Wildlife photography is one of the most rewarding ways to capture unique moments in nature. It can be done on your local doorstep or in exotic locations across the world.
The best way to take award-winning wildlife photographs is by investing in the right equipment and learning some simple techniques. Taking photographs of birds in flight (BIF) is particularly tricky and requires a high-quality camera with excellent autofocus tracking capabilities.
Getting Started
If you’re interested in wildlife photography, but don’t have the time or money to invest in a DSLR, then the Lumix G9 could be the perfect camera for you. It offers excellent image quality, a high frame rate and a surprisingly powerful autofocus system for tracking movement.
A big part of this is the G9’s Animal Detect autofocus mode. This is a feature that shows a rectangle around the subject when it detects it, and then locks on to them.
Once it’s locked on to an animal, the G9 can keep track of them for as long as you’re holding down the shutter button. It’s an impressive feat, especially in the harsh conditions we often find when wildlife is in the wild!
When you’re getting started with wildlife photography, it’s important to understand what types of animals you can expect to see in your local area. This will help you to anticipate their behavior and prepare accordingly.
Equipment
If you’re serious about wildlife photography, you need to have a good quality camera that can handle the harsh conditions. It will also need to be able to track moving subjects.
The Panasonic Lumix G9 is a high-performance camera that has the ability to take award-winning wildlife photographs. It has a tough weatherproof body, excellent image and video quality, and fast autofocus and burst shooting for tracking action.
The G9 has a 20 Megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor that dispenses with the low pass filter for crisper images, and it uses an improved JPEG processing algorithm to deliver better skin tones, greater detail and more accurate noise reduction. It can also use a tripod-based composite High Resolution mode to capture and combine eight images to create a 40 or 80 Megapixel raw file, eliminating false colour artefacts and improving overall image detail.
Locations
A lot of photographers have a hard time deciding what to shoot and how to frame it. Using the right gear will go a long way in ensuring you get some great shots. However, if you want to capture the big picture, you have to be prepared to put in some serious time and effort. Fortunately, the Lumix G9 comes with a suite of top-notch lenses and accessories. From the 100-400mm f4.0 to the 200mm f2.8, the Lumix G9 has something for everyone. Whether you’re a beginner looking to get into the wilds of nature, a more experienced photographer, or a keen shutterbug who wants to wring some extra fun out of your daily commute, the G9 has your back.
Techniques
Taking award-winning wildlife photographs can be tricky but with the right equipment and techniques you can make it happen. One technique is to use a large lens. This will allow you to take pictures from a distance, but with results that look as if you were only a few feet from the subject.
Another technique is to shoot in burst mode. This lets you take several shots in quick succession, allowing you to capture different expressions and changes in body position from one shot to the next.
Birds in flight are one of the most challenging aspects of wildlife photography but with practice you can get better results. This is because birds fly fast and their wing flaps can vary from one shot to the next. This can make it difficult for the camera to lock on to the animal.
