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Dread Head
Aug 1, 2005

0-#01
It seems that there is enough people wanting to post wildlife photos that there should be a thread for it. While the bird thread has a very well thought out OP I feel like most of that applies to wildlife. I may add to this OP at a later date but for the time being this is a place to post your wildlife photos, which could be anything from insects to elephants.

Here are a few wildlife shots to start things off.







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Dread Head
Aug 1, 2005

0-#01
Guest post by Bob Socko

When I think of wildlife photography, one question immediately comes to mind - what do you want to shoot? It's a simple question, but an important one. Wildlife photography is a very broad subject. Depending on what you're interested in capturing, it could be cheap, easy, and low effort. It could be a five-figure investment and involve hours of sitting in a blind, waiting. So, stop and really consider what it is you want to do. Google the critter, figure out where it is, how it lives, and what opportunities you would have to photograph it.

Rather than walk you through a step-by-step list that you can broadly apply to any situation, I thought it might be easier to walk you through a few scenarios. To keep the gear recommendations consistent, I'll assume you own an entry-level DSLR with the kit lens, but nothing else.


Squirrels are awesome, I want to take pictures of them. Squirrels are easy and fun to photograph. They're found in most parks, they're relatively tame, and they know that humans have food. So, take advantage of that. Pick up a telephoto zoom lens, such as the excellent Tamron 55-200mm f/4-5.6. I would encourage you to stick with a 5x-2xx lens over an entry-level 7x-300mm zoom, as they tend to be cheaper and have better image quality. Sure, they don't zoom in as much, but we're talking about squirrels here - they don't spook easily. Find a spot to set up, put out a few peanuts, and wait for the squirrels to come to you. You should be able to shoot them handheld, but if you're worried, pick up a cheap tripod or a lens/body with image stabilization.


DSC01321 by Kelly_Davis, on Flickr


DSC01324 by Kelly_Davis, on Flickr


Deer are awesome, I want to take pictures of them. You're in luck, deer and deer-like critters (elk, moose, antelope, etc) are pretty common. They don't just live in the woods - I've seen plenty in eastern Oregon and Washington, which is dry and grassy. If you don't already know where to find deer, hop on Flickr and run searches for the word deer and your city, state, or region. See if the photos are tagged with their location to narrow down your search.

Once you've figured out a location, use some common sense to figure out if it's a good time of year to photograph deer. Deer hunting season occurs in the late fall, so obviously, there will be fewer deer and they'll be skittish; in addition, there's a small but real chance you could get shot at by hunters. Winter can be better - you can find deer tracks in the snow, and use a bale of hay as bait to lure them out of the thick brush. What if you want to shoot fawns? Animals typically don't give birth in the wintertime for obvious reasons, so you'll need to go out in the spring or the summer.

What about gear? While some deer are more tame than others, they aren't like squirrels. Once again, you'll want to pick up a telephoto zoom. If you're looking for deer in the woods, a longer-range lens may not be that helpful - you can't zoom through trees. Don't be afraid to boost your ISO, both to maintain a high shutter speed and to help deal with the darkness inherent to the forest. Your setup will dictate if a tripod is useful or not - baiting the deer with hay suggests you'll be staying put for awhile, so a tripod makes sense there. If you're just walking and hoping to find something, well, do you really want to be lugging around a tripod as well? Just boost your shutter speed and ISO.


DSC04844 by Kelly_Davis, on Flickr


DSC04745 by Kelly_Davis, on Flickr


Iguanas are awesome, I want to take pictures of them. Ok, now we're getting into something a little more exotic. Iguanas are native to Central America, so if you want to photograph them in the wild, well . . . your options are moving there or visiting there. Depending on your means and desire, that may be a viable option for you. I went to Mazatlan, Mexico on vacation about two years ago, and found plenty of iguanas near the hotels. I was able to get within five or six feet of most of them before they started to slowly amble away. While I used a telephoto zoom for this shot, this is something that could easily be duplicated with a kit lens.


