GUIDE TO WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
Knowing the settings of your camera is far from enough to take photographs that stand out. You still have to be creative and be able to compose your image in such a way as to make it memorable. Before going to the field, you must already think about the atmosphere and the type of light you are looking for in order to choose the right time and place. Then, once in nature, you have to have an eye to spot an interesting scene. When it's done, you have to find the right angle of view in order to have the most beautiful background. Then, you have to think about the framing in order to include or exclude certain elements. Throughout this process, light must be kept in mind in order to choose the best way to exploit it. In short, there are a lot of things to think about and so you can easily get lost. Here is a short guide that will present you several possibilities in wildlife photography.
THE CHOICE OF FRAME
'Small in frame'
When the decor is enchanting, do not hesitate to zoom out or step back to include it in the image. This makes it possible to show the beauty of the landscape while allowing people who view the photo to see the environment in which the animal evolves. The era where the quality of a photo is judged by the size of the subject in the frame is definitely over. The grandest images are often those where the subject takes up minimal space in the frame. This kind of photo also allows you to diversify your portfolio and opens the door to a whole new universe.
'wore'
Nothing better for a photographer than the moment when an animal accepts our presence. He thus lets us enter his universe and his intimacy. These moments of connecting with wildlife are unique and in my opinion, portraiture is a great way to convey that sense of trust through an image. The portrait can also sometimes save us when the decor is not advantageous, the animal then fills the frame and the rest of the decor disappears.
ATMOSPHERE SEARCH
Mist
In summer, when the days are particularly hot and the nights are cool, it is not uncommon to see a beautiful mist appear on the lakes in the early morning. There is nothing quite like giving a dramatic mood to photographs. This transports the person viewing the images completely elsewhere. Against the light, the mist will take on a beautiful golden hue while it will remain bluish before sunrise. Two completely different atmospheres, but equally interesting in my opinion.
The snow
Living in a Nordic country certainly has these advantages. For the wildlife photographer, snowstorms are a real godsend. They clearly demonstrate the harshness of our winters and the difficult conditions with which wildlife must deal for half the year. Snowflakes add a fairytale touch and completely change the 'mood' of an image. In order to make them stand out, the background must be dark and as far away as possible.
The rain
Rain droplets provide a unique touch that can take an ordinary image to an extraordinary one. Despite everything, there are very few photographers who take advantage of it. It is certainly not without risk for the camera equipment, but with good protection and with vigilance there is no reason not to take advantage of it. You should ideally choose a day when it rains, but where there is no wind. By choosing a faster speed, the drops will be frozen and look almost like snowflakes, by choosing a lower speed, the drops will appear as small lines in the image. The two effects are very different, but equally interesting.
HARNESSING LIGHT
Illuminated background
Autumn colors being very ephemeral, we have to find other techniques to add warm colored images to our portfolio. To do this, our subject must be in the shade and the background must be illuminated by the golden light of the rising/setting sun. The white balance will then switch to 'cloudy' mode which will give these beautiful orange colors to the images. Note that this technique is to be used only in the first/last half hour of a day, because once these moments have passed, the background will only be burnt out and our subject will be underexposed.
Backlight
It's when you take backlight photography for the first time that you realize how much everything in photography is based on light. The fact of facing the sun makes us discover a whole new universe. This light brings out elements that would be invisible if we were placed otherwise. The rays of the sun pierce the feathers of the birds and the fur of the animals, thus accentuating their silhouette. In cold weather, this light allows you to see the breath of animals. It also freezes droplets suspended in the air. It pierces through the vegetation which has the effect of bringing out bright colors. These are just a few examples, but with backlighting the possibilities are endless.
golden hour
The famous 'golden hour' is known and exploited by the majority of photographers. This light is no less interesting for all that. Depending on the season, golden light is best around an hour after sunrise in the morning and an hour after sunset in the evening. This particularly advantageous soft light gives beautiful golden and orange hues to images.
blue hour
A light that is quite difficult to exploit, but which offers completely different results. Before and after sunset, the sky turns dark blue and the scenery takes on shades of blue/purple. Human activity is then at a minimum and it is one of the best times to observe certain animals. Owls and moose are particularly active during this period. Capturing the essence of those dark moments is not easy, however, as our camera equipment has its limits. You have to increase the iso, open up to the maximum, drastically reduce the speed and use the burst in order to hope to get a few clear shots on the lot.
CREATIVITY IN THE CHOICE OF EXPOSURE
high-key
A technique to use on a cloudy day when the light is rather bland. In general, many photographers will choose not to go out on these days, but this type of weather offers excellent opportunities. The sky is grey/white as are the waterways in which it is reflected. This is a good opportunity to photograph ducks on water or birds with the sky in the background. It is also a technique to use when an animal is in the snow and when there is nothing but winter whiteness in the picture. Do not hesitate to push the exhibition to the extreme. The result is a clean photo with immaculate whiteness. Although not to everyone's liking, these images are particularly trendy.
low-key
The opposite of high key. Here, it will be necessary to voluntarily under expose its image in order to obtain a dark/black background. These dramatic images particularly enhance our subjects since there are no other distractions. To achieve these results, the subject must be bright and the background must be dark. I usually use the side light in this kind of situation. The subject then finds itself in the sun while the background is completely in the shade.