Wild animals can be unpredictable, making it challenging to capture them. However, with understanding, patience, and the right tools, you can become skilled at capturing elusive creatures. Surprisingly, even using your smartphone is an option!
One advantage of using your smartphone for wildlife photography is the convenience it offers. Since you usually have your phone with you, you can capture those unexpected moments on the go. No need to carry heavy gear or cameras during your adventure! However, capturing an animal moment is not easy. If you don’t have the proper training and skills, you won’t get a great shot and you’ll miss the moment.
Photography Tips for Capturing Animal Moments
#1 Use The Rule Of Thirds
This is a classic photography technique. You may already be familiar with it, even if you’re a beginner. It works for all types of photography, not just wildlife. The Rule of Thirds suggests that dividing your frame into a 3×3 grid can lead to a pleasing composition. Placing the subject off-center, on one of the points where the grid lines intersect, is key. Give it a try! It truly works!
#2 Adjust the Lighting Settings
Double tap on your screen in camera mode to bring up lighting adjustment controls. Adjust the lighting by sliding the bar left or right, while keeping an eye on the preview image for the right lighting. If you have an iPhone, tap to select the subject and then adjust the lighting to ensure it’s adjusted specifically for them.
#3 Free Up Space On Your Smartphone
To avoid encountering the “Insufficient memory” message at the most unexpected and important moment, you need to take care of this in advance. You can often free up a lot of space using a phone cleaner. First, you could try here and check how much memory you can free up. This phone app can remove temporary data, duplicate photos, and compress videos.
#4 Use Backlight
Your natural instinct may lead you to position yourself with the sun behind, fully illuminating the subject. Yet, do not underestimate the exquisite beauty of a backlit glow. This technique is particularly effective when capturing hairy animals, as the sun highlights each and every strand, creating a mesmerizing effect.
#5 Crop to Draw Focus
Cropping your photos is a breeze with BeFunky’s user-friendly cropping tool. Whether you want to remove unwanted edges or center your composition, you have various options at your disposal. You can freely choose your own parameters with the freeform mode or go for preset modes like square or golden ratio. It’s all up to you!
#6 Get Down Low
For wildlife photography, capturing images from the animal’s eye level or even lower usually yields the best results. This may involve going as far as lying flat on your stomach!
Avoid taking pictures from a higher vantage point as it tends to disconnect you from the animal. I always encourage photographers to kneel down or, even better, lie down. The improvement in their photography from this lower perspective often surprises them.
#7 Don’t Forget About the Background
Repositioning yourself slightly can often result in capturing a significantly improved image. For instance, in this photo, the stork is elegantly framed by the dark arc of the tree behind it. Had the tree been positioned directly behind the stork’s head, the photo wouldn’t have been as appealing. Additionally, controlling your aperture plays a crucial role here. By using a wide aperture to create a shallow depth of field and a beautifully blurred background, you can make the subject stand out even more. I will discuss gear in greater detail below.
#8 Don’t Depend on Nature
The day I took this photo, it was pouring with rain. We had to trek through the jungle for about two hours just to reach the gorillas. I wasn’t even sure if I could get my camera out of the bag (you can read more about this adventure here). Surprisingly, the rain turned out to be a good thing. Look at the brightness in the leaves and the wetness of his fur. This image is much more captivating than if it had been dry.
#9 Adjust the Colors
The BeFunky Color tool simplifies color adjustments in your composition. Adjust the hue, temperature, and saturation using the slider, enabling you to enhance the colors in your image.
#10 Get Creative With Filters and Effects
Adding a filter is a simple method for enhancing your images. You can effortlessly apply a variety of filters and effects to improve the quality of your images. BeFunky offers a wide range of photo effects and filters for you to choose from.
Conclusion
Capturing wildlife is an incredibly rewarding experience. When equipped with the necessary tools and technology, the possibilities are endless. With some preparation and an abundance of patience, you will be amazed at the stunning images and cherished memories that will endure forever.
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