For those who love natural surroundings, photographing wildlife can be both therapeutic and rewarding. It could also drive you mad if approached in a hurry. Patience and preparation are among the essentials for this kind of enterprise. Animals, especially wild ones, are unpredictable!

Follow this guide for tips on how to capture outstanding wildlife photographs.

Wildlife photography starts with research

The key to becoming a better wildlife photographer is to first know your subject. Learn about their habitat, diet, behaviour, and when they’re on the move. Is the animal dangerous, timid or aggressive? Are they found in packs or alone? Not only will this ensure you’re fully prepared when out in the field, but you’ll be better at anticipating their movements, keeping safe and taking great photographs.

It’s a good idea to seek out other wildlife photographers and check out their guides to learn from the best. Photographers like Mattias Klum, Will Burrard Lucas, Frans Lanting and Amy Gulick, to name just a few, can provide great inspiration.

There are many wonderful images among the Wildlife Photographer of the Year past and present winners, too. We have a vast library of articles on wildlife and nature photography in the wildlife photography section of this website, and if you know what type(s) of animal you want to photograph, you should be able to find a specific guide to photographing them: be they birds, nocturnal animals, or Rhinos in Africa.

What kit do I need for wildlife photography?

Start simple

If you’re reading this guide because you are new to wildlife photography, you may assume you need fancy and expensive long lenses. This really is not the case. All you need to get going is a camera and lens.

We’ve spoken to many wildlife photographers who started out with their existing kit. For example, Sam Hobson made his name using a wide-angle lens (not your typical go-to lens for wildlife). His wide-angle, award-winning Bristol city fox images are incredible and well worth checking out.

Budget options

If you do want to invest in a more traditional long-zoom wildlife lens, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM is a great budget option. One of these second-hand can be picked up for around $1,000 / £900.

There’s also a range of other lenses that are well suited to wildlife use, or for a simpler option, an ultra-zoom camera could be a good option. For more options, check out our guide to the best budget telephoto lenses for wildlife and best lenses for wildlife photography.

For those with a smaller budget, an extender is worth considering. This piece of kit fits in between your lens and camera body, so make sure you purchase one that is compatible with your camera system and existing lens.

An extender’s job is to increase the focal length of a lens. For example, a 2x extender on a 200mm lens will convert the lens to 400mm. An x1.4 extender on a 200mm lens will increase the lens to 280mm. It’s worth noting that the extender will decrease your widest aperture setting. For example, if your lens can open up to f/2.8 with an x1.4 extender aperture setting will become f/4. With a x2 extender, you will lose 2 aperture stops so your widest setting will become f/5.6.

Extenders vary in price, and we’d recommend hunting around on the second-hand market to save money.

Which camera is best for wildlife photography for beginners?

The same applies: All you need is a camera and lens. In addition to this guide, check out our picks of the best cameras for wildlife photography, which have everything from budget-friendly models for beginners to the absolute best professional cameras on the market.

Watch and observe wildlife

It’s better to resist the temptation to start snapping as soon as you spot an animal. Stand back, observe and assess the subject and environment first. Watch how the animal behaves. Are they okay with your presence? Where is the light coming from? Where is the best background? Is their behaviour predictable? Are you in the best position?

Sometimes we can achieve more by slowing down and shooting less. Be prepared to return to the same location and have perseverance to get a good shot. Don’t feel disheartened if you don’t achieve what you want right away – Rome wasn’t built in a day!

You also need to know when to stop. The welfare of the animal needs to be put above your needs to get a great shot. For example, mothers with newborns will feel very threatened if you are too close, and avoid clambering around on rocks when birds are nesting. This is why you need to research thoroughly, as there is no excuse for ignorance. Leave each environment you’ve been in with no trace.

Read this guide to being an ethical wildlife photographer.

Wildlife camera setup and settings

What settings should I use for wildlife photography?

There is no right or wrong shooting mode for photographing wildlife. Each photographer will have their own approach – ensuring that the camera is set up and ready to go is the main thing. We want to be ready to capture action as it happens.

As a good starting point, I find it easiest to shoot in Shutter priority mode. In this mode, you can fully control the shutter speed and leave the camera to work out the best aperture and ISO speed setting. Although your camera calculates these settings, you need to be aware of what your aperture and ISO speed settings are reading.

• Put your camera into Shutter priority (S or Tv)
• Check the light – increase your ISO setting if need be
• Open the aperture wider if you need more light

Using shutter priority will be of particular benefit for fast-moving subjects, and using a fast shutter speed such as 1/500s is a good starting point (more on this below). If you know your subject is slow moving, then you might want to use aperture priority so that you can more easily control the amount in focus in the shot.

If you don’t yet have a grasp on shutter speeds, apertures and ISO, we suggest you spend some time getting to know these settings on your camera and to experiment with the different effects they can achieve. For a refresher, read our guide to exposure, aperture, ISO, shutter speeds and more.

Make sure it’s sharp

There are three main things to consider for achieving sharp wildlife shots: the shutter speed, aperture setting and focus.

Use a fast shutter speed

Make sure the shutter speed is reading at least 1/500sec if the animal you are photographing is moving or for very fast movements 1/1000sec. If it is stationary, then you’ll be fine with a setting of 1/200sec or above (depending on the lens you’re using).

Aperture setting

How much of the animal do you want sharp? For example, if you are close and focus on the eye at f/2.8, the eye will be sharp but the face will blur. This can look great if that’s what you desire, but for other features, like the nose to be sharp, you’ll need to close the aperture down. In this example, the Rhesus Macaque monkey in the foreground is in focus and the one behind is soft, as the image was taken at f/2.8 (on a full-frame camera).

Focus

Focus needs to be spot-on. Our preferred method is to use the single-point AF setting on our camera and set the focus to continuous AF tracking. That way, if your subject is moving (even little movements), you’ll have more chance of keeping it sharp. Trying to predict where your subject will move into the frame helps with this aspect, and again, this is where your research will help.

The latest mirrorless cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus and Fujifilm offer subject detection AF for a variety of wildlife depending on the camera model chosen. Subjects include birds (Olympus and Fujifilm) and pets (cats and dogs), along with other animals. Plus, the system is designed to detect and focus on the subject’s eyes! This is an extremely helpful feature for this genre.

Motion and when not to be sharp

There are some circumstances in wildlife photography when a slow shutter speed is more appropriate than a fast one. For example, capturing the motion of flocks of birds flying across the sky, or panning with a moving animal to blur the background and give the feeling of motion. You can experiment with this technique to produce something different.

Push the ISO

Any photographer will tell you that they love a low ISO setting as they then don’t have to deal with noise. However, when shooting moving subjects like wildlife, we have to be prepared to push the ISO up and embrace the grain. It’s more important to have a subject sharp and a little grainy than completely unusable. If an image has too much noise, then you can always process the raw files, and reduce it further.

Technical perfection should not be the main aim of wildlife photography. Many great images of animals have been captured which are slightly blurred. The quality of a shot should be assessed on other factors, too – if it tells a story, is unusual or dramatic, then be inclined to overlook minor flaws.

The background is essential!

The background setting of your wildlife image is undoubtedly as important as the main subject, whatever your approach, as it can completely change the look of an image. To shoot a strong animal portrait, look for a plain background to frame your subject against. In some circumstances (certainly not all), you may even be able to drop in a plain background behind the subject(s).

For example, if you set up a bird feeder in the garden, you could do so in front of a studio backdrop and choose whatever colour you want behind. Although there is much we can’t control in wildlife photography, sometimes we can create better conditions for ourselves to enhance our luck.

In a wide-angle wildlife image, the setting is vital as well. You want to use the scene to tell the story. Experiment with different camera angles – often coming down low gives an alternative take on a scene – for an unusual perspective.

Keep wildlife photography local

We recommend looking to see what’s on your doorstep and keeping your wildlife photography as local as possible – even in the city there are many wild animals around, including birds, squirrels, pigeons, foxes and more. Another advantage to shooting locally is you can keep returning to the same spot daily, and eventually capture that amazing shot you set out to achieve.

Stay in one spot

It may seem tempting to run after your subject. However, you’ll probably have more success by staying in one spot, camera ready. This is especially true for shooting small and fast animals. They get spooked easily and run away, or you end up with blurry shots of them on the move.

My final tip for this guide is to use a garden or local park, both of which are great settings for wildlife photography. Ten minutes sitting still in a backyard can reveal how much wildlife we have all around us. Observing first, watching for behavioural patterns, are preparation for getting great shots.

Article: Claire Gillo and AP Staff, Lead image: James Warwick, Getty Images

• Beginners guide to different camera types.
• Beginners guide to different lens types.
• Beginners guide to using a camera to take photos.
• Beginners guide to Exposure, aperture, shutter, ISO, and metering.
• Understanding white balance settings and colour
• 10 essential cameras accessories for beginners
• Guide to the Art of photography and composition
• Beginners guide to Photoshop Elements and editing photos
• Complete guide to Portrait Photography
• Complete guide to Macro Photography
• Complete guide to Street Photography
• Guide to Landscape Photography
• How to shoot Action and Sports Photography

Further guides on wildlife photography:

• Wildlife conservation photography: Tom Svensson reveals all
• How to be an ethical wildlife photographer
• How to capture fast-moving birds (and animals)
• How to photograph butterflies
• How to photograph animals
• How to photograph pets

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The post Complete guide to wildlife photography appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

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I have in my hands the new and very versatile 150-600mm F5-6.3 and the first upgrade since the OM-1 came out two years ago – the OM-1 Mark II. The lens weighs just over 2.2kg, only 150g more than the 150-400mm, but gives an equivalent reach of 1200mm. The zoom is of the push-pull type and the various buttons can control how smooth this action is along with a useful focus limiter. My concern is not specificaton but performance and for that I need the OM-1 Mark II.

There is significant physical difference from the OM-1. I have sometimes found the recessed dials quite hard to use, especially in cold weather with thin gloves. OM has responded to feedback and the dials are now rubberised. This might seem a small detail, but out in the field when I am adjusting shutter speed or exposure compensation, these ‘grippier’ dials make a huge difference.

However, it’s under the hood that really counts. I head out to a good spot for waxwings, and am happy to aim at the tops of the trees, where the first native 600mm lens for Micro Four Thirds gets me in close. What happens next is a revelation. The Bird AF sticks like superglue. The AF and AI algorithms have been put on steroids. When a waxwing flies into the frame, it is instantly picked up.

As the days go by, I am aware that this ‘modded’ OM-1 enables me to get shots I did not think possible. The buffer is over twice as large, which means I can keep shooting in Pro Capture bursts and not be slowed down. Garden birds are a doddle and the flighty long-tailed tit comes out sharp as a pin. The eye-detect element (with Human now added into subject detection) simply does what it says on the tin. There are other new features to explore, like a superb in-built ND grad filter, but for now my bird photography has gone to another level.

