Episode 22: Understanding Behavior is the Secret Sauce in Wildlife Photography
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To truly become a better wildlife photographer, you must start with understanding wildlife behavior
Knowing how animals are going to act, react, and interact with their environment will increase your success rates with a species exponentially
Every time we step into the field, we are engaging in a two way conversation with every animal around us whether we realize it or not
Just as important as understanding animal behavior, so to must we understand how our own behavior is being interpreted by wildlife
One of the single biggest impediments to creating better photographs is the inability to put animals at ease with our own presence
Learn about how we go about setting ourselves up in the field to keep animals calm and how this allows for wildlife photography you never thought possible.
Ethology is the study of animal behavior. As wildlife photographers, what could be more important to our success in the field? Things like autofocus systems and exposure, while important, are the most rudimentary aspects of the craft. The ability to create in-focus photographs that are properly exposed only means you are now able to properly use the equipment in your hand. This doesn’t translate into a compelling or beautiful photograph any more than learning how to hold a paintbrush and mix paints allows you to create the next great masterpiece.
In this episode of the PhotoWILD podcast, we discuss animal behavior, the importance of educating yourself on the subject, and how understanding our subjects allows us to anticipate their behavior and set our selves up for success in the field.
Understanding our subjects, their behavior, their ecology, what makes them tick, and therefore where we can find them and photograph them, is the secret sauce of wildlife photography. To put it simply, if you can’t consistently and predictably find and approach wildlife on their terms, then it really doesn’t matter how sophisticated your autofocus system is or how expensive your lens was because you are going to have a very difficult time being a wildlife photographer if you can’t put yourself in front of wildlife.
While the importance of understanding animal behavior cannot be overstated, so to is understanding how our own behavior is being interpreted by animals. Every time we step into the field, forest, tundra, or whatever habitat or ecosystem you wish to substitute into this statement, we are entering into a two way conversation with every sentient creature within eye, ear, or smell (?) shot.
This episode discusses all of this and more. And for that reason, it may be one of the most important episodes we have done thus far.
Want to learn more?
Weather and Wildlife: Predicting behavior
One of the biggest predictors of wildlife behavior is the weather itself. Come winter, when temperatures begin to plummet and the stakes are high for survival, subtle shifts in weather patterns will cause animals all over the globe to behave in predictable ways that will allow wildlife photographers the opportunity for some of the best photography of their lives.
Lessons from Predators: Concealment for wildlife photographers
The art of concealment is everything when it comes to making a living in the wild. Wildlife photographers could learn a lot by taking lessons from predators.
The Empathetic Animal
There is so much more to finding wildlife than just driving around looking for animals. As wildlife photographers, we would do well to take notes from cultures around the world whose survival depends on their ability find and get close to animals.
Want to join us on a workshop?
Epic Eagles of Alaska
Home to the second largest aggregation of bald eagles in the world, this workshop is guaranteed to fill memory cards every single outing.
Each year, several hundred bald eagles congregate along the banks of Kachemak Bay to reunite with their lifelong mates and await “break up” further north. This unique combination of biology and geography gives us unparalleled opportunities for mastering eagles in flight. Don’t be surprised if you come back with over a hundred thousand photos of these birds.