Are You Making These 8 Wildlife Photography Mistakes?
This article is for those photographers who want to create great images.
Here are few mistakes that wildlife photographers make, and if you realise you're making some of them - then I'll show you how to correct them too!
1. Zooming in Too Much // Just Shooting Portraits
Either you're a fan of the lion's nostrils, or you're getting too excited to see the lion up close.
Out of excitement, we forget about photography, and just start shooting the lion because it finally got close.
A lot of the time, you'll find that the ears, legs, or background is cut out. And especially if those are portraits, they wouldn't look as great, right?
Wildlife photography is more than just standalone portraits - show the foreground, lighting, background, interactions, etc. That is where storytelling begins.
Don't just show the animal all the time; show where it lives, where it's looking, or what it's doing.
Cameras today give us a lot of freedom in cropping those portraits later on.
I would say you are much better off with a slightly zoomed-out photo than a very tight one. At least you can compose different variations of the zoomed out one.
2. Overshooting & Lack of Patience
A lot of us like shooting animals at a very fast rate, not because of the animal's behaviour, but because the sound of the freaking shutter is so satisfying (guilty!).
But you know what's not satisfying? Going home and selecting a photo from 200 options of the same scene.
I get that you don't want to miss any moment, but sometimes, you just have to time the moment.
This comes from experience, patience, subject behaviour, and an understanding of core photography principles.
It doesn't make sense to shoot 100 pictures of an animal that's moving slower than my grandma.
Instead of doing that, they should focus on the angle, background, foreground, or wait for some action from the animal.
Create. Anticipate. But don't give your memory cards a hard time all the time :)
Not only does shooting less at regular sightings make you more intentional, but it also saves you a lot of mental energy from the selection process, which should actually be used for post-processing.
3. Dismissing The Importance of Light
Light is the raw material for any photograph in this world.
To read and master light, is to master photography.
To create beautiful photos, you need to be aware of your lighting.
One can't be shooting a lion portrait at harsh midday lighting - with dark shadows, making the lion's eyes look like a ghost - and call it a masterpiece.
Learn how to read highlights, shadows, harshness of light, flow of light, and your photography will start feeling a lot more fun and creative!
Get my free eBook on lighting here.
Get my free eBook on Silhouettes here
4. Shooting from High Angles
It's good to be high on life, but not that great to be shooting a cheetah from the vehicle roof.
You see, for us to make our images feel more impactful, we want to connect with the animals.
That can be done very well if we shoot them from low angles, either at their eye level - or even below.
Shooting from above them simply makes the images less powerful, with less connection.
Here's a comparison for you:
These are barely edited. But they were shot at the same sighting, with the same equipment and same settings, but see the difference angles can make?
BONUS TIP: Shooting from low also gives you more background blur, and creates beautiful foregrounds too :)
5. Focusing on Technicality Over Storytelling & Character
Some people obsess over camera settings so much that they forget the essence of photography itself: to communicate a story or a feeling.
Yes, mastering your camera is very important, but there's only so much you can do.
Technical knowledge shouldn't be the goal, but rather a tool to help you reach a goal.
Focus on what you want to create, and let the technical knowledge assist you.
Today, technology is so good that almost anyone can get a sharp image. Before autofocus was a thing, getting a sharp image of a bird in flight was enough to win you an international award haha.
In terms of standing out, the best way is to create images with intention, not with the right settings.
6. Disregarding Animal Behavior & Small Moments
There could be people out there who only go out to shoot for the sake of shooting. You know, just spotting and clicking (*wink).
They may be clicking regular portraits, or 'boring' photos of animals eating grass/sleeping.
They might also wonder why other photographers get so lucky with capturing beautiful photos.
Now, we both know that photography isn't just luck all the time.
You know what, sometimes it is luck - but you can't rely on seeing special sightings all the time right? Sometimes you have to create extraordinary photos with what you get.
This is where animal behaviour comes in. Learn about their specific behaviours, movements, and interactions. This way, you'll be able to anticipate them and plan your shot before. This is what creating an image is!
In addition to that, pay attention to the unnoticeable actions animals make; blinks, yawns, ear flicks, breaths. These are the subtle things that make your images extraordinary. And that's when other people will think you got 'lucky' with that image. ;)
7. Editing to Fix, Rather than Finish
This is just my personal opinion: Editing is the final process of photography.
Editing was traditionally seen as a way to 'correct' an image. Maybe someone messed up with exposure, or perhaps it's to clean up certain distractions.
But now? It has become an art on its own.
Many people think that editing takes away the originality of the scene, and prefer to keep their RAW images.
While it may be true, I see editing as a way to'enhance' a scene, and a tool to help my intended vision/story come to life. Editing and photography go hand in hand for me.
I just enhance my images, but never add objects from external sources. It's always up to you where to draw the line, and there's nothing wrong or right about it.
My personal advice? Especially for a beginner? Don't neglect the importance of editing - it is what helped me stand out from the crowd.
8. Treating Editing Like A Formula Rather Than Skill
Some people treat editing like formulas, where they need to get the exact points on the sliders to get a specific look (eg: contrast -20, highlights +25, etc.)
You know, it doesn't work all the time because all lighting scenarios are different; therefore, we expose our images differently.
Getting the numbers right might be a quick fix, but you're learning nothing there.
Instead, you should do what I call 'Playditing.'
This is when you repeatedly play around and experiment with each setting, left and right, on several images. What does this do? You subconsciously teach your brain what each setting does and how it affects different imaging scenarios.
That, my friend, is how you master editing. Read this article, which explores 'How to Master Editing' in depth.
P.S.
If today’s article helped you notice the small shifts that make a big difference in your photography…
Imagine applying them in the field, in real time, with wildlife right in front of you.
On my safaris, we don’t just “drive and click.”
We break down angles, timing, behaviour, composition, light, and editing - the exact things you read today - and turn them into instinct.
That’s the power of learning in the field.
For 2026, I’m hosting a limited number of group tours and private 1:1 trips across Kenya, Tanzania, and Malawi.
Group sizes stay small because I work closely with each guest, helping you anticipate behaviour, choose better angles, refine your edits, and create images you’re genuinely proud of.
If you’ve been wanting to:
• stop relying on luck
• shoot with intention instead of habit
• understand why a good photo works
• or simply take your photography from “decent” to “world-class”…
Then I’d love to have you join me in the field.
Message me on Instagram @spotclickpost or reply to this email if you want the 2026 schedule.
General Info on Tours: https://www.spotclicktours.com/
If this article helped you, let me know - your feedback genuinely pushes me to write more.
Till next time,
Dhir
