Embracing the Challenge
My Shift from Static Nature Scenes to Dynamic Wildlife
Back in November 2023, I decided to make the jump to include wildlife in my nature photography. Prior to this, I almost exclusively shot static scenes in nature since I began my photography journey in December 2020, except when wildlife presented itself by happenstance.
To begin this new journey, I decided to invest in some new equipment, specifically the Fujifilm XF 150-600mm lens. Although not required for wildlife photography, I knew that my primary subjects would likely be birds, and that extra reach would help me get the shots I wanted.
Before diving into wildlife photography, I had worked professionally with wildlife for the past five years. This experience provided me with a solid knowledge base and understanding of my subjects, which greatly aided my learning curve.
Deciding to start wildlife photography in November, specifically focusing on birds, posed a unique challenge. Why, you might ask? Living in Ontario, we experience winter, so many birds migrate south seeking warmer temperatures and food. This made my choice of subjects limited and scarce, but this did not deter me.
I spent most of the winter months photographing the various “common” species that call Ontario home year-round, along with some visiting waterfowl from up north. It took a bit of learning to finally understand that the ISO will get high sometimes in wildlife photography, especially after spending the last few years focusing on ISO 100 for the cleanest image. But once I overcame those hurdles, I began to come away with some quality results.
As I write this article, spring is well underway, along with the spring migration. With the return of many different species to Ontario, I have been spending a lot of time outdoors in various settings, trying to make the most of the migration and capture all the “new” species that have returned. It’s been both a challenging and rewarding experience, as I spend time both in my office researching different species of interest and where they might be located, testing out my theories in the field, and hopefully coming away with some images to share.
Throughout my journey, these two applications have been invaluable. Whether you’re new or experienced, I’d highly suggest looking into these two great applications/websites:
iNaturalist:
iNaturalist is a platform where users share photos of plants and animals for identification by the community and experts. It helps track biodiversity and supports citizen science. I personally enjoy using it to confirm the identification of animals I have spotted, or just to learn more about what's in my local area.
eBird/Merlin:
eBird is a database for birdwatchers to record sightings and contribute to research. Merlin Bird ID is its companion app for easy bird identification through simple questions and location-based suggestions. Merlin even has the ability to identify birds by their song/sounds! I use Merlin constantly to learn to identify the various birds in my area by sound.
Although I have made progress, there are still many challenges to overcome. Specifically, ensuring I set the right shutter speed. I often find myself engrossed in the moment, and the camera becomes secondary. It isn’t until I remember that I’d also like to take a photo that I raise the camera, but I typically forget to change the shutter speed, which sometimes results in soft or blurry images. I am very thankful for the return of spring and the spring migrants, as it will give me many different subjects to practice on.
Until the next post!
-Greg