DSC07722 by Kelly_Davis, on Flickr

But let's face it, most of us don't care enough about photographing iguanas to fly to Mexico. What is plan B? Ask the internet. I ran a few google searches for combinations of iguana, zoo, breeder, farm, and so on, along with the word Seattle (as that's where I'm located). I found two traditional zoos with iguanas within an hour's drive, some sort of "reptile zoo" in the boonies, and a few local breeders. The traditional and reptile zoos would be the easiest options. Depending on the local breeders, I could conceivably offer some sort of swap where I could photograph their iguanas in exchange for them getting a copy of the photos. Sure, it's not as "authentic" as a photo of an iguana in the wild, but it's a lot cheaper and safer than a trip to Mexico.

Dread Head fucked around with this message at 06:33 on Jan 24, 2012

torgeaux
Dec 31, 2004
I serve...

Dragonfly by torgeaux, on Flickr


Big One by torgeaux, on Flickr


rats by torgeaux, on Flickr

HookShot
Dec 26, 2005

Whales by hookshot88, on Flickr


Whale by hookshot88, on Flickr


I'm King Of The World by hookshot88, on Flickr


Lizard by hookshot88, on Flickr

Clayton Bigsby
Apr 17, 2005

I am awesome at wildlife pictures. They usually end up like this.

William T. Hornaday
Nov 26, 2007

Don't tap on the fucking glass!
I swear to god I'll cut off your fucking fingers and feed them to the otters for enrichment.
Am I allowed to post zoo photos, or do they have to be 'natural'?

Dread Head
Aug 1, 2005

0-#01
I think as long as you state they are from a zoo/captive that is fine. My jelly fish was from an aquarium.

ExecuDork
Feb 25, 2007

We might be fucked, sir.
Fallen Rib
Some old stuff. Apologies if you've seen these before, I can't remember if I've previously posted any of these in the Dorkroom.

Peary caribou 2 by Execudork, on Flickr

Musk ox 07 by Execudork, on Flickr

Musk ox 03 by Execudork, on Flickr

SD 049 Porcupine by Execudork, on Flickr

Squirrel 1 by Execudork, on Flickr

Thanks for making this thread, Dread Head, I can never keep up with Critterquest.

BeastOfExmoor
Aug 19, 2003

I will be gone, but not forever.
Some old stuff from me as well over the past couple of years.


20100320-IMG_1264.jpg by beastofexmoor, on Flickr


Red Fox by beastofexmoor, on Flickr


Beaver Ponds Trail Coyote by beastofexmoor, on Flickr


Hidden Lake Overlook Goat by beastofexmoor, on Flickr


Weasel Mom2 by beastofexmoor, on Flickr


Bighorn by beastofexmoor, on Flickr


Silver Phase Red Fox by beastofexmoor, on Flickr


20101012-IMG_5338.jpg by beastofexmoor, on Flickr


20100828-IMG_4738.jpg by beastofexmoor, on Flickr


20101019-IMG_6071.jpg by beastofexmoor, on Flickr


Grizzly Family2 by beastofexmoor, on Flickr

dakana
Aug 28, 2006
So I packed up my Salvador Dali print of two blindfolded dental hygienists trying to make a circle on an Etch-a-Sketch and headed for California.
DJExile and I are great wildlife photographers :v:





DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


dakana posted:

DJExile and I are great wildlife photographers :v:

We are the best bad photographers :downs::respek::downs:

I can't believe we ran into those deer at the last second. God you got a good angle on them.

krackmonkey
Mar 28, 2003

when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro...

BeastOfExmoor posted:

Pictures of hateful, murderous beasts
I love how all of your animals look like they're about one wrongly timed flinch short of tearing you to pieces.

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


krackmonkey posted:

I love how all of your animals look like they're about one wrongly timed flinch short of tearing you to pieces.

hahaha I was thinking the same thing. Everything's giving him the stink-eye.

