The Top 5 Mistakes Beginner Photographers Make with wildlife photography
These are the Top 5 Mistakes Beginner Photographers Make with wildlife photography based on my experience of holding several beginners wildlife photography workshops over the past couple of years.
Photography can be a rewarding and fulfilling hobby, but like any craft, it comes with its own set of challenges, especially for beginners. Here are the top five mistakes that new wildlife photographers often make, and how to avoid them:
1. Ignoring Composition Rules
One of the most common mistakes is neglecting the basics of composition. The rule of thirds, leading lines, and framing can make a significant difference in the visual appeal of your photos. Instead of centering your subject in every shot, try placing them off-center or using natural lines to guide the viewer’s eye.
One of the most common habits that I see on my beginner’s workshops is that everything is centred with hardly any space left around it. Negative space is very important in composition and one of the easiest ways to improve composition is if your subject is moving from for example left to right put the focus point off centre to the left which will then enable the subject to have space to move into. Another tip is to allow enough space around the subject to reposition the subject and crop in post processing.
2. Overlooking Lighting and Angle of View
Lighting can make or break a photograph. Beginners often rely too much on the cameras automatic or program settings, leading to images that lack contrast and are too flat and probably are over or under exposed. Instead, explore natural lighting sources, such as the golden hour (the first and last hours of sunlight). Experiment with different times of day and angles to understand how light affects your subjects. If you set the camera to manual with Auto ISO enabled or to Aperture Priority and Auto ISO (but then set a minimum shutter speed at 1/1000s) you can then use exposure compensation to quickly and easily expose your image correctly. As a basic rule if the subject is on a dark background then apply negative exposure compensation down to -1 and if the subject is on a bright background apply positive exposure compensation up to +1. More on this here.
Then be aware of the direction of light:
- Golden Hour: The soft, warm light during the golden hour adds a magical touch to photos. The shadows are longer, and the light is less harsh, making it ideal for wildlife portraits and landscape photography.
- Side Lighting: Look for opportunities to use natural light coming from an angle. Side lighting will immediately add texture and detail to an image they will appear sharper.
- Backlighting: Position your subject in front of a light source to create a silhouette effect or a beautiful glow around them.
Where you position yourself in relation to the subject is critical, not just in regards to light but also consider it for the following:
- Backgrounds – a step to the left or right can completely change the background that your subject is positioned against
- Angle of View – Always attempt to get as close to eye level as possible when photographing wildlife. Don’t take everything stood up.
You can read more on understanding the angles of light here
3. Not Understanding Their Camera Equipment
Many new photographers jump straight into shooting without fully understanding their camera’s capabilities and settings. Take the time to learn about aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and other essential functions. Your camera manual is your best friend—study it, and practice shooting in the different camera modes to see what suits you the best.
Have an understanding of the 3 components of the Exposure Triangle and how they can be used to affect your images.
- Aperture: Controls the amount of light entering the camera and affects the depth of field. A wider aperture (low f-number) creates a shallow depth of field – use for portraits to help create a lovely blurred background, while a narrower aperture (high f-number) keeps more of the scene in focus and is ideal for more than one subject.
- Shutter Speed: Determines how long the camera’s sensor is exposed to light. Faster shutter speeds freeze motion, while slower speeds create motion blur for artistic effects. As Shutter speed of 1/1000s is ideal for most wildlife situations.
- ISO: Adjusts the camera’s sensitivity to light. A lower ISO is ideal for bright conditions, while a higher ISO is useful in low light but can introduce noise. If you set the camera to Auto ISO it will always give you the lowest possible value for the chosen aperture and shutter speed.
Some other things that will help with camera set up:
- Always shoot on Continuous Autofocus (AF-C or AI Servo). This means that the camera will continually focus on the subject when it moves.
- Use Auto White Balance – but also play around with this. Try Cloudy or Shady for sunsets and sunrises as this will give you warmer tones
- Learn about Exposure Compensation.
- Shoot on burst mode – a higher frame rate will help with moving subjects
Don’t fall into the trap of believing that a better camera will make you take better images. There are no quick wins. A top of the range camera could make it easier with all of the additional technology that comes with it. But there is no substitute for practice and getting to know what your camera can do. At some point every camera was a top of the range camera and fundamentally they all do the same thing and work in the same way, so invest time in practicing and learning what your camera can do. Good images can be taken with any camera and lens.
4. Neglecting Post-Processing
Post-processing is an integral part of digital photography. While it’s essential not to over-edit your images, some level of adjustment can significantly enhance them. Learn the basics of editing software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop to fine-tune exposure, contrast, colour balance, and other elements.
- Exposure: Adjust the brightness and darkness of your photo to achieve a balanced look.
- Contrast: Enhance the difference between the light and dark areas to add depth and dimension.
- Colour Balance: Correct any colour casts and adjust the overall colour tone to make your image more visually appealing.
- Sharpening and Noise Reduction: Enhance the details in your photo to make it crisp and clear.
- Cropping: Tidy up the composition in post processing if needed
Every image that you see that wins a competition or is posted on social media will have had an element of post processing done on it. Some more so than others. But taking the image is only a part of the overall image creation process and all images will need small basic adjustments.
5. Putting too much pressure on yourself
Wildlife photography should be fun. But It’s easy to get caught up in trying to replicate the styles of renowned photographers, but this can hinder your creative growth. While it’s beneficial to draw inspiration from others, it’s equally important to experiment and develop your unique style. Embrace your creativity, and don’t be afraid to take risks and make mistakes. Making mistakes is a key part of learning, and photography is a skill that many take years to learn and very few master completely. I know that every day I am still learning, I learn from my clients and how they see things differently from me and I get inspiration from other photographers. I am always looking to do better and learn more.
Some starting points to help with this are:
- Inspiration vs. Imitation: Study the work of photographers you admire, but use it as a starting point to develop your approach.
- Experimentation: Try different techniques, angles, and settings to discover what works best for you. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.
- Personal Style: Over time, you’ll develop a style that reflects your vision and perspective. There is no right or wrong way. Ultimately find what you like and embrace it.
- Lose the Fear: A lot of new photographers think that nobody makes a mistake and they therefore put too much pressure on themselves to be perfect. Every photographer will miss shots, but the best photographers do not worry about this and are prepared to take a chance and wait for “the shot”.
It is easy to get disheartened by the amount of amazing images online and when comparing them to your own work you believe that your images fall short, but as I have previously mentioned there are no quick wins. If you buy a new camera and book the trip of a lifetime it is unlikely that you will achieve the results that you want to achieve.
The best way to learn is to spend time in nature and just practice. The best places to learn are local areas of water where there are lots of birds that are accustomed to people. Practice and learn here and then book that dream trip.
Where to Get Help:
- Join a local camera club
- Book a workshop with an experienced photographer
- Watch You Tube Videos
- Read the camera manual – or at least parts of it.
- Read books on photography
- Take an online training course.
- Get out and practice.
Conclusion
Photography is a journey of continuous learning and experimentation. By being mindful of these common mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to capturing better images that reflect your personal vision. Remember, the best way to improve is through practice, so keep trying and exploring the endless possibilities that photography offers.
I offer wildlife photography workshops in Scotland and also have a book – The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Wildlife Photography. Available on Amazon or on Udemy as an online training course.
Finally please get in touch if you have any particular struggles that you think I may be able to help you with.