WildShots

Learning wildlife photography – Getting close

Posted on 30. Dec, 2008 by Paul Burwell.

Getting close – There can be few things more frustrating than figuring out how to get close to wildlife. One option is to photograph captive animals at a game farm, animal park or zoo. Another is to go to places where the animals are known to congregate fairly reliably like a wildlife refuge’s blind or attend a wildlife photography tour. And the third method, and the one that takes the most effort by the photographer, is to learn about the animals, learn where they are likely…

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Wide angle lens for the wildlife shooter

Posted on 26. Nov, 2008 by Paul Burwell.

It never really occurred to me that I could get close enough to a wild porcupine that I could use my wide angle lens to make a close-up portrait. But, that’s just what happened one December morning.

I was visiting Elk Island National Park just outside of Edmonton. I was working my way down the parkway when I came across a young porcupine, working its way along the road, eating clover that had been exposed by snow clearing equipment. I got out of my vehicle and started a long, slow approach. My first shots were made with my Canon 500mm F4L IS lens from about 30 metres (~98 feet) away. I slowly moved in closer and closer, watching the porcupine to make sure I wasn’t stressing it.

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