Every single aspect of wildlife photography seems expensive. Is there an easier way?
Answer by: Nayan Khanolkar Wildlife Photographer, Naturalist, and Educator
Many young photographers come to me with this query. I’m going to tell you what I’ve told them—wildlife photography is not expensive. Many photographers think that safari photography is the only form of wildlife photography, which is definitely one of the most expensive branches. In my opinion, you can capture a good wildlife photograph in your backyard. You may think that a great picture is waiting for you right in the middle of the forest. But it’s not true.
I remember seeing a photograph by an amateur Indian photographer, a runnerup in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest. He had captured a fantastic silhouette image of an ant walking on a grass blade, against a white background. It was shot using the Nikon D90, a basic camera, which was enough to show his creativity.
An expensive pen and paper can’t make you a good writer. Similarly, pricey gear will not make you a good photographer. You also need to previsualise your image. Any camera is a just tool to execute that vision. Here, your knowledge of the subject and the medium is crucial. For instance, using a telephoto lens with f/2.8 is definitely expensive. But you have to realise that you may not need it. You can figure out a way to work around that. Also, when you gather information about what you are photographing, your work will become much easier.