Wildlife Photography, Value of Patience

Value of Patience when photographing wildlife.

The key to good wildlife photography is patience.  During my photo workshop on Assateague Island, I observed two ruddy turnstones at Ferry Landing.  Class participants took several fine photos capturing interaction between the two.  Since I don’t typically photogrpah with the class, I could not resist returning to the same area on the following day in hopes of having similar success.  That morning I spent several hours photographing ruddy turnstones, willets, and least sandpipers until canoers arrived interested in launching their boats from the shore.  My patience resulted in several great shots including one showing the turnstone flipping shells in search of food, another feeding on eggs, one bathing, another stretching its wings, etc. If you want to capture action, you must watch and wait.  If lucky, you will be able to capture behavior that you can not see with your eye. Of course you need fast shutter speeds for this.  That is where fast lenses and cameras that perform well at high ISOs give you an advantage,  With careful observation, you may be able to predict what is coming next which makes your images more unique. This sense of satisfaction is part of the reward for pursuing wildlife photography.