Finally, I am shooting at dawn through my kitchen window. When I underexpose, bird wings refract into rainbows. The OM-1 Mark II can easily find focus in near-darkness and every shot is sharp. If you have not yet jumped on the OM train, now is the time. For my wildlife work, and seeing the results after two months, I say – go for it!

As for the lens, which sits between the 100-400mm and 150-400mm in the OM System range, the reach is outstanding. In good light, it is sharp wide-open. Yet even in low light it is not an issue to pump up the ISO with the stacked sensor and it will be great for all sorts of shy and distant wildlife.

Prices:

• OM System OM-1 Mark II: £2,199 body only
• OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600 F5.0-6.3 IS: £2,499 lens

See more: explore.omsystem.com

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The post OM System OM-1 Mark II – our impressions for bird photography appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

This year Wildlife Photographer of the Year is celebrating an incredible 60 years. The prestigious competition always attracts the very best of the year’s wildlife photography, and of course 2024 is no different. Since its inception, the competition has always strived to promote wildlife photography as being directly beneficial for the wildlife portrayed within it.

That means that over the years, we’ve seen a noticeable shift away from traditional or classic wildlife shots of common subjects to those that demonstrate the behaviour of perhaps lesser-known creatures, or those which need the most attention. We’ve also seen a lot more in the way of artistic representations of wildlife, as well as an increase in photojournalistic approaches to the topic.

This year, a record-breaking 59,228 entries were submitted to the competition from 117 countries and territories. Entries are judged anonymously for their creativity, originality and technical excellence by a panel of internationally renowned experts.

The overall winners, as well as the Grand Title and Young Grand Title awards, were announced at a ceremony hosted by the wildlife TV presenters and conservationists Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin. For 2024, a new award, the Impact Award, is designed specifically to recognise a conservation success, a story of hope and/or positive change.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 60 exhibition at the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, London, will feature one hundred photographs. There will also be a timeline of key moments in the competition’s history to celebrate its special anniversary. Open from 11th October, the exhibition runs until 29 June 2025. A UK and international tour will also commence.

Don’t forget, if you’ve been inspired to enter your own shots into the competition, you’ve still got time. It’s open until 11.30GMT on 5 December. Visit nhm.ac.uk/wpy/competition for more information on both the exhibition and the competition.

Winner, Wetlands: The Bigger Picture and Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 – The Swarm of Life by Shane Gross, Canada

Nikon D500, Tokina Fisheye 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 11mm, 1/200 at f/13, ISO 640, 2x Sea & Sea strobes, Aquatica housing

After snorkelling in the lake for several hours, through carpets of lily pads, Shane photographed these western toad tadpoles. The tadpoles swim up from the safer depths of the lake to dodge predators to reach the shallows where they feed. The tadpoles start becoming toads between four and 12 weeks after hatching – but an estimated 99% do not survive into adulthood.

Shane has been entering WPY since 2012, and says he feels so honoured to have won his category and finds it hard to fathom that he has been named as the overall winner. He’s especially thrilled considering the subject matter. He says, ‘Wetlands are so overlooked. I’m very happy that WPY added this category recently as wetlands deserve – and more importantly, need – our attention today.’

Speaking about the shot itself, he says, ‘Being among millions of tadpoles in a beautiful setting sounds like it would make for easy photography, and in a way, it was. The difficult thing for me was working out the best way to capture the spectacle. You have very small, dark animals on a bright background, so the key to having them pop was to use a fisheye lens, get really close, and use strobes to light up their spectacular detail.’

Shane’s top tips:

1. The more time and effort you put in, the better your results will be. That’s the only way I know of to develop a style of your own, a voice of your own.
2. Study the past competition winners so you can be original and have fun with it.
3. Enjoy the process entering. I go through my images thinking critically about them and show them to friends and family to see their reactions – it’s very motivating and rewarding.
4. If you don’t win (which is most of the time!) don’t take it personally. Many successful images don’t make it.

Winner, 15-17 Years and Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year – Life Under Dead Wood by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, Germany

Panasonic Lumix G90, Laowa 25mm f/2.8, 2.5-6x ultra macro lens, 1/200 at f/4, ISO 200, Nikon SB-900 Speedlight flash, Cygnustech macro diffuser, focus stack of 36 images

Alexis needed to work fast to capture this image, as springails can jump many times their body length in a split second. Still, he used focus stacking to shoot 36 images and combine them for a perfectly focused result. The springtail is barely 2mm long, and is found alongside slime moulds and leaf litter all over the world. It improves soil by helping organic matter to decompose.

Speaking of his win, Alexis says, ‘It’s really a big honour – I never thought I would reach the point. I’m also always happy to see macro represented in broader wildlife competitions, as it tends to be an underrepresented genre compared to larger wildlife like birds and mammals.’

Alexis has been photographing since a very young age, with wildlife always being his favourite subject. ‘I was interested in birdwatching and nature and wanted to get better photos to document what I saw. For the first couple of years, my main focus was on bird photography, but I quickly became more interested in macro and getting photos of all kinds of insects, spiders and other tiny organisms.

‘Getting a good image handheld at such high magnifications poses challenges in itself, with the lighting, depth of field and stability all needing special technique and equipment to overcome the limitations of high-magnification shooting. I also got lucky that the springtail didn’t move in the time it took to shoot the 36 images required for the focus stack.

‘I think the biggest impact wildlife photography can have is to educate people about aspects of the natural world they were previously unaware of, and to raise awareness about important conservation efforts. Macro is particularly importantly for this as it gives people another perspective
on smaller wildlife, to help them understand how important it is to protect these organisms that are so vitally important to our ecosystems.’

Alexis’s top tips:

1. The most important thing is to go outside in the field as much as you can and keep practising.
2. Gear definitely matters to a certain extent, but what is so much more important is having good technique, an eye for composition and to be able to act fast when an opportunity presents itself.
3. For competitions, focus on behavioural images rather than just simple wildlife portraits.

Winner, Oceans: The Bigger Picture – A Diet of Deadly Plastic by Justin Gilligan, Australian

Nikon D850, 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, 1/125 at f/11, ISO 400, Profoto B10 + A1 flash

This mosaic was created from the 403 pieces of plastic which were found inside the digestive tract of a dead flesh-footed shearwater. Justin has been working with seabird and marine plastics research group Adrift Lab, documenting their work for several years, including joining them on beach walks at dawn to collect dead chicks. The team includes biologists from around the world, who study the impact of plastic pollution on marine life.

Studies have revealed that three-quarters of adult flesh-footed shearwaters breeding on Australia’s Lord Howe Island, and 100% of fledglings, contained plastic. Research has revealed that the plastic causes scarring to the lining of the digestive tract, a condition known as plasticosis.

Justin is extremely happy to have been recognised by WPY, and particularly this category. He says, ‘I am a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) and my conservation storytelling efforts have largely focused on marine conservation issues. This category was therefore a natural fit for me, and, being a relatively new category, there was an opportunity to try to contribute something a little unusual and surprising to draw the interest of the judges.

‘The challenge for creating this image was establishing a constructive working relationship with Adrift Lab, putting in all the time necessary to represent their hard work and dedication. There are also some difficult emotions to overcome when facing a story and a scene like this – you just need to focus on the task at hand and try to create the most compelling images possible.’

Justin’s top tips:

1. Find a subject you are passionate about in the town or region where you live that few other photographers are working on. Become an expert in that subject.
2. Visit the subject during all seasons and try and create images that are different from those you’ve seen elsewhere.
3. If a particular species or location has been awarded in the competition before, submit images that build on the established standard. You need to come up with something different from a fresh perspective.

Winner, Behaviour: Invertebrates – The Demolition Squad by Ingo Arndt, Germany

Canon EOS 5DSR, 100mm f/2.8 lens, 1/200 at f/8, ISO 400, Canon Macro Twin Lit MT-24EX flash, softboxes

In this shot, we see the brutal and efficient dismemberment of a blue ground beetle by red wood ants. To capture the shot, Ingo lay next to the ant’s nest, after which he described himself as ‘full of ant’ – a skin-crawling description.

The ants’ nourishment mostly comes from honeydew secreted by aphids, but, they also need protein. As such, they are capable of killing insects and other invertebrates much larger than themselves through their strength in numbers.

This is not the first time Ingo has won a category at WPY, but he says, it’s ‘always awesome and a great honour’ to be placed. Having photographed the wood ants for the last two years, it was always obvious to him that he would enter into this category this time around.

Describing the tricky process of capturing the image, he says, ‘In order to get a flat perspective, I had to lie down on the ground right next to the ant nest. Soon, hundreds of ants were sitting on me, biting me and spraying me with formic acid.’

Ingo’s top tips:

1. It’s best to concentrate on one subject or theme and not try to photograph everything at once.
2. Be selective in your choices and delete as many as possible – the more you delete, the better the pictures are that you keep.
3. Take a look at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year portfolio book, you’ll see which type of pictures stand a chance of winning.

Winner, Rising Star Portfolio Award – The Serengeti of the Sea by Sage Ono, USA

Nikon D850, 60mm f/2.8 lens, 1/60 at f/14, ISO 250, Nauticam NA-D850. Housing, 2x Sea & Sea YS-D2J strobes

These tube-snout fish eggs sparkle like gems next to the glowing gold of the kelp. As the embryos inside the eggs develop, they will fade in colour. This is an image from Sage’s portfolio which explores the abundant life around the giant kelp forests in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, California.

Sage is extremely excited to have won a category. He says, ‘It’s exciting and bewildering. I hope this recognition helps give a voice to kelp forests worldwide, and I don’t think I will be able to fully appreciate how winning will affect my life for a few more years.’

Speaking about his winning portfolio, he says, ‘I do most of my shooting in and around Monterey Bay focusing on kelp forests. The Rising Star Portfolio category allowed me to take a broader view and focus on a theme rather than a single moment. Kelp forests are incredibly complex ecosystems, where the life in the canopy is vastly different from the life in the holdfasts. A single image can’t capture that complexity.’

As you can imagine, underwater photography has a diverse range of challenges not always seen in other genres. ‘In order to shoot in Monterey, I have to take my camera, a vacuum-sealed housing, strobes, a drysuit, tank and plenty of other accessories. These make moving underwater quite awkward. Constantly managing my buoyancy in the swell and current in order to frame images is difficult too. It’s far from graceful, but hundreds of hours of practice and a lifetime in the water made it possible.’

Sage’s tips:

1. Be relentlessly picky about your own vision. Aim to match the artists you look up to on a technical level, but then try to break away from them stylistically.
2. Shoot local, or plan on doing something no one has ever done before. Talented photographers are everywhere, but the best shots almost always come from those who have taken the time to really understand their local ecosystem.
3. Slow down, look closely, you’ll find fascinating stories everywhere.

