There seem like as many ways to find and photograph wildlife as there are photographers but the single most common question I get is 'How do you find wildlife to photograph'. Honestly there's plenty of days where I struggle with that myself but I thought it might make for an interesting thread to share some photos along with how those photos came about. Whether that's driving around a wildlife refuge, going on safari, visiting a hot spot in peak season, feeding backyard birds or just stumbling across wildlife when out and about with a camera at the ready.

Here's one from a couple of summers ago. I was driving dirt Forest Service side roads looking for wildlife and noticed this Pronghorn working his way down an old river wash below the road. From the car I'd only get top down shots and he'd already passed me so I'd be chasing him for any kind of shot. So I watched him for a few minutes and it was clear he was browsing his way Westward more or less paralleling the road. So instead of following him I drove about a mile down road and found a good place to park then grabbed my D500 and 200-500mm lens and started working my way back Eastward up the wash moving pretty slowly, looking and listening more than walking.

It took about ten minutes till he appeared still working towards me. I captured a few images as he moved in my direction and eventually he noticed me standing next to a tree and turned but stuck around for a while before sauntering away. I liked the way he glanced back before moving into heavier brush.



So anyone else want to share some images and stories from the field and how you found a subject to put in front of your lens?

Great photo Dave. Thank you for the explanation of how you got the shot. I never thought of driving ahead and then back tracking on foot. Excellent tip.

Great shot Dave!

Great Thread Dave... I'm having a devil of a time right now finding anything to shoot... Went to the local Wildlife refuge an hour away for the house two days this week and saw 5 birds total... At least I'm getting some exercise I guess! I guess Im going to have to start learning to photograph something other than wildlife... :(


Great back story on the above something I would have done myself.

gordon_g said:

Went to the local Wildlife refuge an hour away for the house two days this week and saw 5 birds total... At least I'm getting some exercise I guess! I guess Im going to have to start learning to photograph something other than wildlife... :(

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I know the feeling and have gone through dry spells like that.

Sometimes when things feel like that I get out a map or spend time on the web and start exploring new places to shoot. No guarantees the new places will have any more activity but I figure if the reliable places aren't currently reliable for wildlife then I might as well be out exploring new options and I may discover a new favorite spot in the process.

DRwyoming said:

I know the feeling and have gone through dry spells like that.

Sometimes when things feel like that I get out a map or spend time on the web and start exploring new places to shoot. No guarantees the new places will have any more activity but I figure if the reliable places aren't currently reliable for wildlife then I might as well be out exploring new options and I may discover a new favorite spot in the process.

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I was doing that last night... I've come to the conclusion I need to move further south....or near Yellowstone. Unfortunately neither is an option right now... the old " I owe, I owe its off to work I go". it not helping that I've been stuck in New York all summer because of travel restrictions.
You make some valid points that I just need to get out more and look of different places at least until the fall colors arrive.

gordon_g said:

You make some valid points that I just need to get out more and look of different places at least until the fall colors arrive.

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I sure don't claim to have any real answers to the wildlife dry spell problems as I run into that all the time.... and I do live near Yellowstone

But FWIW, I try to think out of the box and check local parks, streams or anywhere where wildlife might live.

I was on an out of state business trip a couple of years ago and had my camera gear with me. On the way to the hotel I passed the local transfer station outside of town which was a messy mound of trash with plastic bags blown around in the bushes and trees. Not a very scenic place but man were there a lot of birds flying around. I made a mental note and returned the following evening after my meetings. There were a ton of Gulls flying around but also some more interesting birds like this Caspian's Tern. Sure I stuck with high shots to keep the trash out of the photos but still had a good evening playing with BIF.


I guess the point is there can be interesting wildlife in all kinds of places so when thinking about new places to explore for shooting potential don't rule out less wild places that might still have wildlife around.

But I'm with you, it can be hard at times to find subjects and why I hope folks will share some images and the shooting strategies behind them so we can all pick up a few tricks of the trade.

I feel for you Gordon, This is the most depressing year I can remember. I don't want to go on and be a debbie downer. I am sure it will get better for us all. These threads do help some.

DRwyoming said:

I sure don't claim to have any real answers to the wildlife dry spell problems as I run into that all the time.... and I do live near Yellowstone

But FWIW, I try to think out of the box and check local parks, streams or anywhere where wildlife might live.

