Wildlife and nature photography is a different form of photography because it takes a lot of time and skill to practice and develop. There are various categories of nature and wildlife, and you can choose whichever you are most passionate about. One can explore big wildlife photography where you go through different terrains to capture animals in their wild habitat. You can also try macro photography where you take very close photos of tiny animals like insects and birds. Another form of nature photography, if you do not want to want to work with animals, is garden or landscape photography.

Skills for Nature/Wildlife Photography

For you to become a perfect photographer who takes shots that stand out and can even win awards in the nature category, you should work on your skills. Some of the skills you will need are:

  • Mastering Photography Skills: When you are taking photos of the wild, you have to learn how to work with light and color. Unlike humans who you can tell to move, animals are a different field altogether. Any wrong move, and you scare them. You should know how to work with different kinds of lenses, and how to operate your camera swiftly so that you do not miss a shot.
  • Research Skills: You will need to read and research a lot on your subject. For instance, if you want to take photos of lions, you need to know the kind of environment where you can get to find them. You also need to know their life habits not just for a good photo but for your own safety. When doing nature photography like taking landscape photos, you should do research and find out if any other photos have been made before, and what you can do differently.
  • Editing Skills: You will be surprised at how much your photo can change if you add some brightness in it, or if you crop something out and focus on one subject. People always imagine, wrongfully, that editing photos is changing the integrity of the image. This is not true. As long as you are not introducing new things through apps, or extremely altering a photo, you should learn the basics of editing. Nature photography sometimes needs you to take charge of the kind of story you want to tell by editing the photo to suit your story.
  • Surviving Outdoors: Even though wildlife and nature photography is fun, it can get rough sometimes. If you are working with a nocturnal animal, you will have to sit in the dark and watch them. It can get cold and scary, but you have to hang on in there. If you are working with a rare animal, there may be instances when you spend days in the wild without knowing when you will go home. You will need to learn how to pitch a tent, treat minor insect bites, and survive the wild.
  • Marketing Skills: Unless you are doing photography as a hobby, you need to have the right marketing skills. You should learn how to pitch to different buyers and what you should caption on your photos to make people interested. You should learn to use various marketing tools, including advertisements and the use of social media. You should also be on the lookout for galleries and exhibitions where your work can be bought.