Understanding Wildlife/Bird Photography

• Location: While going for wildlife/bird photography it is very important to choose, where to go & when to go. While selecting the location, season plays very important role. If you are planning for Wildlife sanctuary then you should not plan in rainy season & if you are planning for bird photography then Bird sanctuary is the most recommended place. 

Kanha Wildlife Sanctuary, M.P.

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Rajasthan 

• Equipment to carry - Equipment is as important as location. While going for Wildlife photography it is good to carry two DSLR bodies, one with Prime lens and one with zoom lens, photography gear also includes following accessories, depending upon the location & season. 1.4x/2x converter, Extra battery backup & memory cards, Tripod, Mono pod, Beans Bag, dust/rain cover etc. Always take extreme care of all your equipment in any condition.

Zoom Lens & Prime Lens

DSRL

• Knowledge about Wildlife/Birds: Before going on photography expedition one must have knowledge about mammals and birds. Important to know their Names, Size, Calls, Songs, Behaviors etc. One should have gentle approach towards wildlife/birds at the same time keen observation is necessary while doing photography. Key point in wildlife/bird photography is Patience.    

• Shoot at Eye Level: I was told by my photographic mentor to ‘shoot at an eye level’. Photographing wildlife/birds at their level is more appealing to the eyes. Get down as low as possible in a proper stance & grip, to shoot sharp photos. 

Blue-capped Rock Thrush

Leopard

• Avoid Placing Your Subject in the Center of the Frame: In the beginning every wildlife photographer places subject directly at the center of the frame. Try to avoid doing this. Instead, compose your subject, according to rules of composition. If you place the subject at the center, it often forces the viewer’s eyes to stay away from the subject, which may end in an uninteresting image. By composing your subject away from center, humans eye remains in the frame.

• Avoid Distracting Backgrounds: I have seen lots of fantastic wildlife/birds images, only to be ruined by a distracting background. If you look at an image and the background is disturbing, one can not concentrate on the subject, which ruins the photograph. By distractions, I am referring to the things like man-made objects (buildings, fences, cars etc), bright highlights or blurred out trees and branches. In many situations, you can move around the subject until you have out of focus background. It is possible in bird photography but not in wildlife photography.

• Eyes should be in sharp focus:  One very important rule when photographing wildlife is to focus on the eyes of your subject. While viewing an image if the eyes aren’t in focus then image is not said to be sharp. The first thing we tend to look is the eyes of the Bird/Animal, so it makes perfect sense to focus the eyes.

• To Conclude: The best thing I would link to suggest you to go out in the wild with your camera gear and try some of these techniques.