situations where they aren’t quite enough zoom, but I’m just looking to get nice animal photos, not National Geographic grade images, so I’m happy with making the equipment I already have work for me. Using a zoom lens puts a little bit of space between you and your subject making them feel more at ease and allowing you to photograph them unnoticed from a safe distance.
3. Observation + patience are key when it comes to photographing wildlife. Observe where they eat, what time of day they’re active or asleep. A little bit of planning and patient observing can go a long way in laying the foundations for a great wildlife photo. Did you notice the cute green lizard in the first photo of this post? It was a few days before I managed to get that shot of him. After watching him over a period of days through my kitchen window I noticed that he liked to come out at a particular time of day when the temperatures were starting to cool down. The next time he appeared I was ready and waiting oh so quietly and I managed to get that shot. As soon as my shutter clicked he was startled and off he went. For the shot of the butterfly above I sat in a grassy field and waited as still as I could for my subject to come to me. It took a while, but just before I was ready to call it quits, this sweet butterfly landed nearby and I was able to get that photo.

4. When photographing animals try to choose backgrounds that make them standout. In these situations you can’t pick up your subject and move them to a more ideal location, but with a quick change in vantage point you can also change the background of your image. For the image of the starfish above I first took the photo of my daughter holding it in front of her colourful bathing suit. The starfish was a little lost among the bold colours so by switching to an angle from above the subject I was able to use the neutral sand and water as a backdrop allowing the starfish to really pop. Adjusting your camera angle in even the most subtle way can be the difference between a OK photo and a phenomenal one. Try standing up, laying down, tilting the camera up or down, to the left or to the right. Play around until you find what works.

5. Try telling a story about the subject in your image. Try showcasing the size of the animal you’re photographing. To do this you’ll need to include something in your photograph that shows size relationship. A tiny caterpillar on a leaf, a big tarantula next to someone’s foot. Take images of animals interacting with each other, eating the foods they like to eat, grooming, etc. Images that tell a story about the animal or provide information about its habits, where it lives, etc. are interesting and leave us wanting to learn more about these amazing creatures.

I hope you found these quick tips helpful and that you’re feeling super excited about exploring the world of wildlife photography. I know I’m eager to learn even more and I’m really looking forward to photographing some of the amazing creatures in Australia!

If you enjoyed this post I’d love for you to take a minute to share it via facebook or twitter. See links at the bottom of this post. Thank you! 🙂

Be sure to follow along with me on this incredible, once in a lifetime trip to Queensland, Australia as I experience some of the amazing things that this unique area of the world has to offer!

Follow me on facebook, twitter and instagram at rebecca_simpleasthat where  I’ll be sharing regular updates throughout the trip. Be sure to subscribe to my blog feed to receive updates to your inbox as I blog from Australia!

I can’t wait to share this adventure with you!

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Rebecca

Rebecca

Rebecca Cooper is a 42-year-old wife and mother of four from Alberta, Canada. As a photographer, crafter, author, and blogger, she finds joy and fulfillment in celebrating everyday moments. She loves to read and eat chocolate, and is a firm believer in afternoon naps. Rebecca shares her family’s adventures, photo tips, simple craft projects + more right here at Simple as That.
Rebecca
Rebecca

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Comments

  2. You are going to have an AMAZING time!!! I used to live in Cairns, so I have done everything that you are going to do. Agincourt Reef is definitely the best reef to go snorkelling on 🙂 It is SO pretty and just gorgeous up there.

    For day 5 I would either do the kayaking or the one with the rapids, but I am more of an adventure type girl. Which ever choice you choose you will have a great time!!!

    Can’t wait to see your adventures documented 🙂

    Reply

  4. K- so as a fellow Australian, I would say that kayaking or taking to the skies would be AMAZING- but that’s just me- we have an amazing country here and there is nothing we Aussies love more than getting out into the wild. I am excited for you and your trip 🙂

    Reply

  5. As an aussie who has recently been to northern Queensland I know you will have the most amazing time! The great barrier reef is breathtaking and I wish we had been able to view it from the sky. So I would choose option 4 if it includes viewing the reef up high. We stayed at Palm Cove and it was an incredibly relaxing holiday with the family. Gosh, thinking about it wants me to pack up my bags right now and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere. You will love it I’m sure!

    Reply

  6. I would definitely take to the skies. We did a hotair balloon ride in the outback and it was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. Have a great time on your trip.

    Reply

  7. thank you so much for the advice Kelly, the kayaking + zip lining sounds so fun to me! I can’t wait to visit your beautiful country! 🙂

    Reply

  9. I am so excited for you Rebecca. What a dream trip you get to have. I would be torn on the 4 options that you have for Day 5. I would probably choose the one with the aboriginies because you can zip line in any country. Or maybe the one with the native animals since you are interested in that. Your photos are wonderful and I enjoyed the five tips. I love photographing nature and animals but have not been in a location where I could observe them like you did. Such a great idea! Have a fun trip!

    Reply

  10. Your photos were A-MA-ZING!!!

    One side note, I am having a lot of trouble reading your post due to the light color of ink. Don’t know if anyone else is having to squint, but wanted to mention it! I so enjoy your blog!!!

    Reply

  14. What a wonderful experience for you!! I am a Victorian who has lived in Queensland for the last 23 years. You will love it!!
    Do the Kayaking… the scenery will be amazing!!
    I’m looking forward to seeing your images 🙂

    Reply

  15. You are a woman of many talents. These are wonderful photos! My favs are the turtles ones. I see their journey/story, and just how cute they are next to your feet!

    Reply

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