EQUIPMENT AND YOU--CAN BE A LOVE / HATE RELATIONSHIP
 

When you need to determine which equipment to buy to suit the type of photography you’re planning to do, you’re ready to begin research.  I’ve seen people go through two or three tripods and multiple lenses before they settled on the items that were adequate for their needs.  Photography equipment can be quite expensive, so you want to spend enough to satisfy your requirements.  However, no one wants to waste money purchasing items that don’t work out.
   

This is one time when you’ll want to consult other photographers, especially those who spend a lot of time in the field.  Simple questions posed to people who are experienced, as well as Internet research, can help eliminate a lot of problems later.  The best advice I can offer is don’t scrimp on a tripod after you’ve spent a lot of money on a camera body and lens.  A weak tripod/head combination will take away from the sharp images you desire. 

Copyright © Andy Long

The right equipment will give you clear shots and with the study of this Willet's behavior, you can learn when it is about to strike for a meal.

If you’re wondering where studying comes into the equipment picture, just look at your camera.  You’re forced to do plenty of studying if you want to figure out how to use all the features on a modern camera to their best advantage.  If wildlife photography is your main interest, experiment with the features that help with this--motor drive, continuous focus, expanded focus points and other items.  Each new generation of camera offers new functions you need to explore to see what applies to any given photographic style.  For example, the advent of movie capture on the higher end camera bodies brings a whole new learning curve to the equation.  You’ll need to concentrate on knowing how and when to change the primary focus square on the fly as fast as possible.  Rarely do you want to keep the focus point locked onto the middle square.  Depending on the direction the animal is moving and its position, being able to change the focus point quickly can mean getting a great shot or missing a shot altogether.

Most photographers don’t have the luxury of spending thousands and thousands of dollars on expensive prime lenses such as the 600mm f/4, 400 f/2.8 and 500 f/4.5.  If you’re really serious about wildlife photography and want to splurge on one good lens, the 500mm f/4.5 would be a perfect choice.  It provides good focal length, a teleconverter can be used nicely on it, and if you expend a little effort searching the camera stores that excel at selling used equipment, you can purchase a good used one for a reasonable price.  For Nikon users who have a bit of money to spend, the 200-400 f/4 is one of the best lenses on the market.  For Canon users on a budget, the 100-400mm lens is very versatile for wildlife.
 

SUBJECT: NATURE AND WILDLIFE

The biggest part of your research and study in the art of photography will inevitably involve the subject, no matter what it is.  For me, selecting a subject is the most fun part of photography--other than capturing the peak action of wildlife behavior.  Without research and study, you’ll miss many great wildlife shots.  You’ll also find that some of your landscape images won’t have enough dramatic impact because you didn’t study the light well enough to know what to do with it.

Research is more of a before-the-fact action and can be accomplished through many platforms: talking with other photographers (check out a camera club in your area), visiting the library, searching the web, taking classes or workshops, and going out into the field to observe.  Those bad weather days can be great when it comes to wildlife research, as they allow you the time to sit and watch behavior.  For me, knowing what happens after a particular action helps me to capture great images.  Since birds are a favorite subject of mine, I take time to learn key patterns I can look for in anticipation of a desired action image.  For example, on my visits to Florida, I have had opportunities for shots taken of gulls and skimmers either doing a wing flap in the water or just taking off out of the water because I knew their morning behavior.  (Both of these birds spend the night in the water very near the shore, so I would suggest getting out early in the morning to watch their behavior for yourself and then be prepared and able to capture some great shots of them in action.  TIP: To get ready for a day of activity, an individual bird will move away from the crowd to do some bathing.  The big key is a three dip sequence where the bird will do a wing flap and, more than likely, a short flight back to the flock of other birds, making for a very nice flight take-off shot.)  These shots have proven to be very popular on my workshop trips, so whether you’re with a group or doing research on your own, you’ll gain knowledge and be able to anticipate what action lies ahead.  No matter which animal you like to photograph, you can learn something from observing it that will help you get a shot later on.

Copyright © Andy Long

Almost every time a bird is doing a morning bathe, such as this Willet, it does a nice wing flap after three quick dips into the water.
 

Another side of nature and wildlife research involves finding the right places to go to get great shots.  Workshop companies (and there are plenty out there to look at) have listings in magazines and on the Internet showing the locations of upcoming trips.  These listings are a great resource for searching out destinations that will be productive, because no workshop leader is going to set up a trip to a place that won’t produce good results for their attendees.

Also, look for a local camera club in your area; clubs usually plan group excursions.  Whether you join the group or go out on your own, take advantage of the location knowledge that others have to offer.  Talking with other photographers you meet in the field can yield a great deal of information about hot spots to find great wildlife, peak seasons for fall colors or wildflowers in the area, or a variety of other subjects.  You might want to ask for and collect business cards.  Create a database of information so that when the time comes for you to plan a trip to a new spot, you can see if you have a card from someone nearby.  You might feel an urge to keep your own location discoveries secret, but remember, if you provide information, you’re more likely to get good tips back.
 

Spending time looking for library/Internet information about a new area can result in interesting results; you might find out about a place that you didn’t know existed.  My current research is on Torres del Paine in Patagonia.  I’ve flown over it a few times on trips to the Falkland Islands and loved the beauty of the area, but as I’ve read about it, I’ve found there is more to know about this area than meets the eye.  An added bonus of all your location research is that you’ll heighten the enjoyment you’ll experience once you’re there.  You imagine all the potential photos that await you, so getting there and taking the shots becomes “the icing on the cake.”