Winner, Behaviour: Mammals – A Tranquil Moment by Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod, Sri Lanka

Nikon D500, 600mm f/4 lens, 1/250 at f/4, ISO 3200

Here we have a sweet portrait of a young toque macaque sleeping in an adult’s arms. While taking a rest after a morning of photographing birds and leopards, the photographer soon realised he wasn’t alone. A troop of toque macaques was moving through the trees above, with a young monkey sleeping between feeds. A telephoto lens enabled Vinod to pick out the peaceful moment.

Despite the obvious beauty of the portrait, Vinod is still somewhat surprised to have won the category. ‘When I received the email acknowledging the win, I could not believe it. I went through the email three times before comprehending it – I’m honoured.’

Long fascinated by primates, due to their human-like behaviours, Vinod says there were a couple of challenges to getting to this shot. ‘One was not to make the mother and the newborn startled by making any unnecessary noise, but at the same time, I knew had to take the shot ASAP because I knew this moment was not going to last long. I had to move swiftly to the right position but without making noise.

‘The second challenge was to hold my gear by hand and take the frame I wanted. I had the Nikon 600mm f/4 prime lens attached to my D500 DSLR. It was a bit of a struggle to hold the set up for long without shaking and to get the best frame I wanted. What I did was to push and hold the set up against a tree and while keeping it steady took the frame I wanted.’

Vinod’s tips:

1. Follow other established photographer’s work, for example on Instagram. Try to analyse the lighting, subject, framing and composition and the story it conveys. Learn their methods and excel from them.
2. Always plan before you set out to shoot in a park. Find out what animals are in that park, the geography, the sort of lighting that will be there, and what sort of actions you could anticipate.
3. When you are a bit more experienced, try to photograph frames which tell a story. Wild animals can’t speak, so we must be their voice.

Winner, Underwater – Under the Waterline by Matthew Smith, UK/Australia

Nikon Z7 II, 14-30mm f/4 lens, 1/200 at f/11, ISO 640, neutral-density graduated filter, Aquatica AZ6/7 housing and Matty Smith 12” split shot dome port, Sea & Sea YS-D3 Mark II strobes

This curious leopard seal is seen beneath the Antarctic ice. Matthew captured this using a specially made extension designed for the front of his underwater housing to get the split image – and amazingly, it was his first encounter with a leopard seal. He says, ‘When it looked straight into the lens barrel, I knew I had something good.’

Leopard seals are widespread and abundant, but overfishing, retreating sea ice and warming waters mean that krill and penguins – the main source of food for the seals – are both in decline.

He describes winning this category as a career highlight. ‘WPY is considered the Oscars of wildlife photography and to be selected as a winner is a “pinch myself” moment. I still don’t quite believe it,’ he says.

Although this is a winning image, Matthew actually entered multiple categories with many pictures this year. However, as he exclusively shoots underwater, he feels especially honoured to win in this category.

‘Location and extreme cold were the two biggest challenges to get this shot. It was taken in a remote spot on the Antarctic peninsula, only really accessible on a small yacht like ours, out of reach of the bigger cruise ships.

‘A small group of seven photographers and I chose to sail there from Argentina on a small boat so we could run to our own schedule and spend time in these hard-to-reach locations. We were living on the vessel in cramped quarters for a month, which was mentally and physically challenging.

‘Crossing Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica is also an extreme sailing adventure as is notoriously one of the most treacherous oceans to cross. Once there we had to deal with sub-zero ocean temperatures, which makes it hard to shoot underwater. Time is limited as even with the best dry suit and thermal gear, the iciness creeps into your bones very quickly, making operating a camera very tricky.’

This is not the first time Matthew has been published in AP. Matthew recalls, ‘Amateur Photographer was the first magazine to publish a print of mine almost 25 years ago! It was a black & white print of the Sydney Harbour Bridge that I shot on my first trip to Australia (before I emigrated). I remember how excited I was and how it gave me a boost to push on with my photography. Little did I know the next picture of mine you’d publish would be a WPY award-winning image, which makes this interview extra special indeed.’

Matthew’s tips:

1. Patience is paramount; these things don’t happen overnight. Get to know your target species well, and its behaviour and nuances. Studying the animal will help you capture the more special moments.
2. Good eye contact with your subject makes for compelling images.
3. For competitions, read the rules carefully. For example, WPY is very particular about post-processing – which is a good thing.
4. Shooting for awards like this helps to make you a better and more thoughtful photographer, but it’s a tough competition. Don’t be put off if you don’t make it; keep entering year after year.

Further reading:

• Dusk to Dawn – Share your low light photos to win a £500 voucher!
• The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards shortlist is here!
• Impactful conservation photo wins Bird Photographer of the Year
• Amateur Photographer Student Roadshow 2024 coming soon!

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The post Tadpole migration image wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year 60! appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

MFT vs full-frame: the cameras

• Read our Best Full Frame mirrorless cameras to buy in 2024

MFT vs full-frame: the lenses

While just two MFT camera brands share the same lens mount, the picture is very different for lenses. See our guide to the Best Micro Four Thirds lenses in 2024. There are options from Olympus/OM-System, Panasonic, and third party providers including Laowa, Samyang, 7Artisans, Tamron, Voigtlander, MEIKE, Sigma and more.

Understandably, the full-frame market enjoys massive support, but there are many more lens mounts out there. Some systems are better provided for than others. A key comparison is the very limited third party lens support for Canon EOS R mirrorless cameras, with just a few manual focus lenses available; compared with Sony’s E-mount, which is more widely supported.

There is plenty of lens choice to attract users of both formats but, availability aside, those in the smaller format have the advantage of being more compact.

MFT vs full-frame: the crop factor

The Micro Four Thirds format is based on a sensor size measuring 17.3x13mm, while the full-frame format is nominally 36x24mm.

The diagonal of MFT measures 21.6mm against 43.2mm for full-frame, so almost precisely double, which gives us the 2x crop factor that’s always mentioned in format comparisons.

Canon EOS R5 · f/22 · 1/160s · 100mm · ISO100

The 2x crop factor is important when we consider lenses. A lens’s focal length is a fixed parameter so a 50mm lens is a 50mm lens regardless of the camera format in use. In practice, though, use a 50mm focal length lens on an MFT camera and you get the ‘equivalent’ field of view of a 100mm lens.

Canon EOS R5 · f/22 · 1/160s · 100mm · ISO100

This 2x crop applies to all focal lengths but the real practical benefit kicks in with longer focal length lenses. This is a plus point for nature photographers.

A 400mm lens used on MFT gives the equivalent of a 800mm view (in 35mm equivalent terms). With both lenses a distant subject will be the same size, but on the smaller MFT format it will be more frame-filling compared with the 35mm shot which will need cropping to give the same composition. See our examples below.

OM-1 · f/6.3 · 1/1600s · 400mm · ISO3200

Canon EOS R5 · f/8 · 1/160s · 400mm · ISO400

MFT vs full-frame: weight and bulk

Let’s look at some actual products to illustrate possible weight savings. The OM System 300mm f/4 IS PRO lens sells for $2800 / £2399, weighs 1.47kg and measures 22.7cm long. Canon’s RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM weighs twice as much at 3.1kg, is more than double the length at 47.2cm. It costs $12,999 / £14,179.

This is to compare apples with pears, but is as close as we can get. The fact remains that the MFT 300mm lens, which gives a 600mm equivalent in 35mm equivalent format, is a much more compact package, not to mention a great deal cheaper.

The weight savings with cameras are less dramatic and it depends on the models being compared. The full-frame Nikon Z7 II body weighs 615g while the MFT Panasonic Lumix GH6 body only is actually heavier at 833g although the OM System OM-1 is lighter at 599g body only.

Spread weight savings across a camera or two, plus several lenses and that is potentially a huge practical benefit for nature workers, especially those who travel, but it is just one factor, albeit an important one.

MFT vs full-frame: handling

You’ve seen how much larger full-frame telephoto lenses are compared with MFT options, and this has an impact on many aspects of camera handling.

Clearly, there are challenges to carrying and using heavier kit, and many photographers are now downsizing to the MFT format, accordingly. 

Lugging heavy kit around is one thing, but it’s quite another to handhold a hefty telephoto lens for a length of time. A support of some sort is advised. Of course, we then have to consider shutter speeds to ensure sharp shots. The physically longer and heavier lenses demand a solid tripod, and that in turn adds to the burden. To protect and carry larger kit demands a bigger and heaver backpack; further increasing your overall weight of kit.

Many cameras have in-body image stabilisation (IBIS). This is a great benefit, but your shutter speed still can’t be dropped down too slow. As a hand-holding guide, the reciprocal rule still applies – ie a 300mm lens needs a shutter speed of at least 1/300sec – and while having IBIS means you can drop one or two stops slower, care is required. How slow you can actually go depends on your hand-holding skills, the lens; even a breeze is a factor.

MFT vs full-frame: image quality

It wouldn’t be fair to make definitive image quality comparisons across different formats because the sensors and lenses are different. But let’s look at some stats and shots taken at the same time using the Canon EOS R5 and OM System OM-1.

The OM-1 is a 20MP MFT camera and its raw files open up to give an image size of 5184 x 3888 pixels. Assuming 300ppi, and no software interpolation, that gives a print size of 17.2 x 12.9in / 43.6 x 32.7cm. The full-frame 45MP EOS R5’s raw files open up to 8192 x 5464pixel files which translates to a print size of 27.3 x 18.2in / 69.3 x 46.2cm.

Clearly, the larger format has more possibilities for making big prints, and has many more pixels to play with for a small subject that you want to magnify.

Cropping an MFT picture to make a small subject a decent size can mean a less crisp, more fuzzy image especially if a high ISO is used. However, with good editing such issues are easily resolved. 

MFT vs full-frame: ISO matters

The general premise is that the smaller the image sensor the greater the amount of digital noise produced as you progress up the ISO ladder. Digital noise looks like tiny coloured or neutral specks in your picture, and it’s more noticeable when shooting in very low light especially in the shadows area.

As sensor technology has advanced, the negative impact of digital noise spoiling pictures has lessened and recent cameras with back-side illuminated (BSI) or stacked sensors are impressive even at higher ISO speeds like ISO 6400.

Long lenses and sub-optimal lighting are part and parcel of nature photography; the ability to use higher ISO settings with confidence is important. You can see in our example how good it can be with images on an OM System OM-1 and Canon EOS R5.

The great news is that the latest noise reduction software is very capable when dealing with grainy pictures. Adobe Lightroom has recently gained Denoise AI to embellish its all-round workflow skills. Topaz Denoise AI and DxO PureRaw 3 are also staggeringly good at cleaning up high ISO files.

Click to view enlarged images:

ISO for ISO the full-frame images show less noise and are crisper but the MFT raw files are not far behind, and are improved hugely when processed with software noise reduction.

In the above example, we used Lightroom’s Denoise AI on the ISO 12,800 raw files and the results are amazingly good.

