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Laurali
Hi, I'm Laurali! I live in a tiny, seaside fishing village in Florida where I nurture my plants, go hiking in the woodland, and wear flowers in my hair.
17 Dec 20
Hiking . Photography

Outdoor Photography Ideas For Animals and Wildlife

A Florida squirrel peeking his head out from a hollow in a tree in mother nature + Shadow lighting

Today, we're learning some outdoor photography ideas for animals and wildlife! One of my favorite parts about canoodling with mother nature is communing with the animals of the forest and trees.

Part of being an adventurer is exploring the wildlife that lives and grows in the hollows of nature.  That's why it's always important to keep a camera on hand with you at all times!  You never know when you're going to get that perfect moment and the perfect shot.  

I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that the more you spend time in the hygge style heart of nature, the more you'll get to know the woodland creatures that live there.  The more time well spent, the more likely you'll have an encounter with a wild creature or a growing mushroom.

At some point, you'll make friends with the animals that live there!  It will be an all-knowing thing where you work with the woodland creatures to build trust slowly, over time with your presence.  The more wildlife pictures you take, the more you'll begin to follow your intuition on where to go and how to handle things.

Some of the Things You'll Learn:
  1. Where to Find Bird's Nests and Animal Habitats
  2. How to Spot an owl and owl symbolism
  3. Safety first!  Safety is probably the most important thing when snapping photographs of animals and wildlife.
  4. Genius Loci - Spirits of the land that you go on fern trail hiking adventures with!
  5. The art of patience - To photograph an animal, butterfly, or nature spirit, you must practice patience in order to get the shot.  
  6. How to follow a hunch that might lead to a picture that's worth a thousand words
  7. Good photography habits such as always keeping a camera on hand!
  8. How to connect with the nature spirits and the fairy realm
  9. How to make friends with the animals at a safe distance
  10. How to keep a field journal of the wildlife you come across by taking snapshots

Outdoor Photography Ideas For Animals and Wildlife

In order to get the best pictures of animals, keep a few ideas in the back of your mind.  Most of the time it's going to be the luck of the draw because you never know what you're going to see that day.  

For example, one day you might see a sidewinder snake in the sand of the Mojave desert and the next day you might see a jackrabbit.  Honestly, you never know how it's going to go!

Keeping this in mind, try to come up with ideas for the future of animals you'd like to photograph in your region or country.  When going on road trips, make a list of those places.  It increases the likelihood of you actually spotting a cool animal and getting it on camera!

For Animals and Wildlife:
  • Macro-photography for animals.  Again, this is an extreme closeup so please be careful because hey, these are wild animals in their natural habitats.  Always keep safety at the front of your mind.  You can take a picture of snakeskin, the scales of a lizard, and the fur of a woodland creature to start!
  • A fish jumping out of the water.  This one can be difficult to pull off but if you go at the right time of day and you are patient, it could happen for you!  The best time for this is early morning when predators are feeding and just before sunset.  
  • A bird claw  It's a rare moment when you can get that close to a bird without scaring it away.  It's cool to see the pattern on their claws that they use for hunting.  
  • An osprey nest.  Really any bird's nest will do but wouldn't it be fun to capture a bird of prey in its nest?
  • Monkey in a tree.  Granted, this might only happen if you visit a jungle in South America, but hey, that could be an awesome long-term photography goal to have!
  • An alligator swimming in a bayou.  I see them all the time in Florida and have yet to capture them.  It's because it always happens the one time I don't have my darn camera present.  This goes back to the rule of always have your camera with you and at the ready!
Taking pictures of humans and wild animals together:
  • Um, no.  Just don't.  There was a guy recently who tried to take a selfie with a bear and was attacked and killed.  Use your noodle and play it safe.
  • On the other hand, if it's a safe animal such as a bird or squirrel, you can take a picture with a human near the wild animal.  Please know the difference between your safe animals and the dangerous ones.  
  • Don't touch wild animals either.  One day we stopped on the side of the road to try to save a baby turtle.  It turned out to be an alligator snapping turtle, so I led it in the right direction without touching it or picking it up.  

For more hiking tips, you might enjoy, Hiking Tips for Visiting Wildlife Preserves in Florida!  This will especially be handy if you ever get a chance to visit the south or for taking a vacation in Florida.  I also have found that locals really enjoy this little nature guide.

The more you spend time in the wilds of nature, the more you'll feel at home there.  When you feel relaxed and in a state of flow and joy, that's when magical things happen with a camera in your hand!

You''ll feel at ease with your environment and this, in turn, allows the animals and creatures of the woodland to feel comfortable around you too.  Many animals cross paths with humans, but many will have a weak connection to them.  

However, if you have a special connection with animals and plant life, you'll be able to attract the right kind of woodland creatures to you for a quick hello!  Depending on where you live, you might find a snail crawling on a tree branch or a beaver making a damn in the water.  

You've just got to practice a little bit of patience and take your time meandering the forest with a forest bath!  This allows you the luxury of making long-lasting connections within the forest.  It will become a safe haven and a place you can always go back to.  What could be better than that?

Laurali Star
Hi, I'm Laurali! I write about moon magic and seasonal shifts and all things faery. about me
written by: Laurali Star
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