E: Beast, how far were you from those bears?
Far enough, if you're here to post them, I suppose :v:

dakana
Aug 28, 2006
So I packed up my Salvador Dali print of two blindfolded dental hygienists trying to make a circle on an Etch-a-Sketch and headed for California.

DJExile posted:

We are the best bad photographers :downs::respek::downs:

I can't believe we ran into those deer at the last second. God you got a good angle on them.



drat, that's really pretty.

BetterLekNextTime
Jul 22, 2008

It's all a matter of perspective...
Grimey Drawer


Of to Wyoming next month so hopefully will have more to contribute soon.

sensy v2.0
May 12, 2001

As it turns out, lizards are easy to photograph. Most other wildlife, not so much.


IMG_6232 by like okay cool dude, on Flickr


IMG_5016 by like okay cool dude, on Flickr


IMG_2595 by like okay cool dude, on Flickr


IMG_2739 by like okay cool dude, on Flickr

BeastOfExmoor
Aug 19, 2003

I will be gone, but not forever.

DJExile posted:

hahaha I was thinking the same thing. Everything's giving him the stink-eye.

E: Beast, how far were you from those bears?
Far enough, if you're here to post them, I suppose :v:

100yards or so, I'd say. Interesting story behind it is that it was in Yellowstone and my wife and I spotted them while driving by at the same time as another couple who were there on their honeymoon. By the time we got turned around and parked they had gone behind the hill and the guy had actually walked all the way out to the top of the ridge to try to spot them again. His wife was about halfway between the road and him screaming at him to come back. He finally relented and a couple minutes later the mom and her cubs popped up right where he was previously standing. Not a smart move on his part.

Less than a week later I climbed up what was essentially a cliff because my wife overheard someone say they'd seen a mountain lion at the top. I smartened up and came back down once I realized that I was going to pop up into forest covered rather than an open area, but it was pretty stupid even if that hadn't been the case.

BioTech
Feb 5, 2007
...drinking myself to sleep again...


First time I ever used a DSLR so this was all in auto mode and no work done to the pictures after. Following this trip I was hooked and I bought my own camera within a year.







Looking back now I know there are so many things I could have done to improve these shots. I didn't know how to put the lens to manual focus for instance, so with the leopard I was struggling with the servo motor trying to force the focus by hand. Total nightmare that left me really frustrated back then but I can only laugh at now. The plan is to go back next summer, but I doubt I'll ever get a sight such as the hyenas again. Very happy with the grazing herd and the last elephant though, both shots are just so crisp.

I probably have tons from that trip if anyone is interested in safari stuff, but only these I can access here at my work.

BioTech fucked around with this message at 13:47 on Jan 23, 2012

burzum karaoke
May 30, 2003

I want to go on the trip you went on more than pretty much anything.

MrOpus
Mar 21, 2004

All I really have is photos of deer. It's Wisconsin. Birds and deer only.


Bubolz Deer by Chad Larson Photography, on Flickr


Bubolz Deer by Chad Larson Photography, on Flickr


Fawn by Chad Larson Photography, on Flickr


Shot a Buck by Chad Larson Photography, on Flickr

DJExile
Jun 28, 2007


MrOpus posted:

All I really have is photos of deer. It's Wisconsin. Birds and deer only.


Bubolz Deer by Chad Larson Photography, on Flickr

This is great, the expression is just killing me :laugh:

wizard sticks
Feb 16, 2005

BioTech posted:

First time I ever used a DSLR so this was all in auto mode and no work done to the pictures after. Following this trip I was hooked and I bought my own camera within a year.

Looking back now I know there are so many things I could have done to improve these shots. I didn't know how to put the lens to manual focus for instance, so with the leopard I was struggling with the servo motor trying to force the focus by hand. Total nightmare that left me really frustrated back then but I can only laugh at now. The plan is to go back next summer, but I doubt I'll ever get a sight such as the hyenas again. Very happy with the grazing herd and the last elephant though, both shots are just so crisp.

