Are you a species hunter or a wildlife photographer?

Sunday 28 July 2024, 20:02 by Nando Harmsen | 2,488 views | 6 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

There are several ways to photograph animals. You can show them as large as possible, or in a way that makes them blend into the landscape. You can photograph them in a zoo, or whenever the opportunity arises. What kind of wildlife photographer are you?

A grey heron on the hunt
It is great fun to photograph animals. As a photographer, you can focus entirely on it. Wildlife photographer or bird photographer. You can look for them in a zoo or in the wild. Find them in the field, or wait for them in a hide.

A nocturnal hunter: the pine marten.
Then there is the way you photograph animals. In fact, you can show an animal in two ways. As large as possible, with as much detail as possible. Or as part of the landscape, by including its habitat in the image as well.

A red deer during the rut, with atmosphere instead of detail
Then there is also the photographer who is a species hunter. Photographing as many species as possible, without it mattering too much how they appear in the image. Of course, as well as possible, but the most important thing is getting the species in the photograph.

I see that last type of photographer quite often. You mainly find them in places where a rare animal species has been spotted that you normally don't get to see easily.

Hooray, I got the animal in the photograph: seals, a wild boar, stoat, roe deer, a common pipistrelle and a beaver. They are not super photos. They are all chance encounters.
Photographers who want the animal in as much detail as possible often use hides, and then crop their photos heavily to see as much detail as possible. They often become identification photos, suitable for a biology book or bird guide.

The bird as large and detailed as possible. The background doesn't matter, as long as it isn't distracting. These are the black-tailed godwit, house sparrow, stork, Arctic tern, barn swallow, buzzard, redwing, northern fulmar, Eurasian jay, great egret, carrion crow and lapwing.
Of course, it doesn't matter what kind of wildlife photographer you are. Choose what you like: as much detail as possible, or an atmospheric image where the overall picture matters more than the minute details. Or a photo that only has to prove that you saw the animal, because that works too.

An atmospheric image of a heron at sunset. This one is very different from the heron on the hunt at the beginning of the article.
As long as the animal's welfare comes first, that is what matters. If the photo becomes more important than the animal's welfare, you are heading in the wrong direction and, as far as I'm concerned, you should hand in your camera gear for good. Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of people like that.

A redshank with the mountains of Iceland in the background. For me, it is more about the atmosphere than the details of the bird itself.
What kind of wildlife photographer are you? What do you think is most important for the photograph? Let us know in a comment below this post. I'm curious about your reason for wanting to show animals the way you do.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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6 comments

Donald Willemsen wrote on Sunday 28 July 2024 at 19:29 | reply
I enjoy photographing animals. Often it's a chance encounter. I like photographing them (preferably) in their natural habitat. So for a lion I would preferably go to Africa for a safari. I don't consider the zoo a natural habitat. It's an exhibition where the animals cannot display their natural behavior.
I also make use of hides or my own hide tent.
What matters most to me is enjoying photographing without disturbing the animals in the process. As long as enjoyed it.
Translated from Dutch.

Gina Heynze wrote on Sunday 28 July 2024 at 20:10 | reply
When you’re just starting out in photography, the "biology textbook pictures" are the ultimate. Later you want (or at least I do) to put some creativity into your photos. I’m not really a species hunter, but sometimes there is something at the top of my wish list, purely because I find it very beautiful.
Translated from Dutch.

MacBigfoot wrote on Monday 29 July 2024 at 13:34 | reply
Species descriptions don't really appeal to me.
I enjoy photographing an animal with context more, even if it's from a bird hide, in a wildlife park or even a zoo.
By context I mean that you can see something of the animal's surroundings, or what the animal is doing, without zooming in too much on the animal itself.
I would like to keep distracting elements out of the photo, such as fencing, unnatural objects or a background that is too busy.
Translated from Dutch.

Stefanie wrote on Tuesday 30 July 2024 at 12:43 | reply
I'm not really a species hunter, but on safari I did keep shouting whenever a special little animal just didn't quite want to pose nicely (not quite sharp or half behind a bush) 'that one's for the species bank', back from safari you can prove that you saw m, but a beautiful photo is really something else
Translated from Dutch.

Paul eos wrote on Tuesday 30 July 2024 at 12:44 | reply
Animals in captivity, I stay as far away from that as possible. I also stay as far away as possible from those bird shows with starving birds of prey.
Birds in a natural habitat, without disturbance, and being able to photograph just enough details so I can identify and document them, that's my thing.
Translated from Dutch.

Liesbeth Verkade wrote on Wednesday 31 July 2024 at 13:30 | reply
I enjoy photographing animals in the wild and find it exciting. That can also be in my backyard, for example a blackbird feeding a chick. If possible, the surroundings, the context do matter. But seeing a bear in an NP is special enough in itself.
With pet photography I have absolutely nothing myself, although I do sometimes see some very fascinating photos go by.
Translated from Dutch.

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