Wildlife Photographers Guide

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Note: A lot of this article is India specific regarding best areas to shoot etc.

Let's move on for those of you who have now decided to try your hand at it. The first questions most people ask are about equipment and technique. Equipment and technique are obviously important but there are a few things that are equally or maybe more important. These are development of your mindset and skills other than your photographic ones. You have to, if you don't already, start understanding the environment and start learning to look after it.You have to feel that the environment and it's animals are a part of your family. You have to care for it and protect it. Whether you realize it or not but this attachment shows in your work. A lot of people take this in the wrong way. This does not mean that you will have done a good deed by saving a prey from a predator.

There's a lot more that goes into wildlife photography than fancy equipment

As a wildlife photographer you may find yourself in many such situations but this is one time you have to listen to your mind and not to your heart. As we know the environment is very delicately balanced, even though man often tries his best to pretend he is God and play around with it, it is very important for people like us who have to be in such close contact with nature to clearly understand our role in it. This leads us to another part of us you need to kill in order to keep yourself from missing out on many great photographs. That is the awe stricken spectator. I never forgive myself for missing out on one of the best opportunities I had of photographing a charging tigress. I was so awe struck by the amazing beauty, grace and absolute raw power of the charging beast that I forgot to raise the camera, until I was jarred out of my trance by the thunderous impact of her paw on our vehicle's hood. An impact that was powerful enough to actually lift the rear tyres of the jeep right off the ground. Now I always watch them through the lens. I don't know why I didn't do so earlier, considering how much closer you are to the action thanks to zoom lenses.

Another reason for sending the spectator to the grave is because as a wildlife photographer you will have to slowly learn to predict the unpredictability of wild animals. You have to make a database in your mind of things like expressions that always precede some action. An example of this is the way a tiger's eyes become amazingly focused, ears get drawn back and movements are extremely basic just before it plans to charge. In such a situation, unless you're extremely sure about your safety, it's time to get out of there. It would be better to live to shoot another day than to die shooting maybe an out of focus shot!

There are a few other skills you'll have to develop to be able to enjoy your life as a wildlife photographer. One very important one is to learn to be extremely patient. Everyone talks about how people spend days waiting for that "one shot". It isn't as difficult or as bad as it sounds!! You may be hiding in a spot waiting for a big cat or a herd of elephants to show up but that does not mean you turn a blind eye to everything else around you.

If you're hidden well enough or just remain still and silent enough, you'll be amazed at how many dramas of life are enacted right before your eyes. Most of them may not result in photographs of much impact, but the never fading image that they etch into your mind is what will keep you coming back for more and more. Like I said before, you have to be in love with all these creatures to be a "happy" wildlife photographer. Another skill you have to develop is your aptitude for imagination. You have to first imagine and then go into every project with a plan. You have to dream that one dream picture that will keep you going forever. Imagine it to the very last detail. I have a very detailed dream picture of a huge red setting sun in the background with silhouettes of the side of a hill with a tree shaped like a Japanese bonsai and a tiger walking under it towards me carrying a kill in it's mouth. It may be an impossibility but it's kept me going a long time and will continue to do so until, and if, I do capture it.

Another reason to sharpen your skills of imagination is because most wildlife photographs have to be taken in your mind long before the subject arrives at your "studio". Remember, in this line of photography, your models are not in your control. Actually…nor is your studio. They very seldom give you too much time in that perfect position where the light is great, the background is just right and the frame feels okay. So you have to preset your camera settings, identify the ideal spot, check the direction and intensity of lighting. More often than not, your model and studio will do something you never predicted but a lot of your best shots will be those you were "prepared" for. It helps to also do things like keep your lens focusing ring at mid range so that there are least amount of adjustments required at the crucial moment. Your equipment is the only thing you have complete control over. Make use of it. It is extremely important to be completely familiar and comfortable with all of it. Last second fidgeting with dials etc. will get you nowhere. To get around this problem of surprises being sprung on you by nature, it wouldn't be a bad idea to actually practice taking reflex shots. You can practice with neighbourhood animals, your own pets and even humans. Another excellent place to practice on wild animals is at your local zoo. You'll be amazed at how many professional shots are taken at zoos. It is helpful to find out the zoo timings and try being there as early as possible. This is the time the animals are most active. They are also very active at the time when they are fed. Just keep trying to get quicker and quicker on the draw by practicing as much as possible.