I probably have tons from that trip if anyone is interested in safari stuff, but only these I can access here at my work.

Those are great - where did you go?

Dread Head
Aug 1, 2005

0-#01
Bob Socko Wrote a much better into than I did and I have added it in the 2nd post.

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3462132&pagenumber=1&perpage=40#post399829003

Bob Socko
Feb 20, 2001

Hey now, there's nothing wrong with a first post that's short and to the point. Thank you for posting the thread in the first place!

SoundMonkey
Apr 22, 2006

I just push buttons.


You think squirrels don't spook easy? Raccoons do not give a SINGLE gently caress.



Yes it's a terrible picture. But more to the point, I was standing not ten feet away, using a hotshoe flash at about half power, with AF-assist and everything, and it barely even noticed. Good practice for when you're shooting something worth taking a picture of.

BetterLekNextTime
Jul 22, 2008

It's all a matter of perspective...
Grimey Drawer

SoundMonkey posted:

You think squirrels don't spook easy? Raccoons do not give a SINGLE gently caress.



Yes it's a terrible picture. But more to the point, I was standing not ten feet away, using a hotshoe flash at about half power, with AF-assist and everything, and it barely even noticed. Good practice for when you're shooting something worth taking a picture of.

I shouldn't have been so lazy, I didn't bother to get my flash.

SoundMonkey
Apr 22, 2006

I just push buttons.


BetterLekNextTime posted:

I shouldn't have been so lazy, I didn't bother to get my flash.



The first few shots I took were some timid ISO 3200 don't-scare-the-wildlife pics, then I realized... raccoons just don't care. They're an excellent animal to practice wildlife skills on. Just don't get mauled by them.

EDIT: This raccoon ignored an SB800 firing directly into its face at half-to-full power for ten minutes. Most PEOPLE I know couldn't do that.

BetterLekNextTime
Jul 22, 2008

It's all a matter of perspective...
Grimey Drawer
Mine have been a little more timid- at least whenever I get my camera. They usually head up into a tree. I actually had one in the backyard tonight and I grabbed my camera and flash but as I opened the door it took off. Sometimes if there are 3 or 4 one will stay- I'll have to keep trying.

BioTech
Feb 5, 2007
...drinking myself to sleep again...


wizard sticks posted:

Those are great - where did you go?

Kenya, I travelled through Tsavo East, Amboseli and Tsavo West. It is a little bit more restricted than most safari countries from what I understand. You cannot get out of the car, it is not allowed to go into a park without a licensed guide and all cars should have a hard roof, no open tops of Jeeps with those stretched canvas covers.

As a solution they take a minivan, cut off the roof and re-attach it with a system of hinges and extension poles. As soon as you go in the park they slide the roof upwards so you are still covered, but can stand up inside the van and there is a three feet gap to look and take pictures through.

Like this;

wizard sticks
Feb 16, 2005
Those vehicles are hilarious! Kenya is absolutely beautiful - I was in Nairobi a few years ago but didn't get a chance to safari. I am absolutely going back though.

I just got back from a week in Zambia at South Luangwa NP. Although we were there during the initial days of rainy season, the park was still flush with animals and it didn't rain once [we went Dec It was unbelievable. 26-31st]. South Luangwa is very restricted in that you cannot be in the park during certain times of the day and you always must have a licensed guide, however we had open vehicles and were allowed to take a walking safari (which the park is famous for). I am definitely going back sometime during the dry season.

I haven't fully edited my photos yet but am hoping to get to it within the next week. Once they are done I will post some up! We saw thousands of elephants, giraffe, hippos, crocs, and on our last day we saw 5 lions in a standoff with a group of elephants (baby in tow) as well as a fully grown leopard on the hunt, and then her two leopard cubs playing! It was unreal!

