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Observing andPhotographing

Wildlife

One of the greatest pleasures of landscaping forwildlife is the opportunity to observe the creatures

that visit your yard.

Some people enjoy the thrill of simply watching animalbehavior “up close," while others want to take picturesto preserve the memories and share them with others.

As you plan your landscaping,keep wildlife observation in mind.Plant shrubs and trees in linewith windows from which youcan watch comfortably.

For photography, try to makeit a window that can be easilyopened, one without a screen.Sliding doors can be openedslightly while you are hiddenbehind a folding screen ordrapes.

If you must take your photosthrough a closed window,carefully put your lens rightagainst the glass to eliminateglare and reflection. A tripodwill help to keep the camerasteady as you wait for theperfect shot.

Your first step in observingwildlife should be to payattention to their habits. Takenotes on when (both time of dayand season) and where you seewildlife in your yard.

Most animals follow patternsof behavior and this can work toyour advantage. If you see arabbit eating in a corner of yourlawn in the morning, chances arethat he will be there everymorning. You can plan to be inthe right place even earlier andwait for him.

Birds frequently use the sameperch repeatedly, so you canpre-focus a camera on thatspot and wait for your subjectto appear, rather than followingit around the yard, trying tomaintain focus.

This same technique workswith many insects, such asdragonflies, which are territorial.Species that migrate oftenappear at the same time eachyear and will return to your yardif you have provided for theirneeds in the past. Studyguidebooks to learn more aboutthe habits and preferences ofindividual species.

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There is a wealth of goodcamera equipment on themarket, and any photographystore will be happy to adviseyou on the best choices fornature work.

Generally speaking, youwant a 35mm SLR (singlelens reflex) camera with athrough-the-lens meteringsystem. You should be able tomanually override anyautomatic features, and itshould have a “hot shoe" for aremovable flash attachment.

A depth-of-field previewbutton is a nice feature, as isa cable release cord. If you arerestricted to an automaticpoint-and-shoot camera, youcan still get lots of goodphotos by using a variety oftechniques to get closer toyour subjects.

Type of filmExperiment with various

kinds of film and keep notes onyour results. Slide film requiresmore exposure accuracy but isbetter if you plan to show yourphotos to a large group, orwant to submit them forpublication.

Prints are generallypreferable for enlargements orto share with friends. Films aregiven an ISO rating, whichreflects what is known as their“speed." “Slow" films (under100 ISO) require longerexposures to get a picture,while “fast" films (100, 200,400 and up) can be exposedfor a shorter time with goodresults.

Faster films are moreversatile in poor light, or when

high shutter speeds are neededto freeze action, but slowerfilms have a smaller visible grainin the finished product.

For really good photos, it isn’tenough to get close to ananimal and have it in sharpfocus. Timing is also important.

Although we don’t often thinkabout it, light has color. Duringthe middle of the day it has astrong blue cast, while light inthe early morning and lateafternoon is warmed with redsand yellows. Photos taken inthis warmer light tend to bemore pleasing, and these arealso often the best times toobserve wildlife.

Many creatures are outfeeding in the earlier and laterhours, avoiding the hot sun ofmidday. There tends to be lesswind, making sharp focus easierto achieve, and the longer raysof the sun create interestingshadows.

If you must take pictures inthe middle of the day, takeadvantage of slightly overcastconditions, letting cloudssoften the harsh light. Dullconditions can actually makecolors richer because of thereduction in surface glare.

For nearby subjects, yourflash covered with a light yellowfilter can make it look like thephoto was taken in the earlymorning.

Check the lightDirection of light is also an

important consideration. Thereare three categories: directlight, sidelight, and backlight.Direct light refers to the rays

falling on the subject when thesun is behind your shoulder.

It is useful if you are taking alight-colored subject against adark background. A whiterabbit shot against greenpines in direct light will standout sharply. Taking a photowhen your subject is lit fromthe side is often the mostflattering. The light is softer,there are interesting shadows,and the details of texturebecome more obvious.

