To get good shots of animals and birds, you will have to learn to be quick in setting up and framing your shots. Waiting until you get out in the wilderness to learn these tricks is not a good idea. What I found to be very helpful was practicing on my cats and on birds in my yard or local parks. You learn to anticipate their behavior and react fast to get the good shots. Here are some tips on how to get the best shots of animals and birds in the wild.

Practice taking shots of moving targets. Learning how to pan moving targets will allow you to take dramatic photographs with a sense of speed.

Keep your camera handy and set up for unexpected encounters. Make sure you have fully charged camera batteries and plenty of film or memory.

Before you go into an area, read up on what kinds of animals and birds are commonly found there. Learn all you can about these animals and birds. This will help you know where to look to find them and what kinds of behavior to expect.

Learn to walk and move quietly and practice freezing your position so that your presence is not startling or threatening to the animal.

Learn to be observant of everything around you using all your senses. With a little practice, you will gain the ability to be aware of small movements, unusual colors or sounds, even smells that can tip you off to the presence of an animal or bird even when they are well camouflaged. I cannot believe how many times I’ve watched people walk right by wildlife without noticing them. Hiking with an awareness of your surroundings enhances your experience immeasurably.

In the wild, telephoto lenses are basically a must. This brings you in a little closer without scaring the animals. The use of a tripod is not always mandatory, if you have enough light you will be able to shoot at a fast shutter speed to eliminate shake. Some telephoto lens have vibration reduction technology but are considerably more expensive.

When you photograph animals and birds, make sure the focus is sharpest on their eyes.

Shoot small animals from a lower angle.

The best times of the day for viewing and photographing wildlife are early in the mornings and just before dark. This is when wildlife is usually most active and the light is the most dramatic.

Try to keep the sun at your back so that the light falls directly on your subject.

Using all these tips will help you improve your nature photography. The very most important thing is practice, practice, practice and don’t forget to enjoy yourself!

Did you like this article? Curious about Dominating Digital Photography? Well now you can by Discovering this Digital Photography Tutorial…what are you waiting for?

Article Source

Digital photography is so fun, and by following some simple ideas you can drastically improve your photos. You can start making your digital snap shots look more like professional photographs.

Here’s five simple ideas to help you quickly improve your pictures.

1. Move closer to the subject you are photographing.

By moving closer and filling your frame with your subject, you will put more focus on who you are photographing. You can also do this by zooming in with your camera. Sometimes you might want to keep your cropping loose if you want to include a nice background, like a landmark or scenery. But for the most part, your photos will look better when you stay close to your subject.

2. Look at your subject from a different perspective.

Another great tip to make your pictures more interesting, is to photograph your subject from a different or unique perspective. An example would be to shoot from higher or lower angle. You might even try moving your subject to a different level, like up in a tree or lying on the floor. Your photographs will not only look more interesting, they will look more professional. And you and your subject will have fun doing them.

3. Don’t take your time - just get to it!

This tip might seem a bit crazy, but you’ll see your photos improve by just shooting faster. The expressions on your subjects will look more natural and less ‘frozen’. It’s hard enough to look natural for a photograph and it’s even harder if you have to keep that smile on your face for too long.

Something else you might try is to photograph your subject when they don’t know you’re shooting. Again, they will look more natural and real. It’s a great way to capture children, when they’re just playing and being themselves.

4. Turn the flash off.

Here’s probably the best rule or idea. Turn the on-camera flash off! Available light always looks better than that direct blasted on-camera flash. I know it’s not always possible because you may not always have enough light, but you should look for this light. Soft window light is always nice, and outdoors in a park will have loads. Professional photographers always try their best to use real or available light. It wraps around a face and doesn’t look blasted or washed out like a flash can sometimes.

5. Shoot lots.

The last tip that will improve your pictures, is to just shoot more - shoot lots! You’re shooting digital right, so shoot lots and delete the ones that don’t work out? When you shoot more, you’ll improve your chances of capturing that great shot. When you photograph people, they blink occasionally, so if you shoot a few more frames you’ll get the shot without the blinks. And by shooting more, you’ll be practicing different ideas and approaches. All of which will translate into better photographs.

Using these easy to follow ideas will quickly help make your pictures look more professional, but if you want to learn even more techniques to make your photography look better, visit this Informative Site.

Don’t keep shooting snapshots like everyone else. Learn right away how to get the most out of your digital camera and have fun creating lasting and professional looking photographs.

My name is David Gladstone, and I work primarily as a graphic designer, but my real passion is photography. Since I’ve gone digital, I’ve been able to turn my hobby into a part-time business. and I’m even working towards my first photography show.
Article Source