Question by RozThom: how do i get into wildlife photography? what is it like?
hey im 17 and love both photography and wildlife, but i dont know how to get involved! im currently doing my A levels (including photography and biography) so where do i go from there? id love to travel doing it also as i dont want to be stuck in one place all my life (its just not who i am). Anyone know anything about it? whats it like? does it pay well? are there many jobs going?? etc…
any advice would be greatly appreciated! 🙂
Best answer:
Answer by Matt Marcello
Buy a camera and start practicing!!!!!
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Wildlife photography is one that doesn’t pay that well. Lots of people doing it, not a lot of venues for sales.
Look at the hunting, wildlife and travel magazines, those are your markets.
Get a decent camera, with a long lens, a 300mm is on the short side for wildlife. Learn about animal tracking and behaviour, and start following the animals and shooting. The more you know about them, the better the shots will be.
Dress like a deer and go out during hunting season, you’ll get some great shots.
Here is the lens kit I take with me when out shooting wildlife.
200 mm f/2, 300 mm f/2.8, 200-400 mm f/4, 400 mm f/2.8 and a 600 mm f/4
I also studied with a bow hunter learning how to track and stalk game. It took me about two seasons hiking around with her before I was ready to go on my own.
As you can see, buying the lenses you need is NOT for the faint of heart. I have been accumulating my lenses over the years, using money I make from shooting other subjects.
Here is a link that may help you decide how you want to approach shooting wildlife and photography in general.
http://www.georgelepp.com/
Wildlife as a professional… nah, forget it. Unless you’re insanely talented. Even the guys that are really good at it have to supplmenent their photo sales with teaching.
Wilflife as an amateur? Sure, why not. It’s great fun. A 300mm you cna already get some nice shots. A sigma 150-500 is an affordable alternative to the long primes.
Here’s a few deer I shot this week with a 70-300:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5060741304_d2ce57b03e_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/5057402547_224ac82b32_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/5025673198_19a445f8c9_b.jpg
What you do need to learn is some tracking skills and, most of all, moving trough any environment as quietly and inconspicuously as possible. None of that is hard but it takes practice.