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We’re going to cover a subject that’s near and dear to the hearts
of wildlife photographers everywhere--creating photos where your subject
is bigger than a dot in the background. And that can mean getting pretty
close to the animal you want to photograph. With very small creatures,
were talking closer than twenty feet, even with a monstrous lens.
The ideal way to approach an animal is not too approach it at all,
but let it approach you instead. If the subject is a flock of birds on
the beach and the tide is rising, just have a seat and let the tide push
the birds up to you. If there is a favorite place the animal likes to
return to--a bush or tree with fruit, or a place to gather denning
material, or whatever--try waiting there for your subject. You have to
balance this desire for great photos with care for your subject’s
welfare. Wildlife photographers need to be especially careful if they’re
photographing at nest or den sites. It’s very easy to keep the adults
away long enough to kill the young ones through starvation or exposure.
Back off and give your subject a break if it seems like the adults have
been gone for too long.
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| Most of the time your subject is going to be too far way for a decent
photo, and it will show no inclination of ever coming any closer to you.
If you want a good shot, you need to approach your subject.
Photographers need to realize that human beings are predators, and every
animal out there recognizes that fact as soon as we look at them.
Predators have both eyes pointing forward for binocular vision. It’s
generally not considered a good thing when a predator is staring at you,
and it’s probably worse when the predator is both staring and pointing
a long tube at you.
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The photographer has obviously chosen the
wrong lens for this situation! |
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It’s also important to understand that the idea of sneaking up on
most animals is ludicrous. Their senses are just too keen. If by some
chance, you do manage to sneak up on an animal, you will probably get
one shot and then your subject will disappear. There are several things
to keep in mind to successfully stalk an animal. First, don’t try to
hide from your subject. Let it know you’re there. Second, don’t look
directly at it. Watch it out of the corner of your eye. And third, don’t
walk directly toward your subject. Move slowly, and approach it in a
zig-zag pattern, stopping any time your subject seems more interested in
you than in what it was doing before you started your stalk. Stop often,
bend over and tie your shoes, check out the flowers, anything to let the
animal know you’re not the least bit interested in it. Sometimes size
makes a difference. Gordon is over six feet tall, and often he can get a
lot closer to an animal if he gets on his knees.
There are still going to be lots of animals that won’t have
anything to do with photographers, especially in areas where they are
hunted. However, using these techniques, you will find that you’re
ratio of successful stalks goes up considerably.
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