Taking beautiful pictures with animals always interests many people because it embodies the harmony and beauty of nature. After all, animals are also friends of humans. Perfect animal photography requires technique and patience. This article will explain how to get good photos.
When we see cute photos of animals on social media, we are often attracted by their lively facial expressions, skillful gestures, and the natural light and shadow effect, and feel the desire to take such shots ourselves. But do you know? It requires not only precise camera settings but also understanding of animal behavior.
In this article, we will discuss preparation and photography techniques in detail to convey the basic logic behind beautiful animal photos. This way, even beginners can quickly master the technique and take beautiful pictures with animals.
Preparation: Understanding animals is more important than snapping
The core of beautiful animal pictures lies in capturing the true beauty hidden in the natural state of animals. Want to take a moving animal photo? The first things are observation and waiting.
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Understanding animal behavior
Different animals behave very differently. Pets like dogs and cats are especially active in the morning and evening, and cats like to observe the surroundings from a height, while dogs are interested in moving toys or food.
Wild animals like birds and squirrels search for food in the morning. Water birds often gather in shallow water areas, while forest birds prefer the canopy layer.
When we go to take photos of animals in the zoo, it is advisable to avoid peak visitor times, then animals are more relaxed. Regarding large animals like bears or wolves, we keep a safe distance to avoid disturbing them.
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Use targeted tips and tricks
Most animals react very sensitively to foreign objects; intrusive approach can cause them to hide or flee. Therefore, it is recommended:
Keep distance: shoot from afar with a telephoto lens. This avoids disturbing animals or their habitats.
Reduce presence: It is important to wear clothing in colors similar to the environment. Dark green or brown like forests and khaki like steppes are suitable. It is also important to always move gently.
Food is also a good aid. With pets or some wild animals like deer, we can place a small amount of food beforehand that does not affect the animals' health.
Photographic techniques: capturing the beauty of animals
The magic of animal photography lies in the breathtaking moment when the cat blinks or a bird spreads its wings. And to capture these details, photographic techniques are indispensable. These include choosing a suitable aperture, correctly controlling shutter speed, and setting the appropriate ISO sensitivity.
The aperture controls the depth of field. The rule is: the smaller the aperture opening, i.e., the higher the f-number, the less light passes through the lens opening and the less depth of field is created. With a large aperture, the photo becomes lighter, and the focused subject stands out from the blurred background, creating bokeh.
If we want to take a close-up of the cat, a large aperture is a good choice. During the shot, we can focus on its eyes; manual focusing is recommended here. When it comes to a flock of ducklings, a small aperture is suitable. This way, both the front and back ducklings remain sharp in the image.
Shutter speed determines whether we can freeze motion. Simply put, a higher shutter speed is suitable for fast-moving animals, as movements are frozen in time, while longer shutter speeds suffice for static animals. Shutter speed should be precisely adjusted to the speed of movement.
To take beautiful pictures of animals, we need suitable cameras and lenses. The SIRUI AURORA series is characterized by a fast aperture and precise autofocus. The fast F1.4 aperture allows bright viewing and helps increase shutter speed, which is ideal for capturing the fantastic moments of animals. And the precise autofocus guarantees sharp imaging and high quality.
ISO balances sensitivity and noise. During the day outdoors, ISO 100 to 400 is sufficient, as there is almost no noise. In cloudy skies or low light, for example when photographing a squirrel in the tree's shadow, ISO 800 to 1600 is recommended because modern cameras can handle this well today. For night shots, e.g., a stray cat under a streetlamp, we need ISO 1600 to 3200, and we also enable noise reduction at high ISO in the camera menus.
Conclusion
Beautiful pictures with animals are not just the result of various elements, but the combination of technique and observation with feelings. When we observe them patiently and wait for the moment, the photos already become a piece of life's memory.
