10 tips for photographing young animals

Spring is here! Besides the flowers blooming and the trees coming into full leaf, spring is also the season when lots of animals are born. Young animals, such as fox cubs and Scottish Highland calves, are of course incredibly cute and the perfect subject for your wildlife photos. Want to take beautiful pictures of young animals, like fawns and chicks, but not quite sure how to go about it?

We asked our wildlife ambassadors for their tips, so you can get started photographing young wild animals this spring.

Tip 1: Prepare well

Photographing young animals is a fun challenge that takes some preparation, says wildlife photographer Alex Brackx. “It can be a good idea to use a trail camera, for example. It lets you get a good look at animals’ surroundings and habits – think mustelids, foxes, wild boar and roe deer.” You can also read up on photographing different species. Take a look at our ten tips for photographing foxes, for example.

Tip 2: Always keep your distance

There’s one thing all wildlife photographers agree on: keep a good distance from the animals. Young wild animals are vulnerable. So keep your distance and don’t disturb them, says wildlife and nature photographer Alex Pansier. “It may be a cliché, but it really matters. After all, you don’t want to disturb the animals – and end up without any photos as well.”

Bird photographer Chiara Talia recommends sitting in a bird or wildlife hide. “That way you keep enough distance, while still being able to calmly photograph young birds in their nest, for example.” You can also set up and use your own hide tent or camouflage net.

Tip 3: Use a telephoto lens

While you want to keep your distance from young animals, you still want to bring them up close in your photos. That’s why a good zoom or telephoto lens is ideal! Wildlife photographer Joren de Jager recommends a telephoto lens of at least 400mm. “That way you stay at a distance and don’t disturb the animals, while still getting close-up shots.”

Tip 4: Never get between mother and young

As a photographer, make sure you never get between the parents and their young, warns Alex Brackx. “There’s a chance the parents will want to protect their offspring, which can create a dangerous situation. And of course you don’t want to cause panic either.”

Tip 5: Stay close to home

“In my view, the easiest place to photograph young animals is the park around the corner,” says wildlife photographer Joren. “Everything turns green, even in the little city park.” Did you know that you’ll find geese in almost every park – and that they’re among the first animals to have young? Ideal!

Want to know more about wildlife photography close to home? Then read this article by Chiara Talia, in which she shares her experiences.

Tip 6: Make your garden bird-friendly

You can stay even closer to home by making your garden bird-friendly, says Joren. “You can see spring arriving in your garden too. By hanging up a nest box, you give the birds in your garden the perfect place to build a nest. Who knows, soon there may be young robins or blue tits flitting through your garden for you to capture!”

Tip 7: Don’t disturb bird nests

In several European countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, disturbing bird nests is a punishable offence – whether they’re in your own garden or not. “Do your research before you head out and keep enough distance,” advises bird photographer Chiara Talia. “Apart from the fact that disturbing nests can be illegal, your presence can cause the parents to abandon the nest. That makes the young birds a lot more vulnerable.”

Chiara also advises thinking twice before sharing the locations of bird nests. Alex Pansier agrees. “If I know a spot where there are young animals, I’d rather not share it, because I don’t want it to be swarming with photographers in no time.”

Tip 8: Play with your aperture

Experiment with your camera settings, says Alex Brackx. “Your aperture in particular is something you can really play with.” He gives a few examples:

• Sometimes you only want those big puppy eyes in focus. Use a wide aperture – in other words, a lower f-number.
• Want every bit of fluff on that adorable chick to be sharp? Then choose a narrower aperture, so a higher f-number, such as f/5.6.
• Try emphasising the beautiful, soft spring colours around your subject by using a lower f-number.
• Use a higher f-number if you also want those lovely spring flowers next to the chicks to be sharp.

“It can really pay off to experiment with this,” says Alex. “A fast lens also gives you lots of options here.”

Tip 9: Use a fast shutter speed

Besides aperture, your shutter speed matters too. Young animals move quickly and unpredictably, which is why Alex Brackx recommends using a fast shutter speed. “That way you can get the animals sharp in your photos.” He does add that it can be fun to experiment with a slower shutter speed. “That might give you some lovely motion blur when animals are playing. Why not try it out on your own pet first!”

Tip 10: Be patient

This applies to many types of photography, of course, but be patient. Wild animals won’t react the way you want or sit still when you ask them to. “You definitely need patience when photographing young animals,” says Alex Brackx. “They still sleep a lot, but if you wait a while, they’ll wake up and start running around and playing. That’s when you can sometimes get wonderful shots. So your patience will be rewarded!”

Share your results

Have you taken beautiful wildlife photos of young animals? Share them with us on Instagram! Use #KameraExpress or tag Kamera Express in your post. And don’t forget to follow us for plenty of inspiration.

Get inspired

Curious about the work of our wildlife ambassadors? Be sure to read the interviews in which they talk about their passion for wildlife photography – and share even more tips for photographing wildlife.

< Read all about wildlife photography here