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When photographing animals,
be careful! Wild animals can be
unpredictable and aggressive
when cornered. Give them their
space and try not to disrupt the
animal’s routine.
Nature and wildlife
photography tips
✦ Use a long lens. Whenever possi-
ble, use a long telephoto lens. This
allows you to remain inconspicu-
ous to the animal, enabling you to
catch it acting naturally.
144 Part II ✦ Creating Great Photos with the Creative Lighting System
Table 6.8
Taking Nature and Wildlife Pictures
Setup Practice Picture: For figure 6.25, after I discovered the
armadillo, I followed it around trying to move slowly so as not to
scare him off.
On Your Own: Wild animals are generally pretty skittish (they are
called “wild” for a reason) so moving slowly and trying not to
make any loud noises is best.
Lighting Practice Picture: I handheld an SB-600 and set the commander
to TTL.
On Your Own: I recommend setting the flash to TTL BL; the less
you have to think about when trying not to scare an animal off,
the better.
Lens Practice Picture: Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4. I used this
particular lens because I was out shooting macro shots of insects
when I ran across this little guy. It was tricky, but I finally got
close enough to him to snap this shot.
On Your Own: Longer focal length lenses are usually
recommended for shooting wildlife. Long lenses help you get
close-up shots without disturbing the animal.
Camera Settings Practice Picture: Aperture Priority mode
On Your Own: Shutter Priority mode. You want to choose a fast
enough shutter speed to freeze the motion of the animal in case
it’s moving.
Exposure Practice Picture: 1/60 sec. at f/5.6, ISO 400
On Your Own: Depending on how fast the animal is moving and
how much light you have, you may need to adjust your ISO to
achieve a faster shutter speed.
Accessories A monopod can help you hold your camera steady when
photographing animals at long focal lengths.
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