The ‘Lost Wallet’ Technique and 10 Other Great Tips for Photographing Wildlife

So you just got yourself a great telephoto lens and you’re aching to go shoot some wildlife (with a camera), but you have no idea what you’re doing. You shoot landscapes, or street photography, or sports, but wildlife is a mystery.

Have no fear, because Jay P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens is here with some solid tips from none other than his father, a seasoned wildlife photographer who shot for the likes of National Geographic and the Audubon Society for many years.

In all, Morgan offers 11 tips in this video, 8 of which come straight from his dad, the seasoned Wildlife Photography pro.

Some tips are expected: Number 1 — Go to national and state parks where animals are more tame and easier to photograph.

Others are ‘tricks of the trade’: Number 8/The Lost Wallet Technique — “When photographing animals, don’t go charging at the animal but rather pretend to be searching for a lost wallet. Direct your attention to something other than the animals, take your time and zig zag back and forth and slowly make your way closer to the animal. Pretty soon the animal isn’t paying any attention to you and you can get some great shots.”

And there’s more where those came from, so check out the video above to hear the full set of wildlife photography tips.