I was on an out of state business trip a couple of years ago and had my camera gear with me. On the way to the hotel I passed the local transfer station outside of town which was a messy mound of trash with plastic bags blown around in the bushes and trees. Not a very scenic place but man were there a lot of birds flying around. I made a mental note and returned the following evening after my meetings. There were a ton of Gulls flying around but also some more interesting birds like this Caspian's Tern. Sure I stuck with high shots to keep the trash out of the photos but still had a good evening playing with BIF.
View attachment 4636

I guess the point is there can be interesting wildlife in all kinds of places so when thinking about new places to explore for shooting potential don't rule out less wild places that might still have wildlife around.

But I'm with you, it can be hard at times to find subjects and why I hope folks will share some images and the shooting strategies behind them so we can all pick up a few tricks of the trade.

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Were you in Grant county Washington. It's shameful how much trash I see along the roadways and even in public access sites in the NWR sometimes.
But we are fortunate as we can almost always see something interesting if we look close enough out here.
Sometimes I will just hike along the rocks and look for marmots or birds.

Hut said:

Were you in Grant county Washington. It's shameful how much trash I see along the roadways and even in public access sites in the NWR sometimes.
But we are fortunate as we can almost always see something interesting if we look close enough out here.
Sometimes I will just hike along the rocks and look for marmots or birds.

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This was in Idaho, but I suspect it's a similar story. And yeah, it's a bummer to see how some communities deal with trash.

Hut said:

I feel for you Gordon, This is the most depressing year I can remember. I don't want to go on and be a debbie downer. I am sure it will get better for us all. These threads do help some.

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Right there with you Hut!

Brilliant captures Dave... I envy all of you'll with great surroundings to capture all the natural beauty. I for one am stuck on a tiny island city (Singapore) since the past several months and am totally depressed. This year has been truly bad...

Dave, great thread. My input will not really help as I am across the pond, nearly another planet too. However, from my past, I can share this. I worked away from home for 8 years! Left on a Sunday afternoon, back on Friday afternoon. The little town of Secunda has a Duck Pond, and I spend 6 years nearly every afternoon, weather permitting, between knock-off and sunset next to this dam shooting egrets and herons and duck, and whatever may come around. So, I have 1000's of images of these white chickens, as I call them, and it taught me how to pan long lenses on a tripod and wimberly. I also could spend many Sunday afternoons at Zibilo Hides, where anything bird wise was possible. You get to know your models, their behavior how and when they will react. Al this helps to fine-tune your action/reaction time - muscle memory as Steve calls it. Even in by yard, there are birds and sometimes, I am lucky to nice shots. The thing is to always have an eye out and a camera ready. Flowers, insects, other peoples dogs, there are so many opportunities. You live in a country where where it is reasonable safe to go out and return with your gear intact.
When I visit our son in OZ, I swot up all the possible place where I can try to track down their local wildlife. It is a habit to be always on the lookout, and sometimes you get lucky.
We are not allowed to leave the vehicle in our National Parks, the ones that have the guys with teeth and claws, so all vising and shooting are out of the car window. it is not always possible to get the right angle, but I will tell you, you learn to twist like a contortionist to get the lens aligned. Here are two lucky images with the D500 and the 500 PF from about 18 month ago. They flew over the backyard

Callie said:

My input will not really help as I am across the pond, nearly another planet too.

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Great stuff as always Callie. I figure your input is as good as anybody's as you find ways to get amazing subjects onto your sensors and not everybody here is stateside

Great advice on local ponds and blinds!

Here's one from this morning. The Elk rut is beginning here and I was up in the park (GTNP) before sunrise to head to some of my favorite meadows for seeing Bull Elk. I saw several well before sunrise at a distance, not much photographically but still good to see. I took a short walk near Lupine Meadows where I've often seen Elk and did see a few cows with a good sized bull following them as they worked through some timber in my direction. But the shot didn't happen as there were some loud noises back near the parking lot (sounded like a dump truck emptying a dumpster) and they made a hasty retreat into the heavy timber.

But as I stood there trying to decide what to do next this Stellar's Jay started hopping around some pine trees in front of me and gave a few shots like this one. I guess the point from a field craft standpoint is to just get out into good habitat and I can't count the number of times I was out looking for one thing and ended up finding some other wildlife just by virtue of being out there with my gear.