At times it is a good idea to practice shooting from the hip. I wish I had practiced it earlier because I was once caught in a situation, where any drastic movement like raising the camera to my eye would have resulted in a charge by my subject. My attempts at shooting from the hip on that occasion could more aptly be termed as abstract art. I picked up this tip at one of the wedding ceremonies of a friend, who has done her PhD on tigers. Her father, to avoid getting the guests conscious, fired off many a shot straight from the hip. He himself is a very respected wildlife photographer. He is also a perfect example of a very busy individual finding time off somehow for his interest in this line.

The following are probably the most important skills you need to develop to be able to keep yourself from becoming an extremely disappointed wildlife photographer. Those are the skills of a tracker and a naturalist. Every wildlife photographer has to be a bit of a naturalist at heart. Your tracking skills have to be sharp in order to get you anywhere close to your subjects and to keep you from shooting pictures of animals in zoos for the rest of your life. A tracker needs to think like the animal itself. He should be able to recognize footprints, pugmarks, drag marks etc. You should be able to gauge from the pugmarks of a tiger how recently they were made, how fast the animal was walking, which direction the animal has taken, etc.You have to read and learn about the daily and seasonal habits of the animals you plan to capture on film. You must understand the difference between the senses of humans and animals.

Understanding the signs left behind by animals is extremely important

If you are trying to approach a herd of elephants undetected from an upwind direction, you probably have a better chance at winning the Canadian lottery. Animals have a much sharper sense of smell, hearing and vision. It is important to learn which sense is weak in which animal and then use it to your advantage. An example of this is the poor eyesight of rhinos. When you sight animals like deer or wild boar etc. and want to get closer for a better picture. Think and approach like a predator. Use all the cover naturally available. Keep as low as possible. Keep the wind in your face or from your side to keep your scent from being detected. Keep very silent and ensure you don't tread on anything that will make a sound. Every time the subject looks in your direction, freeze. Move only when it is looking in another direction. In fact, these frozen moments are good opportunities to take provisional shots as you try and make it to your chosen spot. Keep it in mind that the success rate of actual predators, who are much better at stalking than we can ever hope to be, at getting very close, undetected, is not very high. So click a shot as you make it to the next point of cover.

All these tracking skills hold good in areas which are still blessed with wildlife outside of wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and reserves. Inside most of these protected areas it is strictly prohibited to disembark from your vehicle or your ride elephants. This too can be used to your advantage. Animals in these areas have grown accustomed to the sight of vehicles and in most cases don't associate them with danger. So stay inside and use them as cover. Don't get fooled by the calm and tranquility displayed by a tiger walking across the path in front of your vehicle. They are used to seeing your vehicle, not you. Things could take a very sudden and drastic change for the dark side, should you plan to get out of your vehicle to get a better shot. If the animal doesn't get you, there is a high possibility the park authorities will, with extremely high penalties mentioned behind your entry pass. If you come across an animal by the side while driving by, bring the vehicle to a gradual halt. Keep the engine running a while before switching it off. Any sudden stops, or starts, will surely scare it off. Use some cloth between the lens and the window for support.

Make use of stipulated areas and spots where you are allowed to get out of your vehicles. For example, the watchtowers in Corbett National Park are excellent spots to view wildlife from. Once again, a lot of people say they see nothing from them. You can't blame the locations or the structures when you spend some twenty minutes at the most, wear bright reflective clothing, change your position every few minutes and insist on talking to your companions every now and then. Even if it is in very hushed tones. Even if you don't do any of the above things, wildlife viewing is a lot dependant on chance and luck. The only things that can change these two factors in a positive way to some extent are patience and endurance. So hang in there. Take along nature guides available at these parks. They may spoil the feeling of adventure in you, but their knowledge of the area and it's animals could mean the difference between waiting in vain and getting some good photo opportunities. You don't have to suppress the adventurer in you, just keep him outside these protected areas. Trekking in areas close to these reserves, along known migratory routes and other areas known for their wildlife can help quench your thirst for adventure to some extent. Wildlife photography in these areas is some of the most satisfying work you can ever come across.

Some excellent areas to go to for a great mixture of adventure and wildlife photography in India, other than near the famous parks, are the mountainous interiors of Himachal, Ladhak, Garhwal and Kumaon.

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