If you love taking pictures of wildlife then this article will be sure to give you some helpful tips that you can start using today. Animal photography (also called wildlife photography) includes the entire animal kingdom from house pets to zebras. This article focuses on photographing wildlife, but you can apply many of these tips to photographing Muffin or Fido. To learn how nature photographers get those amazing wildlife photos, read on and learn how you can too.

The photography basics for taking great pictures of wildlife begin with these tips. As always there are exceptions, but the following go a long ways towards ensuring successful animal photography:

• Use natural lighting to your advantage

• Fill the frame with the subject

• Focus on the eyes

• Shoot from various angles

• Capture personality

Perhaps you are wondering how you can, without a huge lens and SLR safely get close enough to a wild animal to "capture their personality" or "fill the frame"?

Even professional wildlife photographers don't always take their animal photos in the wild. Most of the wonderful pictures you see of wolves, polar bears and other wild creatures were taken at wildlife sanctuaries and zoos. Cheating? Maybe, but it's safer for the photographer and doesn't disturb their free roaming cousins' mating and feeding cycles.

Some of the wildlife sanctuaries offer special tours for photographers, but even without the advantages these tours offer (often being allowed to get closer shots and without all the people), there are many things the hobbyist with a compact can do to take professional looking photographs of wildlife.

Animal Photography Tips for Zoos and Sanctuaries

1. Simplify the Composition: If the background is distracting, use a wide aperture or Portrait mode to blur it. Or, you can use photo editing software like Photoshop to blur or clean up the background.

2. Go Natural:

Avoid showing cage bars, fences, humans, signs, etc. If it is safe and not against the rules to do so, point the lens through a gap in the chain link, so you can take the photo without the fence showing. Sometimes there will be a vantage point that allows you to shoot over the top of the fence. Look for areas like these that are perfect for a photo. Again, use a good photo editing software to blur what you couldn't get rid of while taking your picture.

3. Fill the Frame:

Use zoom (optical for best quality) or a telephoto lens to get close ups.

4. Use Sports Mode:

Use Sports mode or set shutter speed priority to around 1/250 to freeze movements.

5. Use Light and Weather to Best Effect:

Overcast days are often best for animal photography. If the overcast light isn't super bright, it will help minimize glare from water or light colored backgrounds. If the overcast is too dark and you have an SLR, raise the ISO. With the right amount of overcast, you can get well exposed, sharp pictures with your compact, and the animals won't be squinting.

Since the eyes are usually the most expressive, they are generally the best place to focus so be patient in getting a picture of their eyes wide open and not squinting. Another way to avoid this problem is to take the picture when the animal's back is to the sun. In this situation, you'll need to use flash fill (turn off the automatic flash and set to "on") to prevent underexposure or a silhouette. You will also need to wear a broad brimmed hat or use a lens hood to prevent lens flare.

6. Try this When Shooting through Glass:

When you want a picture of a terrarium or aquarium critter, turn on the flash and shoot from an angle. Be sure to check your manual for the safe distance when using flash to photograph living beings without damaging eyes. Or turn off the flash and gently press your lens right up against the glass.

7. Plan your Visits for the Best Photo Ops:

Many people will especially love seeing your animal photography when it includes baby animals. Often sanctuaries and zoos post on their websites when new babies are arriving, or you can call and check. Another good photo op is feeding time. Animals that hide out during much of the day will come out to eat. Lastly, if you are going to a zoo or sanctuary when the weather is hot, always go early in the day as this will be when the animals are most active.

8. Use Context:

While usually it's best to fill the frame with the animal, sometimes the context is too interesting to bypass. Examples of using context include a child and baby animal looking at each other, or a giraffe bending down to look at something.

9. Capture Expressions:

Animals, whether our pets or wildlife, make the cutest expressions. Be ready with your camera! Even just normal expressions like a wolf pup yawning or a tiger licking its lips are cute or interesting. The more you learn about your favorite species, the better able you will be to capture these fun shots.

So, the next time you're ready to take some wildlife pictures, use these animal photo tips and you'll be amazed at the difference applying this tips can have on your photos.