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B
eginners and even more experienced photographers often
struggle to photograph animals. The website
http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/how-to-photograph-animals/
provides these general tips for animal photography.
It is advisable to use a telephoto zoom lens as you will need to
be able to zoom in and out to suit the movement of the animal.
If you are photographing birds in your backyard or animals that
are close to you, a lens that extends from 70 mm to 300 mm focal
length should be sufficient.
Look at the background before looking at the subject. Any photo
has the potential to be great, if only the photographer took more
notice of the background elements. It can be as easy as simply
shifting your physical position and photograph it from the side
instead of head on.
Experiment with different picture styles (check your camera
manual). Neutral picture style is the best setting when photo-
graphing brown or earthy coloured animals.
Changing your camera’s metering mode can result in more detail
seen in the animal’s fur or feathers, so experiment with different
modes.
The best animal photos are those where the animal is looking
directly at the camera. This may mean waiting for a long time for
that perfect eye to eye contact shot.
For maximum impact get down to the animal’s level.
2
nd
for July
3
rd
for July
In second place is Amanda van Blerk from Clarens with her photo
‘Saans word die skape gekraal’, taken in the Clarens district.
Francois Jansen van Vuuren from Benoni was third with his photo
‘Longer road to greener fields’.
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