What is Wildlife Photography? It is an art form that can be defined as a type of photography that emphasizes the beauty of nature. It is a very beautiful, interesting and rewarding genre of photography devoted to capturing different varieties of wild life in their natural environment. In essence, it is an effort to capture in pictures the wild things around us. The focus is on the creatures’ appearance rather than on how they move, or their habits. In fact, some of the most beautiful photography I have seen has been of animals behaving in ways that we do not expect.
I have a friend who take pictures almost every day, mostly of birds, but also of squirrels, rabbits and even bats. And what is more interesting is that these creatures are all from the same species. It is quite amazing to see such different behaviours in one location. Some of them have really strange appearances, but it is definitely worth the effort to look at these images, especially if you love nature and wish to take photographs of it.
So what is wildlife photography about? Many people take it up as a hobby, and they often try to turn it into a profession too. They usually start off taking pictures of wild animals to document the growth of their population, and they will later turn their attention to bird species. And why not? Birding is one of the most enjoyable activities in the world: you get to watch thousands of species of birds in the most amazing locations, and learn a lot about their conservation status too.
But what is wildlife to many people is death. And for many people, this is exactly what they want. Their aim is to take as many photos of animals and display them in museums and galleries as possible. They want to show the real beauties of nature, so that the beauty of the urban jungle is robbed of its majestic glory.
But this photography can be done without cruelty: as a matter of fact, there is even a kind of photography that tries to avoid photographing the killer animals. The term is called safari photography, and it refers to a kind of photography that tries to depict the wildness of a certain location by means of a photograph taken in an air-conditioned and highly controlled environment. This is done with the aim of turning the photograph into something that is much more natural and aesthetic than what is displayed in a zoo or a museum, which tries to make the viewer experience the ‘natural’ through the medium of the camera.
And what is wildlife photography good for? This can be seen very clearly on some of the popular wildlife websites. On such sites you will see some magnificent photographs taken by amateurs, and they offer a great deal of advice and tips on how to approach this hobby. And they show people just how beautiful animal life can be.
And what is wildlife photography bad? As a matter of fact, many people who are new to this have discovered just how harmful this can be. In many cases the photos that they have ‘collected’ could be the start of a campaign to get endangered animals removed from their homes. Some people have even tried to organize hunts for big cats, in an effort to help raise awareness about this type of photography.
And what is wildlife photography good for? Well, this would depend very much on what your purpose for using it is: if you just want to look at some magnificent scenes, then this type of photography could be perfect for you. On the other hand, if you wish to take pictures of a particular location in order to share it with the world, then the subject matter must be something that pleases you. It can be nature, or it could be the creatures living in that particular location: it could be a bird or a cat or any number of different animals. But whatever your aim, it is certainly worth taking a look at some beautiful wildlife photography.