The sheer unpredictability of the course of action makes nature and its elements intimidating to work in. This is especially true in the case of wildlife photography. Animals as subjects are a world apart from humans. You can negotiate with humans and set expectations but animals can’t be reasoned with, and so, to ace it as a wildlife photographer, you do require a distinct level of expertise and tons of patience.
To all those seeking tips on capturing an awe-inspiring wildlife click, we have ace photographers Akash Das – an acclaimed advertising and fashion photographer and Latika Nath – popularly known as ‘The Tiger Princess’ by National Geographic, revealing secrets behind some of their best shots. The two might have varying backgrounds, but their love for wildlife photography is what connects them!
Wildlife photography is challenging since it is so dynamic in nature. There are no elements here that you can control, unlike in a studio setting. And so, here are a few pro-tips from Akash Das and Latika Nath’s experience, that will help you to work around difficulties while shooting in the wild!
- Ensure the light is exactly coordinated with the hour of the day as well as the hours of activity of the animal being photographed.
- Often, the distance between you and your subject will be high if it is a predator. Only the largest lens works the best for these shoots. An 800mm lens is preferable. Latika Nath suggests making it a habit to shoot with cameras with different bodies instead of changing the lens every time. For ease of switching and adaptability, she personally uses as many as four camera bodies with different lenses.
- Capturing pictures of wildlife is all about your eye for detail. You must have a sense of composition. Do observe that animals with compassionate tendencies are a common theme in both Akash and Latika’s photo. Many wildlife photographers are driven by the desire to observe and capture these moments, which emphasises nature’s wholeness.
However, wildlife photography can’t be limited to just these tricks, the pro-tips shared will definitely help you get one step closer to your WOW shot but as we rightly said, Wildlife Photography is much more than just clicking pictures!
