Laurie Excell - Wildlife Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots

From Snapshots to Great Shots

Laurie Excell

Wildlife Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots
Laurie Excell

Peachpit Press
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Berkeley, CA 94710
510/524-2178
510/524-2221 (fax)

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Peachpit Press is a division of Pearson Education.

Copyright 2012 by Laurie Excell

Associate Editor: Valerie Witte
Production Editor: Becky Winter
Developmental Editor: Anne Marie Walker
Copyeditor: Anne Marie Walker
Proofreader: Patricia Pane
Composition: Danielle Foster
Indexer: James Minkin
Cover Image: Laurie Excell
Cover Design: Aren Straiger
Back Cover Author Photo: James Crowder

Notice of Rights

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact .

Notice of Liability

The information in this book is distributed on an As Is basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it.

Trademarks

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.

ISBN-13: 978-0-321-79450-5
ISBN10: 0-321-79450-8

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed and bound in the United States of America

To my friend and mentor Moose Peterson: Thanks for helping me take my wildlife photography to the next level.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a great editorial staff to help write a book! First off, thanks to my wonderful husband for all the two-minute warnings that dinner was ready while I was writing feverishly, for the late nights I stayed up working rather than snuggling next to you, and for telling me how proud you are of me when I was experiencing writers block. This book would not have been written if not for my honeys support. Thanks to my editorial team at Peachpit: Thanks Nikki McDonald for the conversations and brainstorming we did that led to this book. Thanks to Anne Marie Walker for your expertise and patience in getting all my is dotted and my ts crossed, not to mention the grammatical adjustments you did to help the book read clearly and for your gentle nudging to get that next chapter in. Thanks also to Valerie Witte for taking the book to the next step in this mysterious process where I put words on paper and upload a bunch of photos that somehow turn into a beautiful book. Thanks to the rest of the team at Peachpit that does things behind the scenes to get the book to press. Thanks to my beautiful, selfless mother who asked me every day how my book was coming and gave me unbiased (yes, unbiased) critiques when needed. A special thanks to my father for putting my first camera into my hands at a young age and for opening the door to the wonderful world of photography. Thanks to you, the reader, for spending your precious money on this book. I hope you are inspired to take your photography to the next level after reading this book.

Anyone can take a snapshot of a wild animal or bird. It takes observing, patience, practice, perseverance, and most important, time behind the camera along with the right equipment to take your photography to greater heights and make great wildlife shots!

This book begins by illustrating the fact that you dont have to have the biggest and baddest, high-performance cameras and lenses to make great wildlife images. In , I cover equipment basics, from a nice, starter, wildlife kit to high-performance bodies and bazooka-like lenses that enable you to make the in-your-face wildlife images you dream of.

In , clarifying aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, and their relationship to each other and to the outcome of your images.

The more you know about your subject, the better you can anticipate its next move and be ready when it happens. gives you ideas on how to learn more. Once you have the gear, have tweaked the buttons and dials to suit your style of shooting, and know your subject, its time to get out and shoot.

In , I discuss some of my favorite locations and seasons that give me the best photographic opportunities to photograph my subject of choice.

Moving right along in the progression to becoming the best wildlife photographer you can be, in , I cover composing your photographs in a pleasing arrangement so that people pause for just a moment longer while they enjoy your images.

Once you have the basics of wildlife photography down, you are ready to move on to and go beyond the basics, introducing your own style, likes, and dislikes into your image making.

I wrap up the book by taking you along on two wildlife photo shoots. follows in the same vein, but I take you to South Texas to photograph the many species of birds that frequent the area.

So, just turn the page to begin your journey to become a better wildlife photographer.

Wildlife photography conjures up visions of trekking miles into the wilderness stalking your prey with super telephoto lenses mounted on tripods carried over one shoulder, a second body with a mid-range telephoto zoom over the other, and the rest of the paraphernalia required to be a wildlife photographer strapped to your back or belted around your waist. But wait, you dont have to have the biggest and best camera with the longest lens available to go beyond snapshots and begin making great wildlife shots. Yes, you will be at a distinct advantage with a super telephoto at isolating your subject and capturing in-your-face, frame-filling images. But it is possible to make great shots with more economical equipment, and you can begin close to home, right in your own backyard or at a local park. With careful consideration and wise purchase planning, you can build a system that will gain you entrance into the wonderful world of wildlife photography.