1. Pets and Wildlife

2. •Having a telephoto lens and a tripod can be invaluable.
• Make sure you feel comfortable being able
to quickly move between focus modes or points.
•Know the minimum shutter speed that still captures
a sharp image with your desired lens.
•A good SLR cameras such as Canon 50D
and Nikon 300D assist in producing quality
photographs.
•Having at least two 4GB Extreme II or faster cards.
•Camouflage clothing and other equipment
•BIG lenses: 300 MM, 400mm or more.

3. RAW only, Never JPEG
Center weighted metering
Manual with 1 stop over exposure.
IS enabled on lens
Aperture priority is sometime also helpful.

4. Camouflage clothing ----hunting gear or an old army uniform.
A camouflage hide is helpful if you are shooting large animals.
Patience is necessary.
Put phone on silent.
Bring water and food for yourself.
Mammals are much harder to photograph.
Watch the wind and try to
be upwind from the subject.

5. The “Rule of Thirds” still applies
Subject should be entering the frame and not leaving it.
Give the animals spaced to look and move into.
Subject may be blended into the landscape or isolated in a closeup shot.
Get on the subject level….this may require lying on the ground.
Keep in mind that in phtography,
rules are made to be broken.

6. Zoos are great places to practice.
They are accessible and still a challenge.
Avoid hot days.
Early morning and late afternoon make
for a better environment
for both you and the subject.
The light is better as well.

7. Shooting through fences is better than shooting through glass.
If shooting through glass get lens as close to glass as possible to avoid
reflections.
Use a long lens
Open the aperture for a small depth of field.

8. Sometimes a great shot can be
ruined by a busy background.
Try to keep background uncluttered.

9. If subject is moving, the faster the shutter speed the sharper the photo.
Raising the ISO will allow you to decrease the shutter speed but may
Also add noise. Use a noise cleanse in PhotoShop
Fast memory cards will also help get the perfect shot.

10. If you know its typical behavior, you can better anticipate good shots.
This means spending time sitting still observing them, often for
long lengths of time.
If you can get multiples of a species, it can make for interesting
stories of interaction.

11. Good photographer's know that the best shots occur during what's called
"golden light": early in the morning and during the last hours of sunlight.
Overcast days can soften intense light, allowing for nice midday shots,
just be sure you and your equipment are prepared for the elements.

12. Either get a landscape in the shot
or get an intimate shot.
You can use a remote trigger to get
your camera closer to your subject,
•Point-of-view: It's best if you can get eye-level, which may require you to get on your belly.
See also:
•Point-of-view: It's best if you can get eye-level, which may require you to get on your belly.
See also:

13. Eye-to-eye contact is as engaging
with a pet as with a person.
So get down on your pet's level
to create warm and intimate pictures.

14.  Fill the camera's viewfinder or LCD display with your
subject to create pictures with greater impact. Step in close
or use your camera's zoom to emphasize what is important
and exclude the rest. Check the manual for your camera's
closest focusing distance.

15.  Show the pet in action
 Animals love to run and play, so take pictures of them
on the go to show their joy. Use a high shutter speed or
continuous shooting to stop the action. Plan the shot
for the action to happen in one spot and focus on that
spot.
Sometimes the shot is missed.

16. Leave lots of space around
the subject.
This will allow for
Creative cropping later.

17. It's best if you can get eye-level,
which may require you to get
on your belly.

18. Provide an environment that is bird friendly…trees and shrubs that
Provide edible berries.
Identify where light is coming from
Provide suitable feeder
Watch and identify flight patterns.
Place prop branches and twig with clean background.
Photograph birds on prop branches.
Try to premeter and pre-focus

19. Look for interaction between subjects
Search for a new viewpoint.
Capture or blur motion
Play with light
Capture subjects in their element

20. Take only pictures….leave only footprints.
Be aware of laws regarding wildlife
Do not approach wildlife without knowledge of their habits.