If you’re planning to practice wildlife photography in parks and sanctuaries, make sure to bring this photography cheat sheet with you!
Wildlife photography can be extra challenging to get into, so lots of practice is required for anyone who wants to make it their genre of choice. Fortunately, there are parks and sanctuaries you can visit to practice in before embarking on wildlife adventures. If you already have a location in mind and plan to practice there soon, we have just the photography cheat sheet to make things a bit easier for you.
In the cheat sheet below, Digital Camera World helps us figure out the best ways to photograph wildlife in enclosures like parks and sanctuaries. These locations are perfect for wildlife photography practice using long lenses, but beginners may still need some helpful tips for getting the best shots possible.
The challenges beginners may find themselves faced within these locations include obscured view due to glass or fencing. For this, simply place the lens as close to the fence or glass as possible. This will either eliminate reflections or blur out the wire fence when the widest aperture is used.
When there are no obstructions in your view, make a rough composition and check the background for any distractions. If it’s cluttered, or the animal has some identification rings or tags, or there are any man-made items around, reposition yourself so that the background is free of any distracting items in the frame.
Next, you can take either a tight head shot or a full-length image of the animal. For the former, frame the shot according to the Rule of Thirds and position their eyes along the intersections of the grid, then set your focus on the eyes. For the latter, avoid cropping the shot awkwardly, and take care not to trim off body parts like the feet or tail.
Happy with your composition? Set your camera to single-shot autofocus and continuous shooting mode. Wait for a peak moment before firing your shot. It might take some attempts before you get an image you like, so keep shooting!
Need more photography tips and tricks like this? Don’t forget to check out our photography cheat sheet collection to find more that will come in handy for your next shoot and future projects!
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