Wildlife Photography – Everything You’ll Need [Infographic]

Are you interested in becoming a wildlife photographer?

If the answer is yes, know this: it’s one of the hardest forms of photography to master. In most instances your subject doesn’t want to participate in the shoot, often leaving you with blurred picture of an animal on the run. And even in a best case scenario you have just seconds to capture a great photograph.

In an aim to arm you with some basic wildlife photography knowledge, Tusk Photo, have put together a few tips and a handy infographic on all the gear you’ll need.

Patience is a virtue

One trait that every single wildlife photographer must posses is patience. You will find yourself sitting and waiting for long periods of time before your subject even considers making an appearance. You could find yourself waiting a whole day. You could find yourself waiting months.

Know that getting a good shot isn’t just going to happen (unless you’re incredibly lucky) on day one. It’s going to take time and, most importantly, patience.

Know the weather

One thing that’s as unpredictable as the animals you’re photographing is the weather. Not only will it make capturing a great shot more difficult, but the rain can also ruin your expensive equipment.

Before heading out be sure to check the weather forecast and take extra equipment along to protect your gear if it’s unfavourable.

Get to know your subject

If you are aiming to capture one specific species of animal, take time to learn everything you can about them. Find out their sleeping habits, their mating rituals, where they feed – all the information you can in an aim to truly understand them.

Why?

The more you know, the easier you’ll find it to find and photograph the creature in the wild.

Light it up

Some of the world’s best wildlife photographers use natural lighting to their advantage. This means you should too.

One such way that the pros use lighting to their advantage is to capture a subject between a source of light and themselves. This gives the animal a silhouette look, adding an ‘other-worldy’ feel to the image.

Check out our infographic below on all the gear you’ll want to take with you on your next wildlife photography trip!