Use a long range lens.
When it comes to photography, there are two types of lenses: fixed and zoon. Phillip Elden says to use a zoom lens to help you get up close and personal with your subject without actually having to get up close. Animals are, by their very nature, wary of man, so the further you can stay away, the better. He cautions, however, that the longer the zoom the more need for a tripod and the heavier your equipment.
Be patient and be quiet.
Just like hunting, wildlife photography requires patience and eerie silence. Whether you are looking to shoot birds, mammals, or reptiles, make a point to be as stationary as possible in an area where you have high visibility on all sides.
Learn your settings.
If you are using a DSLR, you have two options: manual or automatic. While automatic mode is great for quick snapshots of the kids in the backyard, Phillip Elden says wildlife photographers strongly recommend learning your settings. You will need to get familiar with aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. These control the amount of light coming into the camera, the quickness the images snapped, and the way the camera reads available light, respectively.
Practice on foliage first.
According to Phillip Elden, animals move quickly and suddenly. Because of this, your best bet is to get to practice on stationary objects, such as trees and bushes, before you set out to shoot living things. Once you are fully comfortable using your camera, move up to birds and squirrels, which are abundant in most areas and will give you the best chance of capturing them in their everyday life.
