If you’re interested in photographing wild animals, take these wildlife photography tips to heart to make sure you’re entering the field safely and humanely.
There was a time when the only place you could find jaw-dropping photos of wild animals was in the work of professional photographers published in National Geographic. That’s changed with digital cameras and technology. Now, almost anyone has access to the equipment necessary for creating wildlife photography. But it takes more than just equipment to be a skilled — and thoughtful — wildlife photographer.
You could make the claim that there’s no better way to enjoy nature than by photographing wild animals. But is this engagement mutually beneficial? It should be. Far too often, the wild animals we love to capture with our cameras end up on the losing end of a bad bargain. Unfortunately, I frequently read news about poachers targeting a rhino or an elephant after a photographer took its picture and shared it on social media.
Rare birds turn up outside their usual territories — and mobs of photographers follow, often disturbing the birds into flight or stress-induced starvation. National Park visitors even risk their own lives, and the lives of animals, for the sake of a “selfie.”
We owe wild animals the respect and consideration of allowing them to continue their lives in their environments undisturbed.
Life in the wild is too often short, violent, and stressful without figuring in human interaction. When we take our cameras out in the field and encounter wild animals, whether bird, bug, or beast, we’re automatically increasing their stress levels. Whether they show it or not, they’re aware of our presence, no matter how carefully we try to avoid their notice. Does that mean we should never photograph wildlife? Absolutely not! Wildlife photography has value, in low-impact enjoyment of the outdoors, in the challenge of nailing that “trophy shot,” and in painting an accurate picture of natural history and the importance of conservation. But we must do our best not to cause harm to our subjects, either directly or indirectly. Here are some wildlife photography tips so you can proceed with care.
Wildlife Photography Tips: Approach Your Subject Slowly
Rushing headlong into the field will not only drive away your targets, but it may also change their behavior in harmful and even deadly ways. Our very presence in the field puts every wild animal on alert. This state of heightened awareness can, and often does, change their behavior. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of them tracking your position — instead of the position of a nearby predator. Other times, while eating, your target may decide the area got too crowded and move on — even if they haven’t fed nearly enough for the day. Or, maybe your attention will make the animal stop doing whatever it was engaged in – like taking food to its young.
This change in behavior can have unexpected consequences, like causing a heron to mis-strike at a sunfish, leaving the bird hungry and the stabbed fish dying for nothing, or perhaps spooking a chipmunk into panic, dashing into the waiting claws of a feral cat. Most songbirds go to great lengths to hide their nests; too much attention can cause them to abandon a nest and start another, even if the season is now too short, dooming both sets of nestlings.
Get to know your subject, both by reading about it and by paying attention to it in the field. An animal’s breaking point is the minimum distance it’ll tolerate the presence of a potential threat. Understand what its breaking point is, and how it communicates when you’re nearing it. Think about pigeons eating birdseed in a park. From a distance, they don’t pay much attention to you, at least not that you can tell; however, they’re well-aware of you. Walk toward them slowly. Soon, you’ll notice some of them stop eating and start watching you. A few steps closer, and they’ll begin milling around and disturbing their flock mates. Get even closer, and they’ll all stop feeding and begin edging away from you. If you push within a few feet, they’ll decide they’ve had enough and fly away — at least a little farther from where they first noticed you. The distance at which they launched into flight was their breaking point. More importantly, they communicated their discomfort long before they reached their breaking point.
Park pigeons have a breaking point of about as far as a toddler can throw breadcrumbs. Some wild animals, like the belted kingfisher, have a breaking point of “I can see you.” When approaching your target, pay attention to its behavior and act accordingly. Sometimes, its communication will be subtle. Wild ducks, for example, will nonchalantly keep an eye on you — while paddling for the far end of the pond. Take as much as one step in their direction, and watch them burst into flight. Others are more demonstrative. White-tailed deer, for example, will look straight at you, stamp their feet, and flag their tails, just before dashing away.
Never chase after a subject that just startled. You’ll never get the shot you want, and they’ll go into full-flight mode, probably leaving the area completely. And never deliberately spook your subject for an action shot. Want action shots? Find a good, quiet spot, settle in, and be patient. If you haven’t flushed out your subjects, they’ll most likely settle down within 10 to 20 minutes, and then go back to whatever they were doing before you arrived.
