Photographing wildlife is one of the most amazing experiences I have had as a photographer. Have I ever photographed a Lion? No. Have I ever photographed a wolf? Not in the wild. Have I ever photographed a grizzly bear? No.

You may be asking yourself, how amazing of an experience can photographing wildlife be if I haven’t photographed any of these oft depicted big game animals?

Photographing local wildlife is amazing, because that is the wildlife you see and interact with on a daily basis. They are the animals that you experience. You can get to know them.

The wildlife you live with is the wildlife that will be most meaningful to you. They are the animals you are most likely to form a connection with. Forming a connection is the heart of wildlife photography.

Would I love to photograph lions or wolves? Of course I would. But the likelihood of that happening is vanishingly small. Especially as we as humans put pressure on their very survival.

Also, if it would be your dream to photograph more exotic wildlife some day, you don’t want that opportunity to find you unprepared. Take advantage of the wildlife you see every day to hone your craft. Develop your vision. Learn technique. Learn about the wildlife you seek to photograph. Be prepared.

Enjoy local wildlife

If you love animals you will find it just as enjoyable to photograph the everyday as you will to have a one time opportunity at something exotic. If you miss the shot at your once in a lifetime animal, that is a huge let down. But if you miss your shot at the local white tailed deer hear, you go back out again the next day you can and you capture that image.

Enjoy photographing whatever lives around you. I have photographed birds, reptiles, amphibians, deer, and chipmunks. It may feel like there is nothing to photograph, but once you start looking around you will see there is more wildlife around you than you ever imagined. Even insects. Especially insect. Think about tall the beautiful butterflies you could photograph.

I always dreamed of photographing exotic wildlife when I first started photography. But, I started learning by photographing the gulls down at the river. It was great practice and it was entertaining to watch them.

Then I learned that we had resident eagles in our area. And the resurgence of the Bald Eagle population has allowed me to photograph one of the most majestic animals to ever grace the skies without ever having to travel. And if I hadn’t been down at the river practicing I may not have ever known they were her and I definitely would not have been ready.