Whether it’s a red kite soaring through the sky, a great bustard in full stride, a badger foraging for earthworms, or a honeybee performing its waggle dance- these moments are nature’s stories, ready to be captured through your lens.

Across Wiltshire, the ever-changing landscapes offer vibrant colours, dynamic backdrops, and countless opportunities to take breathtaking wildlife photos.

Starting to get the perfect shot

To grow your photography skills, begin by immersing yourself in the nature around you. Visit biodiverse locations like wildflower meadows, or water sources such as chalk streams. These habitats are full of life—ideal for an array of wildlife encounters.

Before starting, research the species you want to photograph; their habitat, feeding, and migration patterns. This will help you find the right time and place for that perfect frame.

Keep in mind the golden rule: stay quiet, still, and patient. Always check that your presence and your group’s behaviour isn’t disturbing the wildlife or affecting the environment. Ethical wildlife photography means prioritising the welfare of animals and their habitat, as well as your own safety. 

Picture-Perfect Positioning

Composition skills develop with practice, but here are a few top tips to get you started. One way to immediately up your photography game is to get on the same level as your subject where you can. This angle reflects the animal’s perspective and shows respect for its world.

Portraits:
It’s all in the eyes. Position your camera to focus on this expressive feature from your subject- helping people create an emotional connection with nature. Getting low to the ground also allows finer details to come into focus and gives your image a more intimate feel.

Landscapes:
Capture the magic of golden hour (just after sunrise or before sunset) and blue hour (just before sunrise or just after sunset). Use the rule of thirds by dividing your frame into a 3x3 grid, placing key environmental elements helps create a dramatic image.

Practice, Practice, Practice 

It can take time to finese the best shots, the best thing to do is just get out and spend time in nature, taking as many photos as you can! There are also lots of handy tips online; build your skills with videos, courses and photography books.  

Here are some key technical tips to get you started:

• Lighting: Treat natural light like your best friend. And use diffusers, reflectors, or shaders for a more balanced effect.
• Filters: Remove reflections and glare with polarises which help take crystal clear images such as of birds near water.
• Lenses: Long-reach lenses (300–400mm) are commonly used in wildlife photography. They allow you to shoot from a respectful distance without disturbing your subject.

What about once you've taken the photos? Well do you remember using photo editing apps at school? That early tech knowledge may come in handy in your wildlife photography journey! Software like Adobe Photoshop or Windows Photos allows you to polish your shots and better understand your camera’s features such as lighting, filters and lenses. They're great for beginners as well as having a range of features to dive into as you advance.

Equipment That Makes a Difference

Having the right photography gear helps create a real-life painting, enabling you to best showcase Wiltshire’s biodiversity. Here's some handy equipment that might make all the difference:

• Binoculars: Pinpoint animal behaviour and other environmental interactions before raising your camera.
• Tripod: Give yourself a stable base, whilst also capturing different pictures, focusing on different moments in time from various angles.
• Somewhere to sit: A foldable chair or picnic blanket lets you stay comfortably in one spot as you wait for wandering wildlife.
• Headlamp: For evening or early morning shoots, a headlamp helps you see without disturbing the wildlife.
• Chargers: Always check your battery levels—nothing worse than missing the shot because your camera powered down!

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This August, step outside, visit your local reserves, and start creating some lasting snapshots of Wiltshire’s wildlife. Once you've got some shots you're happy with, why not enter our photography competition?