Animals are very interesting to photograph...Especially, wild and feral animals. Many times you have to be in the right place at the right time with the right equipment.
Usually these type photos can not be planned out because wild animals will do what they want to do. My trick is to just start shooting and as I see what the animal is doing, I adjust.
There is also the idea of patience. If I really want to get the shot of certain animals, I may wait upwards of an hour just to get the shot. The funny thing is that I don't know what "the shot" is until it happens. This is all up to the animals...
My Desert Cottontail...I ran into this guy early one morning outside of the CBS7 News station in Odessa, TX. I followed him for about an hour. I just had to lay in a prone position and let the rabbit do all of the work.
This pair of ducks were easy to shoot. I took my camera out to the A Street duck pond in Midland, TX with the intention of getting some shots of these beautiful animals and I just happened to be lucky enough to catch them snoozing.
I want to note that this was early in the morning, as I wanted the light of dawn. Dusk would have worked as well, but more people would be out at dusk and the plan was to focus more on nature.
This little fella was captured at Ladybird Lake in Austin, TX. I would have preferred a different angle, but I had to get the shot and the only other angle would have involved me jumping into the Colorado River.
I am including this one squirrel photo to show that not all shots of animals are perfect. I would like to have been closer, but then I would have missed the flying squirrel.
Alright, this was a feral cat that used to hang out behind CBS7 in Odessa, TX. She was fed by one of the receptionists, but being feral, would not come near humans.
I bring this up, because some people may notice the cigarette butt in many of the shots. While it may be okay to move things in certain situations, if I had tried to move the butt, then the cat would have ran away and I would have never taken these shots.
I hope you have enjoyed these animal shots. See you next time.
Cheers,
Shane H. Wilder