World Wildlife Fund WWF Travel Blog

Photography is a craft that takes time to perfect. Not being a photographer myself, I admire the skill and patience of great photographers. Getting the perfect photo is a combination of skill and timing.

We've compiled a collection of photos where expert craft and lucky circumstance combined to create the perfect shot while traveling with WWF.

One of the best ways I’ve found to relive the memories of an especially fantastic trip is to follow the Facebook feeds of nature photographers who specialize in the region. Each morning, I log onto the social media website to check in and I get to see stunning images that remind me daily of recent travels. Not a bad way to start the day!

As a professional travel and wildlife photographer, I am frequently asked the same question: “How do I take better pictures of animals?” My answer is usually always the same. There is no perfect recipe, but there are some things you can do that will substantially improve your end result. Here are 10 rules that I live by, with photos from recent trips to Africa and Antarctica to illustrate the points.

10. Vary your lens choice. A common misconception is that you need the longest lens possible to get the best wildlife images. In some cases that is true, but there are many situations in which a wider lens is more desirable. For example, I found myself grabbing for a wider lens in Africa to capture a gerenuk feeding on a small acacia in the rolling hills of the savanna. A nice tight headshot is always wonderful, but incorporating the animal’s native environment into the composition in this case was even more pleasing.

 
9. Use a monopod or tripod. Wherever possible, use a monopod or tripod. You will always get sharper images when your camera and lens are as stable as possible. This is particularly true in low light conditions such as dusk in the African bush or when hiking in the Amazon when your shutter speeds are slower.

8. Use a small bean bag when shooting from a vehicle. Often times you cannot get out of your vehicle to capture an image—typically for safety reasons. When a monopod or tripod is not an option, a small bean bag can be very helpful to stabilize a camera with a longer lens. These portable bags can be found at most camera shops and can be filled and emptied right on location (so weight is not a concern).

7. Get lower and more into the animal’s environment. Most animals we like to capture on film live close to the ground. A common mistake is to always shoot down on the animal while you’re on foot or in a vehicle. For a more interesting composition, try immersing yourself into the wildlife's world by getting lower. I spent most of my time in Antarctica sitting or lying down (in less than desirable conditions) to capture images of animals, including the baby fur seal below, from their point of view.

 
6. Tweak the ISO to increase shutter speed. To stop animals in their tracks requires fast shutter speeds. To get sharp wildlife photos requires a certain amount of depth of field. To obtain the right balance of both requires patience and calmness. It can be difficult and, at times, frustrating.

I generally like to capture wildlife images at f8 or f11 to maintain sharpness. This can result in undesirable shutter speeds when the ISO is set at ISO 200 or even ISO 400. To combat the problem, I tweak the ISO settings manually to ISO 800 and beyond until I obtain an acceptable shutter speed. This technique usually provides an acceptable solution, but may result in increased grain or digital noise depending on your camera’s low-light capability.

5. Utilize the shutter priority and aperture priority settings. This tip is directed at those of you who rely solely on the full automatic setting on your camera. (You know who you are!) It’s time to take that next step and start using some of your camera’s manual settings. Two of these settings are “shutter priority” and “aperture priority.” These are typically found on the top dial of your camera and identified with an “S” and “A.”

In shutter priority mode, you can select your desired shutter speed and let the camera take care of the rest automatically. This is particularly helpful when depth of field is really not a concern and you want to freeze an animal in action—such as the saddle-billed stork seen here feeding on an unlucky frog.

In aperture priority mode, you can adjust the extent of your desired depth of field and let the camera take care of the rest automatically. As mentioned in tip No. 6, I use this setting all the time to ensure that the whole animal remains in sharp focus, and I always make sure to fine tune the shutter speed if the camera automatically sets it too slow.

 
In aperture priority mode, you can adjust the extent of your desired depth of field and let the camera take care of the rest automatically. As mentioned in tip No. 6, I use this setting all the time to ensure that the whole animal remains in sharp focus, and I always make sure to fine tune the shutter speed if the camera automatically sets it too slow.

4. Always focus on the animal’s eyes. Always set your primary focal point on the animal’s eyes. This is not an option, it is a rule. An animal’s eyes should always be the sharpest part of any good wildlife image.

The photo below of a king penguin on South Georgia Island is a good example. My focal point was centered directly on the penguin’s eye. The eye is so sharply in focus that you can see me capturing the image in its reflection if you look real close.

 
3. Check histograms and use exposure compensation feature. A picture is no good unless the exposure is correct. Be sure to check your histograms often to avoid “blowing out” highlights or underexposing an image. A highlight is “blown out” when the brightest part of the image (such as bright white clouds) are flat and without any detail. You can avoid this by making sure your histogram is not too far to the right on your camera display. An image is underexposed when it appears darker than normal. An underexposed image can be avoided by making sure that your histogram is not too far to the left.

A proper histogram should look like a bell curve in the center of your camera’s display screen. To achieve a nicely centered bell curve, fine tune your exposure by using the exposure compensation feature. This is the little plus-minus button (+/-) found on the camera’s body or within the camera’s menu section. This will greatly help you improve your end result.

2. Shoot in Continuous Mode. Many photographers often say to me, “Wow what a shot! What timing! How did you get so lucky?” Undoubtedly, capturing a great photo is indeed part luck, but there is also a little secret I can share with you that will greatly improve your chances of getting an image, like this one of a leopard in a tree in the Maasai Mara in Africa: Shoot in “continuous mode.” You have a better chance of freezing wildlife engaging in interesting activity with short bursts rather than doing so one frame at a time.

