Wildlife Photography How To

If you're struggling to capture photographs that are just as just as spectacular as your wildlife subjects, we're going to change all that today with five practical tips from an Australian pro designed for beginners and experience shooters alike. These techniques are practical, not theoretical, and "actually work in the real world."

Andy Biggs shot this striking image of a giraffe under an acacia tree on the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania, Africa, in 2007.

Ulf Amundsen captured this epic image of a herd of elephants in Etosha National Park in Namibia, Africa. “It was a straightforward shoot during midday in dry and dusty conditions,” Amundsen explains.

Does size really matter? To be clear, we're referring camera sensors here so don't let your mind go elsewhere. Or as photographer Anthony Gugliotta poses the question more specifically, "do your really need a full-frame camera or is a crop-sensor model enough."

Location, location, location. That's what someone who is just getting started in wildlife photography will tell you is the secret to the trade. Certainly, the wildlife available in the remote Sahara of Africa is far more interesting to those who are used to the rolling hills of Ohio, but there are two other key components to successful wildlife photography: preparedness and luck.

Let's face it: Many of us can't afford the latest hi-res cameras, exotic lenses, and other expensive accessories, but we all aspire to capturing great images. If this sounds familiar pay close attention to this quick tutorial that explains how to squeeze every ounce of excellence out of whatever equipment is in your bag.

At my workshops and lectures I am often asked by photographers how I am able to get sharp images at slow shutter speeds out of the affordable 70-300mm zoom I use for backpacking while they are unable to get sharp images with their 70-200 f/2.8 pro lenses. It is true that when it comes to lenses, the price tag does match the quality in terms of durability and sharpness at wide apertures. But by the time my carry-along backpacking lens is stopped down to f/8, it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between photos taken with it and images taken with the most expensive pro lenses. Honestly, the lack of sharpness in photos has less to do with the tele lens you are using than it might seem and more to do with long lens technique.