Characteristics and Behavior

The more time I spend photographing wildlife, the more I enjoy it, but what constitutes a good shot is evolving. At first, I was excited to see the animals in the wild, and a photograph was just a bonus to prove I witnessed it. Getting a well-composed shot and in focus was obviously the next step up. And soon, I was interested in capturing some of their environment, highlighting how natural and adapted they were to their surroundings. But now, I’m focused on characteristics and behavior.

Learning more about their behavior and studying their character reveals more personality and allows you to predict how best to compose the shot or when the best time to hit the shutter will be. When I learned that herons also hunted on land, I knew to wait patiently until it pierced the ground and came up with a gopher in its beak. Understanding how a coyote moves made me think of composing it sneaking through the grass, partially hidden. In return, I want to learn more about the animals I photograph to improve every time.