Research Before You Travel
Research Before You Travel
We want you to think about research as studying for your final exam. You would never walk into your final exam without conducting hours of studying to get the best marks possible. So why potentially spend thousands of dollars to photograph a bucket list species without doing the same level of preplanning before you are out in the field.
By following the steps that we discuss in this post you will have a complete template of how to plan out your next photographic wildlife outing.
You have purchased this eBook because you want to take twitter wildlife images. Well, before you head out with a camera in your hand, the first, and one of the most overlooked things that you should be doing is researching locations and learning about the species you want to photograph. The level of research you need to do will decline over time because you have practical experience in the field with animals. But if it's a species you know little about, arming yourself with important knowledge about the species in their environment is an important first step.
We spend hours researching locations and wildlife if it is something that we have never done before. We would never want to be in the position where we spend hundreds, or even thousands of dollars to go somewhere without (a) having hired the trusted guide that knows the wildlife in the area or (b) having done the right amount of research where we are comfortable with my decision to go try and locate the wildlife on our own.
Where to do your Research
We spend countless hours watching videos of wildlife in their natural environment. The amount of footage out there is almost endless. From documentaries on streaming services to random videos on Youtube, you should be able to arm yourself with environmental and species behavioral knowledge before stepping foot out into the field.
We also read about the species that we are going to photograph. Even the smallest of details could make a difference in the quality of images you take with the subject in front of you. We talk to professional guides. If it’s birds we are interested in we interact with birders with in-depth knowledge of the species they follow. If we are headed to northern Canada we talk to professional trackers about northern species like Caribou, wolves, bear, and Lynx that I might want to photograph. If it’s an International destination like Africa we would have reached out to people that we follow on social media to discuss their experiences. Then we made contact with tour companies experienced in creating trips at the destination we are looking at.
If we know there is wildlife in an area we will take a hike in an area and look for tracks or other signs of activity like bedded areas in the long grass. Look for feces or skeletal remains. You can also set up a trail camera where you suspect activity. Let the camera sit for a week, then see if this looks like a good spot for a blind. If you capture wildlife, note the times of the day and plan to visit this area long in advance of when the wildlife was captured by your trap camera.
What Information is Valuable
The kind of details you are looking to uncover in this initial phase of discovery will help you get a better understanding of where you should be looking at traveling to, and begin to help you understand the species so that you are more successful when you are out in the field.
We would suggest you research the following:
Species Habitats - You want to learn where they live and hunt.
Migratory patterns - Where does the species migrate into areas that are accessible.
Breeding seasons - Most species are more photogenic in their mating season. With most species, you will want to photograph their young. In the case of the Canidae family like wolves, or one of the 36 species of the Felidae family of cats, this is also the best time to witness predation.
Logistics - How do you get there? Who will guide you? A workshop company, group tour, or private guide? Where will you stay? Are there any safety concerns?
Seasonal weather patterns - You do not want to get caught off guard with the wrong clothing and protective gear for your camera.
Using Your Research for Successful Photoshoots
We will create a folder of images before we travel. Think of it as a shortlist of images that you find personally appealing. You are not going to limit yourself to taking just the images that you placed in your folder. These are just images that you hope to get. It's a good exercise in previsualization animal behavior before you are “in the moment” with your camera in hand. The most successful wildlife photographers have the ability to tell the story of animals and their life. This research you do before your trip will help you get to a level where you understand how to tell a story with your images faster than those that do not research.
You will be better prepared for photo opportunities like understanding interaction. One animal in the photo is great, two or more is even better. Capturing animals in interaction will add more interest to your photo. Understanding animals Interaction behaviors will allow the people looking at your images to identify with, and imagine the relation between them in the environment.
Your research will better prepare you to humanize an animal's wide range of emotions. Humanizing animal behavior allows the viewer to relate more to what you were seeing in the moment of clicking the shutter.
Your research will help you be ready to capture an animal in motion. Besides preparing you to control the camera functions in the heat of the moment, research will also help you understand the behavior and anticipate what will happen in most situations.