In late 2003, my interests in photography began to move into areas where I had

little experience.  Up until then, I concentrated on landscape and scenic photography. 

Then I decided to spend time at a local wetland area that is known for many species

of wildlife.  I wanted to try my hand at photographing the wildlife before my eyes. 

It was not as easy as I thought it would be.  Lighthouses and scenery just stay there

and don't move around.  Wildlife is different.  Often, I found the subject was gone

before I snapped the shutter. Fortunately, I met some experienced and skilled

photographers there who helped me learn the skills needed.  Setting up next to them

and listening, asking for help, and letting them critique my work helped me move

forward in my desire to learn wildlife photography.  I will say this:  It is very

difficult to do right.  Here are some things I learned and am practicing every time I

head out with my gear.

Sometimes I go with no camera.  I want to concentrate on observing.  Do I miss a

shot.  Yes, sometimes.  Often I discover a spot that seems to be a favorite of birds

or other species so I observe and wait.  Wildlife are creatures of habit and usually

show up at the same spots every day.  Then I head out to that spot with my gear

and set up where I observed the wildlife and am almost always rewarded with a lot

of activity and many photo opportunities. 

Be prepared for a challenge.  Song birds, birds in flight, waterfowl, swimming

critters, and other creatures are not easy to photograph well.  Song birds are small,

some of them very small. They move. Sometimes very quickly.  Trees and branches

get in the way.  They turn so their worst side is ready to photograph.  Waterfowl are

often going for food under the surface and their head is under the water and their

rear end is sticking up in the air.  Not a great pose and there is very little time to

frame and get a shot when they are between bites of food.  Flying birds change

course abruptly and can be difficult to track.  Using a long lens with a narrow field of

view adds to the difficulty.  Like other skills, it takes patience and practice.

Use a tripod.  Better yet, use a tripod with a gimball head.  Most photographers

think of a Wimberley or Sidekick when they think of a gimball head.  They are great

products and when balanced correctly, provide effortless control of the camera and

lens.  Tracking birds in flight or moving wildlife is much easier and steadier because

you are not fighting the weight of the system.  A tripod and gimball become more

important with longer and heavier lenses.  Many photographers feel that image

stabilization is all they need.  Yes it helps, especially in lower light, but is no

substitute for good technique.  Every pro tells me the same thing.  Use a good solid

tripod.  If that won't work, use a monopod.  As a last resort, hand hold.

Use the longest lens you have.  I began learning wildlife photography shooting with a

400mm zoom lens. I have learned that this focal length is a minimum requirement

for a lens.  The size of the wildlife you are photographing and its distance from you

has a direct relationship to the focal length of the lens you are using.   Remember,

songbirds are small.  Very small.  Waterfowl like to swim some distance  out in the

water.  Some birds, such as the Great Blue Heron are much larger but often do not

hunt too close to where you have your camera setup.  They like to maintain that

safe distance.  Other wildlife, such as a deer or bear are much larger but still

maintain a safe distance from you.  Having the long reach makes a big difference in

the quality of the photograph.

Remember, the longer the lens, the narrower the field of view.  You will have more

of the subject filling the frame.  I recently added a 500mm lens and two tele-

converters to my lens kit.  This gives me 700mm and 1000mm focal lengths. Using

this combination requires the use of a tripod.  The field of view is very narrow and it

can sometimes be difficult to find the subject, let alone frame it properly. 

Be patient.  Really patient.  I learned this from the experienced guys.  Things don't

happen on my time schedule.  But, wait, and there is the reward.  Be prepared to

act quickly.  Wait some, then wait some more and all of a sudden, the photographic

opportunity happens and you must be ready.  A beautiful bird lands in the tree or an

Osprey flies over and goes fishing in front of you and you get the shot.

Read up and understand the behavior of the wildlife you are trying to photograph. 

Observe them for awhile to understand their ways.  Having some knowledge of

animal behavior helps you to be ready for them.  For instance, when you see an

Osprey hover, be ready to follow it into the water.  It has spotted a fish and will

soon dive for it. 

Know the light and use fill flash.  Good light makes the difference in getting good

quality shots.  It is very difficult to shoot into the sun and in most cases, you will not

get good results unless you are trying a silhouette shot.  Look for that catch light in

the eye.  I've seen many pictures of wildlife that are ruined because the eye is lost

in the photo.  I've taken many myself.  It makes the photo come alive when light is

right.  Try to avoid branches and other obstructions from blocking part of the

subject.  Sometimes the shadow from a branch can ruin an otherwise great photo. 

Adding a fill flash can solve many lighting problems.  Using a flash extender like the

'Better Beamer" extends the reach of the flash.

Spend lots of time at it.  Practice will improve your technique and raise your skill

level.  It takes practice to learn when to use exposure compensation.  When

backlight works.  How to blur the background correctly.  How to capture interesting

behavior instead of all portrait shots.