Backlight, with the sun’srays coming from behind thesubject, is the most dramatic,showing the veins of a leaf or ahalo of fur on a fox. Avoidunwanted splashes of light(known as “lens flare") in yourpictures by shading the lenswith your hand. Consciouslyexperiment with differentdirections of light and seewhat works best for thewildlife that interests you.Never look directly at the sun,even through the view finder,since this could damage youreyes.

BackgroundsKeep backgrounds in mind

when taking a picture. Manyanimals are able to blend withtheir surroundings, and you willbe able to see them moreclearly if they are standingagainst a contrastingbackground. This might be awall, shaded vegetation, oreven the sky.

For small subjects, youmight be able to slip a coat orother solid-colored objectbehind them. Think about whyyou are taking the picture and,if your camera has adjustable

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controls, use them to enhancethe feeling you are trying tocapture.

If it’s early in the morning andyou love the mist and thedewdrops, a longer exposure orlarger aperture will let in morelight and give your picture anairy feeling. A shorter exposurewill intensify the colors ofbutterflies and flowers. Fastshutter speeds can “freeze" abird in flight, while slow ones willgive the impression ofmovement.

The angle at which you takeyour shot is also important. Byvarying your own height, andthus that of the camera, youcan look down on your subjector shoot up at it.

Taking pictures of wildlife ateye level yields very intimateportraits. Don’t forget thatyour camera can be held in avertical as well as horizontalposition. Adjust it for tallersubjects, or to get a differentviewpoint.

Notice everything in the viewfinder and change your positionto crop out unwanted elementssuch as the corner of a houseor an unattractive blossom.

Certain configurations ofsubjects are especially pleasing,including s-curves, repetitivepatterns, a touch of brightcolor in an otherwise neutralscene, and three of a subjectforming a triangle.

Photographers often use the“rule of thirds" when composinga picture (see followingexample). This involves imaginingyour scene divided into threeparts, both vertically and

horizontally. Your main subjectshould fall anywhere that two ofthose lines intersect.

Often it seems that nestingbirds are good subjects forphotos. They are accessible, andyou know that they will returnregularly to the nest. However,they are also at risk fromhuman intervention.

Be cautiousOne of the riskiest times is

during nest building. Birds put alot of effort into choosing theirnest site and, if they arefrightened away, may not findanother place in time to raisetheir young.

Once the eggs are laid,keeping the adult away fromthem for too long may altertheir temperature enough toprevent hatching. Always leaveprotective foliage in place, anddon’t uncover a nest if it willleave it exposed after youdepart.

Although birds tend to bemost tolerant shortly after theeggs hatch, scaring the younginto leaving the nest even oneday early can be disastrous.

Sometimes the best photosituation is to provide a

suitable perch a short distancefrom the nest, which theparents will use coming andgoing with food.

Feeding sites goodBird feeders are easy to

place in convenient locations,but avoid putting them in flowerbeds. You might trampleblossoms when filling thefeeders, and dropped seeds canbe a problem.

Placing food and watersources near shrubs or treesgives birds a place to rest,and these naturalbackgrounds can give youbetter pictures. You can alsoattach branches directly tothe feeder poles or to anearby structure.

To get close to birds awayfrom the house, go to asheltered spot and take afriend with you. Once settled,have your friend leave. The birdswill assume that the danger isgone and will return to the site.

A good pair of binoculars willhelp you get a better view ofyour subjects. Make sure thatthe “power" (the first number inthe descriptive notation) is atleast 7, and that the secondnumber is at least 5 timeslarger (e.g., 7x35).

Test them before purchasingto be sure that they are clear,easy to adjust, and not tooheavy for your hands. A goodfield guide will also help withspecies identification.

Insects are fascinating butcan be difficult to photograph.Getting up early, while theirwings are still wet with dew,

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gives you some extra time toget in close.

Butterflies in particular areat rest until their body warmsto flying temperature. If youare very careful, you can catchinsects and put them in therefrigerator for a shor t time,then study or photographthem as they warm up.

This won’t harm them, but besure not to damage fragilewings or legs, and always returnthe insects as quickly aspossible to the same placewhere they were captured.

Using a flash can also freezemovement, but you must beclose enough for the light fromthe flash to overpower that ofthe sun.

Getting close-up shots ofsmall creatures is a matter ofboth technique and equipment.Move in slowly, making sure thatyour shadow doesn’t fall acrossyour subject.

