A guide to wildlife photography and what equipment is required to get involved in wildlife photography

1. What’s in the bag of
a……
A Wildlife Photographer?

3. Wildlife Photography is….
• Perhaps one of the most evocative yet difficult
types of photography to master
• Supplementing your photography portfolio with
good quality wildlife photographs will illicit positive
comments from both professional photographers
and amateurs alike
• Want to master taking great wildlife photos? Then
let’s see exactly what equipment you need

4. A Professional Quality Camera
• It is now possible for anyone to get their hands
on a professional quality camera
• Go online and seek out a reputable online
camera shop. You can expect to pay £200 for
an entry level professional-quality camera
• If you are serious about wildlife photography
then you will need to consider spending £500+
to ensure that you take photos of the highest
quality
• Other considerations you need to make
include: does the camera have good low-light
capability, reasonable continuous shooting
speed and a large and fast buffer?

5. Camera Lenses
• Lenses are perhaps the most important part of a
wildlife photographer’s kit
• Unless they see you as their next meal, wild
animals can be particularly shy, so you will need a
long (telephoto) lens to take photos
• The minimum starting point in terms of lenses
should be 30mm for most cases
• A lens that offers fast focus is ideal as sadly your
subjects won’t often sit still for too long

6. • The Canon 200-400mm lens is highly diverse and
offers budding wildlife photographers the freedom
to create their chosen image, while offering the
speed of a longer lens
• If you are unable to afford such a high end lens then
you should consider slowing zooms that feature
image stabilisation
Camera Lenses

7. Macro Lenses
• Macro lenses are another essential addition to a
wildlife photographer’s bag
• They enable you to focus closer on smaller
creatures. If you can afford it, invest in a dedicated
macro lens as it will get you so much closer to the
wildlife
• If you don’t have the budget then a lens reversal
ring can be just as good. However, they have a
negative impact on your exposure or autofocus
ability

8. Keep Your Lenses Clean
• It’s a fact life that your kit is going to get dirty when
you are using it out in the field
• Remember that dirty lenses can affect the quality
of your images
• There are correct methods and tools to ensure that
your lenses and filter optics are as clean as possible

9. Cleaning Your lens When You’re in the Field
• Make sure that you remove as much dust and dirt
as possible with a blower or a soft-bristled brush
• Apply a couple of drops of lens cleaning solution to
a lens tissue or cleaning cloth
• Working from the centre outward, use a circular
motion to gently remove any fingerprints, grime
and general dirt.

10. Tripod
• As you would expect, a professional wildlife
photographer requires a good quality tripod- this is
especially important if you are using a longer lens
and in an environment where you are waiting for
wildlife to appear
• You could be required to walk a considerable
distance, so try to invest in a carbon fibre tripod as
these are sturdy yet particularly light
• A decent alternative would be a good quality
monopod

11. Protect Your Equipment In Style
• After investing so much money in your
photography equipment, you need to ensure that
you look after it properly
• Either invest in a good quality shoulder-bag or
backpack. Go for dull colours that will enable you to
blend in with your surroundings.
• You should also consider purchasing clothes of a
similar colour to enable you to blend in as much as
possible

12. Protect Yourself
• Now that you have protected your equipment, you
need to make sure that you are prepared for the
elements
• Make sure that you include some antiseptic,
plasters and bandages just in case you hurt yourself
• When you are at one with nature, you are always at
risk of cutting yourself or falling over!

13. Enjoyment
• Wildlife photography is probably one of the most
rewarding types of photography that you can get
involved in
• The most important considerations are the lenses
and a good quality camera
• As you become more confident and your photos
improve, you can then take the plunge and further
invest in your equipment

14. Let’s Keep in Touch!
Follow me On twitter for more photography tips
@EdwardPhelan1