MFT vs full-frame: depth-of-field and bokeh

Our focus here is on nature photography, where depth-of-field and bokeh can be as important as they are with portrait and landscape work.

With macro, depth-of-field lessens as you approach the subject, so having as much as possible is a good thing. With long lenses, that are often used at wider aperture values in nature shooting, depth-of-field is shallow and again there are times when you might need more. Whatever the scenario, focusing, as ever is crucial, and MFT has its benefits.

Comparing like with like, the MFT format gives more depth-of-field and less background blur by a factor of two – the 2x crop factor. Shooting the same scenario with a 50mm at f/2 lens on MFT gives twice as much depth-of-field as a 100mm at f/2 on full-frame. This is incredibly handy with macro because to shoot at f/8 on MFT, the 2x crop factor gives the equivalent depth-of-field of using f/16 on full-frame.

However, this is a minor matter for those who like shallow depth-of-field. Portraitists often shoot with an 85mm f/1.8 wide open for selective focus and lovely blurry backgrounds so with MFT you need to use a 42.5mm at f/0.9 (NB the Panasonic 42.5mm f/1.2 is close-ish). A 85mm f/1.8 is a modest telephoto and 85mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.2 are very popular portrait lenses – you would struggle to get a comparable effect on MFT if those lenses were used at maximum aperture.

To check out the theory, I took a pair of shots featuring a four spotted chaser with an OM Digital OM-1 and Canon EOS R5 using the equivalent focal length and aperture: 210mm at f/4 and 420mm and f/8 respectively. The out of focus grasses in the background look similar and a close look at the insect shows the same zone of sharp focus, so the depth-of-field is more or less identical.

MFT or full-frame: Conclusion

Nature and wildlife photography are enjoyed by many and as with any discussion about camera format, there are pros and cons to both MFT and full-frame. Much depends on your budget, expectations and your needs, be that physical, pictorial or logistical.

So, if you currently own an extensive full-frame system and it’s becoming too much of a burden to lug around (and we’re all getting older by the day!), going MFT is worth considering. It’d make life easier for travelling too.

If you are looking at this option, you should get online and check the weight and dimensions of your prospective outfit just to make sure any savings are actually worth the upheaval and cost.

The other key consideration is ultimate image quality. MFT sensors are less capable quality-wise when it comes to high ISO performance – nature photography often needs high ISOs – and if you did a side-by-side test you’d see that full-frame is superior. But being superior means nothing if you only enjoy your work on-screen and don’t need files for outsized prints. MFT is very capable especially when treated with the latest software.

Related reading:

• Best full-frame mirrorless cameras
• Best Olympus / OM-System MFT cameras
• Best Panasonic cameras

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The post Micro Four Thirds vs Full Frame for Wildlife and Nature Photography appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Bird Photography Tips from Rachel Bigsby

Seabirds provide me with a portal into another world. I am mesmerised by their epic voyages, resilience, characterful behaviours, unique beauty and by the staggering fact that they are the only animal capable of surviving on the water, under the water, in the air and on land. They are the true masters of living life to the fullest, and perhaps my fascination is fuelled by a longing to be a part of their world. Photography allows me to connect to these species that I hold so dear to my heart while connecting a global audience to their story through the natural artistry of our seabirds and their homes.

Understand the behaviour

It’s no secret that our great seabird cities can be incredibly overwhelming and as a result, it’s easy to leave without feeling fulfilled with your photographs. So, upon arriving at a seabird colony, take a good moment to stand back, observe and identify the behaviour(s) you wish to photograph – for example, a bird stretching out its wings. Keep focused on that bird and look at what they do in the moments before exhibiting that behaviour. Being able to recognise those simple signs will help you better predict when to hit your shutter and capture your desired shot.

When hitting that shutter, make sure your camera is ready to go. I recommend a minimum shutter speed of 1/2500sec and an f-stop above your widest and select the continuous focus mode.

Commit your composition

It’s easy to get carried away chasing a seabird with your lens, but a more considered approach will lead to a much more satisfying result. I like to discover my composition first then patiently wait for the seabird to enter my frame. By doing this, I can capture images with my desired elements like bokeh, backlighting or a white background that also include my chosen subject. If I were to track the bird aimlessly, it is unlikely that I would achieve everything that I wanted in one shot. This method can be a little risky, but I personally think that it leads to quality over quantity.

Follow the ‘check, clean, close’ rule

Predators like rats and stoats can wreak havoc among seabird eggs and chicks if they arrive in a colony. So, it’s vital that if you visit a seabird colony, you prioritise biosecurity (the practice of protecting places from the threats posed by introducing new diseases or types of plants/animals that do not naturally occur there). All seabird colonies have emergency response plans, but the best way to keep precious chicks and eggs safe is to stop predators reaching them. So, if you’re planning a trip to an island, be sure to check your bag for stowaways, clean your boots or shoes with disinfectant and tightly close any food containers (since they can attract unwanted attention).

Focus with your eyes first

Smaller seabirds, such as auks, have rapid wingbeats. In fact, a puffin beats its wings 400 times per minute. This means that their flight pattern is erratic and incredibly fast, making tracking and focusing (particularly with longer lenses) feel like an impossible task. But there are two solutions.

Firstly, observe the bird. Most seabirds will wheel around their nest/ledge before landing to avoid any lurking predators and this behaviour will give you multiple chances to follow them or to identify where they might land and remain focused on that spot.

Secondly, it can be useful to focus on the bird from a distance and keep them in your frame as they fly closer towards you. This can be an easier technique than expecting your lens to lock onto focus on a close-up, fast-moving subject.

To photograph a bird in flight, it is best to make sure your camera is in a continuous focusing mode such as AF-C or continuous servo. It is also very important to choose the correct focusing area such as Dynamic, 3D, Group or Zone.

Work with the weather

Conditions at a seabird colony are unpredictable and of course, out of your control. Whether you’re shooting on a remote island or a mainland cliff, you need to be technically prepared for what the weather throws at you and know how to adapt with your camera settings to the conditions you have. This means that you can begin to work with the weather and use it to your creative advantage. On a rainy day, you could slow your shutter down to incorporate the rain drops and add some mood to your image. On a sunny day, try positioning the light behind your subject for a backlit effect.

It’s easy to resent bad weather but arriving prepared with a backup plan as well as practising with your settings means that you can maximise your chances of success, whatever the weather. It’s important to remember that dark and dull weather will drive your ISO higher. Ideally, you should be keeping your ISO as low as possible but as high as needed to get your desired exposure with the shutter speed and aperture you require.

Rachel’s Kit List

Nikon Z 9
As Nikon’s flagship mirrorless camera, the Z 9 is unstoppable and never misses a shot. With 45.7MP, 120fps, pre-release image capture, deep learning AI and an AF system that redefines tenacity, the Z 9 has no misses, no limits, and no boundaries!

Nikon M7 + binoculars
A good pair of binoculars will help you to identify your subject from a distance or to focus in on a behaviour that looks interesting.

Seabird Identification Guide
Just under eight million seabirds from 25 species breed in Britain and Ireland, so it’s important to know how to identify them, where to find them and when to see them.

Rachel Bigsby
Considered to be a leading wildlife photographer amongst her contemporaries, Rachel Bigsby has achieved a wealth of accolades as a finalist in five of the world’s leading wildlife photography competitions at the age of just 26, with her passion for photographing seabirds and natural artistry. See more of her work at www.rachelbigsby.com or on Instagram @rachelbigsby

Bird Photography Tips from Jake Levin

The best thing about photographing in the woods is the variety of birds that you can take advantage of throughout the year. In Canada, we have four distinct seasons, and each one brings different opportunities for photography. You get warblers coming through one month, wetland birds another month, and winter owls in another, all at the same exact location. Furthermore, the fall foliage season and winter snow both allow for some beautiful backgrounds, ranging from a kaleidoscope of colours to simple, minimal white. There are as many creative possibilities in the forest as you can come up with.

Keep the background soft, distant, and simple

You don’t ever want the viewer to be distracted by what’s behind your subject, so make sure it doesn’t compete for attention. My ideal background is a simple wash of colour, with little to no detail at all. I want whoever is looking at the photograph to see the bird first, and then allow the eye to explore the rest of the composition. The further behind the subject you can place the background, the more it will blur itself out and serve as a pleasing complement to whatever is in front of it.

Don’t worry if every single bit of the bird isn’t razor-sharp

If you have the eyes and head, that’s what counts. I often shoot in overcast conditions, whether in the woods at home or in the Costa Rican jungle, so I’m using large apertures all the way up to f/4 in order to have enough shutter speed (since even with a mirrorless camera, there is a limit to how slow you can go and still keep things sharp). It’s not unusual for depth of field to be measured in millimetres when you’re using long lenses, and even though stopping down won’t increase your depth of field by much, it will create a lot of unwanted detail in the background, where you don’t want it at all.

Match the light to the subject and its surroundings

If you’re shooting shorebirds in a river or at the beach, you want gorgeous, golden sunlight. Overcast will turn your water an unimpressive grey and dull down the already subtle colours of species like sandpipers and plovers. On the other hand, overcast works quite well for woodland birds, and strong evening light can be tough to manage when you’re surrounded by trees throwing off long shadows. Birds aren’t models, and there’s no union to call, so it pays to watch the forecast and make note of when the most favourable conditions are expected for the type of shooting you want to do.

Make sure the subject isn’t looking away

Many photographers use a general rule stating that the bird’s head should be turned no further away than parallel to the back of the camera. In an even better scenario, he will have turned his head toward you just a little bit for a more engaging pose. It is worth noting, however, that the rest of the bird’s body doesn’t have to follow this rule. In fact, one of my favourite poses is the ‘lookback’ or ‘over-the-shoulder’, where the bird is facing away from me, but has his head turned back around to look over his shoulder at the camera.

Manual mode is your friend

Even with all the advances in autofocus that have appeared over the past few years, you still have to expose the image properly. Working in manual mode gives you the maximum amount of control over the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture, all of which can come into play when you’re faced with a challenging subject. Unfortunately, as far as camera tech has progressed, the in-camera meter’s best guess at the correct exposure often requires adjusting, and with automatic mode, you’re beholden to whatever exposure the camera thinks it needs. However, in manual mode, you’ll find that you can shoot a far greater range of subjects with a much higher level of control.

Jake’s Kit List

Long, fast lens
The longest focal length lens with the largest aperture that is reasonable for you to acquire. Several good-quality zoom lenses are now available that can work well if you’re just starting out.

A good, sturdy tripod and a gimbal head
Having a steady platform to shoot from is invaluable. Benro and Really Right Stuff both make excellent tripods. Gimbal heads like the Wimberley give you maximum control over your camera and lens while it’s mounted on the tripod.

Colour calibrator
This will allow you to consistently reproduce colour on your monitor in post-processing. Without calibrating your screen, you’re just guessing that the colour you see is correct. Calibration takes that variable out of the equation, and as an added plus, the calibrator handles almost everything automatically, no IT experience needed.

