Welcome to the ninth in a 12 part series about how to improve your nature photography.
Step #9 – Learn biology.
You want to be a better wildlife photographer? Learn biology. This was the advice given to me when I first got into photography. At the time I had no idea I would go on to earn a doctorate in wildlife biology. Now, 19 years later, I realize learning biology is the best photographic advice I ever got.
Wouldn’t it be great if we knew what animals were going to do before they did it? It might surprise you to know that animals are predictable. They have specific needs and tend to respond to situations in predictable ways. By understanding their behavior, it becomes possible to not only predict the behavior, but to increase your chances of capturing it on film. Don’t believe me? Lets look at an example. Ever tried to capture an image of a bird taking off? It’s hard isn’t it? You sit there for hours, only to blink as the action starts. Next time, wait for the bird to defecate. Seriously. Taking off is difficult and birds do everything they can to lighten the load. Using this knowledge, it becomes much easier to get the shot.
At the same time, behaviors often occur but pass by unnoticed. Without understanding the context within which a behavior falls, we are unlikely to recognize it for what it is. Take elephants for example. Why are biologists so enthusiastic about elephants? Sure, they are charismatic, huge, and fun to watch, but so are countless other species. Elephants are what biologists call keystone species, meaning they have a more dramatic impact on their environment they one would expect based on their population numbers. In fact, after humans, elephants are probably the most destructive species on the planet.
You see, elephants tend to have a love-hate relationship with trees. They use trees for a variety of activities including food, moisture, scratching, and play. The problem is that elephants have a lot of weight to throw around and they have a habit of knocking trees over. Do this enough and the trees start to disappear. The result is a gradual shift from forests to grasslands. Obviously this has an impact on not only the trees, but also the animals that live in the affected forests and grasslands.
What does this have to do with photography? By understanding the biological relationship between elephants and these different ecosystems, a new world of photographic opportunities opens up. Suddenly, an elephant standing next to a broken tree trunk has new meaning as does the long-term implications of reduced elephant populations throughout much of Africa.
The following are a collection of images that were all created either to record a particular animal behavior or were made possible because of knowledge of specific behaviors.
While male lions often form coalitions when taking over a pride, competition still exists. Access to receptive females is the primary source of competition and watching the interaction between individuals can provide clues about conflict before it happens.
When lions mate, copulation is brief and repeated frequently (over 100 times a day). It also ends with a short fight as the female snarls and attacks the male if he doesn’t back off. Knowing this pattern let me capture the male’s expression.
Impala social structure is based around a single, alpha male controlling access to a harem (group of females). For a two-month period, this male will spend all of his energy mating and chasing off rival males.
Fighting is dangerous. A hurt animal is often a dead animal and even the winner of a fight risks injury. As a result, many animals have developed highly ritualized contests that establish dominance without resulting in an all out fight. For elephants, these contests take the form of pushing matches. Two elephants come together, interlock trunks, and push. While it is difficult to photograph real contests, it is a common sight to see young elephants practicing their pushing skills.
Creating an interesting picture of a wildebeest is hard. My most successful attempts have all focused around the behavior of the alpha male to patrol his harem against intruding males. This shot clearly shows the alpha male on the lookout for rivals.
