5 Wildlife Photography Tips for Beginners

Getting into animal or wildlife photography can be daunting at first. However, with a correct understanding of your camera and how to use it, taking these photos will be exciting and will allow you to explore a completely new realm of possibilities.

Here are 7 wildlife photography tips if you are a beginner:

1. Have the Right Lenses

If you want more information about the lenses I'm discussing, check out this guide on camera lenses. Having the correct lenses is crucial to having quality wildlife photos. One of the lenses that are essential to every wildlife photographer is a telephoto lens. Personally, I use a Canon 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6. However, any lens that you use with a maximum focal length higher than 200mm should be enough. Sometimes, you might have shots that need a wider focal length, but you will be better off with a telephoto lens for the detail shots.

2. Control Your Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is important for ensuring you always get the sharpest photos. If you are photographing fast-moving wildlife, you should keep your shutter speed higher. However, remember that having a faster shutter speed will make your photos underexposed, so always try to keep your shutter speed so that your shot is correctly exposed.

3. Adjust Your Aperture

If you want to have beautiful bokeh and professional close-up photos, you should know how to adjust your aperture. Having a lower aperture will allow more light in while keeping your background blurry. More expensive lenses will allow you to reach apertures as low as f/2.8 or f/1.8. However, watch out when keeping a low aperture since sometimes you might not get your whole subject in focus.

4. Have a Tripod

A tripod is important for ensuring that your shots are all stable. In fact, having a tripod is so important that I listed it as one of my top photography essentials. Usually, higher-quality tripods will be more resistant to the wind; however, any decent-quality tripod should work.

5. Practice Makes Perfect

Like all types of photography, getting out there and practicing is the best tip for wildlife photography. Even going to your local zoo is good practice. Whichever way you decide, practicing animal photography is the best source of knowledge. Like any other skill, experience is the best knowledge.

Using these 5 tips, you will be able to become a professional wildlife photographer. If you want some location tips to shoot wildlife, check out my post on Maroon Bells in Aspen, CO.