Jake Levin
Born in Washington, DC, Jake Levin is a Spanish professor and researcher in Montreal, Canada. His work can be seen at birdsbyjake.com and on Instagram: @birdsbyjake

Bird Photography Tips from Jack Zhi

I have been photographing birds for six years. I live in Irvine, California. When I first moved here from the Midwest, my son and I went on our bikes to discover the area. He found a place called San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary. We loved it. Pretty soon this place became my own sanctuary. I found myself taking a walk there all the time. I saw so many beautiful birds and it didn’t take long before I picked up a camera and started to photograph these amazing creatures.

Capture the story and the emotions

Birds are beautiful. It’s okay to capture a fly-by bird or a perched bird when they aren’t doing anything, but it’s much better if you can capture something that tells a story with emotions involved too. This was a shot of two bald eagles working on their nest. You can see the interaction and the eye contact between them. Two birds are usually better than one in this case. I went to this location many times and waited for something like this to happen. So yes, a side note is to be patient.

Look out for unique moments

You’ve probably seen enough take-off shots, birds are simply beautiful when they take off. But keep in mind you want something different, something above and beyond a usual take-off, for example, a bird taking off with a prey in the talons. But even that is not all that unique nowadays. So, in this shot I captured the feather flying. The key is anticipation. Don’t tell yourself you’ve already got too many of these take-off shots and then miss a precious opportunity like this.

Think about the background

With a spectacular background, even a simple perched bird can make a beautiful shot. With a terrible background, however, even the most exciting action may not look good at all. That’s the importance of thinking about your background as well as your subject. Always position yourself to get the best possible backdrop. For this shot, I went to this location 30 times and I stayed in the same spot where the background worked for me. I couldn’t control the birds, but I knew I could try my luck. Yes, if I chased the birds, I could have gotten lucky, but I stayed patiently in my spot every visit I made and eventually I got my lucky break!

Putting it all together

An award-winning photo must stand out in multiple areas – storytelling, uniqueness, spectacular lighting, gorgeous background, top of the world image quality, perfect focus, etc. So, as you go out and have fun shooting, practise each of these tips and try to nail as many in your shots as you can.

Look for light

Shooting in the wild is completely different from shooting in studios. You don’t get to control the lights; all you can do is to take what nature gives you. But believe me, Mother Nature is fair, and it is fantastic. So, pay attention to the light conditions you’re in and always try to take advantage of it. Quite often a few steps one way or another can present you with a change in light. So keep exploring. In this scene I was able to line up my shot with an area in dark shadow to bring out the diving osprey. With some luck, there was a bush in the background reflecting the sun, making it look like smoke coming out of the osprey as he dove into the water.

Jack’s Kit List

Sony A1
I use a Sony A1 with the Sony 600mm f/4 lens and I also have the Sony 1.4x and 2x Teleconverters for when I need that extra reach. If you don’t want to break the bank the Sony A9 II or a Sony A7R V with the Sony 200-600mm lens is a good combo.

Sony Imaging Edge Mobile app
If you’re a Sony user, the Sony Imaging app is a helpful tool to have. It allows you to transfer images or video to a smartphone or tablet, perform remote shooting, and add location information to images.

Additional but important accessories
To carry my kit, I use a waist bag for easy access. I also carry spare batteries, a remote control and extra memory cards. A good lens blower ball is a must – don’t go cheap on this because you’ll need it for a lifetime

DSC-RX10M3 · f/4 · 1/250s · 8.8mm · ISO100

Jack Zhi
Jack is a full-time computer engineer from the USA, and wildlife photography is his passion. He spends his weekends looking for birds and other wildlife in his area and it’s important to him to capture the beauty of nature as it happens. Jack was recently named this year’s overall winner of Bird Photographer of the Year. See more of his work on Instagram @jack.zhi.photo

Related reading:

• How to capture birds in flight and fast-moving animals
• Winging It: Photograph garden birds on a budget

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The post Top Bird Photography Tips by Award-winning Photographers appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Tesni Ward on photographing birds with the OM-1

Using the OM System OM-1 which is almost always fitted with the M. Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 PRO zoom, Tesni likes that you can customise the camera to your own shooting needs. With the OM-1 (now with firmware v1.6), Tesni has noticed faster, and more responsive autofocus (AF), as well as notably improved bird tracking, which finds and locks on to a bird’s eye.

Tesni also found the blackout-free shooting, at up to 50fps with C-AF, extremely useful for tracking moving subjects. This shooting rate is with full-size Raws, too. The viewfinder is also significantly improved, now giving a great view. The upgraded weather-sealing is of particular benefit for shooting in challenging conditions outdoors: the camera is also easy to use when wearing gloves.

Tesni has spent a lot of time watching and studying birds, and says the best way to see them is in the natural world where you can see and hear them, and learn their behaviour. This will help you to anticipate what is coming (calls, flight, flapping, etc), so you’re ready to take a shot.

Top settings to use when shooting wildlife with the OM-1:

• Set up a custom mode for specific shooting scenarios e.g. birds
• Customise buttons to give quicker access to the AF modes needed
• Customise the burst rate to suit you, and make sure you know your camera before shooting
• Ensure the shutter speed is right for the type of shooting, and use burst mode so you’re ready to shoot whatever happens
• Blackout-free 50fps C-AF is amazing for tracking animals in the frame
• Olympus / OMDS cameras are very customisable – this is great, but confusing if you don’t know the camera. Work this out before shooting.

Top tips for shooting birds and wildlife:

• Look for background colour, and avoid distractions such as brightly lit tree trunks and reeds
• Be prepared for bad weather.
• Look for areas where you can get better colour adding interest into the background
• Watch the weather, as blue skies and bright sun can be too harsh and make photography difficult
• Knowing your subject helps, so you can prepare for when they are about to fly, flap, swoop, or duck under water
• You can always crop in post but can’t un-crop if you’ve used too much zoom

Join Tesni Ward on an AP Zoom Tours event

Tesni Ward is running a number of different photo holiday tours with Amateur Photographer and Zoom Photo Tours, and you can get great advice from Tesni, as well as the opportunity to shoot several different birds and wildlife.

Joshua Waller photographing wildlife with the OM System OM-1

Using the OM System OM-1 for bird photography was particularly easy, once the camera’s Bird Detection AF was correctly set up. This was activated using the camera’s menu, but quicker access to this setting is possible by customising the camera’s function buttons.

The camera can shoot at extremely rapid speeds: in some cases, maybe too quick. For example, I personally don’t need to shoot hundreds of Raw files at 120fps, so opted for a slower continuous shooting speed. If you do want to shoot at 120fps, then Pro Capture can help here as it can shoot images before you’ve even pressed the shutter release button. To fine-tune drive settings, in the menu, go to the green Camera 1 icon and scroll to page 7 entitled Drive Mode. Under ‘Sequential Shooting Settings’ you can configure frame rates in the various drive modes as well as limit the number of frames you get in a burst.

Shooting so many frames so quickly demands the fastest SD cards you can afford in order to keep buffering to a minimum. The current fastest SD cards have quoted write speeds of around 250MB/s, although in practice you might not get such performance. However, even with fast cards you need to manage your buffer, so don’t overshoot or you might miss a great image because your long sequence of shots is still writing to card.

The camera has an AI (Artificial Intelligence) autofocus system that can detect different subjects including airplanes, animals, motor vehicles, trains as well as birds. There’s also face and eye detection. This combined with the Quad-pixel AF system, with 1053 AF points covering the sensor, makes for an extremely fast AF system, that can work at speeds up to 50fps in SH2 mode with continuous AF tracking – with specific Olympus PRO lenses.

How to customise and setup Bird Detection AF on the OM-1

• In the Menus – you can find the settings in the AF section, or you can also add “Subject Detection” to the MyMenu section for quicker access
• You can setup a custom button so that you can quickly change the subject detection, by pressing the button and scrolling through the options using a command wheel
• Check your continuous shooting mode, you’ll need SH2 which enables continuous AF and metering, and not SH1 (super high-speed) – SH1 sets AF to fixed / single-AF, rather than continuous. SH2 gives up to 50fps with specific PRO lenses.
• Check your AF setting is set to C-AF + Tracking
• You’ll be able to see the tracking appear in real-time on the screen when the camera detects the subject

Shooting birds was particularly impressive as the camera’s bird detection AF system is extremely rapid and reliable. It locks onto a bird’s eye, even birds that are dark in colour. The camera also gave sharp detailed images, even when shooting wide-open at f/4 with the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO lens and 1.4X Tele Converter. This will be of great benefit to photographing other wildlife subjects, too.

Jessica Miller photographing wildlife with the OM System OM-1

I bought my DSLR as a final year university student just getting into photography. I’ve had plenty of time to get to know my camera well, so it’s quite daunting to use a different system, especially a mirrorless one. However, when the opportunity to try out the OM System OM-1 came about, I was excited to try a system new to me.

On the day I took my DSLR camera along to the shoot with Tesni, I noticed stark differences when switching between the two. Firstly, the size and weight. Being able to hold and grip the camera comfortably is an important factor for me, and I also like to carry my camera around wherever I am.

The OM-1 body is much more compact than the DSLR, so overall was easier to handle. My camera with an 18-135mm lens attached weighs over 1.1kg combined (the body alone is just under 700g). The OM System OM-1 body on its own weighs 599g – with the 40-150mm f/2.8 lens and 1.4x TC we were using totals around 1010g.

Although there isn’t much difference between the numbers here, adding an equivalent lens to the DSLR would render it hefty to carry around. Less weight on the shoulders feels more appealing.

Another factor I would be looking for in a new camera would be how easy it is to learn and use. On this workshop, we set up the Bird Detection AF mode – which was an easy process, and the menu itself was very user-friendly and well designed. The Bird Detection AF mode was particularly helpful in our situation and quick to operate and focus, ensuring we got sharp shots whether the bird was stood still or in flight.

I had a go at using my DSLR for photographing the same birds, and the camera felt slow and clunky after using the OM-1. Overall, I was very impressed with the system and the versatility this camera could have across different genres.

More links:

Read our full OM System ‘Olympus’ OM-1 review

How to edit your wildlife photos (Tesni Ward)

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The post Why the OM System Olympus OM-1 is great for bird photography appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

You don’t have to travel to far-flung, exotic places, as opportunities for action photography are all around us – from birds in our back garden and your local park to the sea cliffs up and down the coastline. As with any type of wildlife photography, researching and observing your subjects is paramount, and will ultimately help to get you into the right place at the right time.

There are other important techniques, however, which will help you on your way to capturing spectacular action images of wildlife.

How do you photograph birds in flight (BIF)?

Mastering the capture of birds in flight is difficult. Success demands plenty of perseverance, not to mention the tolerance of many failures, but practice some simple techniques and you will soon find yourself taking successful action shots of flying birds. Ideally, you will need to shoot in relatively bright light, since this will allow you to use a fast shutter speed – which is paramount if you hope to freeze the movement of a fast-flying bird.