Close-upsIf you have a camera with

interchangeable lenses, youmight want to invest in a set ofextension tubes or a macrolens, both of which will allow youto do close-ups.

Less expensive supplemental“close-up" lenses screw ontothe front of your camera lens.These are measured in“diopters" (+1, +2, etc.) withincreased magnification as thenumbers increase.

If you have a simple point-and-shoot camera, experimentwith taping a pocket magnifyingglass to the front of your lens.

Using a ruler, take severalshots at different distances,keeping a record of yourattempts. When you get yourpictures back, decide whichdistance gave the sharpestfocus and use that formula inthe future.

If you want to photographsomething that is relatively faraway, your best choice is atelephoto lens which, likebinoculars, brings distantobjects closer.

If this isn’t an option, or if youjust want to view wildlife from acloser perspective, you have towork on techniques forphysically getting nearer toyour subject.

Learn to identify animaltracks in mud and snow, and torecognize their calls in order tolocate wildlife before you canactually see it.

If you already know where toexpect an animal to appear,wear dark clothing and get inplace early to wait in asheltered area. Sit quietly, sincemost wildlife is wary ofmovement. For scent-sensitivecreatures, such as deer, try toposition yourself downwind.

When trying to get a pictureof large birds on a windy day,approach with the wind at yourback since they tend to take offinto the wind and will cometowards you.

A length of camouflage fabricwith circles cut out for youreyes and the camera lensmakes an inexpensive portableblind. Just throw it overyourself, adding a chair ortripod for additional

maneuverability whileunderneath.

Cars are goodDon’t overlook your car as

an effective blind if thelocation is suitable. Mostanimals are used to cars anddon’t associate them with thepeople inside.

If you must approach ananimal in the open, cometowards it at an angle ratherthan in a straight line, moveslowly, and avoid making eyecontact. Act naturally, as ifyou have absolutely nointerest in the subject thatyou are stalking.

Most creatures have a“comfort zone" and will flee ifyou get past that invisibleline, but with practice you willlearn how close you can get todifferent species. Often it ismore effective to stop adistance away and wait forthe animal to approach youas you remain motionless.

If they are used to seeingyou, and you have beenproviding sources of foodand water, birds and animalsare more likely to remain inplace as you get closer. Onceyou decide to take a photo,focus on the eyes. If they aresharp, the rest of the picturecan be a little fuzzy and stillbe acceptable.

Always be aware of thereaction of the wildlife thatyou are studying and avoidcausing any stress. Don’tblock off an animal’s escaperoute or come too close tooffspring if the parents seemagitated.

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Watch for predatorsNever endanger an animal or

its young by attracting theattention of predators.Remember that stress can becumulative, so don’t invite allthe neighbors over to see anest or stalk a rabbit. Shareyour discoveries throughenthusiastic stories and goodphotographs.

In addition, as tempting asit may be, don’t try to makepets of wild animals. Whileyou may only want to enjoythem, others might not be sogenerous, and by taking awayan animal’s natural warinessyou put it at risk. Let wildliferemain wild!

If you have provided the fourbasic requirements – food,water, shelter, space – as wellas a feeling of safety, wildlifewill come and provide you withmany hours of pleasure.

When caught up in theexcitement of discovery andthe challenge of photography,always remember to treat wildcreatures with care andconsideration.

Be willing to sacrifice aphoto or personal encounterfor their well-being. The moreyou learn about wildlife, themore ways you will discover toenjoy it.

Watching, takingphotographs, sketching,sharing anecdotes withfriends, helping your childrenlearn to respect nature – all ofthese activities and more areyour reward for inviting wildlifeinto your yard. Delight in theexperience and encourageothers to follow your example.

This article was written by Maryland Master Wildlife Habitat NaturalistCathy Gilleland.

For more information or for the name of a Master Wildlife HabitatNaturalist in your area, please contact:

WindStar Wildlife Institute

E-mail: wildlife@windstar.orghttp://www.windstar.org

WindStar Wildlife Institute is a national, non-profit, conservationorganization whose mission is to help individuals and families establish or

improve the wildlife habitat on their properties.