BioTech
Feb 5, 2007
...drinking myself to sleep again...


Same trip

[*][*][*][*][/LIST]

mobot
Apr 19, 2003

BioTech posted:



Is that in Nairobi National Park? I swear I have a really similar shot going up that hill. Maybe not, if I remember correctly the whole country had similar terrain. I can attest to the fact that those vans are, in fact, awesome.

East Lake
Sep 13, 2007

BioTech if do don't mind me asking how much it cost you? I'd like to make a trip like that once I can save up but it'll probably be hard while I'm in school.

BioTech
Feb 5, 2007
...drinking myself to sleep again...


mobot posted:

Is that in Nairobi National Park? I swear I have a really similar shot going up that hill. Maybe not, if I remember correctly the whole country had similar terrain. I can attest to the fact that those vans are, in fact, awesome.

I think this is in Tsavo East, but you are right that almost everything looks the same. If I had to describe the big differences then Tsavo East is very flat, with hardly any bush and just endlessed dark red sand. Much darker than in the picture, it is just incredible. Tsavo West has very thick bush and a lot of hills, really limiting your sight. It does make for great shots of lions sunbathing on top of rocks and it is where I found the leopards since they like to hide in that bush. Amboseli is a lot of tall grass, really making you search for heads sticking out. It is where we found the dead buffalo, the lions that killed it chilling not far from there while the hyenas finished the rest. It also has a lot of sand tornadoes and is famous for giving a great view of Mount Kilimanjaro. Except for when it is covered in mist. Which is over 300 days a year and very disappointing.

East Lake posted:

BioTech if do don't mind me asking how much it cost you? I'd like to make a trip like that once I can save up but it'll probably be hard while I'm in school.

I live in the Netherlands, so I doubt it will be accurate if you are in the US, but this trip was relatively cheap. I wanted to visit Greece, but with their prices soaring when the crisis hit and Kenya actively promoting tourism through low prices I paid around 1000 euros for a 12 day all inclusive stay at a beach resort near Mombasa. All I wanted was sunshine, but it seemed like a waste to visit Africa and not go on safari.

The safari was booked seperately and it was around 800 dollars for 4 days. I booked it with a local company about a month before I flew there. This is their website for the trip, but they have tons of others as well. http://www.naturaltoursandsafaris.com/4_days_tsavo_west_amboseli_&_tsavo_east_rs.php

The site may look bit shabby, but everything was arranged perfectly. They called us after receiving the payment, pick you up to visit their office when the trip begins and afterwards the owner calls you to ask if everything was satisfactory.

Now, this is doing a safari cheap, so we did have to wake up at 0500 every morning and were driving on badly paved roads in a van for 6 hours a day before reaching the next park. You could fly these distances, but it was about $900 dollars more from what I remember. Then again, for 1500 euros total including over a week of beach holiday and all dinner/drinks this was worth it. If you can sleep when the ride gets bumpy, don't mind reading and don't get cranky sitting for hours it will save you a lot of money. Even if you fly they won't let you spend the extra time in the park, you just stay at the hotel longer. You can see animals there, but it isn't as much fun.

I would really recommend you not to book a full safari trip that lasts for weeks. Four days might seem short and while it is infinitely more beautiful I always compare it to a zoo visit. How long can you look at animals? The first elephants had me shouting, after 2 days you just stop taking pictures and look for something else. Then again, I would like to go longer next year so take that as you will.

Biggest advise is that if you decide for the beach/safari combo then don't book the safari with your trip. We had people do the exact same trip, but arranged through the tour operator, and they paid double the price while getting worse lodges. We left the beach resort with them, visited the same parks, drove behind them most of the time only to drop them off at locations and hear them complain the next morning.

There are hundreds of local companies that can arrange everything you want, just look for the Kato logo and you will be fine. http://www.katokenya.org/ They have stands outside of every hotel, resort and each reception will have recommended local companies.