However, you should avoid harsh, midday sunlight, as the resulting images will be spoilt by harsh shadows and bleached highlights. Shooting during the first and last hours of sunlight will give the best results, as the low sun will light up the underside of the bird, revealing important detail that would otherwise be lost in deep shadow.

Read more about how to take photos in summer light. 

What shutter speed should I use for birds in flight?

Aim for a shutter speed of at least 1/1000sec and select the predictive auto focus setting. Expanding your focus points to a group is a handy way of increasing your margin for error when it comes to tracking your subject. You will lose some accuracy, however, so you may need to stop down to a smaller aperture to increase the depth of field in case the focus point picks out the wing instead of the head.

A good panning technique will result in sharper images, and obtaining critical sharpness is perhaps the trickiest aspect of flight photography. The key to successful panning lies in smoothness and anticipation. To adopt the correct posture, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and tuck your elbows into your side to increase stability.

As your subject passes, swivel your upper body smoothly, matching the speed of the bird. Wing position can make or break a shot, so fire a burst of frames using the high-speed drive mode to give you a sequence to choose from.

Capturing courtship displays of fasting-moving birds

Images that depict wildlife behaviour, such as a breeding pair of birds performing a courtship display, bonding, or passing food to each other connect with the viewer on an emotional level. They tell a story and offer a glimpse into the subject’s life cycle. When tackling a project like this, you must be prepared to put some time in.

Researching and observing your subject’s behaviour will be the key to success. Pick somewhere local, ideally offering easy access, such as a city or country park. This will allow you to make numerous visits over a period of time.

Start by simply observing potential subjects, and noting down any patterns that you see. Search out possible backgrounds and pay attention to how the light changes throughout the day. You should soon be able to visualise the type of images that might be possible. Being armed with as much information as possible will pay dividends in the long run.

When photographing birds on water, such as displaying grebes or swans, shooting from a low angle will immediately create a more intimate feel. With the help of a large aperture, a low viewpoint will also make it easier to blow the background out of focus, separating your subject from any potential distractions.

For ground- or water-level subjects, a beanbag is a great choice of support and should allow you to get down low enough to include a foreground which will immediately create a sense of depth.

Birds in flight: Action in motion

Pin-sharp images of wildlife in action undoubtedly hold arresting impact but revealing the movement of your subject using a slow shutter speed can be a great way of capturing a sense of motion and energy. Pick an overcast day and select shutter priority to give you control over the shutter speed.

You will need to experiment to find the best results for your chosen subject, but between 1/15 and 1/60 sec is a good place to start. Birds in flight or shaking water from their wings can work well for this technique, their wing beats resembling brush strokes on canvas.

Dropping your shutter speed to over 1 second and intentionally moving the camera during the exposure can result in some interesting and abstract effects. There are no rules here, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different shutter speeds and camera movement.

Abstract images connect with the imagination, so your subject doesn’t even have to be recognisable for the image to work.

A mammal in full sprint can look equally impressive, so why not visit your local deer park to experiment with panning? By using a similar technique to flight photography, but using a slower shutter speed, you should find it possible to create a motion blur effect in the background, whilst keeping the subject relatively sharp and distinct.

Birds in flight in the garden 

With a bit of preparation work, even your own back garden can become a haven for wild birds, providing endless opportunities for action photography all year round. By placing a simple feeding pole in your garden, you should find it easy to attract a variety of subjects within range.

For natural-looking shots, search for some attractive perches and use a spring clamp to attach these to the pole. You should find that, after some time, the birds will land on the perches momentarily before hopping down to the feeder. Action can be fast-paced at a feeding station, so look out for moments when the birds squabble over the food and be ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

You will need very fast shutter speeds to freeze the movement of small birds, at least 1/2000 sec, so keep your aperture wide and use a suitable ISO. To capture flight shots, try pre-focusing on the perch using manual focus, and fire a burst of shots as the bird takes off, or comes in to land. You may need to stop your aperture down to increase the depth of field but be careful with your shutter speed and raise the ISO if necessary.

Read more about capturing garden birds in flight here.

Camera kit for capturing birds in flight and animals

Telephoto lens – For most wildlife subjects, a tele or tele-zoom lens will be needed, especially for wary subjects. For any fast-moving action, a lens with a large maximum aperture such as f/2.8 or f/4 will be useful, but it is not essential.

Beanbag – For low-level subjects, a beanbag is an excellent choice of support. It will offer a rock-solid platform for your lens while allowing good freedom of movement.

Tripod and gimbal head – When using a tripod, a gimbal head is a great way of supporting long telephoto lenses. A gimbal will take all of the weight out of the lens, whilst also allowing a smooth panning movement – which is perfect when you’re photographing birds in flight.

Portable hide – When photographing garden birds, unless you can shoot from an open window, a portable hide will be useful. You can alter the position of the hide easily to take advantage of different backgrounds and the changing light.

How Ben captured a fast-moving bird in action

I used a fast 300mm f/2.8 lens to capture this osprey as it dived for its prey. I selected an aperture of f/4 and shot from a very low angle to the water which created a diffused foreground and background, helping the bird to ‘pop’ and eliminates any distracting elements from the frame.

The light at the time was bright but overcast, so there is plenty of detail underneath the wings and no harsh shadows on the water. Compositionally, I broke the usual rule and placed the bird to the left-hand side of the frame, so it is exiting the picture. This would usually create an unbalanced feel to an image, especially with a moving subject, but my aim here was to show the impact on the water and include as much of the water droplets as I could, so in this instance, it works.

Ben’s top tips for capturing birds in flight

• When panning, be sure to switch your image stabiliser to setting 2; this only corrects vertical movement and should help to speed up the autofocus.
• Switch to predictive focus mode, because this will allow you to track your subject, keeping it in focus at all times.
• When panning, expanding your focusing area will give you a greater margin for error when it comes to keeping your focus point on a moving target.
• If the light is bright enough, try stopping your aperture down to f/8. This will increase depth of field, making focusing accuracy a little bit less critical.
• Shooting in high-speed drive mode will allow you to fire a sequence of frames, giving you the best chance of capturing the optimum wing position.
• When shooting birds against the sky, you will need to increase the exposure to prevent your subject from becoming a silhouette – unless that is your intention, of course. Up to two stops of positive exposure compensation should result in a
  nicely balanced exposure.
• To compose in-camera, move your focusing points to one side of the frame: right if your subject is travelling left, and vice versa. This will leave space in front of the bird, creating an effective composition.
• The histogram is a powerful tool. Make a habit of checking it regularly to prevent under- or over-exposure, especially when shooting in changing lighting conditions.
• Using back button focus means that you can leave your focus set to predictive mode at all times. To lock focus, press and release the back button, to track a moving subject, simply hold your thumb down.
• When attempting silhouetted flight shots, use a spot meter and take your meter reading from a bright area of the sky. This will prevent any highlights from overexposing.

How to capture fast-moving animals

These two images are from a similar sequence. My aim was to use a slow shutter speed and pan to capture the motion of this fallow deer as it sprinted across the bracken.

This can be a very hit-and-miss technique, the success relying on both the choice of shutter speed and a smooth panning technique.

The first image (above) was taken with a shutter speed that was too slow and resulted in a poor definition of the deer. In the second image (below), a better choice of shutter speed combined with the panning movement has created a motion blur effect in the background whilst still rendering detail in the subject.

The position of the deer is also more effective, conveying a real sense of speed and energy.

How to set up a garden bird feeding station

A feeding station for garden birds can be as simple as you wish and should be a relatively inexpensive project. The beauty of a set-up like this is you will have ultimate control over the positioning, the background and its orientation to the light. You could take advantage of both front-lighting and backlighting opportunities by simply moving your shooting position.

This easy step-by-step guide will help you to set up an effective feeding station in no time and therefore provide you with a steady influx of garden visitors that you can photograph all year round.

Set up a feeding station

A feeding pole will need to be fixed into the ground. On this, you can then hang one or more feeders. Make sure the background is distant enough to blow out of focus with a wide aperture.

Offer a variety of bait

Try a variety of bait in your feeders such as sunflower hearts, peanuts and fat balls. This should attract a variety of species to your garden, creating more opportunities for capturing action shots.

Clamp a natural perch to the feeding pole

Clamp a natural perch to the feeding pole to give the birds a place to sit before dropping down to feed. Look for attractive perches covered in moss or lichen to add interest. For authenticity, make sure the perches are in keeping with the birds’ natural habitat.

Invest in a hide

If you are not able to photograph from an open window you will need a hide from which to shoot. The advantage of using a hide is its flexibility. You will be able to move position at will, allowing you to experiment with a variety of backgrounds and lighting conditions.

Create your own backdrop

If you are struggling to find a natural background, a large canvas can be attached to a garden wall or shed to create a faux background. Choose muted colours such as greens and browns to keep your shots looking as natural as possible.

Ben Hall is one of the UK’s leading wildlife photographers with many international awards to his name. His images are widely published throughout the world, he has co-authored two books and runs photography workshops in the UK and overseas. Visit www.benhallphotography.com.

Further reading

• Wildlife photography tips and techniques
• How to capture garden birds in flight
• How to photograph animals
• Best lenses for wildlife photography
• Photograph garden birds on a budget
• How to photograph the Snettisham spectacular and wading birds

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Despite depicting the by-product of small scale whaling the evocative image raises awareness about the declining number of marine life and wildlife in general. Former marine biologist and esteemed competition judge Alex Mustard said that “the masterful composition invites him to consider our impact on the great creatures of this planet”.

Underwater photographers capturing the least known parts of our blue planet work under challenging conditions to share the wonders of the sea. The UPY competition showcases underwater images from photographers all over the world and selects winners in twelve categories, like macro, behaviour, wrecks or compact with three categories showcasing exclusively the British Waters. Additionally, another category, the ‘Save Our Seas Foundation’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year title is awarded.

For the full list of winners and runner ups click here.

From Underwater Photographer of the Year, 19th February 2024. London, UK:

An emotive photograph showing a freediver examining the aftermath of whaling sees Alex Dawson from Sweden named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024. Dawson’s photograph ‘Whale Bones’ triumphed over 6500 underwater pictures entered by underwater photographers from around the world.
“Whale Bones was photographed in the toughest conditions,” explains chair of judging panel Alex Mustard, “as a breath-hold diver descends below the Greenland ice sheet to bear witness to the carcasses. The composition invites us to consider our impact on the great creatures of this planet. Since the rise of humans, wild animals have declined by 85%. Today, just 4% of mammals are wildlife, the remaining 96% are humans and our livestock. Our way needs to change to find a balance with nature.”

