Last updated: September 13, 2021
Article
How To Photograph Wildlife
Get some pro-tips for seeing and photographic wildlife. Learn more about watching wildlife.
Tip: Time your outing when wildlife is most active: ideally dawn or dusk.
![Elk Photo Tip Bull elk in the foreground, a mountain out of focus in the distance](/articles/images/ELK_6.jpg?maxwidth=1300&maxheight=1300&autorotate=false)
Tip: Use binoculars, a spotting scope, or a telephoto lens for a safe, close-up view.
![hprse A horse grazes on grass](/articles/images/hprse.jpg?maxwidth=1300&maxheight=1300&autorotate=false)
Tip: Use the zoom on your phone or camera, and to steady your shot, touch your elbows to your ribcage, or rest your elbows on your knee or another stable surface.
![squirrel A squirrel coming out of a tree hole](/articles/images/squirrel_4.jpg?maxwidth=1300&maxheight=1300&autorotate=false)
Tip: Your phone's volume buttons may also work to zoom if you don't have a free hand to use your touch-screen zoom
![bears A mother grizzly bear and cub](/articles/images/bears_3.jpg?maxwidth=1300&maxheight=1300&autorotate=false)
Tip:Look to the edges of the landscape (e.g. where forest trees meet an open meadow).
![two deer safe distance Two deer in a meadow](/articles/images/deer_9.jpg?maxwidth=1300&maxheight=1300&autorotate=false)
Tip:Stay quiet and still. Noise and quick movements can threaten wildlife.
![deerpond Two deer standing in a pond](/articles/images/deerpond.jpg?maxwidth=1300&maxheight=1300&autorotate=false)
Tip: When photographic from a safe distance, skilled photographers suggest lining up the horizon of the landscape along the lower third of your frame and/or lining up the animal(s) to one of the four intersection points.
![snowsquirrel Squirrel in the snow](/articles/images/snowsquirrel.jpg?maxwidth=1300&maxheight=1300&autorotate=false)
Tip: Pull safely off the road, and use your car as a safe enclosure for viewing and photographing from a distance. Not only do cars provide a layer of protection, they also provide surfaces that can help you stabilize your camera.
![bearcar A bear with a car in the distance](/articles/images/bearcar.jpg?maxwidth=1300&maxheight=1300&autorotate=false)
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