Florida Wildlife & Nature Photography

Go Where The Animals Are

Even professional nature photographers rely on state parks, national parks and national wildlife refuges for the bulk of their shooting.

It makes sense. That's where the animals are--and they're accustomed to people.

Many animals, waterfowl in particular, allow people to approach closely as long as they stay inside their vehicle.

As soon as someone opens the door and steps outside, waterfowl in particular often seems to "drift" away; actually, they're swimming away.

Shoot from inside your vehicle, the window down and the motor off, in such situations. It's the same technique used on African photo safaris, since many wild species don't seem to associate vehicles with people.

Stay Invisible

But once a person steps outside a vehicle and is fully revealed-even if he moves slowly and doesn't perform any threatening motions--the game becomes spooked and moves away.

Those who feel they must leave their vehicle, anyway, should remove their keys to kill the buzzer and leave the door open. Some creatures react to the sound of a door slamming as if it were a gunshot.

More Topics

Shooting in Low Light Situations

Or, why we love digital cameras so much!

Lenses: What Sizes Work Best?
Size really does count.

The Problem of Bright Sunlight
Why brighter is not better.

Closeup Photography

Seeing the world differently.

Protecting Equipment from Rain & Humidity
There's a lot of both around here.

Creating Good Sunset Silhouettes
Not as easy as it seems.