Whales dominated the winning pictures this year with Spanish photographer Rafael Fernandez Caballero winning two categories with his revealing photos of these ocean giants: a close up of a grey whale’s eye and an action shot of a Bryde’s whale engulfing an entire bait ball, both taken in Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico. Fernandez Caballero took ‘Grey Whale Connection’ while drifting in a small boat, holding his camera over the side in the water to photograph the curious whale. ‘The End Of A Baitball’ required Fernandez Caballero to dive down and be in exactly the right place at the moment the whale lunged. “The photo shows the high speed attack,” he said, “with the whale engulfing hundreds of kilograms of sardines in one bite — simply unforgettable to see predation on such a scale.”

Lisa Stengel from the United States was named Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her image of a mahi-mahi catching a sardine, in Mexico. Stengel used both a very fast shutter speed and her hearing to catch the moment. “If you listen there’s an enormous amount of sound in the ocean,” she explained. “The action was too fast to see, so I honed in on the sound of the attacks with my camera to capture this special moment.”
“It is such an exciting time in underwater photography because photographers are capturing such amazing new images, by visiting new locations and using the latest cameras,” commented judge Alex Mustard. “Until this year I’d hardly ever see a photo of a mahi mahi, now Lisa has photographed one hunting, action that plays out in the blink of an eye.”

The Underwater Photographer of the Year contest is based in the UK, and Jenny Stock, was named as British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her image “Star Attraction”, which finds beauty in species of British wildlife that are often overlooked. Exploring the west coast of Scotland, Stock explained “in the dark green depths my torch picked out the vivid colours of a living carpet of thousands of brittle stars, each with a different pattern. I was happily snapping away, when I spotted this purple sea urchin and I got really excited.”

In the same contest, Portuguese photographer, Nuno Sá, was named ‘Save Our Seas Foundation’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2024, with his photo ‘Saving Goliath’, taken in Portugal. Sá’s photo shows beachgoers trying to save a stranded sperm whale. The picture gives us hope that people do care and want to help the oceans, but also warns us that bigger changes are needed. “The whale had been struck by a ship and its fate was sealed,” explains Sá. “An estimated 20,000 whales are killed every year, and many more injured, after being struck by ships-and few people even realise that it happens”

Macro category winner: ‘An abstract portrait of a Potbelly Seahorse’ by Talia Greis (Australia)

Wrecks category winner: ‘Chieftain Tanks’ by Martin Broen (United States)

Black & White category winner: ‘Water Dancers’ by Jasmine Skye Smith (Australia)

Compact category winner: ‘Nudi on Fire’ by Enrico Somogyi (Germany)

British Waters Wide Angle category winner: ‘Divebomb’ by Kat Zhou (United States)

British Waters Living Together: ‘Bottled blenny’ by Kirsty Andrews (United Kingdom)

British Waters Compact category winner: ‘Catshark in Bootlace’ Jon Bunker (United Kingdom)

Related content:

• Best photography exhibitions
• Best photography competitions
• Best photography events and festivals to visit around the world

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There are few better pursuits in life than grabbing your camera and striding into the great outdoors to immerse and engage in the natural world. The drive to get the shot can become maddening, and obsessive.

With no centralised industry resource on what is and isn’t acceptable, moral boundaries can blur to the point of illegality. Opinions on how to behave as a wildlife photographer, wildly differ. Lines are drawn, and choices are made.

Photographers can’t all be expected to be experts in animal behaviour but do have a duty of care. A deep love of nature is paramount, and every life form is treated with equal importance: invertebrate, amphibian, reptile, bird or mammal.

Nature stories need to be told and great photographs can still be achieved within ethical confines. If you’re asking yourself uncomfortable questions about whether your approach to photographing a subject is ethical, then it most likely isn’t. You have to learn to tread carefully.

Guidance for being an ethical wildlife photographer

Is live baiting allowed in wildlife photography?

Should live bait be used for the purposes of photography; are you even a wildlife photographer if you do? The industry swell is to reject live baiting – photography shouldn’t mean the death of an animal.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) rules state: Live baiting is not permitted, and neither is any means of baiting that may put an animal in danger or adversely affect its behaviour, either directly or through irresponsible habituation. Any other means of attraction, including birdseed or scent, must be declared in the caption for the Jury and us to review.

Neil Aldridge is open about his approach. ‘I do not live bait my subjects. If I aim to attract an animal for photographic purposes, I use scent baiting which involves the careful placement of a strong-smelling naturally occurring food derivative, such as honey or oils (depending on the subject).

This practice limits the impact on my subject’s actions, expectations and, importantly, relationships with people other than myself. There are species that will only hunt live prey like kingfishers; you either do it by live baiting or you do it by spending a long time waiting and perfecting your craft. It is possible.’

Can wildlife photographers use tape lures and traps?

Recorded bird songs played to attract birds may seem ethical but can adversely disrupt natural behaviour. Will Nicholls has reservations: ‘You should never use tape lures during breeding seasons as this can disrupt a bird’s normal patterns of behaviour. For example, when a male should be defending its territory from real intruders, it may instead spend its time trying to fend off the non-existent bird you are imitating.’

A non-intrusive way to capture wildlife is to use a camera that fires automatically when an animal is detected. To turn your DSLR into a trail or camera trap, all you need is a sensor that can detect animals which then triggers your camera.

It can then be left for days or weeks at a time once set up. It may not be photography at its purest but the longer you leave it, the greater your chances of capturing an ethical frame of an elusive animal.

Will Nicholls is an advocate: ‘Camera traps are becoming incredibly fashionable and it opens up a whole new unseen world to wildlife photographers. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that camera trapping is extremely addictive. The entire process, from setting up your DSLR camera trap to checking it weeks later for the results, has a real thrill about it.’

They can have setbacks, as Neil Aldridge explains: ‘When you use camera traps you can make mistakes like putting the camera on motor-drive. If you take two or more pictures, the first picture you get a natural-looking picture – the animal’s not aware of the camera when the flash and shutter go off. The next picture is the surprise at what’s happened and the third picture is it running away.’

How wildlife photographers should handle subjects

Nicky Bay shares his point of view on the temptation to handle or immobilise animals for better photographs: ‘It requires many years of training to be able to exert the precise force in handling any tiny subject without causing any injury or death.

Attempting to handle them directly is strongly discouraged. It is natural for subjects to run about. Forcefully holding a subject’s leg to prevent it from moving can lead to permanent injuries to the subject.

In the wild, many living things only eat once in many days. Some spiders have to use up a lot of silk just to get one prey. Be mindful that touching these subjects or stressing them may lead them to drop their precious prey and essential food for the week.’

Instead of trickery learn how to take better wildlife photos by studying animal behaviour.

Avoid distress in wildlife photography

Understanding and empathy for subjects are important to Gil Wizen: ‘Photographs of small animals can be a great tool for communication and education by revealing the hidden beauty of overlooked creatures.

However, we tend to forget how things are from their perspective. They do not like to be cornered or pushed around. The last thing they expect is a giant being trying to manipulate them to pose in a certain way.’

Putting your mirrorless camera on silent mode or using a telephoto lens with close focus can maintain enough distance to allow your subject to behave naturally. For macro shots, use longer focal length macro lenses. Portable hides and camouflage allow the documenting of wildlife without disturbing them.

Don’t deliberately draw attention, as Will Nicholls explains: ‘Intentionally spooking an animal by shouting or throwing objects towards it can be more problematic than you might think. Not only is there an unnecessary energy expense in an animal’s flight response, but you could be scaring a parent bird away from a nesting site.’

Drones have huge potential for ethical research but should be used with caution. A 2015 study documented the effect of drones on the heart rates of black bears in Minnesota and found that though there were no outward signs of stress, bears’ heart rates rose by as much as 123 beats per minute above the pre-flight baseline when a drone was present.

How to respect wildlife habitat as a photographer

Entering an animal’s habitat inevitably has an impact. Keep noise to a minimum, apply discretion and don’t move or destroy vegetation for a clearer view, let nature envelop you as a photographer: ‘Serendipity being what it is, other things happen if you are open and aware. If you have a love and awareness of nature you begin to see things.

After you’ve been a certain length of time by any bit of water or whatever, nature just accepts you; you’re there and it ignores you. You’ve got dragonflies and mayflies around you, you’ve got a hundred opportunities,’ advises Paul Harcourt Davies.

Artificial scenes

‘A nature photographer documents nature, so staging artificial scenes may present a false representation of nature. If it has to be done for art, it should be clarified that the subjects were artificially coerced into certain behaviour, positions or habitats.

Some scenarios are biologically impossible so fake captions and descriptions tend to fall through. Photos of artificially transported subjects may also provide false information to researchers on its natural habitat,’ suggests Nicky Bay.

Paul Harcourt Davies prefers to construct his images in situ: ‘I’m not an artistic photographer. I find it slightly arrogant that some people look upon nature as their canvas and they interpret nature in some ways. I have an innate love of nature and my rule is to try and reveal often things that are hidden using whatever ability I can summon technically but also with arranging elements in a picture that makes something attractive.

Usually, I look for design in pictures and shapes and interaction and so on. It’s a communication thing; fundamentally I’m out to try to make people aware of what’s out there and is worth protecting and saving. If people use their photography as a basis for finding out facts about plants and animals it engenders a greater love and appreciation of the subject – people become a lot more conscious of wanting to protect and to preserve.’

Game farms and photo tours

Captive animals offer a convenient way for photographers to practise technical skills and add species to their portfolio and stock photography that they may not have the chance to photograph in the wild: snow leopard, lion, bear, wolf.

Arguments for the benefits of game farms are that you don’t travel to remote locations to spend days or weeks staking out an animal in the wild, which reduces pressure and intrusion on fragile habitats. At the more distressing end of the spectrum, many farms have a less than exemplary record for animal security and welfare.

Reports suggest tigers being illegally de-clawed and the use of a cattle rod on a bear make it growl for the camera. When the animals are of no use for pictures they’re potentially sold off so people can shoot them. In 2012, an animal trainer employed by Animals of Montana game farm was mauled and killed by a bear.

Live or maimed mammals have been used to lure animals in front of the lens of paying customers. Neil Aldridge organises tuition and tours from the Cairngorms to Botswana, and has his approach: ’The industry has become high yield where everyone wants things quicker.

If you pay the money you want the shot. You’re not only paying for the equipment but you’ve only got seven days of holiday a year and you want to go to the Arctic and come away with the photo of the snowy owl.

That expectation has developed because of the success of photo tours. If people do choose to travel with me they do so on the understanding where I’m coming from. I never put anything into an itinerary saying we’re going to set this up. We will visit photography hides but there’s water there and the animals are free to come and go as they want – we’re not going to bait or live bait.’

Using external lights for wildlife photography

Most nocturnal animals are extremely sensitive to light. The National Audubon Society, an American non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitats, states in its guide to ethical wildlife photography: ‘Photographing animals at night, the practical approach is to use flash. Use flash sparingly (if at all), as a supplement to natural light.’

