We live in a world where we are constantly taking more pictures and videos to post on social media and websites. While most professional photographers do that for a living many people aspire to click some amazing photos when they head for wildlife trips.
If you are planning to head for a wildlife tour you want to focus on simple tips and ideas that would make things work for you and help you take better pictures on your next wildlife trip. This would help you get the best shots that you can post on your social media profiles or blog.
Let’s take a quick look at 10 practical tips on how you can get better images on your upcoming wildlife trip.
Plan Your Itinerary in Advance
When you are handling multiple things on your wildlife trip you do not get the time to focus on photography. Hence, you need to look out for wildlife trip plans that allow you to set things even before you leave your home. This would ensure that the itinerary is pre-planned and you have time to focus on other things like taking pictures.
If you are not good at planning your wildlife trip you can hire reputed tour operators like www.wildfoottravel.com to help you with your custom itineraries and plans. Knowing where you are going will also help you plan what pictures you want to capture.
Choose Destinations You Know
One of the things that you can do to elevate your wildlife photography skills is to choose a wildlife destination where you have been already. While this might seem like a waste of opportunity you can make things work for your photography skills.
Since you are familiar with the terrain you know how you can take better pictures and improve it. Knowing the location also provides you with the advantage of framing your images. This can greatly improve your wildlife photography skills and ensure that you can do better.
Try Walking Tours
While you are heading for these wildlife destinations you can opt for walking tours that allow you to explore the terrain on foot. This can make a huge difference because it allows you to explore the region slowly as you cover it.
For instance, you can choose the guided Basara walking tours in Botswana to help you know more about the area. This is where you can be with a professional guide who has information about the history and geography of the terrain.
You can take pictures as you walk and get better shots. Similarly, you can choose different walking tours in different countries to help improve your wildlife photography.
Focus on Still Subjects
When you are new to taking pictures of wildlife you should start with still subjects like landscapes, flora and fauna and even animals and birds who are not moving much. This allows you to get better pictures of them which encourages you to click more.
Look out for good backgrounds that would quickly enhance your images. You also need to keep in mind that not all wildlife photographs require zoom lenses. You may want to focus on macro photography instead which allows you to capture details that most miss out.
Choose An Efficient Camera
You might have the money to buy the best wildlife camera in the world but that won’t matter if you do not know how to use it optimally. Instead, you need to look for the best wildlife cameras for beginners to help you improve your wildlife images.
The focus must be on using features and options that you can learn quickly and master to get the right shots you desire. This way you can manage to get some great wildlife shots without having to go through a lot of edit.
Be Ready With Accessories
When you are out in the open you will have to focus on how you can use camera accessories to help you improve your images. You can make use of different camera filters, lens camera kits and batteries to help you get the right shots. Also, you may want to invest in the right camera tripod and camera straps to ensure better stability and performance.
Learn Manual Control
For beginners, it is easier to just point and shoot at the subject with the camera set to automatic setting. However, that is not going to provide you with an excellent shot because the camera is deciding for you. If you want to improve your wildlife photography you need to take control and shoot in manual mode.
While this might seem a little challenging it will allow you to make a difference to your wildlife images when you are in a different environment.
Choosing manual mode allows you to change your settings in a low-light environment and control the aperture, shutter speed and ISO. You can practice this even before you head for your wildlife tour to ensure that you have decent control over the camera settings.
Use Different Angles
While having a good quality camera is important you also need to focus on having a good eye to capture details that only you can see. Photography to a lot of extent is also about perspective. You mustn’t capture all pictures from a regular standing stance.
This way all your pictures will look identical. So, try taking pictures from different angles to make your image stand out. This will give your picture more depth and improve your photography skills.
Zoom In Zoom Out
When you are out in the wild you need to focus on how you capture the details. This instantly connects your audience with your images. Hence, you need to look for the best shots that allow you to capture the tiny details or cover the wide landscape.
For this, you need to zoom in and zoom out the images that let you provide a new perspective. If you are capturing flamingos out in the open you would want to zoom out and capture the entire landscape to cover the background as well.
However, at times you would only want to focus on the face of the predator and therefore zoom in to capture the details.
Be Patient
Improving your camera skills and taking wildlife shots doesn’t come easy. Hence, even before you make a decision you need to give yourself enough time to improve your wildlife photography. Do not set higher expectations right from the start because it takes a lot of practice to master the art of photography.
Also, when you are touring different wildlife destinations you will have different light conditions and weather which can seriously impact the result of your pictures. This means that you will have to adapt your camera settings to the environment.
