Wildlife Photography Sites

Nature encompasses all organisms and elements hence the word nature photography has a much wider scope. Wildlife photography limits itself to mammals and birds. Bird and macro photography are specialized fields not suitable for all amateurs. Macro lenses are used for capturing images of insects.

Though considered a sport, this activity is a big tool for research and understanding of nature. The contribution of the lens men to conservation is immense. Over the years the field has evolved and has reached a wider audience than before. The development of equipment in recent times has made the art of photographing much easy. More people can now afford to indulge in capturing images of nature and wildlife than earlier. Thanks to digital technology, the tedious work of film processing have been eliminated by the use of computers and advanced software programs.

Wildlife photography is exhausting outdoor work and hence requires fitness of body and mind. It is a game of patience, hence one has to commit a lot of time. The skill set required is vast which comes with constant involvement and commitment. This recreation or profession is only for those passionate about the subject.

The online platforms offer storage and display space for images. Some of the sites cost money but they offer advanced features. Most of the photography sites are free. Social media sites like Facebook are the best portals for camera enthusiasts to create their community and interact. Portals like Pinterest, Flickr, and Picassa also offer interactive social media features.

India is home to a diverse group of mammals which are the targeted species for wildlife photographers. The greatest attraction is the tiger followed by the wild elephant, lion, rhino, and leopard. Rare animals found in niche habitats are equally important for the cameramen.

The sport is much followed in the country, and there are many nature photographers of repute. Many International professional photographers visit India on tours and some have become well-known worldwide.

With the introduction of digital equipment photography as a hobby, recreation has become affordable. Simple handheld cameras also deliver good results for amateurs. With an increase in wildlife tourism, the number of photo enthusiasts in the country is rising.

Listed below are the resources for nature photography. These are useful for those interested in wildlife and birding. This recreation is a hobby as well as a profession. This is the best way to popularize nature conservation by creating empathy for nature and recording natural wonders on film forever. A stepping stone for budding enthusiasts...

Indian Wildlife Photos

This is a group with a collection of wildlife images, especially of tigers, other animals, and Indian birds...

Indian Photography

This website is dedicated to wildlife and general photography. Offers images for sale. A website of an experienced lensman and travel writer

Wildlife Photographers

Lucid images in a personal website on nature. The site offers to sell images. Find articles on photography and guides. Best site to learn from experienced wildlife photographers Jan and David.

Wildlife Photographer India

Work of Indian photographer and travel writer. Join this group on Flickr and enjoy the vast display of nature's wonders captured in films.

Wildlife Photography Group

A popular Flickr group on the Internet. Find images of tigers and other wild animals, mammals, birds, and butterflies.

Nature Photographers Network

A budding network with an online magazine to form a cooperative network of amateurs and professionals. The site offers membership to those interested in photography and learning new techniques and new equipment.

It is very difficult to define top destinations but taking into the account that tiger is the most pursued animal. This charismatic cat now survives in major reserves in India. Wildlife photographers visit these destinations to capture images of the tiger alongside many exciting species of mammals found here. I would rate the destination as follows:

For Tiger/Leopard/Deer

Kanha National Park

Bandhavgarh National Park

Pench National Park

Corbett National Park

Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve

For Lion

Gir National Park

For Rhino

Kaziranga National Park

Dudhwa National Park

For Wild Elephant

Corbett National Park

Periyar Tiger Reserve

Namdapha Tiger Reserve

For Wild Ass

Little Rann of Kutch

For Nilgiri Tahr

Eravikulum National Park

Nilgiri Hills

Annamalai Hills

For Golden Langur/Hoolock Gibbon/Rhino

Manas Tiger Reserve

For Snow Leopard/Goat Antelopes

Hemis High Altitude National Park

For Black/Brown Bear/Musk Deer/Snow Leopard

Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve

For Black Buck/Wolf

Velavadar

For Indian Wolf

Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary

Although you can visit wild places independently by making your own arrangement, it is better to hire a service. Some of the protected areas are in remote places with limited accommodation and transport. Hence going through a tour operator is the best approach for the first timers at least.

The professionals like to go about it alone. They should follow the advice and ask for a guide services as well. The tour operators make arrangement well in advance in order to assure your travel and accommodation. Their knowledge and network is very helpful in all circumstances.

There are many packages offered for Indian wildlife photography tours by the organizers. Choose one that suits you best and join the group. These are organized and led by a tour leader along with services of local guides at all destinations. The group with same objective functions as one unit and explores the possibility of taking good images. This is one preferred way of traveling in India.

The package tours are affordable and convenient. In case of booking for big groups the cost benefits accrue. These benefits are usually received by the destination management company or the landing agent.

There is a mind boggling array of equipment for lens-men interested in nature photography. For amateurs a good digital camera is order of the day. Read reviews and buy the best your budget allows. Even simple compact digital cameras are well equipped to photograph large mammals. High pixel count and high spatial resolution is what you should look for. There are plethora of advance features in costly cameras, do not get lost in them. Keep things simple.

There are many companies like Canon, Nikon and Pentax. High resolution is what one should go for. Unlike in the case of SLRs you need long lenses but with digital cameras you need high resolution and best quality lenses.

For getting the best images use a heavy tripod in order to avoid a shake. A flash unit is always incorporated in the new DSLR cameras but sometimes you need more light hence buying external flash is not a bad idea. This will also be useful for macro photography.

DSLR cameras come with a wide array of interchangeable lenses. You can choose what suits you the best. These lenses are very costly hence keep to a minimum requirement.

Here is a list of Digital camera manufactures of all types.

Digital Camera Manufacturers