Wildlife Photography How To

One way to simplify the photographic process and get the best results possible is to configure your camera properly for the type of images you shoot. That's because the camera settings you choose for portraiture or still life photography can be inconvenient or worse the next time you go out to shoot landscape, sports or other types of images.

In the video below we’ll show you the settings that will get the most out of your camera when shooting birds and other types of wildlife. Nature photographer Brent Hall uses the Canon EOS R5 and R6 mirrorless cameras to demonstrate what he considers the best settings, but most of his tips will work equally well with whatever camera you own. Your menus may look a bit different, but you’ll find what you need.  

Hall begins with how to use “dual back button focus” which he says is the most important mode he uses when photographing wildlife. Here he discusses why activating Eye AF can be problematic more often that you may think. And he explains the situations under which you should disable this mode.

The video walks you through a variety of other settings important to wildlife photography, with the reminder that some need to be changed when you shoot other types of photos. Hall covers important settings to the camera’s autofocus menu—everything from AF Servo, Spot AF, and Subject Detect, to Touch-and-Drag modes and more.

Other important configurations include the camera’s Custom Settings, including how to modify dial and button assignments for best results when photographing wildlife. There’s a lot more to learn in the 15-minute tutorial. And if you follow Hall’s advice you’re sure to improve your wildlife photography with ease.

There are many more great tips on Hall’s YouTube channel, so be sure and take a look. And if you need a good laugh (don’t we all these days?), check out our recent story with the hilarious winners of the Comedy Wildlife Awards 2020.