Wildlife Photography - Project 11

Introduction

    For specialty project 2, I decided to choose wildlife photography. I mean, who doesn’t love to take tons and tons of pictures of the beautiful creatures we encounter on our journeys whether it be animals in your local vicinity or animals from your travels abroad? I LOVE it. I love trying to get a photo that is in focus and will show off the detail and personality of the animal being shot. Animals are the most beautiful living beings.

Wildlife Photography

    With that being said, certain tips and tricks can help you take better shots of wildlife in their natural habitats. It may not be the easiest photo to capture, but if you are PATIENT and a little bit lucky, I bet you could shoot a great one, maybe even better than you thought you would.

    Wildlife can be quite difficult to shoot because there are so many factors to consider. It is encouraged to not shoot during direct midday lighting. This could give you harsh shadows, and they will reflect off of the feathers, fur, and eyes. This will cause your image to be dull.

    Also, certain equipment is recommended for shooting wildlife including, tripods, monopods, telephoto lenses, wide aperture prime lenses, narrower prime lenses, protective, and equipment such as rain covers, extra bags, and batteries.

    When shooting wildlife, you want to be at eye level with the animals. This can improve the perspective of your shot, and it can help isolate your subject, further highlighting the focal point of the shot.

    Scouting your area and studying the habits and habitats of the animals you are shooting will help you catch your shot as well.

    I captured a great photo of a duck on one of my outings. It was extremely friendly and photogenic. I was quite lucky to encounter this little creature. This is the photo I chose to use for my wildlife project. 

    For this photo, I added two masks. The first mask was for the subject (the duck). I increased the highlights by 18, the blacks by 15, the texture by 26, the clarity by 25, the dehaze by 15, and the sharpness by 1. The second mask was for the background. I decreased both the texture and the clarity to -100% to blur the background. To bring it together I added artistic profile 5 and a -11 vignette.

Conclusion

    Animals are amazing creatures. They move in mysterious ways, and they can be spontaneous. It is amazing when you capture their little personalities and the details to come with them. Everything changes fast. There may not be much time to get the “perfect shot”. There is so much to learn about animals and their habitats when it comes to wildlife photography, but these are key in getting the shot that you came for. Pay attention to the lighting and obtain the knowledge you need to get better shots with fewer photos. There will always be something to learn, and being that I am a rookie, every ounce of information counts. 

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