People look at some of our images and say you must have an awfully long zoom lens. Actually the lens that we use most often for animal photography is only 600mm and is not a zoom but a fixed focal length or "prime" lens.

Even with long telephoto lenses, to get frame filling images you need to get close. However never get so close as to endanger yourself or disturb the animal.

In many parks it is illegal to approach animals. We strongly suggest that you follow all rules when photographing wildlife.

Wild animals can be very dangerous, especially when the animals have their young with them, during the mating season, or if you get too close.

What is too close? That depends on the animal and the circumstances.  Moose, bears and bison are large animals that can cover large distances in just a few seconds.  You will need to have cover, such as an automobile, if they charge. They may still attack your car and damage it. If an animal changes what it is doing or acts nervous, you are getting too close.

Smaller animals such as chipmunks can bite and can transmit diseases. Snakes are always a special subjects of concern. Snakes that are known to be venomous and snakes that you are not absolutely sure about must be treated with extreme caution.  I have photographed rattlesnakes in the wild, but always make sure that I use at least a 400mm lens and have another person to watch and warn me if the snake is starting to get too close.

Many snakes especially water snakes, while not venomous, can be very aggressive and inflict painful bites requiring stitches.  As an example I was once photographing a copper-bellied water snake in southeast Indiana using a Micro Nikkor close-up lens. After about ten shots the snake struck the front lens element.

I can't emphasize enough if you are not sure whether the snake is venomous, you should treat it as venomous. 

One of the easiest methods of getting close to animals is to use a blind.  Your car can make an excellent blind since most animals show little fear of vehicles.  When using a vehicle for a blind, you will need to steady your camera either using a special window mount with a tripod head or a beanbag (which you can lay in the window).  Make sure that you turn the engine off to prevent vibration, which can blur your photograph.

Another method is to use a commercial blind.  We like the Ultimate Blind available from L. L. Rue Company.  It is light, portable and sets up in less than a minute.  You can also use cheaper hunting blinds that are available from sporting goods and discount stores.

You can construct your own, less portable, blinds using wood or PVC pipe covered with fabric that will blend into the environment.  Another plan is to use the corrugated containers that refrigerators and freezers come in. The later are the cheapest, but are not resistant to rain.

One can often get close to an animal by simply approaching it using the following technique.  Make a slow zig-zag approach so that you are not directly walking toward the animal. Never look directly at the animal. Use objects such as trees to hide you approach.  Periodical make photographs, as you may not get closer to some animals before they spook.  If an animal changes its behavior, you have gotten as close as you can. It is time to stop. Continuing on will spook the animal.  REMEMBER it may be illegal to approach wildlife in National and other parks.  Follow the rules so that others may continue to enjoy wildlife.

Some animals are less skittish than others and thus become easier to photograph.  On the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park for example, birds are so used to people that you can photograph many species at distances of less than two feet.  During migration, birds may stop to feed and rest after crossing large bodies of water such as the Great Lakes or the Gulf of Mexico and thus are more tolerant of close approach.

I hope these tips will help you in your pursuit of wildlife photographs.

We do a lot of our photography in Utah and Florida. See the pages below for some of our favorite places.