Wildlife photography is easily one of the most difficult forms of photography. The subjects do not listen to the photographer, nor do they sit still and pose. Although wildlife photography focuses specifically on animals in their natural habitats, there are 4 major types of photography in the field.
1. The Close Up
The first type of photography is a close up of the animal in its environment. Photos in this category typically have the entire frame filled with the animal. They rarely include much of the natural habitat the animal resides in. Australian photographer David Stowe specializes in this type.
2. The Freeze Frame
The second type is a shot of the animal in which it appears as though the animal has frozen in place. It is often looking directly at the photographer, creating an intimate portrait. Photographer Norman Asch is known for this type.
3. The Nature Shot
This type of photography style shows animals displaying their natural behaviors. For example, a bird perched on a tree branch, eating a fish he has clearly just caught. This gives the viewer a look into the natural order of wildlife photography. Tracy Lund’s work often focuses on this aspect.
4. The Behavioral
The last type is a mix of the freeze frame and the nature shot. In this style, the photographer captures the animal in the middle of a natural behavior. But unlike the nature shot, there is no sense of movement. It is a frozen portrait of the behavior. Isak Pretorius has many great examples of this type of style.
