How do the professional wild life photographers take such sharp photos that look almost borderline fake?

  • AnonymousBromosapien@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Using the same techniques to get sharp photos in any situation (shitter speed appropriate to your subject/to get the desired end result, knowing how to gauge aperture well enough to get the entirety of your subject sharp but also still isolated from the background), a long lens, a tripod with the ball loose enough to pan freely, and shooting on continuous high.

    Then of course, being very patient and taking lots of shots when an opportunity does arise. Wildlife photography is more akin to sports photography than any other type of photography, only way more unpredictable. You arent going to go out and just snap one shot and get exactly what you hoped to out of it like you could a portrait, architecture, landscape, etc. And even with sport photography, you know where the action is headed/going to be. Wild animal… pshhh… who knows what they are going to do lol.

    Honestly, like 80% of the time wildlife photography guves me anxiety lol. Wondering if youve taken enough shoots to get the one you will love, worrying about missing out on an opportunity while its right in front of you, all while trying to focus and be patient enough to wait for the shot to be right… but never really knowing until it happens.

    Then other things happen… like the animal just runs off unexpectedly and that moment you waited hours for is gone. Or you check a couple shots on the LCD screen real quick to see if youve got something that you like… just to get home and look at it in LR and realize the shot you thought was a banger if fricken out of focus. Or just the monotony of looking through 100s or 1000s of pictures of the same animal hoping to find one that you really nailed… but you dont lol.

    I’ve had trips where I spent days traveling and days at a location… only to never get to encounter the animal i was hoping to photograph.

    Wildlife photography is my bread and butter. Its very exciting to nail the shot you envisioned, but can very easily be a lot of miss opportunity… even when you are prepared.