Top Five General Wildlife Photography Tips

OK so I thought I’d go through some useful tips that have helped me get some great shots when going after all kinds of subjects in the filed. I'm not talking about the normal 'Get down low' or 'Eye contact' if your a wildlife photographer this should be second nature!

So here’s my top 5 general photography tips 

1. Treat your camera like a lady, keep her clean, comfortable and try to press the right buttons or something could go wrong!

Being out in the rain, sand, mud and what other environment your in can really take a toll on your camera and if you've got a expensive one make sure you keep on top of its maintenance

simple lens cleaning kits (see below) are relatively cheap and can save money in the long run like getting the sensor cleaned (I’d still recommend doing this though every 6 or so months)

a filter will also help keep the lens safe and away from dirt!

2. Bigger is not always better!

i have quite a large camera bag which fits all my kit in nicely though when walking up places like the cairngorms can be quite tiring so a smaller bag can often be a better choice allowing you to cover more ground.

3. Explore your local patch

People get fixated on travel all over the world or indeed UK to get the very best shots when often it’s on your doorstep. Gardens, parks, even city centres all hold the fair share of wildlife and provide a cheaper and easier study subject then going abroad.

4. Talk to strangers (not if they offer you sweeties though)

Dog walkers are often the best I’ve found who see wildlife running away from the dog and can let you know where they see them most or failing this wardens at wildlife reserves will have excellent intel of where to find that pesky kingfisher!

also if you see someone else with a camera pointing at a tree it s a good bet there a wildlife photographer to most I’ve found to be nice people who will have a chat about what’s a around and always a good networking opportunity.

5. Do some video also!

Video often sells more then photography and is easier to get into with people e.g. a wildlife photographer works alone and wildlife cameraman works with a whole team of soundman, editors and assistants.

With most modern SLR cameras now having a video mode its even easier to get into.

short video i made while photographing waxwings

Website