To capture his photographs of the grey long-eared bat, Neil Aldridge photographed with red light filters over nine flashes. ‘Our current research shows they aren’t impacted by red light. I use flash sensitively and only when necessary.

Wherever possible, I use off-camera flashes placed widely so as not to trigger directly into the eyes of my subject and at greatly reduced power output. I do believe that flash use has its place in photography. But only when used considerately and with knowledge of the specific subject in mind. I also remain open to learning from scientific findings around the impact of flash use in photography, both underwater and terrestrial.’

As a stress-free option for the animals read about capturing nocturnal animals in low light and our low light wildlife photography tips.

Fakery and manipulation

Be wary of viral photographs on social media – a frog riding a beetle, a snail riding a frog riding a turtle or five frogs riding a crocodile are likely to be fake. Cute or funny could mean cruel or deadly with subjects being glued, clamped, taped, wired, refrigerated, shaken or killed before being positioned for a photo.

A public community Facebook page by concerned nature enthusiasts, Truths Behind Fake Nature Photography, is trying to educate by highlighting fakes when they spot them. One of the most notorioius examples is José Luis Rodriguez’s shot of an Iberian wolf jumping over a fence (below).

After the Wildlife Photographer of the Year judges found he was likely to have hired a tame wolf (!) he was stripped of the overall winner prize in 2010.

After the shoot

Think before you publish your photographs and be accurate but sensitive in the caption. Sharing an image could alert poachers to a rare breed, nest or plant. Check carefully that you have labelled a species correctly, too.

As for editing images, reputable contests and publications usually expect you to deliver a faithful representation of reality. Keep cropping to a minimum and only remove dust and reduce noise, or go in for some judicious sharpening. You should be okay with this – but read the competition rules or check with the editor first.

Learn from wildlife photography experts including Tesni Ward, Steve Winter and David Tipling on our AP Photography Holidays. You will have personal guidance and learn more about how to ethically photograph subjects on location and wildlife conservation.

See how others got on on our recent Costa Rica wildlife tour here.

Need guidance on how to take better wildlife and animal photos? See our complete guide to wildlife photography here, or have a look at our guide to animal photography.

Want to know what the best equipment for wildlife photography is? See the best cameras and lenses for wildlife photography.

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Professional photographer, Ian Plant travels the globe seeking out amazing places and subjects in his quest to capture the beauty of our world with his camera, with a particular interest in low-light wildlife photography. In this guide, Ian explains the nuances of animal and night photography and shares his best tips below.

‘Always shoot with the sun at your back’ is a mantra popular with many wildlife photographers. Not me. While front lighting can be attractive and is easy to work with, I prefer to photograph my wildlife subjects at the very edge of the light, pushing the limits of my equipment and my creativity.

Extreme and low-light wildlife photography presents many unique challenges, but the rewards for your efforts are moody and expressive images that really stand out from the crowd.

Polar bear, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, USA. Ian waited until the setting sun was low enough for the light to be warm and colourful. Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 200-400mm with built-in 1.4x extender, 1/1000sec at f/6.3, ISO 320. Credit: Ian Plant

I have been a professional photographer for 12+ years, and along with landscape and travel photography, wildlife is one of my specialities. I love it because it adds an expressional dimension that is often missing when shooting landscapes; with wildlife, your subject’s pose, behaviour and expressions can enhance the overall visual design of your photographs, and connect emotionally with viewers in a way that is completely different from other types of photography.

With all of my imagery, however, I look to move beyond the literal, getting creative with composition, light, and exposure, to transform my subjects into something artistic and unexpected. When shooting wildlife, I work with extremes of light to help me create images that bring my vision to life.

Low-light Wildlife photography – Aim towards the light

When working in strong light, I shoot at extreme angles for dramatic effect. For this shot of a polar bear (see above), I waited until the setting sun was low enough for the light to be warm and colourful, but still high enough for the light to be much brighter than the shadows, resulting in a significant amount of contrast. I aimed my camera towards the light, creating strong backlighting. I intentionally underexposed the image to show the highlights but allowed everything else to fall into deep shadow, revealing only the colourful rim lighting around the edge of the animal. The outline is instantly recognisable.

Gelada monkey, Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. The combination of creative exposure and supplemental light can yield moody and expressive wildlife photos. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 24-70mm, 1/100sec at f/2.8, ISO 200, flash. Credit: Ian Plant

Low-light Wildlife photography – Work with flash

I love working in low light as well. I recently went on an extended backcountry trip to the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia, home to the beautiful gelada monkeys. These grass-eating monkeys have thick golden manes and distinctive red chest markings, making them ideal wildlife subjects.

One evening, a large troop of geladas came down to a dramatic wilderness gorge, getting ready to climb down the cliffs to their night-time roost. I took many pictures of cooperative geladas poised on the edge of the cliff overlooking the gorge, using fill flash at low power (-2 or -3 flash compensation) to gently illuminate the animals against the darkening landscape under a dramatic twilight sky.

I have found that the combination of creative exposure and supplemental light can yield moody and expressive wildlife pictures. When working with flash, I often use a number of accessories to avoid an obviously ‘flashed’ look: a flash bracket allows me to angle the light, for example, and attachments such as a flash grid or snoot allow me to narrow the flash beam so that I can selectively illuminate my subject. It’s always worth experimenting.

Illuminate the subject

One evening, while photographing lions in Kenya, I found a male lion resting under stormy skies. I chose a dark exposure (-3 exposure compensation) to capture the gloominess of the twilight sky while allowing the landscape to fall into shadow.

I used flash to selectively illuminate the lion in the grass. When a gap with a provocative shape appeared in the clouds above the lion, the composition finally came together. I was close enough to the lion that I could use a wide-angle lens and capture the entire scene.

Lion, Maasai Mara, Kenya. Ian used flash to selectively illuminate the lion in the grass, and used a wide-angle lens to include its surrounding environment. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 16-35mm, 1/60sec at f/3.2, ISO 640. Credit: Ian Plant

Add creative curviness

One of my favourite wildlife photo destinations is the rainforest of Sumatra in Indonesia. Not much light penetrates below the canopy, making wildlife photography in the forest interior difficult.

I had a lucky close encounter with a mother orangutan and her baby as they swung by me on their way through the forest, so I reached for my fisheye lens to add some creative curviness to the photo. I underexposed the background to emphasise the gloomy jungle environs and to minimise visual distraction caused by bright highlights where the sky was showing. I used my flash at low power to selectively illuminate the orangutans, bringing out the brilliant orange colour of their hair, and making them stand out from the dark background.

Orangutans, Sumatra, Indonesia. Creating wildlife photographs in the forest interior is difficult. Ian used his flash at low power to selectively illuminate the animals, bringing out the rich colour of their hair. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, 8-15mm fisheye lens, 1/40sec at f/9, ISO 400, flash. Credit: Ian Plant

Low-light Wildlife photography – Try altering reality

For the image of elephants crossing in front of a water hole at sunset, I chose a dark exposure, obscuring the elephants and focusing the viewer’s attention on the sunset sky and reflections. Angle is very important when photographing reflections; here, my chosen angle of view created some ‘cognitive dissonance’; the landscape and its reflection don’t seem to match, as the elephants responsible for the reflection are deep in shadow. This is a good example of how a photographer can use composition and exposure to ‘alter’ the reality of a scene, creating a more interesting presentation for the viewer.

Elephants, Etosha National Park, Namibia. Photographers can use composition and exposure to ‘alter’ the reality of a scene. Here Ian ensured that the elephants were in shadow so only their reflection appeared. Canon EOS 70D, 70-200mm, 1/320sec at f/3.5, ISO 100. Credit: Ian Plant

Use a wide-angle lens

King penguins in the Falkland Islands are very tolerant of humans. In fact, if I stayed low and didn’t move much, the penguins walked right up to me. For this shot, I got on my knees and used a wide-angle lens, handholding the camera almost at ground level while using live view to compose. I waited for the three penguins to face one another, firing my flash at low power to illuminate the animals against the darkening twilight sky.

Penguins, Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands. The penguins were very tolerant of humans, allowing Ian to use a wide-angle lens to capture a relaxed moment. Canon EOS 5DS R, 11-24mm, 1/30sec at f/4, ISO 400, flash. Credit: Ian Plant

Make the most of dust

I love shooting through what I like to call ‘atmosphere,’ which is basically particles in the air that scatter light, including things like fog, mist, or dust.

Atmosphere softens the light – having a profound impact on light intensity and colour – and can also help to separate a subject from a busy background.

In this image, a bison is giving itself a ‘dirt bath’ stirring up plenty of dust into the air. I selected a position where the dust would be backlit by the setting sun and then waited for my subject to do something interesting to complete the composition. When the bison looked straight up from the ground and bellowed, everything came together perfectly. The backlit dust helps add a colourful and mysterious look to the image.

Bison, Yellowstone National Park, USA. A bison giving itself a ‘dirt bath’ stirred up plenty of dust. Ian selected a position where the dust would be backlit by the sun, and waited. Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 500mm, 1/1250sec at f/5.6, ISO 400. Credit: Ian Plant

Low-light Wildlife photography – Simplify the composition

This arrangement of snowy egrets seems like something out of Hitchcock’s film The Birds. The apparent visual mismatch between the birds and their reflections, caused by my choice of camera position relative to the scene, creates a picture that is unexpected, and one that tells a story to the viewer.

I chose an exposure that ensured the white birds weren’t overexposed and allowed their busy surroundings to fall into shadow, which helped to simplify the composition and focus attention on the birds. The dark exposure also helped to emphasise the eerie mood I wanted to convey.

Egrets, J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, USA. The apparent visual mismatch between the birds and their reflections is caused by the choice of camera position. Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 500mm, 1/500sec at f/9, ISO 800. Credit: Ian Plant

So, the next time you are out taking photographs of animals and wildlife, don’t be afraid to push past the ‘safe’ light so often utilised by others. Delve deep into extreme and low-light situations. If you embrace the technical and artistic challenges offered by these conditions, you will end up with shots that challenge perceptions and show viewers something they have never seen before.

Whether hanging over the rim of an active volcano, braving the elements to photograph critically endangered species, or trekking into the wilderness to places most people will never see, Ian Plant travels the globe seeking out amazing places and subjects in his quest to capture the beauty of our world with his camera. Ian is the Managing Editor of Outdoor Photography Guide, a Tamron Image Master, and the author of numerous books and instructional videos. You can see more of his work at www.ianplant.com.

Article originally published January 2018.

If you’d like to attempt wildlife photography without spending a fortune on an expensive telephoto lens, our Best Budget telephoto lenses for wildlife photography is a great place to start.

Related reading:

• How to be an ethical wildlife photographer
• Capturing nocturnal animals in low-light
• Best lenses for wildlife photography
• Check out the top wildlife photos!
• How to capture fast-moving birds (and animals) 
• How to master animal photography

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