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Wildlife photography is one of the most rewarding forms of art, but also one of the most challenging.

Unique rules apply when your subjects have both significant welfare and conservation needs.

No matter what the situation, no photograph is worth wildlife (or yourself) being harmed. The most basic rule:

If you make an animal change its behaviour, you're too close.

Please visit the Ethical Wildlife Viewing Guide for more information.

Getting Started

To my mind it is better to have a poor camera and good knowledge of your subject than the other way around. Before you can photograph wildlife, you must first be able to find it!

Garden wildlife is an obvious choice. Think small as well as big - insects, rodents and amphibians can make fascinating studies.

While walking (or being driven as a vehicle passenger) in more rural areas, train yourself to always be alert. Scan the edges of hedges or woods for mammals and listen for bird calls. One species can be a link to another - I have found wild wolves by noticing nervous elk, for example.

Dawn and dusk are the best times to see wildlife, although poor light makes photography more difficult. When travelling, local advice on wildlife watching is extremely helpful. But there is no substitute for practice when it comes to finding wild animals.

Equipment

There doesn't seem to be an upper limit on the price or amount of possible camera equipment!

However, there is a lower limit for wildlife - at the very least, look for a 6x zoom / 200mm lens. I use a Canon digital SLR (EOS 30D) and a variety of lenses, including a Tamron SP AF Di (IF) 200-500mm 5-6:3. I also have a Manfrotto tripod, which, like the lens, is definitely on the heavy side but offers high stability.

Things to consider when choosing equipment:

• Price (alas, most of us cannot afford Canon's 500mm prime lenses)

• Do you want a camera with just one fixed lens, or is a DSLR - where you switch lens types to match your subject - a better option?

• Complexity. Both cameras and the software used to process the photos vary enormously in this regard.

• Portability. Unless you're only going to photograph from a car or in the garden, you should be comfortable carrying the camera and / or lenses for the distance of a typical hike.

• Subject material. If, like me, you want to photograph elusive grizzlies and wolves, you need a very big zoom, far more than you would need for a general, all purpose camera. If your main interest is flowers, you need a good macro lens instead.

• Megapixels. While not the most important aspect of a camera's quality, having high megapixels does allow you to crop your images (again, important with distant wildlife) and still retain a good image.

• Speed at start up. You do not want the animal to make an exit while the camera slowly comes to life!

If a particular camera has caught your interest, be sure to read independent reviews before purchasing it. I recommend the Digital Camera Resource Page.

A quick warning: never use digital zoom. A real zoom lens magnifies your subject. A digital zoom just magnifies the image inside your camera, leading to a loss of quality.

Wildlife in Sight!

• Is it safe for both the animal and yourself to take a photo?

• Try not to silhouette animals against a bright sky (unless you're aiming for this; e.g. deer against the sunset).

• Capturing the shine in the animal's eyes is best done in natural daylight.

• Use a high shutter speed to freeze an animal's motion and prevent camera shake (but note this reduces brightness).

• Where a high shutter speed is impossible, use a tripod. Alternatively, look for a convenient fence post etc.

• When using a very slow shutter speed, a remote release or cable can prevent shake.

• Take several shots, if possible. If all are equal you can always delete them later, but if focussing is subtly out on all but one or two this will save the day.

• Shoot in RAW, if this is an option. Additional processing of the photos is required but this does allow you to correct certain errors visible once you look back at the pictures on the computer screen.

• Remember to take pictures showing the animal in its habitat as well as closeups.

• Perhaps the best tip: read the camera manual thoroughly before experimenting out in the wild!