A fox photographed from a 75-foot (23-meter) distance using ethical wildlife photography techniques.
Courtesy of Brad Pillow
Looking for that million-dollar wildlife photo? The best shots are candid: animals engaging in natural behaviors like hunting, raising their young, and resting. By keeping your distance and using a zoom lens, you can capture great photos while respecting the space foxes and other wildlife need to live free of harassment.
Tips and Tricks from a San Juan Island Photographer
Top: A local photographer captured this photo while staying quiet and keeping a 75-foot distance. Bottom: Shortly after the top photo was taken, the fox was disturbed by the excited shouting of other visitors, leading to this photo showing the fox stressed and no longer engaging in natural behavior.
Courtesy of Brad Pillow
First things first: Make sure your camera has a full battery and empty SD card (don’t forget an extra battery!)
Setting Up Your Shot
Always keep the sun behind you, if possible.
When approaching a subject, remain quiet, move slowly, and maintain your 75-foot distance. Take an early shot of the subject and keep taking those shots as you approach. That way, if the subject moves or flies off, you still have a picture you can share and tell the story.
Do not talk loudly or shout, as that can frighten an animal. Candid, relaxed photos are the best photos. Be aware of other people enjoying the park, and share the space!
Gear and Settings Tips
Use your longest lens, and forget the tripod. Tripods are cumbersome, take too long to set up, and can get in the way of others observing or photographing the same subject. Also, using a tripod limits your ability to move naturally with the wildlife or back away if an animal moves toward you.
To reduce shakiness without a tripod, use a high shutter speed.
For shooting wildlife (foxes, eagles, and other birds):
Move camera mode selector to “Shutter Priority,” set shutter speed to 1/1000, and set ISO to “Auto.” This will give you sharp shots, even without a tripod.
Set your camera to “High Burst” rate to capture shots continuously while the shutter is depressed. You never know what your subject might do!
For wildflowers, drop shutter speed to 1/300–1/500 for greater depth of field. A macro lens is best; however, you can still use a larger lens zoomed in and then cropped using digital enhancement tools.
For shooting views and vistas, use a wide-angle lens for the best results.
Post field, digital enhancement and cropping tools can do wonders to improve the photo! Many photos that appear to be “close up” were captured using a long lens and post-production digital enhancement tools.
