When I first started wildlife photography, I spent most of my time in the field learning through trial and error. Along the way, I made plenty of mistakes. Some of those mistakes cost me award winning images and true wall hangers. By sharing these early missteps, my goal is to help you avoid missed opportunities and shorten your learning curve.
1. Time of Day
Early on, I did much of my wildlife photography during mid day hours. The light was harsh, unflattering, and difficult to work with in post processing. Strong overhead light created deep shadows and high contrast that limited dynamic range and flexibility in editing. Learning to prioritize early morning and late afternoon light made an immediate and lasting difference in image quality.
2. Lighting Angles
Most of my early images were front lit, with the sun positioned roughly five to fifteen degrees over my shoulder. While this can reveal feather detail and texture, it also limited creativity. As I gained experience, I began experimenting with side light and backlight, which added depth, drama, and mood. Understanding how different lighting angles affect form and learning how to edit for each scenario is essential.
3. Exposure Compensation
For my first six months, I rarely used exposure compensation. That was a major mistake. Exposure compensation is critical for achieving accurate exposures and is also a powerful creative tool, especially for silhouettes. When photographing white birds in Florida, it is often the difference between preserving feather detail and blowing out highlights.
4. Getting Low
Many of my early images were shot handheld while standing upright. Over time, I learned the importance of getting low. Now, I aim for the lowest possible angle whenever conditions allow. Shooting from eye level creates a stronger connection with the subject and can emphasize scale by placing animals among grass, leaves, or their natural environment.
5. ISO Management
Because I was frequently shooting in low light, I tried too hard to keep my ISO as low as possible. This often resulted in shutter speeds that were just slightly too slow. Even minimal subject movement led to soft images. At the time, my fear of noise outweighed the importance of sharpness. That decision cost me many action shots that could not be recovered later.
6. Depth of Field
I defaulted to shooting wide open on my 200 to 500mm lens to achieve the shallowest possible depth of field. While this can be effective, it also increases the risk of missed focus. Too often, focus would land on the beak or nose rather than the eye, leaving the most important part of the image soft. I avoided stopping down to f6.3, f7.1, or f8, especially for birds in flight, and missed critical detail as a result.
7. Shutter Speed
I missed many tack sharp birds in flight images because my shutter speeds did not match my skill level. I frequently used around 1 1500 of a second when I should have been closer to 1 2000 or even 1 3200. Faster shutter speeds provide cleaner wing detail and reduce motion blur, especially when tracking fast moving subjects.
These lessons came at a cost, but they shaped how I approach wildlife photography today. If they help you avoid even a few missed shots, then those early mistakes were worth making.
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Wildlife and nature photography is rarely about luck. More often, it comes down to preparation, awareness, and understanding how light, weather, and animal behavior work together. Over the years, I have found that a thoughtfully chosen set of phone apps can dramatically improve both planning and success in the field. These tools help reduce guesswork, improve safety, and allow you to focus more on observation, patience, and creativity.
Every artist has people who help guide, shape, and inspire their journey. Here are a few of the talented individuals who have had a meaningful impact on my growth as a photographer and lover of the natural world:
