Have you ever wondered how to capture that perfect portrait of a squirrel or a bird, only to end up with blurry or out-of-focus shots? We've all been there. The wildlife is fast, elusive, and unpredictable, and photographing them can sometimes feel like an impossible task. But don’t worry, I’m here to walk you through everything you need to know to start taking better wildlife photos—whether it’s the tiniest bird perched on a branch or a curious squirrel staring right back at you!

There’s so much to cover in wildlife photography: the light, understanding animal behavior, respecting wildlife, and knowing what truly makes a good photo. But before diving into these fascinating topics, that I develop in my course Intro to Wildlife Photography, it is important to first revisit the essential foundation of photography: the exposure triangle. Trust me, once you’ve mastered this concept, you’ll be one step closer to capturing stunning wildlife portraits!

When it comes to photography, the exposure triangle is your guiding principle. It’s composed of three elements that work together to create a well-exposed image: ISO, shutter speed and aperture.

Each of these three settings affects how your final image will look, and balancing them correctly is key to taking a sharp, well-lit wildlife photo.

Understanding ISO: your easy go-to setting

Let’s start with ISO. Out of the three elements of the exposure triangle, ISO is probably the easiest to understand and adjust. It determines how sensitive your camera’s sensor is to light. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the sensor becomes, but this also comes at a cost: increased noise or grain in the image.

For most wildlife photography, a good starting point is an ISO between 400 to 800. However, when the lighting is poor—such as on overcast days or in the early morning hours—you may need to bump up your ISO to ensure your image is properly exposed. Don’t be afraid to push it to ISO 1000 or even ISO 2000 if it’s particularly dark. Your goal is to find the balance between a clear, sharp image and avoiding too much noise.

Shutter speed: freezing action

We all know how fast and unpredictable animals can be, so having a fast shutter speed is essential if you want to freeze their movement and avoid blurry shots.

But how fast does your shutter speed need to be? Well, this depends on the type of animal you’re photographing and the speed of their movement. For general wildlife, start with a shutter speed of 1/250th of a second or 1/500th of a second. If you’re photographing a bird in flight, or a very fast animal like a squirrel darting from tree to tree, you may need a much faster shutter speed—sometimes as fast as 1/1250th of a second or even faster.

Aperture: controlling depth of field

Now, let’s discuss aperture. Aperture is the size of the opening in your lens, which controls how much light enters the camera. A wider aperture (represented by smaller f-numbers, like f/2.8 or f/4) allows more light to enter, while a smaller aperture (larger f-numbers, like f/8 or f/11) lets in less light.

For most wildlife photographers, aperture priority mode (also known as A mode or Av mode) is the go-to choice. Why? Because it gives you control over your depth of field (the area of the image that’s in focus) while letting the camera automatically adjust the shutter speed to maintain a good exposure.

For example, here are the settings possible on my camera and my go-to 70-200 mm

You set your aperture to f/7.1 and your shutter speed to 1/250th of a second, but when you check your image, it’s not fast enough to freeze the action. Here’s where you can widen the aperture to f/6.3, which will increase your shutter speed to 1/320th of a second—a better setting for freezing movement.

What if the light is still dim, and you need to increase your shutter speed even more? You can bump up your ISO a little to get a higher shutter speed, without worrying too much about the noise since your primary concern is freezing motion.

The lens factor: a key ingredient in wildlife photography

Now that you’re familiar with the basics of exposure settings, let’s talk about one of the most important aspects of wildlife photography: your lens.

For wildlife photographers, a telephoto lens is an absolute must. Most wildlife photographers use lenses with focal lengths ranging from 200mm to 600mm. Why? Because animals tend to be elusive, and getting too close can cause them to flee. A long lens allows you to stay at a safe distance while capturing sharp, detailed portraits of your subject.

But here’s something that many people overlook: your lens focal length affects your depth of field. The longer your lens, the shallower your depth of field will be at any given aperture. So, if you’re using a long lens (say, 600mm), and you set your aperture to f/5.6, the subject you’re focusing on might appear sharp, but the background will be very blurred. This is called bokeh and it can look beautiful, but it can also make focusing tricky—especially if you want the entire animal in focus.

Let’s take a closer look at the difference between two common scenarios:

150mm lens at f/5.6 – If you’re photographing a bunny from 10 meters away, you’ll have a reasonable depth of field, meaning you’ll be able to get the bunny in focus while still keeping the background slightly blurred.

600mm lens at f/5.6 – If you use a 600mm lens to photograph the same bunny, your depth of field will become much shallower, meaning the bunny will be in focus, but the background will be even more blurred—and it may even be harder to achieve focus depending on how far you’re zoomed in.

This is something you’ll want to keep in mind when choosing your lens and aperture for each shot.

Autofocus and image stabilization: tools for success

Let’s move on to a few helpful tips for ensuring your images are sharp and in-focus.

Autofocus: When shooting wildlife, it’s almost always best to rely on your camera’s autofocus, as animals are unpredictable and moving quickly. Most cameras have autofocus modes, and I recommend using single-point autofocus in continuous focus mode. This will let you focus on a specific point (like the animal’s eye) while continuously adjusting focus as the subject moves. 
Continuous Shooting: Since animals are so fast, it’s a good idea to use the continuous shooting mode on your camera. This allows you to capture multiple frames in quick succession, increasing the likelihood of getting that perfect shot. 
Image Stabilization (IS): If your lens has image stabilization, be sure to turn it on. This is especially useful when shooting handheld, as it helps to reduce any camera shake that could result in blurry images.

Review and adjust: don’t forget to check your shots

Once you’ve taken a few shots, don’t forget to check your images on your camera’s LCD screen. Zoom in and assess if the image is sharp, and ensure the focus is on the right part of the animal. It’s always a good idea to take 2-3 photos of the same scene so you have a few chances to get that perfect shot. If the image is blurry or the focus isn’t quite right, adjust your settings and try again.

Practice, patience, and persistence

Wildlife photography requires practice, patience, and persistence. It’s not always easy, but the more you shoot, the better you’ll become at understanding the nuances of light, movement, and focus. And don’t be discouraged if you don’t get the perfect shot every time—wildlife can be unpredictable, and sometimes you’ll need to wait for the perfect moment.

So, now that you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to practice, practice, practice! Take your camera out to your local park, nature reserve, or even your backyard, and start observing the animals around you. The more time you spend in nature, the more you’ll learn about your subjects and how to capture their portraits in their best light.

If you want to learn more about wildlife photography, my new course Intro to Wildlife Photography is now available!

Happy shooting!

Perfect Wildlife Portraits | by Elodie Meyer