Wildlife and Animal Photography

Animals don't take direction, wait for the light, or hold still on command — and that's exactly what makes photographing them so rewarding. From safari wildlife and birds in flight to backyard creatures and studio pet portraits, this section covers the gear, patience, and technique it takes to capture animals at their best. Expect advice on long lenses, fast autofocus, understanding animal behavior, and finding the moments that make a frame come alive.

Five Tips For Getting Better Natural Insect Macro Photography

Macro photography specifically the insect type is a world unto itself when it comes to the tools and techniques needed. Getting high-quality portraits of some of the smallest and most import creatures on the planet takes a steady hand and plenty of patience. With better cameras and more affordable lens options, it's even easier now to give insect photography a try. 

Cats, the Internet, and Photography Tips

Welcome to the Internet, where cats pretty much reign supreme and photos of cats are among the foundations of the web itself. All joking aside, anytime you're photographing animals (even the elusive house cat) here are some practices that can make your life a bit easier. 

Eight Helpful Tips for Better Dog Photography

Everyone loves pictures of those cute pups, but they can be a bit difficult to get when you're dealing with all that energy. This great video will show you eight tips for getting better photos of dogs. 

Eagle Battles Fox in Midair During 'Dramatic Act of Thievery'

Nature Photographer Kevin Ebi was tracking a young fox with his camera Saturday while it trotted with a rabbit in its mouth in northwestern Washington when he heard the screech of a bald eagle behind him. Knowing what was about to happen, Ebi focused in and readied himself to capture what has quickly become the most widely shared photograph of his career. 

Tips That Make Your Wildlife Shots Just a Bit Easier

It turns out that taking quality images of animals is actually quite challenging. Grab a telephoto lens and check out this video for some tips that make getting a strong shot just a tad more reliable. 

Peek Inside a Wildlife Photographer's Gear Stash

Spring is coming. If you're anything like me, you'd rather be out in the woods pretty much all the time right now. And if I'm out in the woods, chances are I have some kind of camera with me. 

Here's a peek into the bag of wildlife photographer John Marriott. I know you're probably curious about what's inside it because, let's face it: we're always curious. 

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Submit Your Best Wildlife Images for a Chance to Win One of Two Free Fstoppers Tutorials

Wildlife photography can be one of the most difficult genres to capture well as photographers rarely have extensive control over each situation. Still, great skill is needed to capture incredible images of animals.

Ten Easy Tips for Dog Photography

The same way people portraiture requires imagination and inspiration to create something different, so does dog photography. Have you tried photographing dogs but wished you could have added something to make them stand out more? Phil Harris has created a short video to give you 10 quick and easy tips and tricks to achieve that. 

Getting Started With Wildlife Camera Trap Photography

With wildlife photography, much of it is giving yourself the opportunity to be in right spot and the right time. But sometimes it’s not realistically possible to be present behind the camera when your skittish subject is nearby in the frame. That’s where camera trap photography comes in. 

How Minimal Skill and Effort Can Have a Huge Impact on Foster Dog Adoption Rates

Every holiday season (and sometimes in between), we see the typical high-end pet photography shoots as excellent photographers put their time, money, and skill into creating impressive setups and wall-worthy images to help breathe life back into adoption rates. But it can be a lot to commit to a proper studio setup to shoot dogs every month, let alone every year.

The 13-Year-Old Award-Winning Wildlife Photographer

Since age seven, Josiah Launstein has been developing his photographic skill and style. Perhaps good parenting resulted in this child prodigy's success — it certainly helps to have a father who is a photographer — or maybe it was luck that led him to find what he's passionate about at an early age.

How to Be Prepared for the Wildlife Shot of a Lifetime

Some of the best photographic opportunities happen when you least expect them. In this video from John E. Marriott, he shares valuable tips on how to always be prepared for the surprise wildlife photo of a lifetime. 

Create Better Bird Photographs Near the Water With These Smart Tips

As I’ve started spiraling down the wonderfully challenging path of bird photography, it’s become apparent that there’s a lack of well-made resources to get a jump start on it. Given it’s a small genre with a lot of competitiveness in earning money with limited avenues to sell work, I can understand that.

