Wildlife Photography Tips for Beginners

Wildlife Photography Tips for Beginners

Wildlife photography can look complicated when you first start out. There are cameras, lenses, settings, autofocus modes, and plenty of advice to take in. But these wildlife photography tips for beginners are designed to keep things simple and help you get started without worrying about having the most expensive equipment.

For me, wildlife photography has always been about much more than the camera. It is about being outdoors, watching wildlife, understanding its behaviour, and being ready when that special moment happens.

Whether you’re photographing birds in your garden, walking through the Yorkshire countryside, or visiting one of the many places where wildlife can be found, these are some of the wildlife photography tips I would give to anyone starting out.

1. Start With the Wildlife Around You

You don’t need to travel miles to find wildlife.

Some of the best subjects can be found surprisingly close to home. Garden birds, squirrels, rabbits, insects, and other wildlife can all provide excellent opportunities to practise.

Here in Yorkshire, there is also a huge variety of habitats to explore, from woodland and farmland to rivers, wetlands, moorland, and the Yorkshire coast.

Starting locally has another advantage: you can return to the same place regularly and learn how the wildlife behaves. These Wildlife Photography tips for beginners can be put into practice almost anywhere.

2. Learn About Your Subject

One of the biggest improvements you can make to your wildlife photography doesn’t involve your camera at all.

Learn about the animal you want to photograph.

What time of day is it most active?

What does it eat?

Where does it normally feed or rest?

What time of year might you see it?

How does it behave when it feels threatened?

The more you understand your subject, the better prepared you will be when you are out with your camera.

It can also help you anticipate what might happen next rather than simply reacting to whatever happens in front of you.

3. Be Patient

Wildlife doesn’t work to our timetable.

You might spend an hour waiting for a particular bird and get nothing. Then, just as you’re thinking about leaving, it appears exactly where you hoped it would.

Patience is one of the most important skills in wildlife photography.

Sometimes the best photograph comes after you’ve already taken several ordinary ones. A bird might suddenly take flight, shake its feathers, catch a fish, or look directly towards the camera.

That’s why I try not to rush.

The photograph is often just one small moment within a much longer experience.

4. You Don’t Need the Most Expensive Camera

It’s very easy when starting out to think you need the latest camera and a huge telephoto lens.

You don’t.

A camera you already own is perfectly capable of helping you learn the fundamentals of wildlife photography.

When I first became interested in photography, I started learning with the equipment I had. Over time, as my photography developed, I added different lenses and upgraded my camera equipment.

The important thing is to learn how your equipment works.

Knowing your camera well means you can concentrate on the wildlife rather than trying to remember which button does what.

5. Get Your Shutter Speed Right

Wildlife rarely stays completely still.

Even a bird sitting on a branch can suddenly move its head or take flight.

A faster shutter speed can help freeze that movement. If you’re photographing a relatively still animal, you might be able to use a slower shutter speed, while fast-moving birds often require considerably faster settings.

Don’t be afraid to increase your ISO if the light is poor. A slightly noisy photograph is often much better than a photograph ruined by movement blur.

As you gain experience, you’ll start to recognise which settings work best for different situations.

6. Pay Attention to the Light

Photography is all about light, and wildlife photography is no different.

Early morning and late afternoon can produce beautiful light, but don’t assume you need sunshine to take good photographs.

Overcast conditions can be excellent for wildlife portraits because the light is softer and shadows are less harsh.

I also enjoy photographing wildlife in different weather conditions. Rain, mist, frost, and even dull winter days can completely change the atmosphere of an image.

Sometimes the weather that seems least promising can produce one of the most interesting photographs.

7. Watch Your Background

It’s easy to concentrate so much on the animal that you forget about everything behind it.

But the background can make a huge difference.

A clean, uncluttered background can help your subject stand out, while distracting branches, bright patches, or man-made objects can take attention away from the wildlife.

Before pressing the shutter, take a quick look around the whole frame.

Sometimes moving just a little to one side or changing your position can make a big difference.

8. Try to Photograph at the Animal’s Level

If it is safe and appropriate to do so, getting closer to the animal’s eye level can create a much more engaging photograph.

Instead of looking down on a bird or mammal, you are creating an image that feels more like an encounter.

This isn’t about getting as close as possible.

It’s about choosing the right viewpoint while giving the animal plenty of space.

A longer lens can be extremely useful because it allows you to photograph wildlife without needing to approach it closely.

9. Don’t Chase the Perfect Photograph

This is something I have learned over the years.

Not every outing will produce a photograph you are happy with.

Sometimes the weather changes. Sometimes the wildlife doesn’t appear. Sometimes the light disappears just as the subject arrives.

That’s wildlife photography.

Try to enjoy the experience rather than judging every trip by the number of good photographs you bring home.

Some days you might come home with several photographs. Other days, you might come home with none.

You can still have had a great day outdoors.

10. Photograph Behaviour, Not Just Portraits

A sharp photograph of an animal looking towards the camera can be great.

But don’t overlook behaviour.

A kingfisher diving for a fish, a kestrel hunting, a tawny owl looking around from a post, or a deer interacting with another animal can tell a much bigger story.

Watch your subject.

Look for feeding, hunting, preening, calling, flying, resting, and interaction.

Often, these moments can become far more memorable photographs than a simple portrait.

11. Respect the Wildlife

This is perhaps the most important tip of all.

The photograph should never be more important than the welfare of the animal.

Don’t chase wildlife, deliberately disturb it, or get so close that it changes its behaviour.

Give birds and mammals space, particularly during breeding and nesting seasons.

If an animal becomes uncomfortable or changes its behaviour because of your presence, back away.

Wildlife photography should be about observing and recording nature, not controlling it.

For me, the best photograph is always one where the animal has been allowed to carry on doing what it was doing naturally.

12. Learn From Every Photograph

Not every photograph you take will work.

That’s actually a good thing.

Look through your photographs afterwards and ask yourself:

• Was the shutter speed fast enough?
• Was the subject sharp?
• Was the exposure correct?
• Was the background distracting?
• Did I capture the behaviour I wanted?
• Could I have composed the photograph differently?

Instead of simply deleting the photographs that didn’t work, try to understand why they didn’t work.

That’s how you improve, and it’s one of the most useful wildlife photography tips for beginners I can offer.

13. Practise, Practise and Practise

The more you photograph wildlife, the more naturally everything starts to become.

You begin to recognise behaviour.

You start noticing the light.

You become quicker at changing settings.

You learn where wildlife is likely to appear.

And perhaps most importantly, you become more patient.

There is no shortcut to that experience.

Every time you go out with your camera, you have an opportunity to learn something.

Wildlife Photography Is About More Than the Photograph

When I look back at my own wildlife photography, some of my favourite memories aren’t necessarily connected to the photographs that received the most attention.

They are the mornings spent waiting quietly, watching birds, walking through the Yorkshire countryside, or simply enjoying being outside.

The photograph is the record of that experience.

That’s why I would encourage anyone starting wildlife photography to remember that these wildlife photography tips for beginners are really about learning, practising, and enjoying the experience rather than having the perfect camera or lens.

Start with what you have.

Learn about the wildlife around you.

Be patient.

Practise.

And most importantly, enjoy being out there.

That is where the real journey begins.

Explore More J P Watson Photography

If you’re interested in wildlife photography, you can explore more of my wildlife images, photography tips, and experiences from Yorkshire on the J P Watson Photography Wildlife & Nature Blog.

You can also see some of my latest wildlife and nature photography on my Latest Yorkshire Nature Images page.

 

And if you’d like to browse prints and other wildlife photography from Yorkshire, visit the J P Watson Photography webshop.