Taking photographs of animals

Wild animals often are very shy. If you get too close, they’ll be gone.
It’s often best to sit down or stand still in a safe distance and wait for the animal to come closer.
You need much patience for wildlife photos, - but usually it’s fascinating to watch the animal(s) anyway.

A strong tele lens also is very useful, especially if it’s an anti-shake lens. Otherwise a tripod or monopod can help you to get sharp pictures even with a tele lens.

One of the most common mistakes when taking photos of smaller animals is to look down on them.
Usually, the picture will be much more lively and fascinating when you are at eye level, - even if this means getting down on your knees.
Also, it’s not necessary to present the whole animal on all shots - often you can concentrate on parts of the head, very much like with a human portrait.
And, as in a normal portrait, the eyes are often the most important part of the picture.
 

Don’t be stingy with the film, - taking many pictures gives you the chance to show the animal in various situations.

Ostrich in South Africa  Crocodile, Australia Rock Dassy (South Africa)

Conversely, it may be good to show a bit of the natural surroundings:
Penguin leaving the water Drinking elephant Kookaburra, a sort of kingfisher in Australia Bat in Mataranka

Also, it’s often nice to see animals interact:
Young fox playing with its mother Young penguin and old animal

If the animal moves, it is best to use a fast shutter speed.
This means that you may have to use a fast film or a high ISO setting on your digital camera.

A little flash can create a nice reflex on the eye, but you have to be quite close to use it and risk frightening the animal. Depending on the animal and the situation, it may either run away or even attack you.
Your pet, feeling safe at home may not object, but it’s usually best to avoid using flash on wild animals.

Also, the inbuilt camera flash usually is so close to the lens that there’s a good chance that you’ll get red eyes (the same as in human portraits).
Pre-flashes may avoid this, but you expose the animal to even more flash...
 

Travel Photo Net

How to take good travel photos