Animal and wildlife photography: the basics

In short: Animal photography shows wild animals, pets or zoo animals in natural and expressive moments. Above all it takes patience, knowledge of animal behaviour and fast camera settings.

In more detail: Wild animals are often shy and far away, which is why telephoto lenses are widely used. Consideration is just as important: the animal’s welfare always comes before the photo.

In detail

• Focal length: Telephoto lenses bring distant animals closer without disturbing them by getting too near.
• Fast shutter speed: Moving animals and birds in flight need very short exposure times to be rendered sharply.
• Autofocus: Continuous autofocus and animal or eye detection help keep moving subjects sharp.
• Focus on the eyes: As with portraits, an animal picture usually only comes alive when the eyes are sharp.
• Eye level: Photos taken at the animal’s eye level feel more personal than shots looking down from above.
• Time of day: Many wild animals are especially active at dawn and dusk, when the light is also soft.
• Camouflage and waiting: Behaving quietly, wearing muted clothing and using a hide increase the chance of natural scenes.
• Consideration and rules: Keeping your distance, not disturbing nests and young animals and following the rules of protected areas are a must for responsible photographers.
• Practising with pets: Pets, parks and zoos are good places to train your technique and timing (verschlusszeit-und-bewegung, brennweite-und-bildwinkel, autofokus-grundlagen).