Wildlife photography is indeed one of the most profitable and challenging forms of photography. Some committed photographers go out of their way to bring exuberant wildlife photographs to us so that we can see unexplored parts of mother earth. They capture the breath-taking beauty that we might not be able to see our entire life.
These state-of-the-art photos are quite daunting to capture, and you do need a good piece of equipment to make your viewers’ jaw drop. Wildlife photographers are professionals who are aware of the whole eco-system.
They know precisely where to set-up their equipment and when to shoot. There are some challenges associated with wildlife photography, but thankfully the latest technology has made it easier for wildlife photographers to capture breathtaking images.
The Nikon D5600 is known as one of the best cameras for capturing mesmerizing wildlife images for your magazines and websites. The Nikon D5600 is a medium-range DX-format that features an astonishing 24MP CMOS sensor.
Some prominent features are a fully articulated 3.2 inch touchscreen LCD with 1.04M dots and an outstanding 1080/60p video. What’s more? Wi-Fi with Bluetooth that ensure constant connection, and also NFC for quick pairing with Android devices.
Here we present some helpful tips on using the Nikon D5600 for wildlife photography. These tips are sure to enhance your photography skills to their maximum potential!
Know Your Camera
Wildlife’s wow moments are often known to be fleeting. In order to capture them effectively, you should learn about functions such as focus points, aperture, and shutter speed.
If you’re not familiar with your camera, you might not be using it to its full potential and may be limiting your capabilities. Take some time out to study your camera functions as much as you can. The more you know, the better the pictures you take will be.
You don’t want to take the same picture every time, so you must know how to change your shutter speed and aperture. Changing just these settings can make a drastic change to your photos. If you are not fully aware of how to use the manual mode yet, you can try to understand how one of the auto modes work.
The Nikon D5600 has a vast range of auto modes and semi-auto modes, such as aperture priority and shutter priority, that allow you to capture great shots.
Another thing to ponder over is the minimum shutter speed to achieve a relatively sharp image. You should research as much as you can about the Nikon D5600 and get an on-hand experience of how all of its features work for the best possible results. Go beyond your limits to explore the full potential of this camera. Only then can you be a wildlife photographer that shines.
Know The Rules
There are a few undefined rules that play a critical role in capturing pictures that win hearts. Understanding the essential rules of lighting, composition, and camera settings are crucial. In particular, you should have a proper understanding of exposure.
A good rule is to fill the frame with your subject to keep your viewers engaged. It’s often tempting to keep your distance from the subject in wildlife photography, especially when the Nikon D5600 can be equipped with a long lens. Try to resist the temptation and move as close as possible to the subject (while staying safe!) to ensure that it fills your frame.
Study your subject’s surroundings so that you can click jaw-dropping moments. For example, if you’re aware of where seagulls are active at dawn or dusk, you can be at the right location at the right time. Learning about your subjects is not that hard. There are millions of resources available online that are solely related to wildlife photography.
When you use a camera to capture wildlife, you might have to battle to direct autofocus points, especially if your subject is moving. The eyes of the animal must be in focus as they will act as a focal point to grab the viewer’s attention. If the animal’s eyes aren’t in focus, you’re likely to get a bad shot. The eyes are the first thing that instantly grab a viewer’s attention.
Sometimes you might face trouble focusing on the eyes when the animal’s moving. In these cases, you can also focus on the part of the animal that is close to the eyes, i.e., its face or head. Focusing on these parts does a good enough job too.
Paint With Light
Light plays an essential role when it comes to wildlife photography. Try to capture photos at golden hour, which happens early in the morning or near sunset. Extreme sunlight during the midday can be a great hindrance to getting a good shot because the image may lose the grit. A cloudy day is perfect for a day in the fields, as the clouds provide the perfect cover against sunlight.
Photography is all about canvasing with light, and you need to use the light in such a way that you reap exceptional results. Believe it or not, light coming from the wrong direction can add an intense mood to an image.
However, sometimes we end up in situations where changing our location is not an option. Hence, professional wildlife photographers must understand how to work their way out in cases such as shooting in low light.
Being aware of the features of your camera can make a massive difference to your photos. Shooting with a Nikon D5600 means that you can work around low light conditions thanks to high ISOs. If you’re not aware of the camera’s features, there are high chances that you might end up with useless blurry images.
The Nikon D5600 is perfect for shooting at a high ISO, but you should be aware that an ISO, which is too high can lead to grainy pictures. These images will be useless even if they are framed well.
Image stabilization is also essential to capture sharp pictures, and the Nikon D5600 comes equipped with image stabilizers and built-in optical systems for enhanced image quality. This helps to correct any disturbance caused by hand-shake or high winds.
Get An Eye-level Perspective
When we talk about wildlife photography, we mean creating a connection between your subject and your viewers. The most essential and the easiest way to achieve this is by getting down to your subject’s eye-level.
Shooting at eye-level also gives you a sharper image. It helps position your camera sensor parallel to the most essential plane of the subject. It will help you focus on all the critical elements of your subject at a similar distance from your camera’s sensor, hence getting a sharp focus.
The Nikon D5600’s latest EXPEED 4 processor allows you to take ultra-HD pictures too. This blend provides an ISO range of 100-25600 and 5 fps burst shooting giving you an immense photography experience.
Wondering how to get an eye-level perspective? This is what you should do:
- Get yourself flat on the ground
The simplest way to get to an animal’s eye-level is to lie down. But this is not as easy as it may seem. If you’re shooting from a vehicle, try to make no noise when lying down. Make sure that you move when the subject is looking away. Do not take instant burst shoots and let the subject get used to your presence.
- Bring your vehicle to eye-level
Wildlife photographers usually roam around and capture photos in wildlife reserves or national parks. Getting out of your vehicle is prohibited in these places, as it can turn out to be life-threatening. What should you do in such situations? Study your subject as much as possible and try to predict its movements. Once you have a fair idea of what your subject will do, you can wait for it to reach an eye-level position.
5. Be Patient
You must have heard the saying patience is the key to virtue. The same goes for wildlife photography as well since it requires you to wait for the subject to be in the right position. The most intimate shots are captured by noticing a particular animal and its habitual environment at a specific time of the day.
Ensure that you’re comfortable when taking the right shot, so plan it well and wait patiently for the best results. Similar to fishing or hunting, sometimes wildlife photographers return home with absolutely nothing. There are high chances that you might capture something you didn’t even think was possible in wildlife photography. Be patient, and expect the unexpected!
There is a chance that you’ll have to wait for hours until you finally get the perfect shot. Luckily, the Nikon D5600’s 39-point AF system can track subjects in 3D, providing you visuals that are sure to wow your viewers. The more patient you will be, the more the chances that you will be able to capture fantastic images. After all, it’s not that easy to capture a magical moment in nature.
