Reading Animal Behaviour Before Taking a Wildlife Photograph

Having the right camera and lens is not the only part of wildlife photography. It is also a matter of knowing what an animal is doing before firing. Wildlife behaviour in the Sundarban can often be seen from boats and through the thick mangroves, which can be useful for photographers to read before taking a photo, as it will give them a better understanding of what is about to happen and help them capture more natural photos.

Look First then Capture Second

The first thought that may come to mind is to take photos of the animal. But taking a few moments to look at it can give you some information.

Pay attention to the animal's direction, posture and environment. Is it eating, sleeping, strolling, viewing something, or getting ready for a change of location? These are little bits you can use to help predict what's going to happen next.

Watch Body Language

Body language can be a key indicator of the animal. Posture, head position, head and tail articulation and direction of walking can be signs that the animal is preparing to move.

Birds may be especially fascinating to watch. If a bird gets alert, changes its posture or starts to move its wings it could be ready to take flight. Being ready and having the right shutter speed can improve the likelihood that you'll capture the take-off.

When shooting larger animals, the direction of walking and attention may also be used to anticipate movement.

Give Wildlife Space

Knowing how to behave should not be used to manipulate an animal into a specific posture. In wildlife photography, photography should be done in a way that animals can behave normally.

This particularly is a particularly significant consideration in the Sundarban region, where wildlife photographers are usually in boats. Don't make fast movements, loud noises or make any attempt to get an animal's attention just to get a photo.

Sometimes a natural picture of an animal in its normal state is more significant than a photograph made by disturbing it.

Be Aware Of The Environment

The environment is related to animal behaviour. Movement may be affected by tides, weather, food availability and other wildlife.

It is therefore advisable for photographers not to just look through the viewfinder. Look around and notice your surroundings.

Anticipate the Next Movement

When you know how an animal is acting, try to predict what might happen next. This is not predicting behaviours with 100% accuracy. Rather, it is about making preparations for potential movements.

If the bird is a stretch of water, set up your composition with a generous amount of space in front of the bird. When an animal is walking along a river bank, allow for space in the frame in the direction of the animal.

This technique can help to create more even photos and eliminate the need to make quick camera changes.

Be Prepared for Unusual Situations

Wildlife will respond to the situation in a split second. The film seems to be very calm and still but suddenly it is active. An animal can stand, run, call, eat, and/or communicate with another animal.

Use correct camera settings for the situation and a comfortable camera stance. Extra batteries and extra memory-card space are also helpful in lengthy photography work.

Patience is the key to good photographs!

Understanding animal behavior can be a rewarding aspect of wildlife photography for those who are interested in exploring the realm of Sundarban wildlife photography. The aim is not only to capture the image of an animal when it makes itself visible, but to observe the moment and predict what it is going to do and to take the photographs without disturbing the animal's behavior.