Nature photography and wildlife photography Wildlife photography means taking pictures of wild animals.

Wildlife photography is seen as one of the more difficult forms of photography, as it requires not only technical knowledge, but also knowledge of the animal and its natural habitat.

Because wild animals have a fight or flight response when a human gets too close, wildlife photographers usually have a lot of knowledge of the animals they photograph, so they know exactly in which environment they can find the animals and at what distance they can see them. can approach. Every animal is different and the fight or flight response will be different for each animal.

The photographer therefore keeps enough distance to be able to photograph the natural behavior and uses a telephoto lens to photograph, or he hides his presence by means of hiding places and camouflage.

Required: knowledge and patience
The best nature photographers are usually also naturalists and study the subjects and living environment very intensively. The approach to taking pictures of animals is actually a bit the same as it is with humans. Many study the character and try to capture it in the photo. Obviously, you can't ask animals to stand still and smile at the camera. That is why it is important that you learn to predict their behavior. To do this, animals will have to be found in their natural habitat. Watching documentaries on TV, this seems easy at first. What the viewer doesn't see, however, is that photographers and filmmakers often spend an enormous amount of time in nature in poor conditions. Sometimes even for a year for some good pictures.

The luck factor also plays a major role in this. Most hobby photographers are largely dependent on luck. Of course you can give luck a hand. Many nature reserves have information about wildlife and good tips where to find it. Make sure this is well researched in advance. Another important tip is "get up before the sun comes up". The best light for photos is in the morning and late afternoon. In addition, most animals are most active around these times.

What equipment do I need for wildlife photography?
What else do you need to take good nature photos? The most advanced (and therefore expensive) camera is certainly not necessary, but a good lens is of great importance. When choosing a camera, don't be fooled by all the megapixels. In principle, 8.2 megapixels is sufficient. All cameras sold today are well above this. Importantly, the lenses to the camera are interchangeable. The choice is always for a DSLR / SLR camera.

The new micro four thirds (4/3) and other small cameras that work without a mirror are not really suitable for wildlife photography. They are very good cameras, in some ways even outperforming entry-level DSLR cameras, but for wildlife photography it is important that large telephoto lenses fit and this is not yet the case. If the budget allows, you can opt for a DSLR that is also weatherproofed by sealing certain parts. This may be necessary if you are planning to take the camera on a sandy safari or a trip to cold Antarctica.
 

What lenses do I need for wildlife photography?
The choice of a lens is actually even more important than the camera. Do you need a powerful telephoto lens to take good nature photos? No, but it does help a lot. Most wildlife photos are taken with at least 200mm lenses. Optionally, a 1.4x or 2x converter can also be used. This turns a 200mm lens into a 400mm lens. However, this is at the expense of the brightness.