Tip of the week: How to shoot wildlife—with a camera

Use low sunlight. The ideal times for outdoor photography are from dawn until 9 a.m. and from late afternoon until dusk, as they provide the “best natural light” and shadows that add drama.

Keep it simple. While it’s good to include some of the animal’s environment, don’t overdo it. Too many rocks and trees make

a photograph “look cluttered” and distract from the main subject.

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Compose the shot. Practice the “rule of thirds,” a basic principle of photography. Try to visualize “three horizontal and three vertical lines” across the frame and place the subject at one of the intersections.

See eye to eye. Stoop down to the animal’s eye level, and you can catch the light needed to brighten up its eyes. One caveat: Distracting the animal may be a quick way to secure the shot, but most nature photographers consider this unethical. The point is to depict the creature in its normal routine.

Source: Backpacker