Wildlife Photography How To

Most of my columns for this website concern the ideas and purposes behind the photographs I take. I always include information about the technology used to achieve the photos, which could be as basic as the f/stop chosen to direct your attention, or the use of a ND filter to make a long exposure possible. That approach is not incidental or coincidental; the stories are planned along those lines because my ideas come first, and technology’s purpose is to support those ideas.

For those on a budget it’s tempting to purchase an inexpensive 2X teleconverter to double the focal length of a lens you already own, instead of spending big bucks on a powerful super-telephoto zoom. But does this really make sense in terms of image quality, or are you better off just cropping your photos?

Anuar Patjane Floriuk, popularly known as Anuar Patjane, has been scuba diving for 17 years. Much of his photography in the past has been focused on travel around the globe, but lately he’s been giving in more and more to his fascination with the sea. He’s been shooting underwater for five of those 17 years and finds the camera a natural extension of his inner being, helping him explore and fathom pelagic life, especially whales, and himself in the process.

It’s one thing to sit in the safety of a Jeep or Land Rover while photographing the wildlife of the Serengeti. It’s quite another to be one with nature, coming face to face with wild creatures on their level, and even to establish a certain rapport with the animals. Then add yet another ingredient: enduring harsh Arctic conditions for hours, if not days, on end, just to get that one great shot. Welcome to the world of wildlife and nature photographer John Hyde.<

This amazing image of a baby humpback whale by Karim Iliya earned him a coveted 2018 Hasselblad Masters Award, which is one of the premier international competitions for professional photographers. Iliya captured the award-winning shot off the islands of Vava’u in Tonga during a freedive.

If you want evidence that great wildlife images can be captured without expensive high-end gear, look no further, as you’ll see a variety of hilarious images of birds