Photography is an art of capturing ‘moments’. Whether it is a frame of a child’s innocent smile, or a genuine emotion on an elders face, or the beauty of nature captured at its majestic best. The thing about photography is that the perfect frame often lasts for just a few seconds. Blink and you miss the cream, the ‘real thing’. And when it comes to wildlife photography, arguably the most exciting and adrenaline pumping task as a photographer, then the rewards are high, to say the least. The only hurdle between wildlife photography and you is the location, or the perfect place and opportunities.
Wildlife photography is about excitement, about the thrill of venturing into the thick forests, the snaking rivers, all brimming with life, to witness Mother Nature at its best, and most importantly to capture those often missed frames.
To do all this would surely sound like an expert’s job, but just read on the dossier we have prepared for both amateur as well as professional photographers, to die-hard nature lover or for people just looking to try something new and adventurous and get ready to chase wildlife with your camera.
The one piece of information that both amateur as well as professional photographer require first is a sound idea about the animals that they want to photograph, their hideouts and where to find them most easily. Photographing wildlife is not an easy task, and capturing perfect photos makes it even more difficult. Animals constantly move around the area, are very alert and shy, and could also charge at you. Some useful tips, especially if you are planning to shoot at a new location, are to read related books, handy tips from park’s local guides, studying the subject thoroughly, browsing the internet along with a company of experienced photographer, relieving you of much of the initial confusion, and allow you to move straight to the task.
Most wildlife reserves legally require you to be accompanied by an authorized guide before venturing out into the park. Additionally, a local guide with years of knowledge and experience about the park can greatly assist you with how and where to track the animals, how not to distract them while getting close, and is a dependable source of help in emergency situations.
A hideout is essential not only to get closer to the wildlife but also to be comfortable and safe around them. The hideout should be such that it does not end up distracting or scaring away the animal, but should add to the natural settings. It should be able to protect your photography equipments, apart from being comfortable for staying for long periods of time, sometimes for several days at stretch. And make sure to erect them mostly around vantage points like near water bodies. Some good options are camouflage hide chairs, easy pop-ups, hub systems and nets, camouflage netting for hides and useful hide accessories & tools.
The right clothing and footwear not only to helps you to get acclimatized with the natural settings but also enables you to get closer to the subject, and take high quality photos. The color of your attire is very important, and bright colored clothing like red, pink, black or orange should be avoided. Prefer muted colors resembling forest shades like green, dull brown or light gray and wear high and comfortable shoes during your stay at the park. Prefer trousers allowing freedom of movement, double stitched shirts, headwear, and gloves providing better grip for the camera. Avoid putting on strong fragrances like perfumes, scents, aftershaves etc. as they attract insects, flies and the likes.
The fascinating world of wildlife photography yields better results by thinking more about its creative aspects like light, composition and sensitivity than the technical aspects. Firstly, carry high quality cameras and accessories and if you are using a digital camera, then make sure it has little or no shutter lag, can power up instantly, and has a focal length of at least 70mm. The longer the focal length of the lens, the better it is. Bird photography may require lenses from 300 mm to 800 mm, whereas micro lenses will prove useful for shooting insects and other small creatures.
Make sure to carry extra bucks, as wildlife photography is a costly business and lenses get expensive very quickly. Always carry extra rolls of films, as one usually ends up clicking quite a few frames to get the perfect shot. We suggest you carry two cameras, one for a 100 ASA film for leisurely exposures and second one for 400 ASA film for high shutter speeds. You can get a good shot of large animals like elephants, buffaloes etc. from a distance but need to have a close shot for small creatures and birds. Also, get familiar with the equipment and its handling part by practicing a few shots of cats, birds or pet animals near your home.
Welcome to India, a country proud of its rich variety of flora and fauna, boasting of 29 tiger reserves, 97 national parks, and 508 wildlife sanctuaries, spread across its majestic landscape. Full of resources that wildlife photographer yearns for, you will get ample opportunities to take that one long cherished photograph you have always dreamt of taking. Wildlife photography in India would mean excursions around some of the most famous reserves, parks and sanctuaries, getting an exciting insight into the complicated yet charming world of animals.
» Ranthambhore Tiger reserve
» Corbett national park
» Kaziranga national park
» Sunderbans wildlife reserve
» Kanha national park
» Panna national park
» Bandhavgarh national park
