If you’ve ever endeavored to photograph wild animals, you know how tough it can be. That’s because, in addition to variables like shifting weather and light, wildlife photographers face a unique challenge: their subjects are often elusive, easily spooked, and utterly uncoachable. Olympus photographers Brooke Bartleson and Lee Hoy, both wildlife specialists with decades of experience between them, are here to help. Read on for their hard-earned wildlife photography advice. Then, head over to the Modern Adventure Photography Handbook for even more expert insight and gear recommendations.Forget About Golden HourThe moments surrounding sunrise and sunset offer ideal light for photography, but wild animals show different behaviors that are worth capturing throughout the day. “There is no golden hour for wildlife photography,” says Brooke Bartleson, pointing to baby foxes, who are left to their own devices in the middle of the day as their parents hunt. “Kit foxes are so curious when they’re unsupervised. They wander, claw at trees, splash in puddles…There are cool behaviors that happen in the middle of the day that you don’t want to miss.”Get on the Animal’s LevelGetting close to wildlife with a proper telephoto lens is just the beginning. The next step is lowering your angle so you’re eye-to-eye with the subject. “Even if you have to lie flat on your belly, or climb on the hood of your car, your shots will feel so much more intimate if you are level with the animal’s eyes,” Brooke Bartleson says. “It makes the shot so much more intimate, giving your viewers a moment they’d never experience with the naked eye.”
Source: The Five Rules of Wildlife Photography | Outside Online
