Wildlife Photography – A Guide for the Common Photographer
We have all looked at National Geographic Magazine with absolute wonder of the photographic quality contained in the pages of that remarkable magazine. Many of us have dreamed of creating photographs that rival those astonishing pictures. But the idea of producing such a great capture and the reality of it are two completely different things. Some of us have gone to great efforts to get good compelling shots of wildlife only to return hungry, sore, tired, and defeated. I am one of those people and the only place I have had any success is in Africa.
In this article I would like to share with you how I suddenly came up with an incredible portfolio of wildlife that was worth every penny. Shockingly simple but a tad bit expensive, I’ll also share how I got over my morale objections to this method.
Taking good pictures of wildlife is a challenge the average person has no understanding of. And to be more specific, my desires for wildlife photography are large predators. I can get close to deer, elk, moose, etc. And I can even reach out and touch a buffalo! But how often do I see a Bear, Wolves, or a Mountain Lion? Fleeting glimpses at best and I have never seen a Mountain Lion in the wild. I have jumped up and down with glee at that mere discovery of a track but I’ve never seen one.
It should be noted that I’m using a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens so I have to get very close for that frame filling shot.
Some time ago I was at a Photoshop workshop hosted Lewis Kemper. Lewis is a world renowned nature photographer who has made it into National Geographic. And he was using some beautiful shots of Mountain Lions. After the workshop, I cornered Lewis and asked him how he got the shots. He admitted they were captive animals. His answer didn’t surprise me as I had done a lot of research on the subject and it all was coming down to that.
I must confess that I had a certain disdain for photographing captive animals in wild settings and then passing them off as authentic. I also had plenty of concerns about the conditions the animals live in. But I decided to set my apprehensions aside and find a place that provided such services.
Simply by typing “”Game Farm”” into a search engine gave me several choices. I chose the Triple D Game Farm in Kalispell, MT because of the variety of species to choose from and their understanding of my concerns. I have often wondered how we can say what emotions an animal is feeling but I must say these animals were happy. Additionally, they have several endangered species which are part of a worldwide captive breeding program. There is a lot more than just feeding and setting up for the next photographer going on at Game Farms.
I went during a scheduled photography session and I was shooting with six other photographers. They also schedule private sessions but those are considerably more expensive. The sessions were not too early or late and the size of the group made for comfortable shooting. The handlers were very professional and accommodating to each photographer’s needs and the animals were just hams in front of the camera.
So if you are looking to take that stunning shot of a pinnacle predator but don’t have the resources to get it done the old fashion way. Consider a Game Farm. I did and I could not be happier.