Wildlife Photography Tips for Photography Blinds
Another wildlife photography tip that sometimes works is studiously ignoring your subject for a while. Think about a cat stalking a mouse. What does it do? It locks on to its target, never looking away as it stalks to within pouncing distance. Take a much more observant, nonchalant path if you want to approach a skittish subject. Wander aimlessly around the subject, paying attention to everything else, all while slowly edging ever closer, always checking its behavior for breaking-point cues. If it starts getting nervous, take an interest in something in the other direction, such as a clump of grass at your feet, for a moment until it settles back down to what it was doing. If you can, get down on your belly and do some crawling around to help you get closer for some great shots of a comfortable subject.
Blinds are even better for improving confidence, although they have the disadvantage of being largely immobile. You’ll need to set up the blind ahead of time in a location where your subject is likely to appear later. Then, sit and wait for it to arrive. It may not, but if it does, your chance at spectacular activity shots will be worth the gamble. One photographer I follow has a floating blind he built for shooting water-level ducks and other waterfowl.
Honor the Environment when Photographing Wild Animals
Don’t alter the landscape just for the sake of a shot. This includes trimming obstructing brush away from around a nest. The parents built that nest where they did to give their nestlings the best chance of remaining undiscovered and safe. Clearing out brush for a clear shooting lane can alert predators to the nest or cause the parents to abandon it and the nestlings altogether.
In fact, you shouldn’t intentionally approach a nest during nesting season. You can use a telephoto lens from a significant distance to get shots of the parents nest-building or feeding young, as long as you pay attention to their behavior. If they seem reluctant to go near the nest or are clearly watching you, leave. One clue that you’re near a hidden nest is a parent carrying insects in its beak. If it had planned to eat its own catch, it would’ve done that when and where it caught it.
Always practice extreme caution with a mother and her young. With most nesting birds, the risk of harm is entirely on them. With larger animals, that risk can quickly shift to you. You should never get between a bear and her cubs, for example, or a bison and her calf. It’s just common sense to give parents and their young a wide berth.
This next point can be hard to hear: Nestlings don’t need our “help.” If you find a young bird out of its nest, it’s probably a fledgling that has left on its own; the parents are likely nearby, waiting for you to leave. If it’s younger than a fledgling, you won’t be able to help it anyway. It’s illegal in most states to handle a wild animal, especially migratory songbirds. If you insist on helping, call your state’s game commission or a licensed rehabilitator and report the situation. That’s all you can legally do.
When photographing wild animals, never deliberately try to change a subject’s behavior patterns for a shot. This includes setting up bait stations and using calls. Bait stations change an animal’s behavior in disastrous ways, causing them to stop hunting for their own food and to rely on, and even expect, humans to keep them fed. For large animals, like the bear and bison I mentioned, this can lead to the need to euthanize them for the sake of public safety. In short, never feed the wild animals. Bird feeders are a special situation, as they’re typically left up and stocked long-term, and most songbirds aren’t adversely affected by them as long as they’re kept clean and stocked. Just keep an eye out for notices of local disease outbreaks that require the dismantling of feeders for birds’ health.
Calling in a subject with a recording may seem harmless, but calls work primarily by tricking a bird into thinking a challenger is in its territory. That causes the subject to become alert, trying to find its challenger precisely when it should be protecting its nest from real threats and keeping its young fed.
Be Careful When Sharing the Locations of Wild Animals
Finally, skip the selfies with a wild animal. If you’re getting that close anywhere but at a zoo, it may not end well for you.
Your responsibilities don’t end when you go home, either. As much as you want to share your shots, too much publicity can harm your subject. Other photographers may see your photo and swarm the location, causing the subject to flee or, worse, stop feeding. In the case of visiting wildlife, such as snowy owls, wait a bit before posting your photos, preferably until the subject has moved on. Refrain from posting specific locations, especially of nests, rare species, and species at risk for poaching. Before posting your photos on social media, study them for conspicuous landmarks that may give away their locations.
If you’re new to photographing wild animals, and you’re still unsure of what’s ethically acceptable, find a more experienced mentor to help you learn. Follow these wildlife photography tips, and not only will your activity not cause harm to your subjects, but also your photography will improve. You can expect far fewer shots of recently vacated branches and retreating tails. Your catalog of basic portrait shots will expand to include compelling action shots and shots that tell a story. Even better, your portfolio will gain greater conservation value, and over time will help more people realize the value of our wild treasures, because you’re humanely photographing wildlife.
Andrew Weidman lives and writes in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where he has photographed everything from eagles and owls to mink and muskrats. He regularly posts his wildlife photos on Facebook and his Instagram account, @Andrew_Weidman_Photography.
Originally published as “Humane Wildlife Photography” in the June/July 2023 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS and regularly vetted for accuracy.