 
1. Respect an animal’s space. Get close, but not too close.

This is not a tip per se, but it is included as No. 1 for an important reason. We must remember that we are all just guests while visiting a wild habitat. Please always respect an animal’s personal space. The average animal needs at least 15 to 20 feet.

Getting close to your subject will undoubtedly improve your ultimate composition, but it goes without saying that no one should place themselves in danger just to get a picture or otherwise disturb any animal in its natural habitat.

Sometimes, as seen below in a king penguin rookery on South Georgia Island, an animal might even come up to you if you wait quietly and patiently.

 
On the other hand, forcing yourself into an animal’s world can create serious problems. Recently, I witnessed a cheetah mother lose her cubs when a vehicle got stuck in mud too close to the family and separated them from each other. It was tragic to hear the mother’s desperate call for her young before darkness fell in the Maasai Mara, placing the cubs in extreme peril.

Photographer Dean J. Tatooles’ work can be viewed on his website Southern Cross Galleries.

"My love of photography is almost as great as my passion for conservation. As many photographers will tell you, spotting wildlife and getting a great shot in a tropical rain forest is exceedingly difficult, as I have found many times myself.

"But Madagascar is a nature photographer's dream! Wildlife is everywhere and amazing creatures seem to almost go out of their way to greet and pose for you. That was the case with this diademed sifaka, one of the many lemur species endemic to Madagascar. 

"My WWF colleagues and I were walking along a dirt road in Mantadia National Park, when just 30 meters ahead we spotted this beautiful primate leisurely feeding in a tree on the side of the road. We stopped dead in our tracks and I began to take photos like mad before it had the chance to disappear into the thick forest. Much to my surprise, however, it stayed put. We slowly approached the sifaka until we were just 10 feet away. It remained calm, very aware of our presence but undisturbed.

"I shot 89 photos before we decided to leave the sifaka to its afternoon meal. This image was my favorite."

Travel to Madagascar with WWF.

“We were walking along the wet, marsh-like grasses and along the shoreline on Katmai for only about 10 minutes when we encountered this male. We were a good distance away from him, and he looked up at us a few times, but he wasn’t interested in us in the least. There were a few other bears just off to the side, outside this frame. A little later on, we saw the bears play-fighting and even saw this male play-mating (or at least that’s what our guide told us!). But check out that hump on his shoulders—it’s huge and all muscle. I would never want to encounter this guy closer up.”

See bears on tour with WWF.

"One of the reasons I wanted to go to Borneo was to see orangutans—and see them we did! We saw ones of all ages engaging in various behaviors. I like this particular photo, which I took at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, because of the lighting. While it's easy for humans to project their feelings onto animals, I can only say that if these orangutans weren't having a great time, then I know little about life."

See orangutans on a WWF tour to Borneo.

Filmaker Ken Burns discusses the beauty of Yellowstone National Park's winter season in this short video.

Visit Yellowstone in Winter with WWF.

“Around 6:45 a.m., we came upon a beautiful tiger lying in a natural water spring—a three year old, according to our guide. He had obviously been eating, based on the fact that flies covered his face—and they were really irritating him. He had a fresh kill nearby and leaped up to scare away the crows that were infringing upon his meal in the bushes.

“After this photo was taken, he left the water and went into the bushes to roll around. You could hear the thrashing and see an occasional paw and leg peek out from the bush.”

Travel to India with WWF.

This is the final installment of our Behind the Lens series.

On a recent cruise through Arctic Svalbard, we encountered a small pod of humpback whales. They were some distance off, and I knew I could never capture the scene with the lens I had. So I put my camera down and just took in the scene.

Under what conditions should travelers do that same thing? We posed the question to WWF’s contributing photographers and staff.

“I like to connect personally and emotionally with the great and infinite world and all the beautiful things that exist within it. The only way to do this is to put the camera down for a moment and allow the song of a whale to resonate through your soul, or make eye contact with a predator and feel how fragile life is when you are in its presence. Taking the time for these precious moments gives me a greater appreciation and connection with my subject, which opens my mind to a deeper and more beautiful picture then before.”
-Natalia Baechtold, photographer and expedition leader

“While photography can give us a sense of purpose, and almost a reason to seek out wildlife, it can also be a severe distraction from enjoying the moment. I think when the weather is bad or there is not enough light or you don’t have the right equipment, there does come a time when you really should put down your camera.”
-Martin Harvey, WWF contributing photographer

“In nature photography, I suppose the idea of capturing a landscape, species or natural phenomenon is one of artistic expression and the desire to share that moment with those who could not be there. Is it selfish to put down the camera and not share that? Well, if you cannot get the picture to convey the feeling of that moment as you would if you were watching without the camera, then don’t shoot it. Take it in. You might spend too much time trying to get a poor or mediocre shot and miss the view, the sounds, the experience.”
-Chris O’Leary, WWF videographer

“When travelling, I find myself sometime torn between trying to document a trip—so taking a shot of those whales, knowing it will be awful—and capturing spectacular photographic moments that tap into my creative side. Then you also need to remember to revel in your travel experiences without looking through your viewfinder. My kids help me do this very well.  Lastly, knowing the limitations of what your equipment can do is often half the battle in getting a good photograph. So maybe after soaking in your fill of the experience, you might want to turn your lens onto your fellow shipmates to capture their awe and excitement at seeing these whales.  Those photos might end up being a better way to document that experience, too.”
-Colby Loucks, WWF Deputy Director, Conservation Science