Nikon D5, 600mm @f/4, 1/1250", ISO 1250

Really Nice Dave! Have always wanted to be in that area when the elk are in rut... Love the Sounds! Happy Shooting in the near future looking forward to seeing some!

Awesome capture Dave!

I am really enjoying this thread Dave - thanks for starting it and sharing your stories and tips. And thanks to everyone else who has shared their tips and experiences.

I don't have much luck at finding wildlife so I always consider any encounter somewhat serendipitous. My attitude when I do go out hoping to photograph wildlife is that I am there to enjoy the trip and any wildlife that does appear is a bonus - as a result I am never disappointed. What I like to do is take advantage of what is available. Three years ago I went out with a small group of friends to photograph whales from a Zodiac. It was an amazing evening but there were very few 'good' opportunities to photograph whales. The breach, of course, is the photo everyone wants and there were no breaches that evening. Instead, we encountered at least 100 whales (no exaggeration) in the area. Most were Minke and probably some Fin whales as well. If there were any Humpbacks, they were not putting on a show for us that night. But it was amazing sitting in a Zodiac surrounded by whales (none came close to the boat) - you could hear them and you could see them blowing. As a special treat, there was an iceberg that could not be observed from shore. This trip was in July and icebergs in the St. John's area are extremely rare anytime after early June. I did not take many photos that evening, nor did anyone else. We had all been out in Zodiacs a number of times to photograph whales and the the whales that evening were, as one person on the Zodiac stated, boring! Here are 3 photos from that evening. They were not the kind of photos I was hoping to capture. But they are not bad for 'making do'.

Still a nice shot. Top Photo-Finback?

DRwyoming said:

Here's one from this morning. The Elk rut is beginning here and I was up in the park (GTNP) before sunrise to head to some of my favorite meadows for seeing Bull Elk. I saw several well before sunrise at a distance, not much photographically but still good to see. I took a short walk near Lupine Meadows where I've often seen Elk and did see a few cows with a good sized bull following them as they worked through some timber in my direction. But the shot didn't happen as there were some loud noises back near the parking lot (sounded like a dump truck emptying a dumpster) and they made a hasty retreat into the heavy timber.

But as I stood there trying to decide what to do next this Stellar's Jay started hopping around some pine trees in front of me and gave a few shots like this one. I guess the point from a field craft standpoint is to just get out into good habitat and I can't count the number of times I was out looking for one thing and ended up finding some other wildlife just by virtue of being out there with my gear.

Nikon D5, 600mm @f/4, 1/1250", ISO 1250
View attachment 4752

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Beautiful Stellar's Jay and an excellent point. That is the best technique I ever learned, spending time in the habitat and not being disruptive. You really learn so much that way also.

Ralph Bruno said:

Still a nice shot. Top Photo-Finback?

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Thanks Ralph. Pretty sure that is a Minke - too small for a Fin whale

Sublime @Kathy G Well done and love the whale photo's. Had to be special to be in the middle of that and yet a little nerve racking as well...

gordon_g said:

Sublime @Kathy G Well done and love the whale photo's. Had to be special to be in the middle of that and yet a little nerve racking as well...

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Thank you Gordon. Not nerve racking at all. If I remember correctly, the ocean was calm that evening and there were no big swells. Once you are out in the Zodiac you tend to forget how vulnerable you actually are ... even when the whales swim underneath the Zodiac! There are laws that dictate how close a tourist boat can get to the whales. Recently, the government has become very strict with the enforcement (heavy fines). But the whales will sometimes approach the boat and it is not always possible to move away (the engine might be turned off).

@Kathy G Love the waterfall in #2 Great abstract #3! I can nearly feel the cold.
@DRwyoming So true, often, we get the unexpected when we are set out looking for for something specific that does not show up. Some of my lucky findings happened this way. I used to have my camera with me at work for security reasons, and as I also took records shots during construction too. So, on a work visit to a mining site in Mpumalang to look at dust treatment on dirt roads, this behemoth showed up. I am a sucker for large trucks! Not and elephant, bur close!

Hut said:

Beautiful Stellar's Jay and an excellent point. That is the best technique I ever learned, spending time in the habitat and not being disruptive. You really learn so much that way also.

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Thanks Hut.

Yeah, I've got a biologist friend that calls it 'Dirt Time' and says the key to observing wildlife and their habits all comes down to putting in enough dirt time