Canon Versus Nikon: Which Is Best for Wildlife Photographers?

Wildlife photography is one of the more expensive kinds of photography, with some popular lenses costing over $10,000. For many photographers, trying to get close enough to the subject may require longer 600mm lenses, but when you consider the price for each of them, a little research can definitely go a long way.

Drone Herds Sheep in Beautiful New Zealand

Some of you may have woke up early on Christmas morning to rush to the tree and unwrap your shiny new drone. Unfortunately, the unusually cold conditions in parts of the US meant that many of you were grounded.

National Geographic’s Nature Photographer of the Year

The winners of National Geographic’s 2017 Nature Photographer of the Year have been announced. This year, Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan comes away with the grand prize for his wildlife photo, “Face to Face in a River in Borneo.” 

Photo of Burning Baby Elephant Wins Wildlife Photo Contest

"Hell Is Here" is the title of Biplab Hazra's photograph of a burning elephant calf that got him this year's Wildlife Photographer Of The Year Award from Sanctuaryasia.com, which describes itself as India's leading nature and wildlife conservation portal. 

BBC’s 'Blue Planet' Is Back and It’s Better Than Ever

The first episode of "Blue Planet II" was aired in the U.K. this week to critical acclaim, showcasing some of the most remarkable camerawork ever seen on the seas, and even giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the huge efforts undergone in capturing this international TV event. 

Wildlife Photographers: Scrub Your GPS Data 

In a recent series about people, technology, and nature, Vice highlighted the growing problem of poachers who are using photographer’s GPS data to locate, harass, and kill rare animal species. In the US, one of the more prevalently poached species is the rattlesnake, a species that is almost exclusively North American.

 

If You Have Questions About Photographing a Rainforest Watch This

Here is a great video with some tips and tricks for photography in a tropical setting. Something that I'm sure a lot of us would kill for the opportunity to travel and shoot, the folks over at NatureTTL have some advice to save yourself a headache in the event you have that chance.

Powerful Images from the Wildlife Photographers of the Year

This week the Natural History Museum in London will hold the ceremony to announce the winners of the Wildlife Photographers of the Year. The winning images are powerful reminders of life beyond cell phones, Facebook, and other daily routines we have become accustomed to. Notably, some of the most impressive categories are from those not even old enough to drive.

 

On The Bright Side - The Iconic Dog Portraits of William Wegman

As Halloween nears, we are all soon to be bombarded with a litany of images in our social media feeds of our friend’s unwilling pets being forced to don cute/embarrassing outfits picked out by their fawning owners. In fact, it’s highly likely that we have perpetrated this subtle canine fashion abuse ourselves at some point and time in our lives. How can you help it? They’re just so darn cute.

Being a Professional Dog Photographer Is as Much Fun as It Sounds

Who's a good boy?! For around 45 years, William Wegman has been working with canine companions and exploring all of the peculiar possibilities that come to his mind. With a studio, lots of props, and a playful disposition, Wegman has crafted a career the revolves around man's best friend. 

The Stunning Images From an Underwater Photography Competition

Scuba Diving magazine just released the winners of their 13th annual underwater photography competition. This year’s “Through Your Lens” contest features incredible images taken over this past year from photographers throughout the world. 

Fstoppers Interviews Fine Art Photographer George Wheelhouse

George Wheelhouse is a fine art nature and landscape photographer from Bedfordshire, U.K. I recently spoke with him about his contemporary portraits of animals, as well as his more traditional woodland and mountain landscapes. Though many of Wheelhouse's favorite subjects are local, he told me that he loves to travel to remote locations, particularly to Nordic areas.

Is The Nikon D850 The Best Wildlife Camera Too?

When it comes to wildlife photography, high megapixel cameras aren't normally the first kind of cameras that most people tend to think of. Cameras such as the Canon 1DX Mark II, the Nikon D5, and the Sony a9 come to mind, due to their incredible burst rates, rugged build quality, and amazing autofocus systems.

Quickly Remove Leashes From Dog Portraits in Photoshop

As a dog photographer, one critical post-processing skill is the ability to remove leashes from your images. It is often the single most time-consuming step of editing your dog portraits. I have tried many techniques for removing leashes, and I find this one to be the fastest while producing great results.