Lessons 5–6: Steve Winter—Wildlife
time you can get a photograph of an animal that is accessible to people, both
the animal and the viewers win.Many photographers focus on telling the story of animals and their relation
to humans in the environment. For example, a photo essay on a tiger reserve
might include images of the humans who compete with tigers for food or
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animal worlds also evoke an emotional reaction in the viewer.Practicing Your Skills
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backyard, but we all encounter birds every day. And photographing a bird
in an exotic tree in the jungle is actually no different than photographing a
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white sky. A silhouette is a great way to handle this issue, and this solution
applies whether you’re at a neighborhood park or on safari. You can also
practice the technique of follow focusing on birds by photographing your
children running in the backyard with a toy bird taped to a broom handle;
you’ll notice that the children switch directions rapidly, just as birds often
do. Photographing pets is good practice, too. Take pictures as your cat climbs
a tree, playing with the light or how tight you’re shooting.Think, too, about drawing on other photography skills you’ve learned when
you photograph animals. For example, the same instincts you use to capture
an exciting moment in sports, such as scoring a goal or sliding into second
base, can be applied to images of animals in action. Set the camera to shoot
10 frames per second; this setting is often used in sports photography, but it’s
also wonderful for capturing animal movement.Whether you’re on a safari and photographing a tiger or taking pictures of
your dog in the backyard, pay attention to your subject’s eyes. You’ll often
see the eyes focus on something of interest to the animal, and you can be
prepared for it to make a move.