Digital Advent Calendar 2010 - Day 20 (Guest tip from David Gifford)
Guest Tip by David Gifford
When Ben asked if I would write a wildlife photography tip for the advent calendar, my first thoughts were of technical settings or to recommend some fantastic (and probably expensive) camera equipment. But to photograph wildlife you often need something more important – a bit of luck.
duckling-feast-by-david-gifford
Photographing wildlife differs from the likes of studio or portrait photography, in that there are many things outwith your control. But, as Bobby Tulloch once wrote, luck can be expressed as ‘being in the right place at the right time’. And that being the case, you can greatly improve your luck with some knowledge: research and explore the best wildlife locations, observe and read about animal behaviour, check out the latest sightings on www.nature-shetland.co.uk, think about what to photograph at different times of the year, and, depending on the subject, think about the position of the sun, the direction of the wind and the state of the tide.
The more time you spend in the field, the better your chances of making great wildlife photos.