This turned out a lot longer than I expected, sorry!

William T. Hornaday
Nov 26, 2007

Don't tap on the fucking glass!
I swear to god I'll cut off your fucking fingers and feed them to the otters for enrichment.
This is a baboon.



Taken at a zoo.

Dr. Despair
Nov 4, 2009


39 perfect posts with each roll.

Deer like hanging out near my backyard, especially these 2 bucks.


DSC_1199.jpg by MrDespair, on Flickr

e. :geno:


DSC_1208.jpg by MrDespair, on Flickr

Dr. Despair fucked around with this message at 03:05 on Jan 26, 2012

East Lake
Sep 13, 2007

BioTech posted:

This turned out a lot longer than I expected, sorry!
No problem the info was great! That's a pretty reasonable price actually. I could probably manage something more costly than that but not a trip that costs as much as a used car. I'm sure they're out there.

BetterLekNextTime
Jul 22, 2008

It's all a matter of perspective...
Grimey Drawer

BioTech posted:



I would really recommend you not to book a full safari trip that lasts for weeks. Four days might seem short and while it is infinitely more beautiful I always compare it to a zoo visit. How long can you look at animals? The first elephants had me shouting, after 2 days you just stop taking pictures and look for something else. Then again, I would like to go longer next year so take that as you will.



This part made me laugh but mainly because I'm a biologist and probably wouldn't get sick of it until I actually got malaria...

neckbeard
Jan 25, 2004

Oh Bambi, I cried so hard when those hunters shot your mommy...
Big post incoming - these are from my trip through the Yukon up into the Arctic Circle this summer:

Sheep are awesome (except for their weird pupils) and love to just hang around

Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep by tylerhuestis, on Flickr


Moose at Summit Lake by tylerhuestis, on Flickr

Driving through northern BC, you'd never know that these were hunted to near extinction


Guardians of the Forrest by tylerhuestis, on Flickr

Wood Bison by tylerhuestis, on Flickr


Even if a bear looks sad because it's covered in bugs, do not get out of your car and approach it

Grizzly and cubs by tylerhuestis, on Flickr

Grizzly Cub by tylerhuestis, on Flickr


Black Bear by tylerhuestis, on Flickr


Black Bear by tylerhuestis, on Flickr


Black Bear and Cub by tylerhuestis, on Flickr

Black Bear by tylerhuestis, on Flickr


Red Fox by tylerhuestis, on Flickr


Squirrel by tylerhuestis, on Flickr

These were taken from my buddy's zodiac while we were out fishing

Bald Eagle Nest by tylerhuestis, on Flickr

Bald Eagle with chick by tylerhuestis, on Flickr

and this one decided to hang around up in the tree at our campsite

Bald Eagle by tylerhuestis, on Flickr

These were taken at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, which I guess is their "zoo" nice place to visit for a day, if you ever go there, make sure you have lots of time, the path to get around and see all the animals is 5Km.


Elk by tylerhuestis, on Flickr


Caribou by tylerhuestis, on Flickr

The two enclosures that have chainlink fences:

Arctic Fox by tylerhuestis, on Flickr


Canadian Lynx by tylerhuestis, on Flickr

Mountain Goats cannot be convinced to ever give a gently caress

Mountain Goat by tylerhuestis, on Flickr

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Arrgytehpirate
Oct 2, 2011

I posted my food for USPOL Thanksgiving!



Went to the Honolulu Zoo yesterday! Here's the ones I like.


DSC_0139 by DeanWill, on Flickr

My favorite. This dude shocked the poo poo out of me popping up out of nowhere.


DSC_0133 by DeanWill, on Flickr


DSC_0135 by DeanWill, on Flickr

Some big eared fox. I want one as a pet.


DSC_0125 by DeanWill, on Flickr

I don't know if this one is worth anything, but I'd love to get rid of the blur at the bottom center, and clone out the wood shelter he has.

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