10 Places To Find Wildlife to Photograph
Ξ January 9th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Wildlife |
Image : http://www.flickr.com
Newbie wildlife photographers are often looking for places to find wildlife to photograph. They often wish they lived in places like Alaska, Wyoming, or Kenya (well I often did). If you a fortunate enough to live in one of those places you probably aren’t reading this article. The reality is that most of us live in cities and don’t have that option so I’ve come up with these 10 tips to help you find wildlife.
1. Your local city park
In my hometown of New Orleans we have a 1300 acre park that is home to ducks, squirrels, scores of species of waterfowl and wading birds, amphibians, alligators, and feral hogs. You likely have a similar park, albeit smaller, but still home to lots of wildlife. The benefit to these places is the wildlife will allow you to come closer than you would normally get and you can visit them everyday.
One tip about city parks, these are great places to hone your skills. If you can get good at photographing these animals on a regular basis you won’t have to worry when you take that trip of a lifetime to Alaska or Africa. You don’t want to figure out how to photograph wildlife when you are on Day 1 of your 10-thousand dollar African safari.
2. The Zoo
If you are fortunate enough to have a zoo in your hometown consider yourself lucky. Many cities have zoos with realistic looking exhibits that can make great looking images. If you have good lens that will allow you a shallow depth of field you can blur out the background and not worry about it. You can also often shoot right through a fence without a problem if the fence is closer than the minimum focusing distance of your lens. For example, I have a 18-135mm kit lens that has about and 18 in minimum focusing distance. If I put my lens 2 or 3 inches from the fence I can take a picture and you would never know the fence was there.
3. National Parks
Many people in America live within a one-day drive of a National Park. These are perfect for a weekend trip or longer family vacation. These parks often have websites with information about the species that can be viewed at the park. When you arrive at the park be sure to check with the park rangers for tips on the best places to see wildlife in that specific park. Do a little research and planning before embarking on your trip so you increase your chances of getting great shots.
4. National Forest
These have a little less in the way of resources than National Parks but are still havens for wildlife. You will have to work a little harder and know a little more about animal behavior but you can find wildlife here.
5. State Parks
Many states have well-developed state park systems. Within an hours drive of my home is a state park where I have photographed Bald Eagles and White-tailed deer. This park exist on the very edge of a large populated city. Like National Parks these parks may have websites and park rangers that can be a great resource for locating wildlife at the park.
6. Bureau of Land Management Lands
The BLM is an agency within the Dept. of the Interior that manages America’s public lands. They manage approximately 253 million acres or 1/8 the landmass of the country! Only 7 states have no BLM land (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio). Some states have huge amounts like Alaska with 78 million acres and Nevada with 47 million. You can check the internet for BLM sites near you.
7. Hunting Lands in Your State
In Louisiana we have Wildlife Management areas that are state-owned or state-managed land for state residents to hunt on. These can be great areas to photograph wildlife when hunting seasons are closed. If you are a hunter, or have extensive experience with hunting, you may be willing to venture into these areas during hunting season to photograph.
To find these areas do some online research or head to the local sporting goods store and look for publications that cater to hunters in your area. For instance, in Louisiana we have a publication called Louisiana Sportsman Magazine. Each month there are articles on where to find the best hunting and fishing in the state. If the area is good for game animals there are likely other animals there too.
8. Department of Defense and Military Installations
Since 9/11 gaining access to a military base with a camera has become much harder but for those willing to find these locations it can be worth it. The Department of Defense has with cooperation of the US Fish and Wildlife service entered into Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans via the 1997 amendment to the Sikes Act. All that means is that some military bases have wildlife watching programs that you as a photographer may be able to benefit from.
I’ve found that to find out about these areas you should contact the base you want to access directly for more information. Terror threat levels can change from day-to-day and access that was available yesterday could be gone today.
9. Hunting Leases
Many hunter spend thousands of dollars a year on hunting leases. These leases are pretty much unused outside of hunting season and you may be able to gain access to take photographs. Some even have permanent blinds that you may be able to use. Gaining access to these is the tricky part.
You can usually find these areas by looking for “Posted” signs along rural roads in wooded areas. You can then check tax records or county property record websites to find out who owns or leases the land. The easy way is to knock on the door of a person who lives along the edge of the lease and ask them. Be prepared, some clubs are not good neighbors so make it clear why you are asking for this information.
10. Private land
This is the holy grail, right behind very remote national parks, for wildlife watching. Privately owned land in rural areas often has lots of wildlife that is often undisturbed. If someone live there you can often just ask and gain access. If no lives on the property you may need to do some research. If you have a friend who is a Realtor they may be able to help or its back to the city property records for some investigative work.
Tip: ask in advance of when you want to shoot. Showing up before dawn or decked out in photo gear will get you branded a weirdo and assure you no access.
I hope you have a chance to try at least one of these tips and get yourself some great wildlife photos.
Chris Johnston
Professional Photographer based in Metairie, La
http://chrisjohnstonphotography.com
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