Wildlife Photography Tips #1 - The Pros and Cons Of Using Long Lenses
When you use long lenses, there will not be any need for you to get too close to your wildlife subject. This simply means that it is alright for you to remain at a comfortable distance from the subject and still get the shot you desire. This works very well with shy and skittish wildlife subjects.
Another thing to note is that long focal lengths have the tendency to reduce depth-of-field. This gets the subject to be isolated from the distracting background as the background gets blurred.
Long lenses can also compress space. This makes the elements within the frame to appear looking closer together then they really are.
The narrow angle of view, along with the limited depth of field makes it harder for photographers to achieve a 'sense of place' as long lenses tend to crop and blur out most of the elements in the background.
Wildlife Photography Tips #2 - Keep The Lens Steady For Sharp Results
A) Shooting From A Vehicle
When I shoot photographs of wildlife from a vehicle, I've found the food sized bean bag as the best support to keep my camera lens steady.
B) Shooting From A Hide
However, when I photograph wildlife from a hide, the tripod is the most suitable as it is sturdy enough to hold both my camera and lens. Photographs always turn out sharp when I use a tripod to photograph images.
C) Shooting Out In The Field
When I shoot out in the field, I use a tripod whenever necessary. At times when I am unable to use the tripod, I will make use of a monopod instead. Otherwise, I'll just handhold the camera.
When you have to handhold your camera, you have to lower your centre of gravity to take the shot as to keep the lens steady. Press the shutter at the bottom of your breathing cycle. Another important thing to note when you handhold your camera to photograph wildlife is to activate the Vibration Reduction (VR) feature.
Wildlife Photography Tips #3 - Bring Out The Best Of Your Telephoto Lenses!
When it comes to telephoto lenses, they appear to optically be at their sharpest when they are set to mid-range apertures. For instance, the f/8 and f/11 are mid-range apertures.
Therefore, keep to these mid-range aperture settings whenever possible and avoid using both the widest and smallest apertures.
If you are not using a monopod or handholding your camera, you can reduce vibration when you utilize a remote to fire the shutter. Using the mirror lock-up function also helps minimize vibration.
Utilizing the bean bag or tripod is better at keeping the lens steady. Any movements are further reduced.
Wildlife Photography Tips #4 - Teleconverters As Essential Lens Gears
If you have a budget and happen to not be able to afford yourself a new lens, you can opt to buy yourself a teleconverter and use it with your existing lens.
Bear in mind that although combining both a teleconverter and your existing camera lens can help double your focal length, the amount of light that can reach your sensor will be reduced.
The amount of light reaching your sensor can be reduced by as much as two stops with a 2x teleconverter. This means using a wider aperture setting, slower shutter speed, and a higher ISO. Hence, it is very important that you keep your camera steady.
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