Recent Animal Articles

Photographer Who Captured the Exact Moment a Marmot Was Spooked by a Fox Wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award

This year’s winning image from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019 competition is a hilarious photo of a marmot startled by a fox. The prestigious award is given out every year by the Natural History Museum, London. This year, the comical snap of the exchange between the two animals took the grand prize and has since been described as being taken at the “perfect moment.”

Photographing Jackson Hole Wildlife With the Sony a7R IV and 200-600mm

In late September 2019, I joined up with three other wildlife and landscape photographers to take on Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a few days surrounding the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) WildSpeak West symposium. In this video I review my best images taken with my new gear from this short but productive three-day trip to the Tetons.

Four Ways to Compose Wildlife Images for Maximum Impact

It's very difficult to stand out from the crowd as a wildlife photographer. It's a genre where one can go overboard with creative editing quite quickly. Many would say not to get creative with wildlife editing at all — that wildlife imagery should be an accurate representation of the animal and its environment. So, how does one create an image that stands out from the crowd?

Why I Bought the Sony a7R IV for Wildlife Photography

Before today’s launch of the Sony a7R IV in the U.S., I had the opportunity to use the new 61-megapixel camera on a few occasions. Ultimately, these hands-on experiences led me to purchasing it for animal photography and in this article I list a few reasons behind the decision.

$20,000 Versus $2,000 Bird Photography Setup

Wildlife photographers have long faced the problem of requiring extremely expensive camera equipment to follow their passion. Then came the budget 150-600mm and similar lenses that lowered the cost of entry while still getting similar looking results.

Learn to Find Subjects Quickly With Long Lenses

Long telephoto lenses are excellent at capturing the rich, intimate details of animals, but there’s a learning curve to using them. Before you miss another shot by not finding your subjects in the viewfinder in time, check out this video.

Nature Photographers and Filmmakers Wanted

Calling all nature photographers and filmmakers. A groundbreaking new media platform designed to connect more of us to nature is launching its apps' first beta iteration this week.

Photographing Whale Sharks

Photographing whale sharks tends to be a top bucket list item for many underwater image-makers, and for good reason. The largest fish in the sea, whale sharks offer uniquely special photo opportunities. For those of you who have yet to photograph one of these gentle giants, I’ve put together a few tips to keep in mind for that first encounter.

These Owls Have Had Enough of This Camera

A common piece of advice given to street photographers is if your subject seems unhappy about the presence of your camera, it's better to simply not take the picture and remove yourself from the situation. It would appear that that advice should extend to owls, as these rather ornery owls took out a camera that was supposed to be secretly observing them, and the resulting video is hilarious.

Bird Photographer’s Field Review of the Olympus OM-D E-M1X

Intimate bird photography has usually been made possible by using some seriously hefty lenses paired with large pro DSLR camera bodies. Can a Micro Four Thirds system really be just as effective while physically being much smaller and easier to carry?

In-Studio Macro Photography Tutorial

Macro photography is the art/practice of photographing tiny things. If you have the spare cash, It's easy to just go out and buy a macro lens to start shooting, but in order to get those crisp, back to front, pin-sharp images, a little bit of technical know-how and computer wizardry is essential.

Let Your Photograph's Hook Be Your Subject's Eyes

Remember the cliché expression the eyes are the window to the soul? They aren't kidding around with that one, and when you capture a piercing look, you can instantly and easily grab the viewer's attention.

Behind the Scenes of Amazing Pet Portraits

If you own a pet, you've definitely taken a picture of him or her more than once. Belgian photographer Vincent Lagrange does just that for all sorts of animals as a big part of his career.

Photographer Captures Python Consuming Entire Crocodile in One Go

A new set of photos released by a wildlife rescue center in Western Australia shows a python incredibly eating a freshwater crocodile whole. The collection of images detail the drama from start to finish, with the outline of the croc evident inside its predator’s body.

Wildlife Photography: How to Get Closer to Animals

You aren’t going to get very far as a wildlife photographer if the animals are constantly being scared away before you get into position. Here are some helpful tips on improving your approach.

How to Photograph Birds With Clean, Simple Backgrounds

One of the most difficult challenges in bird photography is finding the subjects you want in front of non-distracting backgrounds. With limited means of placing wild birds exactly where you need them, what methods can be used to ensure other elements in the frame don’t overpower the subject?

Conservation Photographer Paul Nicklen Spreads a Little Love for the Manatees

Everyone's favorite aquatic marshmallow, the manatee, is having a bit of a moment. Just a couple weeks ago, Florida's warm waterways set the mood for a sizable manatee orgy, causing traffic jams on nearby roads. Rubberneckers first thought they were witnessing a whale in distress, but it was just good old fashioned sea cow polyamory.

Helpful Dog Photography Tips in Just 90 Seconds

Dog photography can be incredibly rewarding when you do it right, but it can also be quite frustrating when the little puppers are bouncing all around and paying attention in every direction except yours. This helpful video will give you some quick tips to improve your pictures of dogs and to increase your chances of getting the shot.

Outdoor and Wildlife Photography Safety

As I’m preparing to search for black bears to photograph, my personal safety has certainly come to mind a few times. When photographing wildlife, the combined safety of both ourselves and the species we are seeking out should be the top priority. In this article, I go over a few things to keep in mind when you head out into the great outdoors with your camera.

LensCoat Lens Cover Review: Camouflage Your Lenses for Wildlife Photography

You've probably seen them before, and the concept is nothing new to the market. However, as LensCoat keeps cranking out new Lens Cover designs to match all the hottest new lens releases, these protective camouflage sleeves are just as relevant today and worthy of taking a closer look at.

Five Tips for Photographing your Pets at Home

If you like photography, have a camera, and have pets, they're going to meet sooner or later. Here, Matt Granger gives you his tips for photographing your pets at home.

An Unlikely Intruder: The Fly Inside a Professional Canon Lens

What seems like it could have been an April Fools joke if it had come out a few days sooner, the Lensrentals blog has posted a great (and enlightening) story on something that apparently has happened more than once: somehow, for some reason, a full-sized fly got into a lens, and the entire lens had to be disassembled to remove it. The question is: did it affect image quality?

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

Plans are good. Most of us live by plans, and we like things to go as planned. But sometimes just showing up and going with the flow can yield immense rewards for photographers. There is nothing wrong with wanting to know what to expect so you can plan appropriately, but sometimes we just need to let go. Here are a couple of examples of some amazing moments I would have missed if I had stuck to plans and took shelter in my comfort zone.