Along with being the most feasible respite place for the locals, parks (independent of their size and location) serve as a great natural habitat for the animals. It is away from the hustle of urbane culture. With a stunning amalgam of nature and fauna, they are also an opportunistic spot for great animal photography. 

So, roll out the camera and get mesmerising shots of animal photography in the local parks with these amazing ideas. 

Get down and up close

When you set out to photograph animals, you need to get your hands dirty because unlike nature or portrait photography, this needs hard work. Don’t hesitate to get down on your knees or crouch to get an up close and personal shot of animals. Doing it the expert’s way, avoid zoom at all costs unless absolutely necessary to save yourself from distorted or blurry images. While you get fairly near to the animal, do remember to not disturb these little creatures and take shots keeping the peace and decorum of their homes.

Capture the hidden beauty in waters

Parks usually come with beautiful lakes adding to their landscape and water is a valuable asset for every photographer. Try to find an interest point and play with the shades of nature. Seascape photographs are absolutely ravishing, exposing nature in all its glory. With water as your background, reflective photography also comes in handy. If you happen to take shots at sunset or sunrise, then you will surely capture glorious photographs without much effort. 

Catch animals in action

Animal photography has one factor – you can’t really control the elements while shooting. This can be both challenging and fruitful for the shutterbugs. This unpredictability can also create perfect frames. Have your camera ready at all times to catch the animals in their most natural, raw form running or eating or hopping around and preserve their raw innocence through photographs. Remember to be quick with your camera, so you never miss adorable clicks capturing animals busy in their natural tasks.
Pro Tip: If you are dealing with fast-runners, set a high shutter speed, favourably 1/1000 or above. Next, set a fairly low ISO and capture with a wide aperture to catch motion without blur.

Keep an eye out for details

Whatever the size of the park, they always have a boastful line of plantations around them. They host an array of insects and plant-dwelling species. While you are roaming for inspiration, don’t miss out on these little wonders buzzing around pretty flowers. They have tiny feathers but offer great dimensions to the photo. Possessing a macro lens is a great asset for capturing intricate details. Be careful if you intend to take close shots as the slightest unnecessary movement will make them fly away.  Keep focus on the tiny creature and try to include the eyes – a pro-tip to introduce depth in the photographs.

Simple is pretty

Picture the natural essence of the park by shooting the commoners with their pets or kids doting on small animals. A photograph showing a pet just having a great time or an animal playing with another is equally captivating and makes for a great shot. The backdrop is already staged with all the surreal elements in place. All you really need to do is just set the right angles, play around with your subject and begin shooting.

Penetrate the woods

In order to get ethereal-looking photographs, dense tree cover in park is your best bet. While you look for great imagery on ground, there is a lot happening atop those entangled branches and intertwined leaves of the woods. Home to varied species of birds, this is an ideal spot for photographing the local fauna in its majestic form. Rodents and birds hopping branches are not just fascinating for kids in the park but also the ones with shutter. Steady your camera, get as close as possible and look out for the best angles when you photograph these naturally gorgeous chirpy dwellers.

Pro tip: Shooting birds can be challenging because of their speed and if you are at a distance, it becomes all the more difficult. Always opt for versatile lenses or telephoto lens offering a wide aperture to capture far off shots. Use image stabilisation to get sharp photographs.  

Who thought that an easy stroll in the park has so much potential for photographers? The next time you feel like visiting the local haven, get your camera along and get great animal photographs against a pre-set backdrop of glorious nature.