Wildlife Guide 1- The Importance of Subject Knowledge in Wildlife Photography

There are two types of photography. In the first type, the photographer has a certain control over the subject and the surroundings. Model and product photography in a studio or even at outdoor locations falls into this category. In the latter type of photography, the photographer has either limited or no control over the subject and the surroundings. Wildlife and nature photography falls into this category. Thus taking the difficulty level a notch higher for wildlife and nature photography.

In the case of nature or landscape photography, the photographer has some level of control over the subject as compared to wildlife photography. The landscape does not have a mind of its own and the only factors that the photographer needs to consider to achieve the desired image are timing the photograph perfectly and the weather conditions. On the other hand, wildlife photography is a completely different ball game. Wildlife photography is the art of capturing images of wild animals in their natural habitats. In wildlife photography, you have no control over your subjects .i.e. the animals. You cannot control their pose, their expressions or their movements. To make matters worse, you have no control over the background. Furthermore, things can happen so fast in the wild that all you might end up with are blurred out images.

Despite all these obstacles, we have seen award-winning wildlife photographers make some truly stunning images. When I used to look at these images, the first thought that used to cross my mind was that they can get such amazing photographs because of their expensive gear. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It is not the expensive gear that helps one capture these stunning moments in the wild. It is the photographer's knowledge, skill and perseverance that helps him create these images.

Subject knowledge plays a very important role in wildlife photography. It gives you an advantage which greatly enhances your chances of capturing the desired images in the wild. Subject knowledge may include the animal’s behaviour, habitat, eating habits, hunting techniques, resting spots, mating behaviour, the list is long. If the wildlife photographer is armed with this knowledge, it can help him previsualize his photographs and give him a better chance at capturing the desired final image. Understanding the habitats plays an important role as well. Jungle calls can help you locate elusive predators which you would’ve missed otherwise. Knowledge of animal tracks and markings can be very helpful in tracking them. Knowing the animal's behaviour can help you predict its movement and reduce the chance of you missing out on crucial action photographs or even the much-desired eye contact images. I can go on giving examples. The aim is to impress on you the importance of having as much knowledge about your subject as possible if you want to indulge in wildlife photography.

For example, the bee-eater in the image below was in the habit of returning to the particular branch seen in the photograph. I had observed this and hence positioned my self accordingly. When a bird is perched on a branch, its body movement can give you a signal that the bird is about to take flight. This allowed me to freeze his takeoff action in the photograph. Since I had observed the bee-eater beforehand, I also knew the direction in which he would take off. This knowledge allowed me to compose the image accordingly. This is how subject knowledge can be of advantage in wildlife photography.

A bee-eater about to take flight

My blog section titled Wildlife Guide will help you acquire some of this knowledge. It will also help you relate and implement this knowledge in the field and take a step closer towards stunning and well-timed photographs. Of course, having just theoretical knowledge is not enough, you also need to spend time in the wild and observe the animals yourself and learn from experience. Please stay tuned and subscribe to the website for further posts in the animal guide blog category.