P#7 Q5A: Being Prepared for All Wildlife Photography Situations
When you photograph wildlife, how much is the result of planning ahead and how much is serendipity?
Since Roy Toft is a professional wildlife photographer, he is frequently on assignment. One of our listeners wondered if he goes to a certain area with the intention of photographing a specific animal or if he picks a place and photographs anything and everything that seems interesting.
Expanding your focus on wildlife
Roy Toft: Yes, I do go to a place to photograph with something pre-thought out, pre-visualized. I'm going there for a certain subject. Oftentimes, that will be if I'm on assignment, and the article is about African wild hunting dogs.
Well, that's what I'm being paid to photograph. I'm definitely thinking about that being my main subject.
Now with that said, a photographer never passes up an opportunity. So if you're sitting in a blind waiting for your subject that you're determined to photograph, and something else comes to the waterhole or another opportunity arises, every photographer is going to shoot that as well.
So, it's a little bit of both. On some of the trips I do (like my Japan trip), we have specific animals we're going to photograph. We have the snow monkeys or the cranes. That's going to be our main focus.
But there are always opportunities that come up... other animals come in... or a scenic... or some other photographic opportunity.
You really have to take advantage of those. You work every situation to its fullest and work the light the best that you can. Then you move on.
In conclusion
Even when on assignment, Roy Toft takes advantage of all wildlife photography opportunities. While he keeps his main focus on the animal he planned to photograph, he doesn't ignore other subjects that appear, including both animals and landscapes.
« P#7 Q4: How Do I Get the Best Photos Possible on a Photo Safari? | Home | P#7 Q5B: Is There an Ideal Number of Photos to Take of a Specific Animal in a Given Situation? »
