Photographing wildlife can be one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences as a photographer. With no guarantee of the outcome, it is up to the photographer and his equipment to make the best out of an unpredictable situation. Here I have assembled a basic list of the equipment that will help you capture wildlife as you never thought possible.
Camera: In my bag is a Nikon D750. This is a full-frame DSLR camera that offers 24 megapixels at up to 6 frames per second. This is plenty fast enough for capturing most wildlife. Your settings will vary depending on the weather conditions however, I always shoot in RAW mode. This will give your photos the highest level of quality. You will want to keep your camera in manual mode to easily adjust your shutter speed and aperture to get a solid picture.
Camera bag: Check your camera bag before you leave. Make sure you have extra batteries and memory cards. And make sure your batteries are charged before you leave. There is no worse feeling than getting into the woods and realizing your battery is dead. A good habit to get into when you get back from a shoot is to go through your bag and make sure everything is organized and charge your batteries. However, don't forget to check your bag before leaving so you do not accidentally leave your battery on the charger. The Lowepro Whistler BP 350 AW is my bag of choice when carrying my setup. This bag allows me to hold up to three lenses and a full frame camera.
Tripod-Bipod: Different people will have different preferences on what they prefer to hike with. Personally, however, I always strap my Manfrotto Aluminum Tripod to my bag and I am never let down. While bipods are lighter and more portable, tripods offer the most support. It's nice being able to set your tripod up and leave your camera on it while you check your gear.
Lens: For wildlife, you will need your telephoto lens. You might want to bring one more lens in case your adventures take you to a hidden gem but don't kill yourself by bringing all your lenses with you. Especially if you are hiking out into the woods, try to take all the essentials and leave the miscellaneous supplies behind. I would suggest at least a 300mm lens. I personally use a Nikkor 200-500mm lens for my wildlife photography. Remember wild animals are wild and need to be left alone. It is best to keep your distance for your safety and for the animals’ safety.
Filters: While you should always have a UV filter on your lens for added protection. I suggest that you also purchase a circular polarizer filter. This filter will bring out the clouds and colors in your shots. I always keep a neutral density filter in my bag because you never know when you're going to come across a stream or waterfall. A neutral density filter adds F-stops to your lens to allow a long exposure shot during the day without your shot coming out overexposed.
Bear spray: It doesn't matter what you're are intending to photograph if you are in an area with bears or other predators make sure you bring some form of non-lethal defense spray. You are in nature, as beautiful as it can be you need to be prepared for the ugly side of nature.
Water: You should always bring water. The last thing you want is to hike all the way up to the observation spot and realize you didn't bring your water bottle after grabbing it. If your bag doesn’t have a dedicated spot for water I suggest you bring a small water bottle and a water filter. Water filters are lightweight and compact giving you the ability to filter extra water on the trail.
Patience: Most importantly you need patience! Even the best-made plans sometimes go astray. It is impossible to predict what wildlife will do. Sometimes you will see animals and sometimes you will be stuck reading a book. Whichever it is, the good news is that you are out in the woods and that is always a good day.
Hopefully, you found these tips and tricks about wildlife photography to be helpful for your next outdoor adventure. I have linked the products I talked about above for your convenience. I hope you find them to be as useful as I do on my photography adventures!
Visit my Wildlife Photography Gallery here.
