Some tips for wildlife photography

For those of us who will never own one of those lenses that we see being used by the pros on TV, but like to capture the birds and animals in the back yard or the park, I can offer some tips that will probably increase your chances of getting some shots that you will be really happy with.

1. Be prepared to spend time out there with your camera. An hour in the environment where the birds and animals live, is simply more likely to give you an opportunity than if you merely walk through. If the weather is good for photography, go out for a while to put yourself in a situation where you might get some shots. The worst that can happen is that you merely spend time outside... things could be worse :)
2. If you are going somewhere that might present a photo opportunity, have your camera with you. We have all found ourselves in situations saying, "Oh man! I wish I had my camera with me." The only way to prevent that is to have your camera with you most of the time. [See example 3 below.]
3. If you can accomplish #2, the next step is to have your camera ready. If you are in the car, have the camera beside you with the settings that are likely to be needed. I still lose opportunities because my camera is still set for the last shooting I did... animals are not very co-operative about coming back when I call out, "Hey, I missed that shot. Do ya wanna come back here a minute?" :)
4. Be slow and patient, and don't approach an animal directly. Even in parks where animals and birds are familiar with people, a direct approach will be perceived as a threat. When the animal knows you are there, a zig-zag approach in a low position will often get you closer. If a bird is willing to stay where it is, taking 10 or 20 minutes to move forward a bit at a time can produce rewards. [See example 2 below.]
5. Very often it's best to stay in the car. Animals are cautious of cars, but flee from a person.
6. To contradict #5, sometimes it is worthwhile to follow the animal. Very often it will flee because it feels pursued, but what do you have to lose? Try to be inconspicuous, because sometimes you will get another opportunity. Caution: Any mom with babies poses some danger, so be wary of getting into her space.

Example 1: I found this colourful little bird in the spring when I took the camera out to see what I could find. I was actually sitting in a wooded part of a city park near a dove nest when he showed up beside me. I slowly moved the camera and was able to catch him with his beak full of nesting material. (I learned later that it is a "Blue Tit" ...so, being a guy, I HAD to be happy to get a shot of one of THOSE! :)
Example 2: Hoping to find some ducks, I happened onto this heron at the water's edge. I spent at least 20 minutes getting closer using the slow zig-zag approach, shooting as I went. I was able to also back away slowly, leaving it there to continue doing its heron things.
Example 3: I saw this cow moose ahead of me near the road, so I slowed down to stop alongside of her. She continued browsing on the bushes, as I clicked away. I'm confident that if I stepped out of pickup truck, she would have only given me butt shots of diminishing size :)

For nature lovers, just being out there is great. Bringing home some nice shots is a wonderful bonus. Have fun out there :)