How to find wildlife (for photography)
So, you want to photograph wildlife; you’ve got the camera, you’ve got some free time and you are all set to go! But wait… How exactly do you find wildlife to photograph? Is it just a case of stepping outside and hoping for the best? Or is there a skill to it? In today’s post, I will be going over the three main factors that affect how to find wildlife in the hopes of giving you a better chance out in the field! If you prefer watching to reading- then check out this YouTube video that summaries all three points and you get to see me walking around a country park at the same time!
Factor #1: Research
Research is your best friend when it comes to finding wildlife. Researching species, habitat, timings, and your local area will all help you to hopefully find the wildlife you are after. For example, it is all well and good wanting to photo a particular species (let’s say a fox) BUT heading out in the midday sun to a your local canal is probably not going to help you achieve this goal. Instead, before you head out I suggest you thoroughly research the species – Use websites such as RSPB, Woodland trust, and Wildlife Trust (also my website is pretty good…) to read up on the species- its habitats, behaviour, diet and activity. Alongside this I also suggest you do some research on your local area- I suggest joining local Facebook groups, talking to friends and family and other wildlife enthusiasts to find out what they have seen, if they know of any good locations, and if they have any tips for you.
Quick side note though, some people don’t like to share locations particularly if that species is endangered/at risk from other factors and that’s just the way it is sometimes.
If this does happen don’t panic- there are plenty of other ways to find locations, such as checking local park wildlife boards, google maps and through exploring areas yourself.
Factor #2: Maximising Possibility
The second factor to consider is maximising your possibilities and by this, I mean the only way to see wildlife is to get outside with wildlife. This might sound quite obvious but actually it takes consistency and repetition- going to the same location numerous times as much as possible because -and I cannot emphasis this enough- WILDLIFE IS UNPREDICTABLE. No matter how much research you do, you cannot ever know if the wildlife will show up, so the best chance you have is to just keep going back until you get the one occasion when you and the species you are after are out at the same time.
Factor #3: Luck
What I perhaps love most about wildlife photography and what is also the final factor that affects finding wildlife to photograph is luck. At the end of it all and no matter how much research you do or how long you spend out in the field the majority of the time finding that species you so desperately want to photograph is down to luck. As I said above wildlife is unpredictable and although its possible to increase your luck (with research and getting out there), it is still just a case of hoping for the best.
