Wildlife photography has a difficulty that most other genres don’t: it’s hard to get close to your subject. Animals are generally wary and will fly or run away if you get too close to them – this is why most wildlife photographers keep long lenses in the 400-800mm range and often move from there. But if you follow a few steps to make your subjects more comfortable, it’s possible to get closer as a wildlife photographer and get better photos because of it.
get on the ground
In one of Photography Life’s recent photo critique livestreams, a photographer asked us a very interesting question: How can you isolate your subject when there are lots of others of the same (or different) species nearby?
My answer was to put the camera as low as possible and point the camera slightly upward. This way, you’re no longer pointing into the crowd, and your subjects will naturally get more isolation. If you find a subject that stands a little higher than the others, you can capture a clean portrait photo even in a busy environment.
But in fact, there is another benefit to this approach. Animals will often be much less afraid of you if you are on the ground, so it is also possible to approach them more closely. This requires a little physical dexterity, but the best method I have found is to lie flat on the ground and slowly crawl military style toward your subject.
Recently, I found a flock of Neotropical Cormorants perched on the drain of a concrete pond. I know from experience that these birds will swim away if you get within normal shooting distance, so I lay flat and slowly crept toward them. There were also some reeds along the way, so I managed to get close enough to take pictures.
Do not contact directly
Whether you’re walking slowly or crawling on the ground, another tactic is to approach indirectly. I mean, come on… animals are very smart, and if you walk straight towards them, they know you’re separating them.
This is why it often feels like animals will ignore you until you start taking out your camera – as soon as you do, they disappear. As a photographer this isn’t just bad luck! This is because you have gone from being a passive part of the environment to having potential predators focusing your attention on them.
Instead, if you approach them more indirectly, by circling towards them, they are much less likely to pay attention to you. Also, don’t make eye contact when you’re moving towards it. Many animals will pay special attention to your eyes. There is a bit of an art to this, but try not to give the animal any reason to think you have separated them.
I had to use this approach when I saw some swallows on a wire in a nearby national park. Although they seemed calm around humans, they would fly away if I approached them directly. So, I walked along a path, just a little closer and not looking at them. Eventually, I managed to get close enough to slowly pick up my camera and take the shot.
wait
There are some animals for which waiting in place is the correct strategy. If you are absolutely quiet, after some time the animals may come quite close to you. This won’t work every time, but if you observe a little behavior your chances of success can increase.
For example, I know a place near a small lake where various flycatchers like to catch water creatures. I noticed that one Great Kiskadi, in particular, liked to use several large, thick branches to launch itself into cold water. Instead of trying to chase it, which is quite difficult, I simply sat under a tree branch and waited. Eventually, one came and sat right above me, making it possible to get a shot with only a small crop to remove some of the side distractions.
Change photo type
So far, I’ve talked about ways to approach your subject. But at other times, it’s worth recognizing that this isn’t the only approach to good wildlife photography. If you stick further back, you can find some very interesting environmental photos that can be just as interesting as the best wildlife pictures.
I know, the first instinct of a wildlife photographer is to get as close as possible. But there aren’t that many good environmental shots of wildlife out there, so if you can get a little more environment into your shot, chances are you’ll be doing something different than the standard wildlife photo.
This can be especially useful if you don’t have a long enough lens. This happened to me the other day when I saw a Bare-faced Ibis. But that day, I had my Nikon 70-300mm zoom instead of the 500mm f/5.6PF lens. I definitely didn’t have enough focal length for a specific portrait, so I decided to go even further back to get a more environmental shot. (Massimo Vignoli recently wrote an excellent article animal scene photography This shows how you can go back further and still get good results.)
come back another time
I don’t talk about this often, but I think one of my top three principles in wildlife photography is this: Don’t force the situation. In other words, don’t try to get too close if it doesn’t feel natural.
And the reason I say this is for two reasons. The first is that if the animals are alert it is best not to stress them by trying to get too close to them. But the second benefit comes from being familiar with your topic.
In fact, by getting as close as the animal feels comfortable with you, you will begin to get a sense of the nature of the subject. This can calm your own emotions and give you the sense that your subject is calm too. In the end, you may not be able to get very close to some topics. But then you would just photograph them with their surroundings. This calmer, more collected approach to wildlife photography will definitely come through in your photos, and produce better photos overall.
I read an interview with a famous portrait photographer a long time ago and he said that his secret was that he made his subjects comfortable. I don’t remember who it was, but I thought it was a good idea that should be applied to wildlife as well. So, I highly recommend practicing the art of letting go and trying to relax your subjects above taking the shot, because when you get the shot, it will be even better for them.
conclusion
You can’t always get close to wildlife. When you can, you’ll capture an intimate moment that’s so thrilling to have. When you can’t do that, you’ll still have the chance to take more environmental shots that can be just as interesting. No matter how close you get, just enjoy your time on the wild land and you will definitely have a wonderful time.
